Beloved Bodyguard Read Online Free PDF Page B

the
topic.
    “You can’t coddle me forever,” she told him
for the hundredth time. “I understand the dangers, the possibility
for someone to use me as a tool to get to you, so I’m willing to
have bodyguards. But this house arrest is ridiculous. Why did I
bother to study social politics if I’m not going to be allowed to
get out in the world and use my skills?”
    “There are programs you could oversee for me.
And administrative position would be a useful and safe way to use
your education.”
    “But, Daddy, working directly with people is
what I want to do. Something really hands on.” She threw up her
hands. “ Shenje ! I don’t know why I bother. I’m going to bed
now. Goodnight.”
    Ja-hun remained behind to discuss security
matters with her father, allowing Leelah to go alone to her
room.
    She took off her dress and sat in her living
room in her underwear watching the vid. The events of the day
swirled in her mind, and she barely registered what was on.
Memories of Ja-hun walking in on her private time, their brief
conversation at the restaurant, and most importantly, his kiss
played over and over in her mind.
    Gray. Who chose gray as a favorite color? She
had to learn more about what made this mysterious man tick, about
his past, his opinions, and if he really was as bland as he
pretended to be. Also, she wanted more of that stellar kissing and
all of the things kissing led to.
    But now Ja-hun was locked down tight again.
Even if she pranced around him in her underwear, she guessed he’d
ignore her advances. How could she get him to come into her suite
so she could spend some time with him?
    Jumping up off the sofa, she went to her
window and reached up to break off the device that operated the
blinds. When she gave the “close” command, they no longer
functioned. She hated to play at female helplessness, but whatever
it took…
    She went to her door and opened it. Ja-hun
was outside, seated on a chair in just his shirtsleeves, his jacket
hanging on the back of the chair and his tie gone. He was studying
data on a palm-sized vid screen. He glanced up at her, eyes
flicking briefly over her bra and panties before returning to her
face.
    “Could you help me a minute? My window blind
is stuck or something.”
    He rose without a word and accompanied her
into the suite.
    “Close,” he ordered the blinds. Nothing
happened.
    “See.” She stood near him so her arm brushed
his.
    He glanced at her then back at the window.
“It’s broken.”
    “Yes. Can you fix it?”
    “I’m not a repairman. Have someone look at it
tomorrow.”
    “What am I supposed to do meanwhile? Can you
hang a sheet over it or something?”
    He turned to stare at her. The windows were
darkglass, the view from inside as clear as if there was nothing in
the frame, while those trying to look in would only see flat, black
glass. The blinds were a formality left over from earlier times to
give a sense of privacy already inherent in the windows.
    She smiled. “I know it’s silly and no one can
see inside, but it makes me feel safer.” She rested her hand on his
arm and gazed into his face with wide eyes. “Please.”
    The clenched muscle in his jaw twitched.
    “Wait here. I’ll get a sheet.” She whipped
the top one from her bed and handed it to him, folding her arms and
watching as he stretched to hang it over her window. It wasn’t
going to take long. She had to think of something to say to delay
his leaving.
    “My father was talking about the conditions
in the Bat mines and reforms for the D’jeering prison colonies. We
may be able to strike an accord with the insurgents if Dad can find
solutions to these problems. Have you ever been to D’jeering?”
    Ja-hun froze in the middle of tying the sheet
to the rod. “Briefly.”
    She’d found a sore point and recognized a
touch of bitterness in that one word. “You were a prisoner there,”
she guessed. “Was it as awful as they say? How did you get
free?”
    “I was there in