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  So, instead, he had to sit there and struggle to remain completely unaffected when she knew damn well that she was causing him all kinds of discomfort. She was just waiting for him to react to her outrageous behavior, and when he didn't rise to the challenge, she finally glanced away.

  He watched carefully as she ran her fingers across the three forks lined up on the left-hand side of her salad plate, and waited for her to choose the correct utensil. When she picked up the fork on the inside closest to her dish, he subtly copied her move.

  She didn't start in on her salad right away. Instead, she held her fork just above her plate as she turned her attention to her father. "So, tell me, what's going on? Is everything okay?"

  "Everything's fine, sweetheart," Nathan said reassuringly as he took a drink of his tea. "But with three weeks left until the election, I figured it never hurts to have extra security around."

  She nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more."

  Just as Ben was about to dig into his salad, Christine casually set her fork back down on the table and traded it for the one on the far left. Frowning in confusion, he placed his own utensil back where it had been and made the mistake of lifting his gaze to hers. She gave him a cute little gotcha smirk and winked at him, telling him without words that she was so on to his ploy.

  The woman was something else, and he had to tamp the unexpected urge to laugh at being caught in the act. That bit of humor she evoked surprised him, because it had been much too long since a woman had amused him as much as Christine did. If anything, he knew they could at least be friends during the next few weeks.

  Christine continued the conversation with her father without missing a beat. "There are so many fanatics and extremists out there, especially with the whole gentrification issue at stake, and your safety is definitely a priority."

  Nathan ate a bite of his salad. "Actually, this is about your safety for the next few weeks, and that's why Ben is here."

  Upon learning who her father had hired for her, Christine met Ben's gaze, her blue eyes bright with delighted pleasure and satisfaction, the kind that spelled pure, seductive trouble for Ben. "You're my bodyguard?"

  "Yes, ma'am," Ben drawled, and gave her a good-ol'-boy grin before digging into his salad again.

  She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud. "So, during the next few weeks, when I'm out at a public function, Ben will be with me?" Christine asked her father, to confirm exactly what to expect from Ben's services.

  Finished with his salad, Nathan set his fork on his plate and looked at his daughter, his expression uncompromising, showing Ben the resolute opponent that Delacroix had the ability to be. "Actually, this security detail is a bit different. I've hired Ben to be your bodyguard twenty-four/seven, until the election is over. Hell be by your side at all times, day and night, which means he'll be living with you and staying in your guest room at your place."

  Christine's jaw dropped open, then snapped shut again. For the first time since arriving, she was clearly shocked and speechless at her father's unpredicted bombshell and it took her a few moments to speak.

  Finally, she glanced at Ben, then back to her father. "Is having Ben live with me really necessary?"

  Nathan reached over to his daughter and clasped his larger hand over hers on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know it seems extreme, but right now, it's absolutely necessary."

  "Why?" Christine's worried gaze searched her father's for answers. "What's going on that I'd need that kind of stringent, round-the-clock protection?"

  Nathan moved his hand back as Maggie came through the dining room and cleared their salad plates. As if sensing the serious tone to the conversation, the other woman quickly and efficiently placed their main entree dishes in front of each of them, then retreated back to the kitchen.

  Ben inhaled the rich, redolent scent of pasta and cream sauce topped off with grated Parmesan cheese, and his stomach rumbled hungrily in response. It wasn't often, if ever, that he ate something homemade and smelling as mouth-wateringly delicious as the wild mushroom raviolis that Maggie had prepared, and he was anxious to taste and enjoy the meal. But, at the moment, Christine was obviously too upset to feast on one of her favorite dishes, and Ben was trying to be a gentleman and not start without her.

  "You know I'd hire security for you regardless since the election is so close," Nathan went on in an obvious attempt to alleviate his daughter's fears. "But this morning I received an anonymous letter demanding that I drop out of the election or face some kind of dire consequence. While the threat wasn't specific and I have notified the police, I'm not taking any chances with your safety or your mother's safety. I'm making sure that we all have round-the-clock protection."

