Nothing Left to Lose (Guarded Hearts 1)

I frowned angrily. Did he think I didn’t know that? Did he not know that I thought about that ass**le constantly and that if I ever saw him, I would rip his heart out, and wrap it in gift wrap for her?

I took a deep breath, trying not to growl my answer. “I am very well aware of the situation, sir. But I will be able to protect her; you know I can. I would die for Anna, and I would never let anything hurt her. Sir, I think you should let her go. In a little under a month’s time, there’s a very good chance that you’re going to be elected President. Once that happens, Anna will probably never get the opportunity to be normal again. You can trust me, Sir. I give you my word that she’ll be safe with me,” I promised. Nothing would hurt Anna as long as I had breath in my body.

He took a deep, shaky breath, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Please, come on, please! He was quiet for about thirty seconds, and disappointment ran through my veins. Lake House it was then. At least I’d get to spend time with her there, and she’d get to go and visit Jack, she’d like that.

“I’ll ask Maddy to arrange the details,” he answered and my heart leapt into my throat as my mouth popped open in shock. “Agent Taylor, please take care of my little girl,” he begged, not sounding like the next President, but like a worried father.

“I will, I promise.” I jumped off the stool, fighting the urge to do a happy dance in the middle of the kitchen.

“I know you will, son, and if it was any other Agent asking for this, then I’d say no, I just want you to know that. She trusts you, and so do I,” he stated. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up at his words.

“Thank you, Sir. I won’t let you down,” I vowed, grinning from ear to ear.

Instead of going straight in to tell her, I grabbed some bagels and spread them with cream cheese. I made two cups of coffee, putting it all on a tray, along with one of the roses from the bunch that I had bought her last week. I’d been buying her flowers every week, trying to be romantic. I grinned as I made my way back into the bedroom, seeing it empty.

I set the tray on the bed and walked over to the bathroom door, hearing the shower running in there. “I made breakfast. Are you gonna be long?”

“No, I’m just about to get out,” she called back as the water snapped off.

I shivered as I imagined her standing naked in that room, just a few feet away from me, her glorious body all wet and dripping. I groaned at the thought. “Damn it,” I mumbled, quickly coming away from the door and taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself.

She came out a couple of minutes later, a towel wrapped around her body that came to her mid-thigh, her legs still glistening. I reluctantly dragged my eyes away as she walked to the bed, pulling her pink robe over the top. A cute, little confused expression crossed her face as I placed the tray on her lap. This wasn’t the type of thing I usually made her for breakfast; I usually stuck to fruit salad, toast or cereal, because everything I cooked burnt to a crisp for some reason.

I grinned smugly. “It’s a typical LA breakfast.”

She looked even more confused for a couple of seconds, before understanding and then excitement shot across her face. “I can go with you?” she cried, spilling half a cup of coffee all over the tray as she jerked up excitedly.

My heart leapt at her excitement. I nodded in confirmation, grinning like an idiot. “Yep, you can come.”

She squealed and grabbed me, spilling the other half of the coffee over the tray in the process. As she clung around my neck, I lifted the tray off her lap and set it on the bed. Suddenly her body stiffened against mine. “Oh,” she said quietly, pulling back. I looked at her beautiful face, watching the excitement fade. She looked a little sad, guilty even.

“What’s up?” I asked, reaching out and brushing a loose hair up into the towel she had twisted on top of her head.

“I just feel bad for Dean, that’s all.”

I laughed quietly. She really was incredible this girl, always thinking of other people. “You don’t need to feel bad for Dean, he’s not coming. He and Peter still have the weekend off,” I informed her, smiling proudly.

Her eyes narrowed. “Well, who are they sending? Not Mike, I hate Mike,” she sneered at his name.

I laughed at her reaction. “No, not Mike. You don’t need to worry, you like who you’re going with,” I said confidently. She raised her eyebrows, clearly not believing me. She didn’t like any of the other guards. She had warmed to Dean, and I think she quite liked Peter too, but she hated the guards at the lake house.

She eyed me suspiciously. “Well, who’s taking me then?”

I grinned proudly. “Me.”

She looked at me expectantly. “And…”

“And me,” I replied, grinning at her.

She gasped. “Just you? Are you freaking kidding me? No far guard?” she cried with wide eyes.

I nodded. “Just me, no far guard,” I confirmed, smiling, my chest throbbing painfully because of how excited she was.

She squealed and threw herself at me; the force of it caught me off guard and threw us both off the bed. I twisted so I took all of the impact of the floor and held her protectively to my chest. It hurt a little but not too bad. I laughed as she gasped, obviously shocked at what had happened.

She cupped her hands around my face, looking at me worriedly. “Oh God, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

I shook my head, laughing. “I’m fine.”