GUARDED HEAT

A grin spread on my lips when the woman, whose name I have already forgotten, sat on my lap with an alluring smile on her lips. I met her a while ago at my favorite club. She flirted with me, giving me obvious hints that she wanted to fuck, and that’s how we ended up here in my apartment—in my bedroom, to be exact.

With a playful touch, she touched my lips with her index finger and then let it move down my neck, chest, stomach, and even farther till I felt her hold my manhood, which was still hidden by my pants.

I couldn't help but groan as she started caressing my groin while she slowly moved her face closer to my neck. I closed my eyes, my palms landing on her waist as she licked my neck and bit it. I rested my back on the soft mattress while feeling her body on top of me.

"Fuck!" I groaned as she started to grind her hips on my groin.

Her kisses went down. From my neck, her lips went to my bare chest until they went lower. She licked my midsection while her hands were busy buckling my belt. When she was done removing my belt, she immediately opened my pants. Her lips returned to my neck as she slid her hand into my pants. My mouth dropped open as her palm caressed my manhood, still covered by my briefs and slowly springing to life.

She raised her body slightly so that she could lower my pants, and when she was able to successfully do so, she then resumed sitting just below my groin. She was just about to unleash my manhood from my briefs when suddenly, the door to my room opened and my older brother, Shawn, walked in, seemingly unconcerned.

"What the fuck?" The woman, whose name I still can't remember, screamed in shock, then quickly got off my lap and straightened up, while Shawn just stood right beside the door. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his dark eyes were fixed on mine.

I didn't bother to fix my pants. I just stared at the woman, who was giving Shawn a sharp look.

"Get out," Shawn said, his voice as cold as ice.

"What are you—"

"Get. Out. Now!" Shawn yelled, causing the woman to flinch out of surprise.

I saw the fear in the woman's face, and I couldn't blame her. Anyone would be terrified if Shawn suddenly yelled at them like that. The woman turned to look at me as if asking for help, but I just sighed and shook my head.

"Just go," I said.

She looked at me in disbelief for a moment before her expression hardened. But she didn't say anything. Instead, she grabbed her shoulder bag and gave both Shawn and me sharp looks before she walked out, shutting the door with a very strong force. None of us flinched, though, as that wasn't the first time someone did that to either of us.

I can feel Shawn's eyes on me, but I did not look at him, and instead, I stood and fixed my pants. As for a shirt, well, I did not bother to wear any shirt. It's just my brother anyway.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Shawn as I walked past him, making my way to the living room.

Shawn immediately followed me. I sat on the sofa, while he occupied the one across from me. I saw a pack of cigarettes on the center table; I'm not sure if it's mine or Shawn's; but I still took two sticks from the pack, giving the other one to Shawn.

I lit up the cigarette using the lighter that I got from the pocket of my jeans, then handed the lighter to Shawn. I blew out a smoke as I rested my two feet on the center table. It was only then that I noticed a brown envelope on the center table.

With my other hand still holding the cigarette, I took the envelope and opened it.

Inside the envelope is a photo of a young man. A beautiful young man, to be exact, and few papers detailing the information of the same young man.

"Who is this!" I asked.

"Your new assignment," Shawn said after taking the cigarette off of his mouth.

My gaze on the photo only lasted for a minute, and I did not even bother anymore to read the information of the young man as I immediately turned to my brother after hearing what he said, surprise and confusion written all over my face. "I thought I already told you that I'll be taking a break," I told him as I put the envelope on my lap.

"They're willing to pay a lot of money, Gunner, and I just can't easily turn them down either. You know who the Floros' are, right? They are—"

"I know who they are, Shawn," I interrupted while rolling my eyes. "And I am not telling you to turn them down. I am telling you to let the others handle this because, again, I am on leave. Come on, we have a number of good people in the agency. Give that job to them!"

Shawn and I own a private security agency. We established the Raptis Protection Agency five years ago, and it is today one of the most reputable and well-known security agencies in the Philippines. And for five damn years, I've worked and never taken a leave or a vacation. For the past five years since we established our security agency, I did nothing but work my ass off. And now that the agency is finally stable and the money we invested has been returned to our banks, I've decided to take at least one month off. But now here's my brother, telling me to take the fucking assignment. It hasn't even been 24 hours since my break from work began!

