My Bodyguard Keeps My Secrets And My Underwear Chapter 09

My Bodyguard Keeps My Secrets And My Underwear Chapter 09

But why was he bringing up Preston?

When the room finally stopped spinning, I was in a bed.

Not mine.

The ceiling was wrong. The sheets were wrong none of it was my bedroom.

The bathroom door clicked open, and Declan stepped out.

He crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed, eyes on me, his lips forming words too low for me to catch.

I didn’t care what he was saying. My eyes landed on his mouth and stayed there.

I grabbed his collar, yanked him down onto the bed, and kissed him.

His whole body went rigid.

For a few terrifying seconds, he didn’t move.

Then his eyes fell shut, and he kissed me back.

He kissed me like he was memorizing me slow, thorough, refusing to miss a single thing.

I lost track of time completely.

–

When I finally pulled back, I was gasping against his chest, lungs burning.

That kiss had stolen almost every breath I had.

After that, there was no pretending.

Whatever wall I’d built between us it was rubble now.

I was in love with Declan.

By morning, he was gone. I woke up alone, sore all over, and so furious I could barely walk straight as I made

my way home.

The second I walked through the door, my parents were waiting both wearing the exact same expression

the one that meant bad news.

“Harper, sweetheart… we’re entering a marriage contract for you. He comes from an excellent family, and

we’ve already accepted on your behalf.”

“No.” The word left my mouth before they could finish the sentence.

I was in love with Declan.

There was no version of my future where I married a stranger.

“Honey, we didn’t have a choice.” My mom’s voice was tight with worry. “The family is too powerful to refuse. He’s the youngest son of the Thorne family – and he asked for you by name.”

I opened my mouth to refuse again – and the comments exploded.

[THE VILLAIN IS INSANE – he literally used his family’s power to FORCE AN ENGAGEMENT.]

[Marriage before love?? I’ll take it!! She’s going to fall for him anyway, just speed–run it!]

I froze.

The youngest son of the Thorne family.

Declan was the Thorne heir.

“Mom, Dad

don’t worry about it. I’ll do it. I’ll marry him.”

The sooner the better.

I’d like to see him try to run from a marriage certificate.

But after that, Declan vanished.

My calls went straight to voicemail.

My texts sat on delivered.

Days of complete radio silence.

I stormed into his ground–floor suite looking for answers. His bags were still there clothes, books,

everything.

That was the only thing keeping me from completely losing it.

It felt like an eternity before I finally found him – sitting across from Hazel at a café, laughing at something

she said like he hadn’t just ghosted me for a solid week.

After everything- after that night, after everything I’d swallowed, every sharp edge I’d softened

still choose Hazel?

Rage flooded my veins.

I was across the room in a heartbeat.

“Declan.”

Every syllable came through clenched teeth, sharp enough to cut.

He blinked, clearly not expecting me to show up.

His eyes slid away almost immediately.

Before I could say another word, Hazel stepped between us.

She reached out and grasped both of my hands, her grip tight and shaking.

I actually flinched.

“Hazel – what are you doing?”

“Declan told me everything.” Hazel straightened up, face earnest. “The tuition – that was you. The job referral that got me out of serving at that club that was you too. You’ve been helping me this whole time,

and I had no idea.”

Her voice cracked slightly. “I’m sorry for what I said before. And I mean it – thank you, Harper. Really.”

I looked at Declan.

He met my eyes this time.

So that was all this was he’d been setting the record straight.

The knot in my chest loosened so fast it almost hurt.

“Don’t worry about it,” I said quietly. “I owed you that much. I wasn’t exactly kind to you before.”

Hazel smiled her first real smile at me.

She was sharp enough to read the tension crackling between Declan and me, and she excused herself

without another word.

The second she was gone, I walked up to Declan and dug my heel into his shoe.

I smiled

the kind of smile that promised violence.

“So you sleep with me and disappear?”

He winced but didn’t pull away.

He knew better.

“I

“You absolute coward.” My eyes stung, and I hated it. “I’ll cut you out of my life completely — see if I care.”

Something cracked beneath his composure.

Real panic flooded his eyes, and he grabbed my wrist before I could step back.

“No.” The word tore out of him, raw and desperate. “I won’t allow it.”

His grip tightened until his knuckles went white – like he didn’t even realize how hard he was holding on.

“Then tell me.” My voice cracked at the edges. “Do you like me?”

He didn’t answer with words.

His hand wrapped around the back of my neck, pulled me in, and he kissed me – hard and certain, like he’d been holding himself back for years.

When he finally pulled back an inch, his forehead against mine, his voice was barely a whisper.

“What do you think?”