Alpha Male Incorporated Under Your Protection (5 page)

His number one rule was all bodyguards needed the ability to blend into any situation or event with their client while keeping his eyes and ears open. He’d broken one of his golden rules tonight with Raya which meant the years he spent out of action were showing and not in a very good way.

“Raya please let me apologize for scaring you. I’m Jax Irizzary, Sahara’s new bodyguard. I hope we can get past this unfortunate incident.” He extended his hand and waited for Raya to take it.

Raya eyed his hand for a second or two before she gave it a quick shake. “Yeah, maybe we can,” she answered and then took a step back from him. “I’m still going to leave so you can talk to Sahara in private.” Raya eased around him and practically ran from the room.

Sahara shot him an evil look right after Raya bolted from the bedroom. “Raya, wait!” Sahara yelled as she tried to run after her, but Jax heard the front door slam shut before Sahara even made it to the bedroom door.

“She’s gone,” he told Sahara.

Spinning back around, Sahara charged back up to him. “Have you lost your mind completely? You scared the shit out of Raya. How can I possibly apologize for your behavior? God, you are so fired! I can’t believe Uncle Frank actually went behind my back and hired you. Where is he anyway?”

Staring down into Sahara’s beautiful face, Jax liked how her dark eyes blazed with such fire. Secretly, he wondered if she got this passionate about everything that went on in her life. He might just have to find out for himself. Not now, but definitely later on when he got the chance...and he would make sure that he got the chance.

“Your friend will be okay,” he said, walking around the room. “I didn’t mean to frighten her. How about I apologize again when I see her? However, my main job isn’t to be concerned about her hurt feelings. I’m being paid to watch over you and that’s what I’m going to do. So, if I come on too strong with some of your friends they’ll learn to deal with me until this situation in your life is gone. Also, don’t bother Frank with this when he comes back home with our food. He doesn’t need to be bothered about something that wasn’t a big deal in the first place.”

“I don’t want your protection or help,” Sahara retorted. “I’m fine without you and if I do need some help it wouldn’t involve me coming to you.”

“You’re going to be even better with me guarding you,” Jax informed Sahara as he headed for the door. “I’m going to leave so you can put these bags away and then I need to go over a few things with you.” He stopped in his tracks and glanced back at Sahara. “I know you’re used to doing things your way, but all of that has to change.” Jax continued out of the room.

A tiny part of him couldn’t help but wonder what else was going to happen with Sahara before she ultimately decided to listen and follow his rules.

Chapter Six

“You have to get rid of Jax. I don’t want or need him as my bodyguard.” Sahara complained to her Uncle Frank as they waited for Jax to join them in the dining room. “He had no right to be upstairs in my bedroom without my permission with a gun. God, he could have killed Raya,”

“Sahara, I know you were upset when Jax had the incident with Raya, but he told me that he apologized to her. Sweetheart, please try your best to get along with him. I hired him to look after you. I wish you would get it into your head that your life might be in danger and stop fighting me at every turn about Jax.”

Sahara wanted to agree with her uncle that she did need a bodyguard, but she was used to coming and going as she pleased. Having an attractive bodyguard following her every move was going to be hard for her to deal with.

It wasn’t like Jax would be able to blend into a crowd with his blond good looks and muscular body. God, she would notice him in a hot minute and so would anyone else with a good pair of eyes in their head.

Yeah, she was having a hard time hating Jax when she was fighting off the impulse to kiss him anytime he got within touching distance of her. Jax was a ‘bad boy’ from the top of his golden head all the way down to his black biker boots. She was torn between still having her independence and learning how to deal with a six foot six inch hunk as her shadow.

“I’ll try to deal with the Ultimate Fighter wannabe, but I still want some of my freedom too,” Sahara said. “It’s only fair to me. I’m not a child and I shouldn’t be treated like one.”

“How much freedom do you expect to receive from me?” a deep sensual voice asked behind her.

