heels. Paul and a few other paid employees had been on the far side of the room, going over agendas for the next few months. She wouldn’t give Paul any more ammunition when it came to her personal life and if he thought for a second that she and Lach had something more than a professional relationship, God knew how he’d use that against her. He didn’t like that her father valued her opinion but that was just tough shit for him to deal with.
Due to the late hour, Phoebe had been able to park her vehicle right out front. She pressed the button on the fob knowing full well that Sam was parked right behind her. He’d follow her home and they’d go about their evening as if nothing had happened. Before she could open the driver’s side door, Lach grabbed her arm and swung her toward him.
“I’ll ask again. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I refuse to discuss our personal life with Paul and the staff within earshot.” Phoebe pulled her arm away from his grasp, but wasn’t able to step back as far as she would have liked. The car kept her in place while his body protected her from the oncoming traffic. It was a good reminder of why he was here to begin with. “Oh, that’s right. We don’t have a personal relationship. You made that perfectly clear. But let’s get one thing straight, Mr. McKinnon—you don’t get to set the rules. If I want to work through the night, I’ll damn well do it. If I want to sleep here, I’ll do that as well. I don’t have to ask permission, and if you feel you’re incapable of keeping up with me, please feel free to request a transfer. It wouldn’t bother me in the least.”
“You are fucking impossible,” Lach muttered, holding her dress coat up and not saying another word until she’d turned, allowing him to help her in it. As she was facing the building it was easy to see Paul and the other staff looking out at them, as their bodies were within the dim lights of the desks. When the wool finally encased Phoebe, she whipped back around and saw that it wasn’t anger in his eyes, but frustration. It didn’t make a difference to her. “If we were in any other situation, I would have taken you up on your offer and had you back in bed before your front door was able to close shut. And to clear up any misconceptions, I would be setting the rules. You are the daughter of a Presidential nominee. I am your personal security detail agent in charge. There are rules and guidelines in place for a reason. For someone of your intelligence, I shouldn’t have to spell that out for you.”
“Lach,” Phoebe said, looking to her left and seeing Sam in the driver’s seat of his car waiting patiently before reconnecting her gaze to the larger than life man in front of her. “Someone else can—”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Phoebe.” Lach looked over her shoulder and took a half step back. She didn’t have to ask why. “No one else would be good enough. No one else would go to the lengths that I would to save your life.”
Phoebe didn’t know how to respond to that and suddenly felt deflated because she knew deep down that Lach was right. The last thing her father needed was headlines that his oldest daughter was having an affair with her bodyguard. She’d gotten carried away by the feeling of liberation upon discovering that she hadn’t imagined their connection ten months ago and acted impetuously. As for his statement that no one would go to the lengths that he would, a part of her soul felt a heat that it had never been exposed to before. It was bittersweet.
“Does anyone really need to know?” Phoebe asked, not able to just let this end but asking a question that she already knew that answer to. She deserved some happiness too. Hadn’t she been telling her sister that all along? “We’re both adults and what we do on our own should be our own business.”
“From this day forward, you will be front and center in the media. The majority of the
Due to the late hour, Phoebe had been able to park her vehicle right out front. She pressed the button on the fob knowing full well that Sam was parked right behind her. He’d follow her home and they’d go about their evening as if nothing had happened. Before she could open the driver’s side door, Lach grabbed her arm and swung her toward him.
“I’ll ask again. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I refuse to discuss our personal life with Paul and the staff within earshot.” Phoebe pulled her arm away from his grasp, but wasn’t able to step back as far as she would have liked. The car kept her in place while his body protected her from the oncoming traffic. It was a good reminder of why he was here to begin with. “Oh, that’s right. We don’t have a personal relationship. You made that perfectly clear. But let’s get one thing straight, Mr. McKinnon—you don’t get to set the rules. If I want to work through the night, I’ll damn well do it. If I want to sleep here, I’ll do that as well. I don’t have to ask permission, and if you feel you’re incapable of keeping up with me, please feel free to request a transfer. It wouldn’t bother me in the least.”
“You are fucking impossible,” Lach muttered, holding her dress coat up and not saying another word until she’d turned, allowing him to help her in it. As she was facing the building it was easy to see Paul and the other staff looking out at them, as their bodies were within the dim lights of the desks. When the wool finally encased Phoebe, she whipped back around and saw that it wasn’t anger in his eyes, but frustration. It didn’t make a difference to her. “If we were in any other situation, I would have taken you up on your offer and had you back in bed before your front door was able to close shut. And to clear up any misconceptions, I would be setting the rules. You are the daughter of a Presidential nominee. I am your personal security detail agent in charge. There are rules and guidelines in place for a reason. For someone of your intelligence, I shouldn’t have to spell that out for you.”
“Lach,” Phoebe said, looking to her left and seeing Sam in the driver’s seat of his car waiting patiently before reconnecting her gaze to the larger than life man in front of her. “Someone else can—”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Phoebe.” Lach looked over her shoulder and took a half step back. She didn’t have to ask why. “No one else would be good enough. No one else would go to the lengths that I would to save your life.”
Phoebe didn’t know how to respond to that and suddenly felt deflated because she knew deep down that Lach was right. The last thing her father needed was headlines that his oldest daughter was having an affair with her bodyguard. She’d gotten carried away by the feeling of liberation upon discovering that she hadn’t imagined their connection ten months ago and acted impetuously. As for his statement that no one would go to the lengths that he would, a part of her soul felt a heat that it had never been exposed to before. It was bittersweet.
“Does anyone really need to know?” Phoebe asked, not able to just let this end but asking a question that she already knew that answer to. She deserved some happiness too. Hadn’t she been telling her sister that all along? “We’re both adults and what we do on our own should be our own business.”
“From this day forward, you will be front and center in the media. The majority of the
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