  It didn't escape Ben's notice how Nathan had cushioned the truth about the intimidating note he'd received, and knew he'd done so deliberately, to keep his daughter's panic at a minimum. Ben appreciated the gesture, since it was much easier to watch over someone who wasn't jittery and constantly looking over her shoulder for something to happen. He needed Christine calm and relaxed and cooperative, and her father had achieved that state of mind beautifully.

  Christine drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, her initial trepidation fading beneath the small smile she gave her father. "You're right, of course. I'm sorry I overreacted. It's just that you've never employed a full-time bodyguard for me before."

  Ben guessed that Nathan never had any reason to until now.

  "It's strictly a precaution, okay?"

  Seemingly reassured, she nodded. "Okay." She picked up one of her remaining forks and pierced a ravioli, her appetite restored. Before taking a bite, she asked, "Do you think the threat for you to drop out of the race for governor is related to the gentrification issue?"

  Since Nathan Delacroix was one of ESS's clients, over the past year Ben had kept up on Nathan's campaign and political views, and what he'd learned had given him a healthy respect for the man.

  Even though Nathan was very wealthy himself, he was a man who fought for the underdog and was a huge advocate for the poor. He believed in equality and nondiscrimination, and he also believed in preserving the integrity and historic quality of many of the inner city neighborhoods, especially the lower west side of Chicago.

  "It very well could be related," Nathan said with a shrug. "But as I said, there wasn't anything definitive stated in the letter, so it could be tor any number of reasons, as well as just a hoax. The police will be checking into any leads they might find, but in the meantime I'll sleep much better at night knowing you've got Ben watching over you."

  Christine nodded in understanding.

  While Nathan and his daughter went on to discuss her father's political agenda, specifically his opposition to tearing down old, lower-income neighborhoods in Chicago to make way for luxury condos and commercial high-rises, Ben listened to their avid conversation and ate his lunch.

  Ben made it a point to understand not only the people he watched over but the agendas around them. While Nathan was committed to restoring and revitalizing the rundown neighborhoods, he had political opposition to his views on gentrification. Charles Lambert. Nathan's opponent for governor, was pushing to tear down the deteriorating lower west side to make way for a chic and trendy locale that would bring in a substantial income for all involved.

  But Lambert's way would also destroy the inner city and those who lived there. Long-time residents would be evicted and displaced in lieu of modern, state-of-the-art buildings and upscale businesses. And unfortunately for Nathan. Charles had the support and financial backing of major developers and many of the cities wealthy residents.

  The three of them finished the delicious main course, and Maggie followed that up with a heavenly-looking bread pudding drenched in a rich, decadent apricot sauce.

  Christine took a bite of the dessert, then closed her eyes, a soft, appreciative moan escaping her lips as she savored the delectable taste. Ben wholeheartedly agreed that the confection was a
s close to ambrosia as he'd ever enjoyed, but it wasn't the dessert that captivated his attention. No, it was Christine's sensuous response that ensnared him and kept him riveted to the sated expression on her face. When she finally let her lashes drift back open, met his gaze, then oh-so-slowly swiped her bottom lip with her tongue, he felt his blood pump hard and fast in his veins.

  She blinked at him, then smiled sweetly.

  He dropped his gaze to his own dish and released a deep breath. Lord, she was brazen. Or maybe it was his overactive imagination putting a sexual slant to her enjoyment of the dessert, because her father seemed oblivious to his daughter's wanton display.

  "There is absolutely nothing that compares to Maggie's bread pudding." She sighed, and ate another spoonful, and Ben was eternally grateful when she didn't launch into another moaning, groaning, orgasmic like response again.

  "I have to agree," Nathan said in between bites. "I think she outdid herself this time, if that's even possible."