Twirling around in her seat, Sahara ran her eyes over Jax noticing that he had changed out of his blue jeans and white t-shirt into an all black outfit. His thick blond hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck.

Everything about Jax screamed
sex, sex and more sex
and his entire package was enticing her in a way no man had before. Usually she was focused on her music career and not much else but Jax was drawing her to him like she almost didn’t have control over her own body.

He possessed this aura around him that she couldn’t resist. Also, he had this way of easing up on her without making a sound and it was a little creepy. Who moved that silently?

There was something about Jax and she was going to find out what it was. Her curiosity was piqued and she was the kind of woman who didn’t give up until she got the answers that she wanted.

“It doesn’t matter,” Sahara said finally answering Jax’s question. “Whatever I want will be too much for you. I can tell after talking to Uncle Frank that I’m stuck with you for better or worse.”

“Sahara, don’t be upset,” Frank told her jumping into the conversation. “All Jax and I want is to make sure that this guy never has a chance to get his hands on you. I know that you’re obstinate and like to have your way but this is one time that you will listen and do what is the best for you.”

“I don’t want to get into this right now. I have to check on Raya because after her experience with Jax she might not ever come back over here again and I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t.”

Getting up from her chair, Sahara tried to walk out of the room but Jax stepped in her way. “If you leave the house again I’ll have to go with you,” he said staring down at her with his watchful green eyes.

“Don’t worry,” she said brushing past Jax. “I’m going upstairs to call Raya. I think I can handle a phone call without you at my side.” Sahara headed on out the door. She didn’t even bother to look back to see if Jax followed her, because right at this second she was fed up with him and her domineering uncle.

****

Standing near the dining room door, Jax stared after Sahara as she stormed upstairs to her bedroom loving how the tight jeans cupped her round perfect ass. She was going to be more difficult to get under control than he first thought and he was truly looking forward to the challenge. In the end, she would be listening to him because he was more experienced and knew what he was doing when it came to keeping her safe and protected.

“Come on over here and get something to eat,” Frank hollered at him. “Don’t let her attitude bother you. She’s upset now but she’ll get over it like she always does. Sahara doesn’t hold a grudge for a very long time anyway.”

Jax turned away from the door making his way over to Frank. Sitting down at the table, he picked up a paper plate and then grabbed a couple pieces of chicken out of box placing them on the plate in front of him.

“I’m not worried about her being upset with me. I’m used to clients hating the sight of me until they get used to my rules which usually takes about two weeks, but what really concerns me the most about Sahara is her attitude. She doesn’t want to listen to what I tell her. She can’t continue to go off by herself like she did today with Raya.

“Anyone could have come up on her today and she wouldn’t have known if it was her stalker or not. She doesn’t think she’s famous, but she it. Her stalker isn’t doing much right now except sending emails and letters, but it will get worse for her before it gets better.

“Sahara really needs to understand the seriousness of the situation. If she listens to me now, it will help her out in the end later and she’ll be glad that she did.” Picking up the chicken breast off his plate, Jax took a huge bite and then quickly placed it back down when he felt Frank staring at him.

“I totally agree with you Jax, but Sahara gets her spunkiness from her mother,” Frank agreed glancing at the food on his plate then back at him. “Let me talk to her again. I know that I can get through to her this time.”

Jax wondered why Frank was staring at him because his friend had seen him eat food before, but today Frank was acting like it was something so shocking. “Frank, what’s wrong,” he asked. “You’ve got this strange look on your face?”

Frank glanced away with an embarrassed expression on his face while rubbing the back of his neck. “I know I have, but I still find it so odd that you can eat regular food. From everything I read in books and saw in movies, I truly thought vampires weren’t real and could only survive by taking blood from humans.”

Jax laughed “You’ve watched way too many movies about vampires. Yes, I can eat food and I can even go out in the sunlight without bursting into flames.” He grabbed two biscuits out of the box next to the chicken and tossed them down on his plate. God, he was starving and this would hold him over for now but he would have to get something else later. He still needed to mention to Frank about the small refrigerator that he needed in his room.

