Aiden Grayson, a ruthless CEO used to controlling everything, meets his match when a mysterious threat forces him under the protection of Julian McAndrew, his handsome new bodyguard who makes him want impossible things.
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Julian's POV
Julian took a break from an intense game of Uno to make himself a sandwich.
On top of the ham and cheese, he sliced a fresh tomato and added it to the stack, then reached for the mustard. A contended hum vibrated in his throat as he finished and wiped up his mess.
He spun around to toss the knife in the sink when the refrigerator door swung open. His best friend, Raymond, grabbed a beer from the shelf, popped the cap off, and took a long swig. He leaned back against the counter and fixed Julian with a probing look.
"A little birdie said you and Lance might get back together," Raymond said. "I thought he was old news."
Julian rolled his eyes and chuckled as he grabbed the bag of chips off the counter. "I told you to stop taking Cass' gossip seriously. She loves to exaggerate things."
"I know." Raymond took another pull from his beer. "But I still wanted to check in and make sure you weren't falling back into bad habits."
"Bad habits?" Julian tossed a few chips onto his sandwich before sealing it with a satisfied pat. "You mean falling into bed with bad exes?" he joked. "Because I'm not, I promise."
"You sure?"
"One million percent. Lance is in the past where he belongs. That kiss a few days ago was just...a mistake."
At thirty, Julian had only been in two serious relationships. Lance Joyner was his second.
He and the forensic scientist had dated for two and a half years before amicably calling it quits six months ago. It was fun in the beginning, a relationship born out of mutual attraction until it eventually wilted under the weight of unaligned dreams and demanding careers.
By year two, Lance had wanted more commitment than Julian could give—marriage, a house, kids. And it never helped how Julian's job as a bodyguard would keep him away for weeks at a time. They were lucky to hang out with each other more than twice a week.
Their differences became impossible to ignore after a while, and the best thing they could do for their mental health was to separate.
Running into Lance at a restaurant a few days ago had stirred up some old feelings that Julian hadn't fully blocked. They shared an impromptu kiss in the parking lot, and during it, Julian had felt...nothing. No flutter in his chest. No spark. The magic was gone.
Maybe it was never there to begin with.
"Hey! Are we finishing this game or what? I'm not done kicking your asses!" Cassie's shout traveled from the living room, pulling Julian out of his head.
From the day they met on the playground, that woman had always been loud and animated. She was the storm to Julian's calm and a big encourager of making poor decisions for the sake of having a good time.