  "Absolutely." Christine wiped away a bit of sauce from the corner of her mouth. "By the way, Ben, since you've officially been hired as my bodyguard, I wanted to let you know ahead of time that I have plans tonight."

  Ben swallowed hard, trying not to choke on the bread pudding he'd just eaten. "A date?" Jeesuz, was he about to be a tagalong chaperone while Christine went out with some guy? How awkward was that? He hadn't even considered that possibility, and for some odd reason the thought of her being with another man as he stood close by and watched made his stomach churn with something too close to jealousy.

  And he was so not the jealous type.

  "A date, an engagement, whatever you want to call it," she clarified with a wave of her hand, which sent off another melodious sound from her gold bracelets. "I'm meeting up with some friends at Envy. It's a nightclub in the city. Have you been there before?"

  He shook his head. "No. I've heard of it, though." Envy was so not his type of place to hang out. It was like comparing sophisticated cosmopolitans and caviar to the cheap beer and pretzels he preferred. But it didn't matter what he liked, because he was being paid to remain by Christine's side, no matter what she did or where she went.

  "As far as I'm concerned, Envy is a hedonistic place, and you don't belong there," a pretentious female voice interjected, the chastisement in her tone glaringly evident.

  Ben immediately recognized the voice. It seemed that Audrey Delacroix had deigned to grace them with her presence.

  Christine rolled her eyes at her mother's derogatory comment. Then, with a smile in place, she glanced toward where Audrey had just entered the dining room, dressed in a brown silk blouse and matching slacks. Her blond hair was pulled back into a complicated twist, and though her makeup had been impeccably applied, there was no mistaking the dark circles beneath both of her eyes.

  "Hello, Mother," Christine said amicably.

  Ben automatically stood up, not daring to look at Christine this time. His manners were ingrained, and he figured greeting Audrey formally might earn him a few points in his favor. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Delacroix."

  Audrey spared him a brief, dismissive look that made him feel like pond scum and said nothing in reply. Ben sat back down. Clearly, she didn't appreciate him, the hired help, eating lunch in her fancy-schmancy dining room with her husband and daughter.

  Nathan nodded toward his wife, his acknowledgment stiff and forced. "Audrey."

  "Nathan." She gave him an insincere smile in return.

  Oh, boy. The strain and tension in the room was suddenly thick enough to cut with a knife, and Ben decided his best course of action was to keep his mouth shut, finish his dessert, and try to blend in with the damask wallpaper behind him.

  Audrey slid gracefully into the chair at the farthest end of the table, keeping herself separated from the three of them. She gave her daughter a pointed look, her blue eyes brimming with disapproval. "I don't understand why you feel the need to go to a place like Envy."

  Christine straightened in her seat and didn't back down from her mother's criticism. "It's a night club, Mother. It's fun, I enjoy being with friends, and I've hosted events and parties there. I go for business as well as for pleasure."

  Audrey opened her napkin and smoothed it onto her lap. "Then maybe you ought to reconsider your so-called job, as well as the people you choose to hang out with."

  Christine stared at her mother, a glimmer of hurt passing over her features before firm conviction took its place. She opened her mouth to say something, but her father was much quicker.

  "Leave her alone, Audrey," Nathan cut in brusquely. "She's not doing anything wrong or something that's going to sully the Delacroix name."

  Audrey pursed her pink lips and glared at her husband, but remained quiet.

  Maggie came out of the kitchen, and Audrey asked the other woman to bring her some dry toast and fresh fruit. Once she was gone, Nathan spoke.

  "Just so you know, I've hired Ben here as security for Christine," he told his wife, "and Dominic has been assigned to you for the next few weeks."

  Audrey appeared totally put out and annoyed. "I'll be glad when the election is over. The last thing I need is a bodyguard dogging my every move."

  "I'm sorry it's such an inconvenience," Nathan replied, his apology genuine.

  Instead of softening, Audrey's gaze darkened with resentment. "It's for the greater good, now isn't it?"

