The CEO's BodyGuard

Chapter 2: Shadow StepsSebastian left the office at 8:47 p.m., later than planned. Every line of code he had written that day now felt like a potential trapdoor. The photo the one that should have been impossible played on repeat in his mind, every detail burned into his memory: the angle, the darkness, the way the faint light from his bedside lamp had caught the sheen of sweat on his skin. He scanned the lobby once, twice. No one lingered. Just the night guard, stoic, barely raising an eyebrow as Sebastian passed. The elevator doors slid open. Empty. Polished steel walls reflected them both: Sebastian sharp in black, Kane a dark monolith.Kane waited, arms crossed, jacket open just enough to show the faint outline of a shoulder holster. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. His presence alone was a warning. Sebastian’s heels clicked against the marble floor as he approached, and Kane pushed the call button with a calm, deliberate motion, eyes never leaving him.The elevator doors slid

Chapter 4: Crowded ShadowsThe executive floor buzzed with mid-morning energy assistants darting between glass-walled offices, phones ringing in muted symphonies, the faint scent of expensive cologne and fresh coffee hanging in the air. Sebastian moved through it like a blade, nodding once to his PA, Elena, as she handed him the updated threat assessment folder."Harlan wants five minutes before the investor call," she said, keeping pace. "He's pushing for more transparency on the encryption delays."Sebastian didn't slow. "Tell him transparency costs lives. He'll wait."Elena glanced behind him at Kane, walking two steps back, eyes scanning every face, every doorway. She lowered her voice. "He's... intense.""He's necessary," Sebastian said, sharper than intended.He pushed through the double doors into the main corridor. It was packed mid-level execs heading to the conference wing, interns clutching tablets, a delivery guy with a stack of boxes blocking half the path.Sebastian did

**Chapter Six: Aftershock**The sirens arrived too late to matter.They wailed somewhere below the penthouse, distant and impersonal, like an apology from a system that had already failed. Kane ignored them. His focus was narrowed to the weight in his arms, the slow, uneven rise and fall of Sebastian’s chest against his own.Sebastian was burning—but quieter now. No longer flaring, no longer spiraling. Just simmering, heat contained by proximity and exhaustion.Kane hated how effective it was.He eased Sebastian down onto the couch, careful, controlled, like he was handling something fragile instead of one of the most powerful men in the city. Sebastian protested weakly, fingers tightening in Kane’s shirt.“Don’t,” Sebastian murmured. “Don’t move away.”The words weren’t a command. They weren’t even confident.They were honest.Kane stilled. For a long moment, he stayed crouched in front of Sebastian, forearms braced on his thighs, close enough that Sebastian could still feel him—could

Chapter 8: Lingering MarksThe boardroom air still carried the faint trace of tension as Sebastian stepped into the executive elevator. Kane followed one step behind, as always. The doors slid shut with a soft chime, sealing them inside the mirrored box. Sebastian kept his eyes fixed on the glowing floor numbers, but he could feel Kane’s presence like a wall of heat at his back. That hand on his shoulder in front of the entire board firm, visible, unmistakably possessive still burned through the fabric of his charcoal suit.“You crossed a line,” Sebastian said, voice low and sharp.Kane didn’t reply immediately. The elevator hummed downward. When he finally spoke, his gravel-rough tone was calm, controlled. “He was challenging you. I reminded the room who protects what’s mine to guard.”Sebastian’s jaw tightened. Mine. The word landed heavy, stirring something deep in his chest that had nothing to do with anger. His suppressors were working overtime today, but Kane’s alpha scent—leath

Chapter 10: Fractured RoutineThe drive to Apex Veil Tower passed in weighted silence. Sebastian sat in the back of the reinforced SUV, tablet in hand, reviewing quarterly projections that refused to hold his focus. Kane occupied the seat beside him, one arm draped casually along the backrest, his body angled just enough to monitor both Sebastian and the road ahead. Marcus drove with practiced calm, but even he kept glancing in the rearview mirror.Sebastian could feel the alpha’s gaze like a physical touch. Every shift in his posture, every breath, every subtle change in his scent was being cataloged. It should have infuriated him. Instead, it settled something restless in his chest, even as his suppressors worked overtime to contain the growing warmth beneath his skin.“You’re quiet this morning,” Kane said, voice low enough that it vibrated through the confined space.“I’m working.” Sebastian didn’t look up. The words felt hollow.Kane’s fingers brushed the back of Sebastian’s neck