The Bodyguard (Book 1 in the Original BOC Series) ✔

Chapter Nine

Mara smirked whenever she looked at him.

It was just too funny remembering the way he looked as he was rolling around the floor like a rollie pollie. Okay, so he may have been in pain. But he deserved it! After all, he had locked Mara in the back of the bronco like she was an animal! That was sufficient enough reason to hit him.

She meant to hit him in the face, but her fist only reached up to his neck at the awkward angle she threw her arm in, directly into his Adam's apple to be precise.

So naturally, it was Mighty Henry's fault for being so tall.

But what bothered Mara even more was that small moment they shared before he closed the door on her. That kiss.

Why had he kissed her? Worse, why did she kiss him?

Mara bit her bottom lip, frowning out the window to have her faded reflection staring back at her. There wasn't much to look at beyond it anyway, with it being so dark now.

But even staring out the window couldn't keep her from thinking about that kiss. She'd never kissed anyone before, and although it was under false pretenses, Mara liked the kiss. It caught her by surprise, sure, but it felt wonderful. And it happened with such a handsome man as Nathan Henry.

Mara's frown deepened at the next thought piercing her good feeling.

HE STOLE HER FIRST KISS!

"Argh!"

Mara froze after her outburst, blinking repeatedly and swallowed down a bit of blush that rose onto her face. She turned to see Jane, Rory, and even Nathan, staring at her.

Ben was driving. So he wasn't really paying attention.

Mara turned her eyes to Rory, who gave her a small side smile that made her feel more embarrassed than less. Her gaze switched over to her cousin.

Jane blinked at her from flipping through one of her magazines and, for a moment, Mara saw concern on her cousin's face before the redhead returned to her reading material.

Mara purchased a year's subscription for Jane just because the elegant beauty was going on and on and on about wanting to catch up on celebrity news in Hollywood. The redhead beauty had shrugged her shoulders, and shook her head that day she was convincing her cousin, as to why she needed the magazines.

"How am I supposed to connect with the world? How am I supposed to know that we are not the only ones left in the world? Or--- or that any eligible, handsome, and worthy men are still in my reach?!"

Then Jane filled the rest of her dramatic debate with tears and throwing the back of her hand onto her forehead as she leaned her head back.

It was truly a convincing performance for Mara. Really, it was.

Mara felt someone staring at her from the front seat and she fought hard not to give in to looking in said direction.

But turned her head she did, and it was to see Nathan in the passenger seat with his head turned slightly and giving her a raised-brow warning look.

She couldn't help the corners of her mouth tugging to make her smile. The thought of what happened that afternoon was coming back again.

Mara quickly turned away to the window, her smile now clear but not bothering to hide it, and after a minute of just staring at her, Nathan faced front again.

Glimpsing at the small interaction between the two, Jane lifted her head from her magazine sitting on her lap and frowned at Nathan's head rest. She couldn't help, but wonder when the handsome man would start his serenading. She was hoping it would have been at the Estate, but that first attempt was a fail.