All Chapters of THE BILLIONAIRE BODYGUARD: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

I woke to the first whisper of dawn, a fragile thread of light slipping through the shutters, teasing me awake before the world fully stirred. The sky beyond my balcony was a canvas of soft pinks and golds, hues bleeding into one another like watercolor left to run wild. My island my sanctuary stretched out below, a private slice of Mexico carved from the chaos of my life, a place where the relentless clamor of the outside world could not reach me. It was more than a retreat; it was a fortress, a testament to the years I had spent clawing my way out of the shadow cast by the Arquette name. Here, surrounded by cliffs and sea, I could breathe. Here, I could pretend the past did not exist.The air was thick with the scent of salt, sharp and briny, mingling with the sweeter, headier notes of hibiscus that climbed the villa’s walls in reck

The invitation arrived on a Wednesday, its black envelope sealed with gold wax, the Arquette crest glinting under my desk lamp. I slit it open, silk gloves brushing my fingers, and pulled out a card embossed with swirling script: Masquerade Ball, Hotel de las Estrellas, Mexico City. Saturday, 8 PM. Business attire, masks mandatory.My pulse quickened. The Estrellas ball wasn’t just a party; it was a battlefield for deals, alliances, and power plays, disguised in velvet and champagne. As CEO of Arquette Ventures, I had no such luxury of missing it. But the RSVP line taunted me: Plus one.I leaned back in my chair, the villa’s study quiet except for the distant crash of waves. My island, my sanctuary, felt too still today, its jasmine scented air heavy with expectation. A date? I had not dated in years, too busy rebuilding the family empire into something good, something mine. Friends were scarce, scattered by my wealth or my walls. Miranda, my cousin, would have jumped at the chance, bu

Rain hammered the cabin, a relentless drum against the windows, but inside, the fire snapped, casting a warm glow across Eduardo’s sharp features. His lips crashed into mine, soft at first, then fierce, carrying the taste of salt and something wild. My fingers tangled in his damp curls, gripping tight, his heartbeat a steady thump beneath my palms.“You’re trouble,” he muttered, his lips brushing my jaw, voice low and teasing, sending a shiver down my spine.“Good trouble?” I shot back, grinning, sliding onto his lap, my flannel shirt bunching up.“The best kind,” he said, his laugh bright, eyes glinting as he kissed me again, deep and deliberate, hands settling on my waist, firm but careful. “Where’d you learn to kiss like that, Emily?”“Born with it,” I teased, nipping his ear, his chuckle rumbling against me, warm and alive. “You’re not half bad yourself, Garcia.”“Half bad?” he scoffed, pulling me closer, his grin infectious. “I’m rewriting the rulebook for you, Arquette.”“Big wor