"The Floros' didn't want to only settle with the good ones, Gunner. They want the best, and you're one of the best our agency has, which I believe was the reason why they specifically asked for you." He answered with seriousness and firmness written all over his face, an indication that he wouldn't take any refusal.

I stared at Shawn intently, silently telling him that I really do not want to do what he's asking of me, but my brother just met my gaze, giving me the look that says he isn't asking me; that he isn't giving me a choice.

I cursed internally. I'm fucked. My supposed break and vacation are now fucked. I can now see all my plans for my one-month break vanishing into fucking thin air.

"Fuck!" I angrily said before frustratingly slamming the cigarette butt in the ashtray that was sitting on the center table. I placed both of my arms on the backrest of the sofa and took a very deep breath as I directed my gaze to the ceiling. "You really won't let me say no, will you?" I asked Shawn without looking at him.

"They're firm in requesting you, Gunner. It's you or they'll go to another security agency, and I can't let that happen. If it were just another client, then I wouldn't care if they went to another agency, but it's the Floros', Gunner. I can't let them go."

I remained staring at the ceiling of my apartment, thinking so hard, which is useless anyway because I know in the end, I will still do what Shawn wants.

I took a couple of deep breaths once more to calm my nerves. Once my emotions had slightly settled down, I looked at Shawn again. "What do I have to do?"

Shawn grinned, looking so damn pleased, and God, I want to punch him in the face. I swear I'm going to get him back for this one of these days.

"Your job is actually very easy," he began. "Mr. and Mrs.Floros will be leaving for the US next week for some business matters, and while they are away, they need someone who will look after their only son. And that someone is you," Shawn explained.

"So they want me to be their son's babysitter then," I commented while rolling my eyes.

Shawn pretended like he didn't hear my side comment and just continued talking. "All you have to do is be with him and keep him safe until his parents get back. His parents are expecting you to be with their son twenty-four seven, by the way, which means you will be living with him at their home. And so wherever the kid goes, you go."

I frowned and raised one of my brows. "That's it? They just want me to follow their son like a damn puppy?"

"There's more actually if you just bothered to read the documents," Shawn said in an annoyed tone, which I don't give a fuck about because if he is annoyed, then so am I. How dare he be pissed when it is my vacation that got ruined? "They left a list of rules of what they wanted you to do while they were away, and they were fully expecting you to do a good job in implementing it," he added.

A list, my ass. Why do they have to make a fucking list when they could have just told my brother what they want? Just how many rules do they have for them to even put it in a fucking document, which I am really itching to tear into pieces right now?

I exhaled a deep and loud breath. "So, why did they want to hire a bodyguard for their son? I know they are damn wealthy, but isn't it too excessive to hire a bodyguard that stays with their son twenty-four seven? Unless they are receiving death threats or are in the middle of an intrafamily conflict."

"Nope. There's none."

"So they are either being paranoid or are being overprotective."

"Might be."

"Why don't they just take their son with them then if they are so worried about him?"

"They tried, but Layland didn't want to go with them."

"Layland?"

Shawn gave me a deadly stare. "That's the name of their son. For fuck's sake, Gunner, just read those damn papers."

"I will. Later," I answered right away, making Shawn sigh in exasperation. He looked like he's about to lose his patience, but again, I don't care. If he loses it and starts punching me, then I'll just punch him back. It's actually going to be a good reason for me to let out my frustration regarding my faltering vacation plans.

But contrary to my expectation, Shawn was able to calm himself before continuing to talk.

"You will be starting tomorrow," he informed me, making me groan.

"Is there really no way for me to make you change your mind and give this assignment to someone else instead?" I knew it was futile, but I still tried. I even put on a miserable look on my face, hoping that it will do the trick for my brother to take pity on me, but all I got from Shawn is a disgusted look.

It was my turn to sigh exasperatedly as I turned to the ceiling once again.

So this is it? I'm really going to be babysitting someone instead of going to the beach and fucking beautiful women?

Ah, fuck, I hate my life right now.