  Ben nearly winced at the sarcasm in the woman's tone.

  Nathan sighed heavily, almost with defeat. Placing his napkin on the table, he pushed back his chair and stood. "You'll have to excuse me. I have an appointment with my advisors at the office."

  Audrey lifted an incredulous brow. "On a Sunday?"

  "Yes, on a Sunday." Nathan met his wife's gaze, and Ben watched as something passed between the two, a battle of wills that had Audrey bristling. "I don't know how late I'll be home, so feel free to make other plans for the evening."

  Before Audrey had a chance to respond, Nathan glanced at his daughter, his smile affectionate and warm. "As always, it was wonderful seeing you, sweetheart."

  "You too, Daddy," she said softly.

  Nathan turned toward Ben. "Make sure you take care of my girl," he said, his gaze speaking volumes.

  Nodding, Ben shook the other man's hand, sealing the deal they'd made back in his study. "I will, sir," he promised.

  And that meant keeping his eyes and ears open for trouble, and his hands off his client.

  Chapter Two

  CHRISTINE had never been so grateful to leave her parents' house, not to mention escape her mother's constant criticism of how she lived her life now that she was no longer engaged and living at home. And, as her new bodyguard had witnessed, Audrey Delacroix had no qualms about expressing her disapproval and disappointment over her daughter's choice of career, and single status, and she did so every chance she got. Even knowing how critical her mother could be, the digs were sharp and always cut deeper than Christine expected or anticipated.

  As soon as they settled into Ben's vehicle-a new but basic Ford truck in pewter gray-he told her he needed to swing by his place to pick up some of his things before heading to her house, then he excused himself to make a phone call on his cell. At the moment, he was talking to someone named Kevin and letting him know about the sudden change to his work schedule, and that he'd be on this new assignment until the election was over.

  As the two men discussed a few of the open cases Ben had been working on and what needed to be done on each in his absence. Christine leaned her head back against her seat and attempted to relax after that awful, and embarrassing, confrontation with her mother. And she couldn't think of a better way to unwind and calm her frayed nerves than to listen to Ben's smooth, deep voice as she admired everything that made him so exceptionally male.

  And there was plenty about him to appreciate and enjoy. From his thick, rich, brown hair, to those disarmingly seductive eyes that reminded Christine of her favorite Godiva chocolate. He possess
ed a full, sensual mouth that had inspired many shameless, wicked thoughts, and she liked that he smiled easily and often and didn't seem to take her, or life in general, too seriously.

  The fact that he could indulge in a bit of humor, even while working, was a pleasant and welcome change from her ex-fiancé's oppressive personality.

  His facial features were lean and defined, as was the rest of his body. Standing, he was much taller than her even when she wore her highest heels. His shoulders were broad and he had a firm, muscular chest that had made her wonder, more than once, what he looked like without a shirt on. No doubt, breathtakingly gorgeous. From the waist down, he was just as honed and well built… everywhere.

  As an ex-Marine and professional bodyguard, he looked strong and capable of keeping her safe and protected. As a man, he looked just rough and tough enough around the edges to give him a bit of a bad boy image. But that rugged appearance and his lack of pretense was what made him real, solid as a rock, and oh-so-appealing to her. What you saw with Ben was exactly what you got, and it was such a refreshing, welcoming change. Those traits also made him stand out from the pack of polished, self-absorbed men she was used to being around.

  No question about it, Ben Cabrera was hot, sinfully sexy, and he was exclusively hers for the next three weeks.

  Imagine that, she thought with a small, private smile.

  Actually, imagining Ben any number of ways was extremely easy to do, considering how attracted she was to him. With just a slow, dark-eyed look or one of those half-smiles of his that tried to bank his own mutual interest-and failed-she felt as though she was melting inside. He made her pulse race, her skin tingle, and her stomach feel as though someone had released a dozen butterflies inside.