Iris
Stubborn to the very end,I stayed in Adam’s apartment for as long as I could stand it. He even took pity on me and walked Daisy for the five days I avoided reality.
And my bodyguard.
I wasn’t naive or stupid. I understood there could be someone out there waiting to get me alone and vulnerable, and that knowledge had resulted in a couple sleepless nights. But I hated the idea of giving up control of my life to Ronan—or anyone. If I wanted to walk down to the corner bar for a drink, I had to give him a call first.
How would that work if I met someone and wanted to hook up? Was he going to lurk just outside the room, weapon at the ready?
Not that I was thinking of hooking up with anyone.
I had an appointment today I couldn’t miss, so I gave in and called Ronan, telling him I was going out. He showed up an hour later, spic and span in his navy suit and starched white shirt.
“Do bodyguards have a dress code?”
He was crouched down, petting Daisy, and looked up at me, the barest hint of amusement flitting across his features.
“Not that I’ve been told,” he said.
“So, you could dress like a human, but you choose not to.”
With one final pet, he straightened to his full height. I sucked in a breath and tipped my head back to look at him. I wasn’t a small girl, but Ronan was a pillar of marble, reaching high into the sky. As much as I bucked against the entire concept of having a bodyguard, even I could admit he fit the role well. With his serious suit, intimidating size, and death glare, I’d steer clear of him if I hadn’t seen him turn to mush around Daisy and Steven.
“I thought I’m a robot,” he said dryly.
“Even robots can wear jeans.” I snagged my keys off the hook near Adam’s front door and tucked my phone in my hoodie pocket. “Let’s go.”
He held the door for me with one long arm, and maybe I was crazy, but when I passed, I could have sworn he sniffed me. Then I glanced at him, and his focus was on some faraway place above me.
In the elevator, he finally turned his head in my direction. “I’m used to wearing a uniform at work. It’s a reminder to myself that I’m on the clock. At home, not working, I’m a sloppy mess.”
I narrowed my eyes. “There’s no way you’re ever a mess. I refuse to believe that for one second.”
He straightened his cuffs while giving me a sardonic look. “Comparatively speaking.”
My mouth twitched. This big, serious Irishman tickled a spot deep inside me that made me want to spar with him all day long.
Our car was waiting for us out front. Ronan opened the door for me, then shut it with a solid click before climbing into the front seat next to the driver. He wouldn’t let me take the subway, which drove me a little crazy, but a girl could get used to relaxing in the back of a cushy SUV. The environment was screaming, but I’d recycle extra to make up for it.
Gripping the back of his headrest, I pulled myself forward, placing my lips beside his ear.
“Do you have any tattoos, Ronan?”
His head tilted slightly, but he didn’t turn around to answer me. I didn’t miss the goose bumps that rose on the back of his neck, though. If I couldn’t rough him up, at least I could affect him.
“I don’t.”
“Have you ever thought of getting one?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“What do you think of tattoos?”
“As a whole?”
I bit my lip, amusement bubbling through my chest at our stilted exchange. “Sure.”
“I think they look ridiculous on most people. They represent poor decisions and planning.”