The Bodyguard - Completed.

Chapter Eleven

Xavier placed his arm on the soft leather sofa behind her. She turned towards him, feeling him being so open with her. Tenderly he brushed hair from her face. "This compassion of yours would do you a great service princess; however, you must learn to rein it in. Keep it in control. I had no idea your own family had suffered so much."

"Half blood now," she pointed out.

"She still is your cousin Amanda. You have so much compassion in your heart. I just don't want to see you trampled into the ground." His fingers lightly caressed her back from the sofa. "Now drink up and we would give the casino a miss." She looked at him sideways, searching.

"You don't mind?"

"No, of course not, not really my thing, just thought while here, I would show you around. This is what the super rich came here for. The playground of the rich and famous. You would be joining that club and it's good to know the country would be in good hands." She hated to tell him the real Amanda liked to have a flutter, now and then, although, nothing over the top. Like betting on a horse at the Melbourne Cup type of affair.

She reached for his free hand and just held as she reached for the golden amber liquid in a solid crystal glass and took a sip, coughing as it burned the back of her throat. "What is that?" She gasped.

"Whisky."

"I thought you were supposed give brandy," she placed down the glass. She waved over a waiter asking for a glass of Champagne. The man looked at Xavier, who nodded. Removing the glass of whiskey, he came back with a long fluted glass that she took and sipped from. That was better and smiled. Absently, he played with her hair, twirling it around his fingers as she relaxed against his side.

He pressed his lips against her forehead. "If you ever say you are simple again, I would be very angry with you. There is nothing simple about you; you are one of the most complex woman I have ever met."

She couldn't help smiling. "I was talking about my taste, not me. I have been told quite often how difficult I can be." She turned more towards Xavier and rested closer to his body, his hand resting more on her back than the sofa, caressing her, warming her all over, aware of his hard masculine body beside hers. Also that familiar woodsy, spicy aroma of his, which filled all her senses.

"That colour really suits you, princess." She crossed her legs, knees pointing towards his, nestling against his chest.

"Matching my eyes," she fluttered her lashes at him as she sipped from her glass, and then placed down.

"Do you really want to send them all back, your dresses. It's not like I'm throwing money away. It was for a good cause, dressing you. We can't have a naked princess running around, now can we?"

She chuckled at that thought, feeling better. "Okay, you win that one. Don't want to blind people by such a sight." He frowned; she reached up and lightly brushed his stubble jaw with her hand. "Don't take it to heart what I say. I do like taking the micky out of myself. That's an Aussie thing to do, we laugh at ourselves."

His frown disappeared. "Yes, I am beginning to see that. Let's us just relax and enjoy our evening here, unless you want to see Monte Carlo at night, all lit up. Quite a sight to be seen."

"Perhaps later. I really don't know that much about you. You're my bodyguard, have travelled a lot, worldly, and well acquainted. So knowledgeable, and has a very strong work ethics and has to be in control."

He arched a brow. "See, you do know a lot about me," he corrected.

"But not here," she dropped her hand and touch his heart. "Who holds your heart Xavier? Do you have someone special in your heart?"