The Bodyguard's Temptress

Chapter 13

Natasha

I stir, panic setting in as the memory of the last thing that happened before I passed out comes rushing back. I expected to already find some gross asshole on top of me, but there isn't. Instead, my head rests in someone's lap. I stay still with my eyes closed, keeping my breathing steady as I take in my surroundings.

I can tell we're in a moving vehicle, the space silent except for the hum of the engine. There were like four or maybe six of them—shouldn't they be bragging about how they're going to take turns raping me?

This isn't my first f****d-up rodeo, unfortunately.

A hand brushes against my hair, and I jerk away, my heart racing. "Don't touch me!" I snap, the words escaping my lips before I can stop them.

It's not like they'll listen, anyway.

A familiar voice shushes me. "It's okay, Nat. It's just me," Brandon murmurs.

My eyes fly open, and I see my best friend gazing down at me, his eyes filled with concern.

I try to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washes over me, causing me to slump back against him. "Lay down. You're still feeling the effects of whatever they drugged you with. Take it slow."

I reach for his face to make sure he isn't a figment of my imagination. The last I remember he was tied up, and our abductors were threatening to kill him. "You're alive," I croak, my throat raw.

"I'm more relieved that you're alive. You were burning up for a long time, but after you threw up on me the third time, your temperature started going down," he explains, his voice tinged with guilt and relief.

It does smell like a hint of vomit in here, but I don't even remember waking up before now. That does explain why he's shirtless, though.

Something wet splashes on my cheek. I realize it's Brandon's tears. "I'm so f*****g sorry, Nat," he says, his voice breaking. "I should've let them kill me, instead of agreeing to lure you to the bakery. I thought everything would be okay, that Knox would be with you, but when he wasn't, I knew we were screwed."

I reach up and wipe his tears away, a small smile forming on my lips despite the situation. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just glad you're okay," I whisper.

If they let him live, does that mean they're kidnapping us both? Do they plan to hurt Brandon the same way they'll hurt me?

No. I can't let that happen.

"Do you know where they're taking us?" I whisper, hoping they can't hear us, or at least aren't paying attention.

"Oh, sorry, I'm crying so much I only told you half the story. Knox saved us."

My eyes widen in disbelief. How did he get to us before they could take us? Or kill Brandon? "Knox? Is he driving?" I ask.

Brandon nods, his face barely visible in the dark. "Yeah, we've been driving for a while," he whispers back. "I'm just too afraid to ask him where we're going. Nat, I swear to god when he came in there, he was so f*****g pissed, I thought he was going to turn into a werewolf or something. He just killed all of them in a matter of seconds."

I laugh softly, the sound surprising even me. "I guess Daddy Knox saved us again."

He snorts. "Yeah, he did. Although, I really thought he was going to kill me when he realized what I did, and I would've deserved it. I betrayed you, Nat. There's no redemption for that."

"I don't blame you, and Knox wouldn't have killed you," I assure him.

"You're wrong. I definitely thought about it," comes a gruff voice from nearby.

My grumpy guardian angel.

"It wasn't his fault, Knox. He would be dead right now if he didn't listen to them," I argue, struggling to sit up again.

Knox's grey glare cuts through the darkness as he meets my eyes in the rearview mirror. "Lay back down. Now." His voice is so harsh, I instantly obey. Damn, he's grumpier than usual right now. Probably because he had to step in to save me once again. I feel so guilty, having him stain his hands with blood for my sake. It can't be easy for him to keep taking lives for me.

My throat constricts, but I blink back the tears. I can't break down now. I need to keep it together. I reach out and stroke Brandon's cheek, trying to calm him as he trembles, his own tears falling freely. I can tell that tonight's events have finally taken a toll on him, the trauma evident in every shudder and sob.

That's okay, we'll heal together.

The car drives on through the night, while Brandon cries quietly until the tears dry up. Eventually, we come to a stop, and I peer out the window to see that we've parked in the middle of a dense forest, the trees looming tall and dark around us.

