His to Protect: Book 1 in the Bound to Him Series by Sandra Antoni (the reading list TXT) 📗

to try all of it, although, there was so much on my plate that I doubted I would be able to eat it all. However, I was definitely going to give it a shot.

Zeke told me more about his friends who worked with him and what all their company did. It seemed like being a bodyguard to famous people was how they made most of their money, but they also did surveillance and threat assessments. They were frequently hired as a government contractor.

When I had eaten all that I could, I leaned back in my chair and looked out the window. I would never tire of looking at this view. Zeke broke into my thoughts a few moments later.

“What are you thinking about that turned you so serious?” he asked softly, and I turned my attention back to him.

“Not serious, per se. More contemplative. It’s just this place. Not the restaurant, but Tucson. I mean, I know I’m a tourist so I’m not exactly living like the locals. I don’t have to work, and I’m staying in a fancy resort, but I could easily live here. I could look at that view every day,” I told him, pointing towards the mountains.

“Well, if you’d like to meet some locals, how would you like to join me for a party this evening. I was intending to ask you, but you kind of just opened that door for me,” he said with a charming smile.

“You met Brady at my house. He and his girlfriend, Emily, are throwing a Christmas party at their house. It will probably be about twenty or so people, but everyone invited is good friends of Brady and me. I’d like you to come and meet them, and Brady also asked me to invite you,” he continued.

I didn’t even have to think about it. There was no hesitation before I replied.

“I’d like that. It sounds like a lot of fun,” I told him honestly.

“Well, with that question down, I have another question for you. And feel free to take your time in answering this one,” he said gently, but his eyes were intense as he watched me closely. I swallowed a lump in my throat as I waited for him to ask his question. His mood had suddenly turned serious.

“After the party, will you come home with me? It will probably be late. You can either share my bedroom or take one of the other bedrooms. I don’t want to pressure you in any way, but if you come home with me, then I can cook breakfast for you in the morning, and we can start our day sooner tomorrow,” he said casually.

He was giving me an out. He was letting me know that he wanted me, but he would not push me to do anything that I was not comfortable with or didn’t want to do. There was only one bed in my resort room, and with the extra bedrooms at his place, he wanted me to not feel pressured. In that moment, he earned my respect.

“I think that I would be okay with that as well,” I finally replied. A smile spread across his face and I saw him visibly relax.

“In that case, let’s get this food packed and to your room. Then you can pack a bag. Do you have a dress for the party?” he asked next. “It’s usually a dress up thing.”

I assured him that would not be a problem. There were several appropriate dresses hanging in the closet in my room. I had packed for every possible situation. With the food packed in two large bags, we made our way back out to the car.

When we got to my villa, we parked and headed to my door. Once inside, Zeke headed into the kitchen to put the food in the fridge, and I headed into the bedroom to pack an overnight bag.

When I had everything that I needed in my backpack, I made my way to the closet and opened the door. When I looked towards the open doorway of the bedroom, Zeke was leaning against the door frame watching me.

“Why don’t you come help me decide. I have three to choose from, but you would better know what’s more appropriate,” I told him. I stepped back and let him examine the dresses.

One was a red knee length dress with a lace overlay. It had short ruffles that fell over the shoulders and was slightly revealing in the bodice. It had a high waist and a full skirt that would flow over my hips and down my legs. It was one of my favorites.

The second was navy blue, and it was a long, mermaid-style dress. It had half-sleeves and the fabric hugged my hips and thighs before falling loose around my legs. The neckline was high, but the back plunged almost to my waist.

The third dress was all black and it was very form-fitting. It was off the shoulders, and it had thin pieces of fabric that would cling to my arms just below the shoulders. It came several inches above my knees, and the neckline would definitely show some cleavage. Of course, that was the one he chose, and I felt my eyebrow rise in amusement. He just grinned.

“I bet you will look hot in this one. I’ll even help you with the zipper,” he said, and a laugh poured out of me. He was definitely all male.

Chapter 10

Ezekiel

The day was only half over, but it was already the best day of my life. I thought Chelsea was going to panic on the helicopter, but she had done well. The thrill on her face was not something that I would ever forget.

What good was having all this money if I couldn’t do something like that for her. Besides, Matthew was a part of our pack. He would probably be at Brady’s tonight as well. Everyone who would be there was a part of our pack, and I could not wait to