His Reluctant Bodyguard Read Online Free Page A

again. "Lead the way, Miss Knox."
    "Push-over," Avery muttered as soon as they were out of earshot. But Ginger's reaction when she'd taken a look at Rip had left a triumphant, if juvenile, glow of satisfaction on Avery's face. She was still relishing the feeling when they walked into the dining room.
    Since it was only a quarter past eleven, the Aurora dining room was almost empty. The head waiter seated them in a secluded corner with a window view of puffy white clouds over the bright blue Caribbean. Rip wasn't kidding about being hungry. He ordered the anti-pasta appetizer, soup, salad and the shrimp scampi. Avery stuck with a Cobb salad and munched slowly.
    After Rip finished his third course, her curiosity would no longer be denied. "So why don't you tell me about John Smith and his agency?"
    "He's CIA."
    Avery almost spewed her mouthful of iced tea. "S-seriously?" At his grim nod, she couldn't stop herself from blurting, "What could they possibly want with you?"
    "I told you it was a bizarre story." He shifted in his chair, looking uncomfortable as she waited for him to elaborate. "Remember how I told you my father was in the military on his homeland Benezet ?"
    She searched her memory and nodded as she recalled. "Your mother was from there too, but your grandmother was from New Orleans and your mother moved to the states when your parents divorced." Rip bobbed his head in affirmation but his expression remained strained. "But what does that have to do with you?"
    Their waiter arrived with the scampi and refilled their iced teas. After Rip assured him they didn't need anything else, he walked away. Avery followed Rip's gaze as he scanned the room, which had collected several more diners, but none were seated close enough to overhear their conversation.
    Still, Rip fiddled with his fork then took a long guzzle of his tea before he finally spoke. "My father wasn't just in the military, he ran Benezet's military, and his brother, my uncle ran the government."
    "You mean like a dictator?" Avery asked, not quite sure what Rip was driving at.
    "Exactly," he said on a sigh. "And my father was the muscle behind the throne. Was, because he died fifteen months ago."
    "I'm sorry." She felt like it wasn't the right thing to say, but she couldn't think of anything else.
    "I hadn't seen or spoken to him in years." Rip confirmed her suspicions about the lack of relationship. He took a few bites of shrimp before continuing. "My cousin JB stepped into my father's place, but the CIA thinks the whole island is a powder keg ready for a nasty explosion. I'm not sure why, but they also think if I’m there, the political situation will resolve itself more to their liking."
    Avery chased the bits of bleu cheese around her almost empty plate and tried to follow the logic but couldn't. What possible difference could one man make? "What do you think?" she asked at last.
    "I'd rather wait until I get there and see for myself what's going on." Rip replied. He bent his head down to his right shoulder and then his left, shrugging away the tension before he added in a light tone, "In the meantime, I plan to enjoy a couple of relaxing days on board. You up to the task of assisting me?"
    She gave him a sassy smile. "Of course, after all, you're my top priority."
    " Suu-weet ! Let's start with dessert." And he signaled the waiter.
    Rip ordered a banana split with two spoons and insisted she taste it as part of her bodyguard duties. Amid much joking around they finished off the gooey concoction at a little after 12:30. Plenty of time for Avery to make it to the bingo tournament.
    To her surprise, he insisted on going with her. He bought one card for each game and sat in the front row of the Regal Lounge, getting assistance about how to play from a pair of red-hat ladies in the seats beside him. The ladies were obviously charmed by him, and judging by the way he laughed and joked, he was actually having a good time.
    "Bye-bye, Mr. Brown."
    "See you around