“No, I need to be the one who talks to Sahara. We need to understand who is in control and who isn’t. By the way, do you think you can find me a small refrigerator for my bedroom? I need to keep a few items close at hand.”

Frank chuckled like he had said something funny. “She isn’t going to allow you to ever think that you’re in control of her. My goddaughter hasn’t gotten this far with her career by allowing anyone to rule her body, mind or anything else about her. Oh, getting the refrigerator won’t be a problem either. I think there’s one down in the basement. It used to be in my office, but I took it out a few months ago. I’ll put it in your room for you before I leave for my next trip.”

Instead of answering Frank, Jax reached for his biscuit trying to think of ways to watch over Sahara while keeping his attraction for her away, but right now all he could think about was finding a way to kiss her and still stay her bodyguard.

Chapter Seven

“Are you sure that you’re okay?” Sahara asked as she closed the door to her bedroom so Jax and her uncle wouldn’t hear her on the phone. “I still can’t believe that Jax thought you were my stalker. I’m going to have a talk again with my uncle. If he found Jax, I know that he can find another bodyguard to protect me.”

“Don’t you dare get another bodyguard,” Raya yelled at her. “Yeah, Jax scared the hell out of me earlier tonight but I’m good now besides he’s
HOT
as hell. Why didn’t you tell me his eyes looked like that?”

“What are you talking about?” Sahara questioned. “Jax’s eyes are just green eyes. I don’t see anything unusual about them.”

“No, I swear when he had that gun on me they changed to a different color. They were kind of like an amber color....hell, I don’t know actually but I swear they changed.”

Laughing, Sahara walked over to her writing desk, grabbed her lyrics journal and made her way back over to the big bed in the bedroom. “Are you sure that you still aren’t shaken up?” Sahara was still a little worried about her best friend’s state of mind.

“I’m good,” Raya assured her. “I came home and took a shower and now I’m relaxing in bed. I’ve a big day tomorrow at work.”

“Have you heard anymore about who’s been checking your financial reports?” Sahara asked Raya. “I thought your family’s hedge fund was doing better since you took over the business from your brother?”

“No, but it’s going to be the main thing I do when I get to work tomorrow morning. I don’t have time for any kind of problems appearing out of nowhere. The main reason I had to take over the business from Cedric was he never wanted to do the work. I like to stay on top of things and this problem has caught me off guard and I hate it.

“However, I don’t want to discuss me. I want to know what you’re going to do about Jax? You have to admit he is one sexy man and you get to be around him twenty-four hours a day. I’m
so
jealous.”

Sahara sat down on the bed and folded up her legs yoga style. “What do you mean by ‘what am I going to do with Jax?’”

“Sahara come on.” Raya sighed. “When was the last time you were around a guy who looked like him? Yeah, he did almost make me pee my pants with the Dirty Larry thing and all, but I still saw how gorgeous he was. You know that you’ve noticed it too. God, you would have to be crazy not to see it.”

Sahara wanted to lie, but she couldn’t. Yes, there was something mysterious and dangerous about Jax that had grabbed her attention from their first meeting. Raya was right. Jax was one fine ass man and he knew it, but it wasn’t like he cared he was sexy.

“Are you listening to me?” Raya shouted snapping her back from her daydream. “Sahara, did you hear a word I just said or were you thinking about Jax?”

She loved Raya dearly but sometimes she wished that her best friend didn’t know her so well.

“Honestly, I was doing a little of both,” Sahara confessed.

“Good, it’s past time that you learned to separate the men you meet in your career from the men you need to have in your personal life. Sahara isn’t Coco and vice versa.”

What was Raya talking about? She tried not to be offended, but she was. She knew the difference between her and Coco. Anytime she was at home or around her good friends she was Sahara. Coco was only the image she had on stage when she was singing and it never boiled over into her personal life.

“Raya, you know that I do know how to separate my singing career away from my regular life. Why would you imply that I don’t?” Sahara asked and the hurt was clear in her voice.