Chapter 02

Finn was the first to quickly divert his eyes away and began with a simple nod of his head while removing his sunglasses. "Erm, Ms. Jones. A pleasure to see you again. I will be assigned to your daily routines from Monday through Friday from here on out."

Addy was quick to raise her eyebrow as she noticed Finn look away after speaking, grinning at the thought that within their split second encounter he had fully checked her out while hiding behind his shades. "Yes, nice to see you too, Finn. It has been quite some time, hasn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Finn responded while opening the front door in a very gesture manner for her to proceed outside. "Shall we?"

Without speaking again, Addy accepted and began to walk towards the front door. As she then walked past him, her senses inhaled his cologne and felt taken over. A sweet and refreshing scent that was too pleasurable to grasp, which caught her off guard and she soon found herself losing her footing and fall forward towards the porch. With a slight yelp, Addy threw her arms up realizing she wouldn't be able to catch herself. Oh crap, no, no! I'm going to fall on my face! it'll bruise up like a peach! Everyone will stare at me! Oh my God, Finn is going to think I'm such a clutz! She then clutched her eyes shut for the moment she knew she was going to fall and embarrass herself. It all happened so quickly that when she braced herself for the worse, she found herself unharmed and safe - oh you've got to be kidding me! Was her first thought when opening her eyes, finding herself completely flushed!

She had fallen right into Finn's arms!

"Are you alright?" He asked, his face close to hers, his arms wrapped around her tightly.

Addilyn was completely flabbergasted and speechless while lost in his eyes as they stared into each other. Those beautiful hazel eyes of his were almost breathtaking – a combination of gold and brown coloring that were simply mesmerizing to gaze upon. Her arms were clenched to his biceps, very firm and muscular to her touch, their faces mere inches away from one another. There was a brief moment when they both starred upon each other, their eyes intense with emotion. Yet, finally snapping back into reality and further embarrassing herself, Addy felt quite clumsy with her actions while still in his arms.

"I, uh… I am so sorry Finn!" He smelled so good, was her first thought, all manly and musky. It was then she realized that her fingers had a strong grip on his biceps still, very muscular, yet she couldn't find herself to unclamp from him. "Oh, shit."

Finn couldn't help but smile at her dirty mouth and enjoy the first obstinate predicament they were in. "Please be more careful in watching your step, Ms. Jones." His eyes clearly piercing into hers as he helped her back to her feet and releasing his grip from her. He couldn't get enough of her intoxicating perfume as well, which filled his senses being so close to her.

When she saw him smile, Addy couldn't help herself realizing that it must have been the first time she actually saw him smile since knowing him.

As much as Addy enjoyed that grin, as soon as they proceeded to the vehicle and on with their day, everything changed. She figured it would be a nice change to conversate in small talk to make their ride less awkward following her stumble.

As he escorted her to the vehicle then himself to the driver's side, he knew he needed to put a stop to his feelings right away. This couldn't go any further. As he sat in his seat and started the SUV, he entered her work's address in the GPS and drove away from her home. Finn understood the definition of boundaries and the strict non-fraternization contract Bernard made with APS. Ensuring keeping Addy safe, he needed to maintain these restrictions or he could end up with more than nothing as well as losing the pay that was helping him finish University. There was also his father to consider who would fire his ass so fast if he even so much as suspected any malfeasance on his end. Although Finn's dedication, academics, and hard work had got him to where he is now, he knew that there was no room for any type of errors.

"So how have you been, Finn?" She was the first to make conversation.

"I've been well."

Damn, that wasn't the best start for her to open him up. "What have you been up to lately?"

"Not a whole lot."

Hmm, what kind of question could really open him up a bit more? "Are you comfortable being around me again? A familiar face?"

"As long as you are comfortable with our arrangement."

Addy then rolled her eyes while grabbing her phone out of her purse to text her friends. Always the same thing; she would try to converse; he would shut her down. Was there even a thought that this time could be different? Even when she was in an irritable mood, as she was now after their first steamy encounter only to be treated coldly afterward. She decided to keep at it just to see how far she could mess with him. And she was nothing if not persistent, so she was now determined to make it her mission to get him to actually talk to her, a real conversation. Heck, who knows how long she was going to be stuck with him all week, every week. Might as well have some fun with it! With Simon, he was easy to open up with; talk about life, family, interests, and dreams. With Finn, even if he wouldn't open up to her, she could at least try to irritate the hell out of him. "So, nothing exciting happening in your life? No car chases? Mob takedowns? And here I thought New York would be full of excitement for you, Mr. Bodyguard."

"Nothing out of the ordinary, Ms. Jones."

