Free Gambling on the Bodyguard by Sarah Ballance

western sky. Every shifting ray of light seemed to bring out a new nuance. Another burst of color.
    “Thank you,” he said.
    “For what?”
    “Risking life and limb and Dateline infamy to share this with me.”
    She laughed.
    He didn’t.
    Instead he leaned down, sparking a firestorm in her that put the scenery to shame. But the anticipation had nothing on the moment he touched his lips to hers, so gently she wasn’t sure she felt it. Only that she wanted more.
    Visceral anticipation blasted into need and obliterated restraint. She fisted his shirt for the second time that day and dragged him closer. He responded instantly, and the desire he sparked inside her exploded. He devoured her. Flames raged, making her wonder how he could possibly possess her so thoroughly after such a short time. But she’d worry about that later. Right now she had him, his warm, soft mouth owning hers. He held her like he revered her. Treasured her, like she might shatter at any moment. She probably would.
    In his arms, the outcome could be nothing less.
    When they broke free, they were both breathless. Both hesitant for the distance. She could see conflict stirring up clouds in those crystal blue eyes. Feel the lingering need in the kisses he pressed to the side of her mouth. Knew his desire to stay close by the way his fingers tangled with her hair.
    “I don’t get you, Colorado.” He cupped her head, stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. Claimed her mouth, tugging at her lip with his own. “I don’t get you, but I want to. I want you more than anything I’ve wanted in a long time.”
    She forced a laugh, probably to hide the fact that she was panting after his kiss. Actually panting . His intensity overwhelmed her. Hers terrified her. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
    “At the risk of sounding like I’m feeding you a line, only you. And that scares the hell out of me.”
    Him, afraid? It didn’t seem possible. “I can’t imagine you being afraid of anything. I mean, you jump in front of bullets for a living.” The thought bothered her more than she’d like to admit. It had to be so hard to care about someone whose life was on the line every day.
    “For the record,” he said softly, “that hasn’t actually happened. It’s more of a worst case scenario. I’m trained for it, but for the most part these celebrities come to town with an entourage of their own. People they trust. I’m back up, primarily to keep the fans away.”
    “Like me.”
    He broke into a grin. “Yeah, like you.”
    “But you’d still risk your life.”
    He shrugged and released the tangle of her hair. When he spoke, he addressed the sunset instead of looking at her. “It’s the job. Plenty of people risk more every day of their lives. I work a couple days a week and get to hang out in one of the most kick-ass cities in the world the rest. Pretty hard to feel sorry for myself.”
    She couldn’t argue with him, but the undercurrent of his words tore at her. There was something more there. Something that reminded her she didn’t know this man.
    But she wanted to.
    “How did you end up there?”
    “In Vegas?” When she nodded, he continued. “When I was a teenager, my parents and I had a…falling out. They decided they were done with me, so I moved in with a friend of mine and his family.”
    Her attention jerked to his face. She half expected he was joking, the coincidence of abandonment too much, but the pain on his face was real. “Was that when your sister…?”
    “Yeah, that was it. My friend’s family was nice. Warm people. Good people. But I never got past feeling like I’d intruded, and my buddy was like most kids in that he couldn’t wait to get out of there. We had our own reasons, but we were both ready to run. When we graduated we went straight to Las Vegas. Thought we’d have the party of our lives, but we got shut down.” He shook his head, a sardonic grin tracing his lips. “Turns out you have to be twenty-one to