THE BILLIONAIRE BODYGUARD

I WAS FORCED TO MARRY A MOB BOSS The church bell rang, and with every ring, my heart gave a little jump, as Dad walked me down the aisle. The gaze of all eyes on me made me feel exposed, even though I was wrapped in a stark‑white wedding dress. The guests sat on wooden benches that were covered with lavender‑colored linen. Every face turned toward me. The air with the scent of fresh rose petals and lavender bouquets, was thick enough to make my stomach twist. I shifted my gaze enough to catch one last glimpse of Dad. The man who had built our empire, the man who had decided my fate… He stared back at me with a hollow pride. I would never forgive him for pushing me into this marriage with that infamously wealthy billionaire, running the most cruel cartels of Mexico. I, Emily Arquette, the supposed heiress of the Arquette legacy… My whole life fell apart in a heartbeat. My father’s “noble” businessman reputation turned out to be a lie; the price of our wealth was my freedom. I never

The melody of the ocean waves was singing a good morning song to me as my skin brushed against my Egyptian cotton bed sheets. The scent of the ocean breeze off the Mexican coast and the essence of hibiscus flowers combined to make my morning perfume and ornamented my breath as I opened my eyes. I stretched in bed and yawned before I was fully up. My feet touched the cold marble tiles as I sat on the edge of my bed to grab my silk robe, hanging just next to my bed. I leaned and grabbed my robe, then stood up to put it on. I walked to the balcony while tying the robe belt that was wrapped around my waist. The first sun rays of dawn dazzled my eyes at first, but getting used to it didn’t take more than seconds. My eyes scanned around to see what was going on this morning, and there he was: a feast for my eyes and an added throb to my heartbeat, Eduardo! It had been about thirty-seven days since he had been working as my bodyguard. I still didn’t understand why I needed a bodyguard, but

My breath was filled with the smell of antiseptics, and my eyes opened to a stark white room that felt like stabbing my poor heavy lids. The crisp bed was under my body, and the I V lines were beside me. I heard the sounds of the monitors tracking my blood pressure and my pulse. I saw Dad sitting in the armchair right across from my bed in his sweatsuit, and Mom on a chair, holding my hand right next to me. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, and her eyes were red. “Emily, sweetheart…” Mom whispered as she brushed hair from my forehead with a tender, trembling touch, like back in the days of my childhood. “You scared us,” she added. Dad got up from his chair and came to my other side. “You’re tougher than this, Emily. But don’t do that again,” he said as he squeezed my shoulder. Being embraced by their love felt like a true blessing in that ER room. My eyes scanned the room to find Eduardo, but he wasn’t there. “Where is Eduardo?” I asked. “What do you need him for? Do you need

I stood at the barn’s edge, watching my mare Luna paw the ground. Her chestnut coat glowed in the morning light. Riding had always been my passion; it brought me freedom. I climbed onto Luna to enjoy the sunset by the coast. “Let’s go, girl!” I urged her towards the coastline. It felt like a part of the ocean breeze, effortlessly. Ahead, I saw him: Eduardo was leaning against a fence with his arms crossed, watching me ride in. I reined in Luna. “Well, well, Ms. Arquette!” he called, with a teasing tone. “Are you and Luna planning to conquer the world today?” he said as he handed me to slide off. “The world’s already ours, Garcia!” I said as I patted Luna’s neck. ‘‘What’s your deal? Scouting for stray seagulls?” “Just keeping the island safe, but damn, you’re a distraction. Have you ever raced for real?” I answered as I looped Luna’s reins around a post. “Only her… She’d burn any challenger though. Are you a rider, Eduardo?” “Once upon a time…” he said, leaning beside me.

There are moments when people lose sight of who they are or what they’re doing. I was caught in one such moment, and the best part; I had no hesitation in embracing it. I had always maintained strict boundaries with my employees, but my intimacy with Eduardo was nothing short of revolutionary, even beyond revolutionary. He was like a beacon of light to a firefly. I couldn’t resist; I was destined to surrender and be swept away by his current. That morning was the first time in six years I woke up after sunrise. I cared about nothing except being wrapped in Eduardo’s arms. Though I slept like a baby in his embrace, I was dimly aware he’d been awake all night. His fingers stroked my hair, his soft kisses grazed my forehead, and he held me tighter every few minutes, granting me the most peaceful sleep of my adulthood. His scent was the theme of the night for me. God, if it hadn’t been for an important meeting, I would never have left his cabin that morning. I was lying on his body, my