Guarding His Fortune. Stella Bagwell
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done in a knobby burgundy fabric. At the far end of the room, a large flat-screen TV sat atop an oak entertainment center. A remote for it was lying on the end of a long glass-topped coffee table.
She rarely watched television and had no plans to change her habits, but perhaps Chaz might enjoy the diversion, she thought.
He walked over to the window and peered out at the small front lawn. Savannah got the feeling he was studying more than the perfectly manicured St. Augustine grass and blooming oleanders. Did he really believe that Charlotte Robinson or her paid cronies would actually try to cause her harm? The idea seemed fantastic.
He said, “I’m sure you’ll be making new friends at the university. If you do decide to have company, or a dinner party, be sure and tell me about it beforehand. I’ll have to—”
“Do background checks on my guests?” she interrupted.
He walked over to where she was standing. “Maybe. Maybe not. I just need to be prepared. It’s a part of my job—to keep you safe.”
“Yes. By all means, I’ll tell you every move I intend to make.”
His gaze slipped over her face and for a moment Savannah was totally disarmed by his chocolate-brown eyes. As a bodyguard, she would’ve expected his gaze to be razor sharp. Instead, his eyes were soft and alluring. And it suddenly dawned on Savannah that if she weren’t careful, she might easily get lost in those deep, dark pools.
“I’m sorry you’re so displeased about this,” he said. “But one day you might be very thankful your father was so concerned about you.”
She couldn’t imagine herself being thankful for having her stay in Austin invaded by this man. But she didn’t want to appear like an ungrateful brat, too spoiled to deal with reality.
“I understand my father has worries about my safety. It’s just that—well, I’ve not had time to get used to all of this. Especially when I thought—”
“You thought what?”
She shrugged, while telling herself to step aside until there was three or four feet of distance separating them. That might be enough space to get her breathing back to an even keel. But looking into those dreamy eyes had done something to her feet. Both of them seemed stuck to the floor.
A nervous flutter suddenly attacked the back of her throat, forcing her to swallow before she could answer. “I thought—well, you see, like Nolan pointed out, this is my first real venture at living away from home. I was looking forward to it. Being just me—taking care of myself, doing things for myself. Now, all my plans have been turned upside down.”
Before she could guess his intentions, he stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. It felt big and warm, and the mere fact that he was touching her sent electrical currents shooting through her entire body.
“I promise, Savannah, this isn’t going to be as bad as you’re thinking. I will stay out of your way as much as possible. Okay?”
His voice was low, and husky, and just as seductive as the touch of his hand. “Okay,” she murmured. “And I’ll do my best not to cause you any major headaches.”
One corner of his lips cocked upward. “Let’s not worry about future problems. Certainly not for the rest of today.”
His hand eased off her shoulder and Savannah decided it was high time to step away from him.
“I’m all for that.” She walked over to the bags she’d dropped earlier and collected them from the floor. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take these to the bedroom.”
Inside the master bedroom, Savannah placed her luggage on the end of a queen-sized bed with an ornate head-and footboard made of brass. A green and navy comforter, along with pillows in matching shams, covered the mattress. However, a quick peek beneath the comforter revealed there were no sheets. She made a mental note to put them on her shopping list.
The sound of Chaz’s footsteps had her turning away from the bed to see him entering the room with her remaining bags.
“Where would you like these?” he asked.
“Anywhere will be fine. Thanks,” she told him.
He put the suitcases on the floor at the foot of the bed, then promptly returned to the open doorway.
Pausing there, he asked, “Are you okay with this room?”
“The room is fine. But I realize I’m going to need more things than I anticipated. Does your bed have linen?”
“No. But I don’t need a set of sheets to be able to sleep.”
Not knowing how to respond to that, she simply said, “Oh.”
Her one word reply put an amused look on his face. “I was in the army,” he explained. “Fluffy beds with nice linens aren’t always available to a soldier.”
Intrigued, Savannah took a few steps toward him. “You were in the military?”
“For eight years.”
She stared at him, while trying to picture him in a uniform, following the rigors of the army. “Eight years! Really?”
A faint smile touched his face. “I can see that surprises you.”
“Very much. I thought—” She broke off as she realized that up until now, she’d not been thinking about Chaz’s background. She’d been too preoccupied with the present and how to control her unsettling reaction to him.
“Thought what?” he prodded. “That I spent my younger years being a bouncer in some sleazy nightclub?”
Embarrassed heat swept over her face. “No! Not exactly. My father would never hire anyone without excellent credentials. I just assumed you had probably worked for a security firm or in law enforcement.”
He shook his head. “After having army buddies around me for so many years, I wondered what it might be like to go solo. Turns out I like it.”
He was talking about his work, but Savannah was thinking more along the lines of his love life. Did he also like living alone? That was definitely a question she was going to keep to herself. It was none of her business if Chaz shared an apartment with a woman, or dated a bevy of them.
“That’s good. I mean—that you like working solo.” Flustered by her straying thoughts and the way his lazy gaze continued to meander over her face, she purposely moved back to the bed and picked up one of the pillows. “There are so many things I need for the apartment. I’m going to put off unpacking and make a trip to the nearest shopping center.”
“I’ll have to go with you,” he said. “So we’ll take my car.”
Frowning, she turned to look at him. “Are you planning on driving me everywhere I need to go? Because I’ve already booked a rental car. In fact, I’m supposed to pick it up this afternoon.”
He stroked a thumb and forefinger over his black goatee as he contemplated her question. “We’ll pick up the car after you finish your shopping. There might be occasions while you’re at the university that I’ll have to be elsewhere. But that doesn’t mean I want you driving around town or to and from campus without me in the vehicle with you or following directly behind you.”
She struggled to keep from rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. This had to be the most ridiculous waste she’d ever heard of, but she knew from experience it would be fruitless to argue the point with her father.
“Fine. At least, I’ll have a car of my own,” she said, then walked over to the door. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to change clothes before we leave.”
His dark gaze swept over her and Savannah got the feeling he’d already undressed her. The notion shot a plume of heat from her toes to her head.
“I’ll be waiting in the living room.”
He