Codename: Kryptonite

Chapter Thirteen

Agent Mission Log Entry:

POTUS says that I need to 'grow a sense of humor'. The irony of that statement is not lost on me. In my time, we often shared a joke or teasing laughter. My sense of humor was/is very similar to his. He tried to warn me that he had mellowed with age. Apparently, he meant more than just his arrogant the-whole-fucking-universe-revolves-around-me mentality. Getting him over himself is going to be a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

I'll relish knocking him down a peg or ten.

The mound of covers barely moved, but the groan echoed through the bedroom as one strong forearm snaked out from under the comforter to slap at the buzzing alarm clock. The arm disappeared back under the covers once the alarm clock had been duly chastised for interrupting his slumber. Somehow, while barely moving the mound of blankets, he flopped over on his back.

"Fuck me," he growled, as he tossed the comforter back. His right arm fell across his face, while he struggled to remember why he had to be up so early this morning.

"Good morning, Sir."

Oh yeah, that's why. Quickly, he sat up in bed just to frown at her. "What the fuck are you doing in here?"

The picture of grace and patience, she sat Indian-style in one corner of the love seat that sat across from his bed. She opened her mouth to answer his question, but he interrupted her. "And don't hand me the shit about protecting me. You could be on guard duty out in the fucking hall."

"Well, honestly," she began, "your housekeeper arrived a few minutes ago, and I snuck in here to avoid her. Wasn't sure exactly what story you would tell her about who I am. I figured this was the one room I could count on her not coming into."

Jon fell back on the bed to stare at the ceiling. He really wasn't ready to deal with her yet this morning. Truth be told, he was still slightly pissed at her putting a target on his chest the night before. Granted, it had been a simple thing to pull it off the button she'd hung it on, wad it up and toss it at the trash can in the corner. He'd missed but that was beside the point, and just one more thing to add to the pile of things against her. Not because he'd missed, but because she'd laughed. She had made her point though, and he had moved away from the window.

It had been easy to avoid her after that, at least until bedtime. Then they'd argued about where she'd sleep. He had shown her to a guest room, and she'd promptly told him that it wouldn't do at all. She had told him that she'd need to be closer to him to be able to protect him while he slept. He'd asked when she was going to sleep and been told she was a light sleeper and for him not to worry about her.

She had wanted to sleep in the room with him, even suggested the love seat that she now sat on. But, he'd known that having her in the same room with him wouldn't have been conducive to a good night sleep for him at all. As it was, he'd lain awake for hours thinking about how good she'd looked in that short little dress, and the gun holster on her thigh. He'd learned last night that it was hard to win an argument with her, but he had managed to win that one, finally telling her that he didn't give a fuck where she slept as long as it wasn't in the room with him.

Unless she wanted to sleep in the same bed with him and come no where near actual sleep.

At his taunting smirk, and all too knowing look, she'd backed down. And, he'd won. And, took notes.

Right this minute, she wasn't helping his morning wood at all. With her auburn hair falling in beautiful waves around her shoulders, her just rolled out of bed look, and those damn skin tight leggings showing off the muscles in those lovely thighs. The several-sizes-too-big t-shirt hung off one shoulder proving to him she was braless, even though the shirt was too baggy in the breast area to tell. Had she just rolled out of bed? Where had she ended up sleeping that the housekeeper coming in had woken her?

He decided to ask. "Where'd you end up sleeping last night?"

"On the couch in the game room," she answered quickly.

That meant she'd slept practically at the end of the hall that led to the bedrooms. Anyone would have had to be able to fly up to the top floor of the building to come through a window, or they would've had to go through her to get to him. He still wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"See, told ya that you'd be able to find a place without being in here," he taunted, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"It still would've been better if I'd slept in here. Someone could've come through your window."

He frowned at her and shook his head. "Yeah, it's the Bird Man of Alcatraz that's after me."

"Sir, I know you're not really that stupid. A little rope and some other repelling gear and someone could come down from the roof. Then I'd have to come busting in here to come to the rescue."

His frown moved from her to the window. Fuck. Why hadn't he thought of that last night?

The gentleman in him was jumping up and down, stomping his feet at the thought of this lovely woman risking her life to save his, perhaps even taking a bullet to save him. There was a little part of him arrogant enough to accept the fact that he was important enough to have a bodyguard. That part of him was even able to imagine himself as President of the United States someday and therefore have a whole team of people willing to take a bullet for him.

Right now, he just wanted her out of his room.

"Go. Any where. She probably won't but, if Janet asks, you're a house guest." He motioned with his hand as if to shoo her out of the room.

Gabriella hadn't really thought this plan through. She hadn't taken in to account the effect this younger version of her boss had on her. He was just plain sexy. And the just-woke-up version of him was even beyond that. Blond hair poking up in every imaginable direction from morning bed head aside, the dark shadow of whiskers dusting his jaw and the muscles of his bare chest were almost too much to take, but the sparkling blue eyes were just sinful. She had been studiously trying to avoid looking at said naked chest other than a brief perusal after he first sat up in the bed, but damn, this man was a feast for every one of a woman's senses. She was practically drooling, while her mind wondered what he might be wearing under all those covers. If anything.

Getting out of there sounded like a really good idea.