When we step out of the elevator, no one is around yet. I’ve intentionally arrived early to avoid answering twenty questions before my first cup of coffee, and thank God I manage to snag a cup and make it back to my office before the first person stops by.
Luckily, it’s Lacy. She’s already talking as she enters. “You’re bright and early this morning. How was your—” She stops talking mid-sentence when she sees Colt standing in my office. He’s leaning casually against the wall near the window, one ankle crossed over the other.
He gives her a winning smile and shoves off the wall. “You must be Lacy.” He extends a hand.
Lacy’s mouth is hanging open and her eyes are as wide as I imagine mine were earlier this morning. It takes her a moment to clear her throat and find her voice. “Are you the guy I saw kissing Eve the other morning?”
He chuckles. “Lucky for Eve, yes. What if I wasn’t?” He glances at me. “Imagine explaining that.”
Lacy’s face flushes. It’s so unlike her. Then she laughs, nervously. “Yeah, Eve doesn’t date even one guy, let alone two, so…” She clamps her mouth closed and palms her forehead. “I’ll shut up now.” She turns to me. “Is it bring-a-hot-hunk-to-work day? I missed the memo.”
I glance at Colt, but he gestures for me to explain myself however I choose. I look back at Lacy. “Actually, here’s the thing…” I rub my temples. What I’m about to say sounds absurd. “So, it turns out someone has been calling into the police tip line with an anonymous threat against me. Colt was assigned to keep me safe. And then, well, you can guess the rest.”
Her face is priceless. “You— I mean— Oh, my God. You—”
Colt chuckles. I can’t blame him.
I shrug. “Hot guy shows up to protect you. Whatcha gonna do?”
Lacy glances back and forth before sighing dramatically. “I’m calling the cops right now and telling them there is a threat to my life.” She spins around and leaves the room, still chuckling.
One down.
The rest of the morning isn’t quite as dramatic. I do have to explain myself to a dozen people, but none of them are as close to me as Lacy, so I don’t elaborate and insinuate I’m sleeping with my bodyguard.
Most people just assume I hit the undercover cop jackpot and move on. They don’t say this. It’s in their expressions. Especially the women. No one besides Lacy insinuates they saw Colt kissing me the other morning.
By ten o’clock, my world is almost normal. I’m at my desk. Computer open. Files in front of me. Deep breaths.
But, Colt is also in the room. He’s sitting at my small conference table, focused on his laptop, staying as quiet as he promised, but he’s still there. I can’t avoid seeing him. And he doesn’t get any less sexy as the minutes tick by.
If anything, he gets more attractive.
I love how he is with my coworkers. He lets me tell them our weird story, never interfering. He’s overly polite with each person, endearing the entire office to him. My boss and both of his partners stop by to meet him even.
Overall, I’d say it’s going better than I could have dreamed. I’m certain several people are suspicious, but they’re not wrong, so how can I blame them?
The start of my week is far less painful than I expected, and when we get back to my apartment that night, I jump Colt’s bones while he’s still locking the door.
Fifteen minutes later, we’re still against the door, Colt is breathing heavily, and he grabs my face, meets my gaze, and says, “I’m going to buy some more suits.”
This is how our week goes. Colt and I settle into a comfortable routine. Shower, dress, work. Undress, fuck against the door, shift gears.
In the evenings, after I’m beyond satisfied by our antics in the foyer, I change clothes and spend a few hours in my little space. Colt—the champion—takes care of my every need. He’s a God. And it scares me more every day.
Several times a day and in the evenings, I stop what I’m doing and stare at him when he doesn’t know I’m looking. He’s too good to be true. I have to pinch myself, then I remind myself that I’m right. He is too good to be true. He’s not mine.
On Thursday, my boss pops into my office and asks me if I’ll be able to attend a seminar about the latest tax laws on Saturday. It’s six hours long and includes lunch. It’s being held in the conference room of a nearby hotel.
I glance at Colt. He’s frowning, and I know he hates when we deviate from our routine. We haven’t gone anywhere for any reason other than work and home since Saturday. He stares at me for a moment before glancing at my boss and nodding.
My boss steps all the way into my office and shuts the door. He looks concerned. “If you think it’s too dangerous…” He glances from me to Colt.
I interject. “No. It’s fine.”
“I’ll get another guy or two to watch the exits,” Colt says. “No one will know we’re there, so it won’t upset the other attendees. Not a problem.”
I know he’s lying to my boss, and I know he’s doing it for me. He doesn’t want to do anything to upset my career, but he’s going to worry the entire day too.
After my boss leaves, I turn to Colt. “You hate it.”
“It’s fine.”
I come around my desk, shut my door once more, and flatten my palms on his perfectly starched white dress shirt. I try not to touch him while I’m at work, but he’s stressed right now, and I’m hoping my touch will bring him down a notch. “Who’s going to abduct me from a crowded accounting seminar?”
He
