Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
But the idea of something happening to her had those embers of anger inside him flaring up. Burning brighter.
He couldn’t let them turn into flames.
Control. Be in control.
Maya kept shooting him strange looks as they headed into the yoga studio.
He wished he hadn’t reacted so intensely to her words, but just the thought of something happening to her made his fury spark.
Control.
She’s a job. Nothing more.
However, it was hard not to admire her. She was strong and brave and clearly caring. Compassionate.
“You’re late, Maya!” An older guy with thinning dark hair stormed out of a room. He was tanned, but the sort of tan that you got from a can rather than being outside. Not that there was anything wrong with that, only he had gone for an orange tint that just looked odd on him.
He was fit and muscular, his clothes stuck to him like a second skin. Everywhere.
Jesus did he not know that they could all see his dick through those tight pants? That was disturbing.
“Yeah, sorry, David. I have something I need to talk—”
“No time, your class is about to start and if you still want to have a job by the end of the day, you’ll get in there.” The guy clapped his hands imperiously.
Who the fuck did he think he was?
Did he really just clap his hands at Maya? Matthieu watched as she put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
“I’d already be in there teaching my class if you’d shut up and listen to me.”
Matthieu’s lips twitched. There was his spitfire.
“Did you just tell me to shut up?” David moved forward until he was in Maya’s face. He wasn’t much taller than she was, perhaps a few inches. But he was trying to use them to his advantage.
Matthieu stiffened. How was this girl surrounded by such assholes? Did she somehow attract them?
Well, at least she had him now to keep her safe from them.
Yeah, but how long will you be around to protect her?
That didn’t matter. What mattered is that right now she needed help and he was here to give it.
Stepping forward, he placed his arm around her waist and lifted her back before sliding between them. He glared down at David who gulped and took a few steps back.
“Who . . . who are you?”
“This is what I was trying to explain,” Maya said with exasperation. “I’ve got a situation. Matthieu is my bodyguard. He’ll be at work with me for the foreseeable future. That’s all. Let’s go, Matthieu.”
She attempted to walk past them both, but David, the asshole, couldn’t seem to let her go. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of her wrist.
Matthieu reacted on instinct. He grabbed the other man’s wrist and tugged on it sharply.
“Ouch!” David cried, cupping his hand to his chest. “What are you doing? You hurt me!”
“I barely touched you,” Matthieu replied dismissively. “You do not touch her.”
“I could sue you!”
“You touched her first. Without her permission. I was just removing your touch. Wonder what people would think of you touching your female employees?”
“It wasn’t like that.” David’s eyes darted around.
“You could have hurt her,” Matthieu countered. “And you don’t get to touch her. Ever.”
“You cannot just bring a bodyguard to work, Maya! I was willing to overlook that incident the other day with that ridiculous dog, but this is just too much. I am going to have to let you go.”
Maya stiffened.
Personally, he thought that she could do a lot better than this place and this asshole.
“Fine, let’s go.” Matthieu grabbed her arm and turned them to guide them out.
“Matthieu,” she whispered. “I can’t. Not yet.”
Not yet? Did that mean she had plans to leave at some stage?
“You don’t need to work for that asshole.”
“I know that. But I can’t leave yet.”
“If you’re worried about money . . .” he trailed off, unsure what he’d been about to say. That he would support her?
You’re her bodyguard, not her man.
“Of course I’m worried about money, but that’s not the real reason.”
What was the reason?
He looked down at her, but as usual she had her gaze on her feet.
“Wait!” David called out.
“Keep walking,” Matthieu told her. As he’d suspected, David had been talking out his ass. He’d likely wanted her to beg him for her job.
And he wasn’t going to allow Maya to do that. Certainly not to this dickhead.
She glanced up at him, but did as he ordered. A ridiculous sense of pleasure filled him.
He liked that she obeyed him.
“Maya, I said wait!” David ran around in front of them and Matthieu brought them both to a halt, glaring down at the jerk.
“What is it, David?” Maya asked, sounding bored. “You made your views on Matthieu clear, you told me I was fired, so I’m leaving.”
“You can’t just leave!” he cried. “You have classes to teach.”