Uh, where the hell are we?

Knox steps out of the car and opens the backdoor. "Out," he barks at Brandon, who quickly scrambles out of the car. Knox's eyes, filled with anger and concern, shift to me. He reaches in and gently lifts me into his arms, cradling me as if I weigh nothing. Brandon nervously follows behind us.

We make our way up to a set of wooden steps to a secluded cabin, its rustic exterior blending with the surrounding forest. Knox presses his thumb to a keypad near the door, and with a soft beep, it opens. We step inside, and I take in the cozy, dimly lit interior.

This must be Knox's cabin. I wonder if he lives here, or if it's just one of his hideouts. He looks like the kind of man who would need multiple living spaces, you know, just because of his association with the mob and the fact that he kills people.

But I wonder why we're here, and why he didn't just bring me to my father. Not that he's sober enough to care, but I'm sure it was one of his enemies that just tried to abduct me.

"There's a spare room upstairs, Lewis. Shower. There should be clothes in the closet. They'll be a bit big, but they'll work. I've got Natasha from here," Knox instructs, his tone firm.

Brandon looks at me, his eyes still bloodshot from crying. "I love you, Nat."

"I love you too, Brandon," I reply with a small smile, trying to infuse my words with as much reassurance as I can. He nods, and heads upstairs, his footsteps echoing softly through the cabin.

Once he disappears upstairs, I watch Knox go into the kitchen and return with a glass of water. "Drink," he orders, passing it to me. Even though all I want to do is sleep, I take the glass and drink it. He watches intently, making sure I swallow every drop before he takes the cup back and places it in the sink.

Then, without a word, he lifts me into his arms and takes me upstairs. After placing me on a bed, he begins to move around the room, gathering items for a shower. I look around the space. It's pretty plain, with just a bed, two nightstands, and a dresser, but it fits Knox perfectly. The entire house seems to reflect his personality—every item meticulously placed.

Wow, I'd never imagined being in Knox's home. It feels so...intimate. I'm sitting on his bed, a bed he's slept in. A bed he's probably shared with other women.

The thought fills me with an unnecessary sense of jealousy. Why am I jealous? He's just my bodyguard. I can't dictate who he sleeps with.

Knox calling my name snaps me from my thoughts.

My eyes widen as I look at him. "Huh?"

"I asked if you're stable enough to get in the shower by yourself," he repeats, watching me with concern.

I feel a little tired, but other than that, I feel normal again. Like all traces of the drugs are gone, leaving no proof that I was ever drugged in the first place. It's a terrifying thought—how easily predators use these drugs all the time and get away with it.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answer softly.

Knox nods, still watching my every move. "Bathroom's in there. Call me if you need anything."

A ghost of a smile plays on my lips. "Thanks, Knox."

I can feel his heated gaze on me as I go into the bathroom and close the door. The bathroom is really nice, with a walk-in shower. Stepping into it, panic zips through me as I see a panel with a lot of buttons. How the hell do I turn on the damn shower? What if I have to call him in here to help me while I'm completely naked? I would die of embarrassment.

Sucking in a deep breath, I press a random button. I scream as cold water hits my chest.

Immediately, there's a knock at the door. "Natasha, you okay?" Knox's voice is filled with worry.

"Yeah, fine," I shout back.

I shiver under the freezing water, but the thought of asking for help makes it bearable. I can shower like this, I just need to quickly wash my ass and get out.

Squirting bodywash on a washcloth, my teeth f*****g chatter as I begin scrubbing my skin. My mind immediately flashes back to the bakery—the feeling of all of those men touching me, holding me down as the pill was forced into my mouth. And then I remember the men dragging me away at the mall, and what happened after. When they took turns f*****g me, forcing their d***s into my mouth, covering my body in their filthy body fluids.

It almost happened again tonight. If Knox hadn't saved me...

A broken sob escapes my lips, followed by a cascade of tears that I can't stop as I sink to the floor of the shower. I hear the door fly open, followed by the cooler air of the shower door being opened. But I don't turn around; I know it's Knox.

