ingered on her skin, a strange comfort in the chillin

ed with a weary sarcasm. "You're a bodyguard. What kind of p

eiling windows that overlooked the city. With a single, decisive motion, he pulled ba

med by the blinding light, ma

he said, his voic

misheard. She slowly got to her feet,

ternal grandfather, correct? The bylaws are ironclad. The family board can freeze your access, but they can't touch the pr

married, they lose their unilateral control. They can't legall

And beyond the legalities-I will stand between you and anyone who tries to hurt you. The board, y

en forced to sign on her eighteenth birthday. He was right. The clause was there, a relic of her grandfather'

he asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Why would you do this? Yo

a few fee

w, intimate murmur. "I want you. This gives me a legitima

lie could have. She stood there, trapped between two impossible choices: surren

's smug, victorious face

rned away her fear. She lifted her ch

her voice cold and st

of the victory he was trying to conceal. He n

he said. "We'

as imposing and bureaucratic, a world away from the lavish churches where Beaumont women traditionally got

ions and the shuffling of feet. Couples of all ages and walks of life were waiting in line,

s bumped into a woman next to them. Hot coffee sloshed from

between her and the splash, his arm

nd she saw his skin instantly turn red underneath.

ced with a concern that surprised her. She pulled a tissu

fingers warm and firm. "I'm fine," he sai

king clerk with tired eyes slid a thick stack of f

ing almost imperceptibly. She felt Hart's hand come to re

ing the name into her computer. The name meant nothing to Aure

her voice droning. "Do you, Aurelia Beaumont,

ce her, and the look in his eyes was anything but casual. He was watching her with a s

each word a solid, unwavering promise. When he finis

at she was doing-marrying a man she barely knew, a man who was her

He just watched her, his gaze steady,

and forced the w

wn on the document. The sound was

uine warmth in her tired eyes as she slid the marri

ly, reverently, and placed it in the inside poc

beneath the wool. The question surfaced, unbidden and unwelcome: If she knew the real reason he had taken this job-

d been pulled to place him in her orbit-none of it mattered now. He would protect her. He

pped h

iving sunlight. Aurelia felt dazed, the thin piece of paper in H

ned to face her. He gently brushed a

d pressed a soft, chast

ice a solemn promise against her sk