Page 21 of Sweet Madness

She caught me off guard again. That rarely happens, yet she’s done it more than once now.

When I notice that my silence unsettled her enough to make her smile fade, I decide to speak. “Let’s go.” Then I turn my back and silently pray to whoever is willing to fucking listen to a man like me that the weeks will fly by or that the fucking freak after her family would be dealt with— whichever came first.

“You know… Shaw Bear. I don’t remember you being this much of a…” She stops mid-sentence.

“A what?” I bark, feeling a little too much.

“A drag.” She makes a face that should make her look ugly, but it does the opposite. The girl looks adorable as fuck. I don’t think anything could ever make me think of Ella Kenton as ugly, and that’s a problem for me.

A big fucking problem.

Taking a deep breath, I turn around to face her. Locking eyes with her, I feel a flicker of something unfamiliar—like flames dancing across my skin whenever her blue eyes meet mine. What the hell is this feeling?

But before I can figure out what the feeling is, I decide to do what I always do

Fuck shit up by being a miserable fuck.

“Listen carefully, Miss Kenton. I’m here to protect you, not to be your friend. These pathetic attempts to get me to relate to your spoiled brat struggles or bond in any way are pointless. Save yourself the embarrassment and me the annoyance; let’s keep this strictly professional.” The second those harsh and cruel words escape my lips, regret consumes me. Damn it, I regret them. I might be an asshole, but that’s no excuse for being cruel to her. She doesn’t deserve it. She hasn’t done anything wrong.

I open my mouth to undo the damage, but it’s too late. The sadness in her eyes quickly vanishes, replaced by a forced smile. I don’t know why, but it stings—like a rusty dagger piercing my chest.

But instead of breaking down or cowering like most people do when I act like a bastard, she lifts her chin and hardens her gaze, looking like a replica of her father. Angry. Annoyed. Shit. Disappointed. “As you wish, Shaw…” Her pretty blue eyes look vacant. The light that had been shining so brightly is now gone. “But just so you know, the next time you speak to me with so little respect, I’ll give the same energy back. I don’t ever want to pull out the boss card, not with you. Never with you, but don’t test me. You won’t like it.” With that angry parting statement, she turns and leaves me standing there feeling like I am six inches tall.

I deserve it. I lost control and snapped at her when she’s done nothing wrong. She’s only trying to make the best of an uncomfortable situation.

Shit.

As I watch her exit the boutique, her words replay in my mind, and guilt claws at me. But there’s something else too—something that is messing with my head.

Her angry words did things to me. At that moment, I saw another side of Ellaiza Kenton.

The pretty heiress has sharp claws.

Space Note

“Jupiter is large enough to fit inside, 1,000 times. Just like my heart is big enough to fit all your beautiful and ugly pieces. All of you.”- E

Chapter

Six

BILLY’S BLOOMS AND MACAROONS

Shaw

Past

“I saw her eyes in every star in the sky.” – S

There has always been a certain calmness about a night sky full of stars. Even amidst the darkness, those tiny, luminous orbs of plasma manage to let light shine through. It’s a breathtaking sight that has always brought peace to my soul since I was a young boy.

Tonight, the moon shines brightly, and the weather is a perfect balance—not too cold, not too hot. It’s just right.

Spring in D.C. is different from Montana. Everything is different here than back home. Everything.

Fuck, who would’ve thought the young punk born and raised surrounded by horse shit and western hospitality has just signed a contract to start bodyguard duty for none other than the only child of the President of the United States of America, Ellaiza Kenton.

I meet the five-year-old three days ago at one of her father’s presidential rallies while he announces his plans to run again. My cousin, Ben, asks me to meet up with him so I can get a feel for what the job entails. I know when he calls me up to offer me the job as soon as I get out of high school last month that it won’t be an easy task. Not because the family is difficult, but because guarding someone’s life is no joke, and guarding the heart of the Commander-in-Chief—that’s another thing entirely.