He presses a few buttons on the panel, and the water changes to a comfortable temperature with a gentle rain setting. "If you needed help, you could've just called me," he murmurs.

I feel him settle beside me on the floor and pull me into his lap. I look down, noticing that he's fully dressed, and I'm...well, naked. I make no effort to move, though.

The sobs continue to wrack my body. Knox holds me tightly, his arms encircling me with a protective warmth. "You're safe now, Natasha," he whispers in my ear.

Gradually, my racing heart begins to calm, my traumatic memories replaced by fantasies. Fantasies of Knox tearing off his clothes and f*****g me until I'm a mindless mess for him.

No. I can't think like that.

He's just doing his job, nothing more.

"Let me take care of you," Knox says softly, taking the cloth from my hand and gently scrubbing my back. I shudder beneath his touch, but he doesn't seem to notice.

"Knox, you don't have to do this-"

"I want to, Natasha," he interrupts. "I almost lost you tonight, let me take care of you. As long as you like it, of course."

I nod, falling silent again. No one has ever done this for me before. I've had boyfriends, but they only cared about what I could do for them, not the other way around. It feels different, but a nice different. A part of me wonders how I'm naked in his lap, and I don't feel his erection. Is he not attracted to me at all? Probably not. He already told me he wasn't interested.

Ugh, why am I even thinking about this?

Once he's done washing me, he helps me out of the shower and wraps me in a warm, fluffy towel. "Go dry off and get dressed," he orders. "Your clothes are on the bed." Then, he grabs a change of clothes for himself and goes into the bathroom.

I head into the bedroom and get dressed. I wonder for a moment how he managed to grab some of my clothes before we left, but all coherent thoughts go out the window when he emerges from the bathroom wearing black, gym shorts and a white beater, his hair tousled from the shower.

Through the thin material, I can see the imprint of his defined abs, and his biceps are even more impressive. I never realized just how f*****g ripped he was until now. But, to be fair, I've never seen him without a suit.

"Baby girl, do you need anything else for the night?" he asks, running his fingers through his damp hair.

Fuck, he's so sexy.

I shake my head. Nothing that would be appropriate for me to want.

Like five minutes of bouncing on his lap.

He turns to leave. "Wait, where are you going?" I blurt out.

"Sleeping downstairs. My bed is yours."

"C-Can you stay?" I stammer, my voice barely a whisper.

Please say yes. I don't want to be alone.

He pauses, looking back at me with a conflicted expression. "I can call Brandon if you want. I'm sure he'll do plenty to make up for what he did," he grits out, clearly still angry with him.

I can tell he won't be letting that go for a while.

"I want you to stay," I reiterate, my cheeks flushing. "I'll stay on my side, I promise."

Knox nods. "Okay, but just for tonight."

I feel a wave of relief wash over me. "Thank you," I whisper, climbing into his bed. As he settles into bed beside me, I feel the mattress dip under his weight. He's so close, I can feel the heat of his body, the proximity heating other parts of mine.

He lies on his back with one arm behind his head, the other resting casually on his chest. I wish I could lay on his chest, but there's no way I'd ever be bold enough to do that.

"Thanks for saving me again, Knox. I really do owe you my life," I say softly.

"You don't owe me anything," he replies, and then he grins. "Daddy Knox will always take care of you."

Oh, god. Of course, he heard me earlier.

I blush, fighting the urge to bury my head beneath the covers. "I-I didn't mean to call you-"

His expression turns serious. "I'm okay with you calling me that, baby girl. Just as long as it's not because you see me as a father figure. I don't want to be your dad, Natasha."

"O-Okay," I stammer.

Woah. Does that mean what I think it does?

It can't. Right?

Maybe I should be demanding answers about what happened today and who was responsible, but I don't. Instead, I lie down on one of the fluffy pillows on my side of Knox's bed, my mind racing to digest what he just said.