Jeez, she had just remembered how infuriating he could be with his simple responses. The least he could do was acknowledge she was there in the vehicle with him and treat her like a decent human being. If he hadn't grown to be so unexpectedly handsome, she wouldn't have even bothered. Suddenly, a thought came to mind and she began to grin while looking over at the back of his head. "So… how do you feel about me? Would you go as far as taking a bullet for me?"

Damn, she was a tease. Her voice had a flirty tone to it, which Finn found quite difficult not to think of any inappropriate thoughts too. Was she really trying to allure him in somehow? On their first day of working together? It made him begin to think about what could possibly be going through her mind at that moment. She has sure changed. While their first encounter was rather too close for comfort for him, he knew he would be damned if he started to give in. Finn couldn't deny that Addy was gorgeous for she had certainly grown into her body beautifully. She seemed sweet, intelligent and by the looks of it had one flirty attitude. But he had to keep a clear mind at all times, maintain distance and keep things platonic. No giving in, Finn! "If the moment occurred, ma'am, no need for any worry. I would ensure your safety."

Boring! Addy sank further into her seat and sighed. That was probably as much as she was going to get out of him. Mr. Super Sensitive Professional Bodyguard. There was no breaking him on his first day back. That's okay. There were many more days ahead of them! She was determined to entertain herself any way she could with this arrangement. That's what being young, fun, spunky, and flirty was all about!

Too bad most of that first week felt like a complete dud.

Every morning and every evening for the next few days dragged on as the same. Barely any conversation out of the man, which more or less left Addy to entertain herself in the back seat texting her two best friends Katie and Leslie. Friends since grade school, her two besties were always kept up with her latest news, gossip, and everyday plans.

Finally, when Friday arrived, Addy was more than excited to unwind and enjoy a night out with the girls. As Finn picked her up from the office at 5:00 pm sharp that day, she wasn't sure if she should inform him of his plans or Simon? She figured that since it was still a weekday that Finn would have to take on the responsibility. Ever since their Monday hiccup, they haven't exactly been too chatty with one another.

"Um, Finn?" She began, almost tensely as they continued their quiet drive back to her home.

"Yes, Ms. Jones?"

"So… the girls and I are heading out to Manhattan tonight…LAVO Nightclub. I wasn't sure if I should let you know or let Simon know? I mean, technically Friday night is still a weeknight but…" She then paused for a second to take in a breath. "If you are off duty after you drop me off then I guess it's no big deal, I can take a cab. I just don't know the arrangement for after hours…I could call Simon…?"

Finn shook his head while listening to how awkward and nervous she sounded asking for night-time service. Yes, he was scheduled Monday to Friday for her, which ultimately included after hour work as well. Was he looking forward to the weekend off to relax, unwind, and continue his studies for his final exams? Sure. But ultimately, yes. Ensuring his work with Addilyn Jones was a top priority as well. "Sorry, the cab idea is off the table. What time shall I pick you up for your night out?"

"Oh, um… is 8:00 pm okay?" She was asking feeling like a child asking her parents for permission, not cluing in that Finn was there to follow and agree to her every call. Damn, this certainly felt awkward. Since turning twenty-one, Addy had the freedom to finally live the adulthood perks with nights out at clubs, bars, and most importantly alcohol – even though she was more than likely to have been enjoying that bonus for a few years already.

"8:00 pm sounds good. I will be waiting outside your home."

With the way he had been treating and conversating with her all week, she knew he could care less about her plans. Between dropping her off at home after work at 5:30 and then having to pick her up again for 8:00 pm, at least he could get in a little studying. He was acing all his classes except for one, Evidence, which he concluded that his professor, Mrs. Ford, naturally gave most of her students a hard time to push them further into their full potential. Deciding to return to his apartment to change, Finn got out of his suit and into something more comfortable for the night ahead. There really was no telling what may happen. Getting a quick bite to eat then heading back over to the Jones' residence, he took in a deep breath while approaching the front door. There was a good chance that this may be a long night.

Bernard still wasn't home by the time he had arrived to pick up Addy as well. Being the owner of his own company, and dealing with insurance as well, he suspected that he spent a lot of nights wrapped up in work.

"Hey."

It made him think that Addy must have spent a lot of time at home by herself. Since her father's work dealt with a lot of upper class clients, he knew that she wasn't allowed to leave their home and enjoy life as it was meant to be lived. She always had to be protected and watched over, just in case. It was definitely a difficult situation to be tied down to.

"Hello? Earth to Finn?"

He had been so caught up in his recent thoughts that he didn't notice Addy standing right in front of him ready to enjoy the night, all the while trying to stop his jaw from dropping at her appearance. She looked amazing. Wearing black flats, perfectly comfortable for dancing, her outfit was complete with a dark navy blue bodycon dress – tight and showed off every sexy curve of her body. She wore her hair down and had applied light makeup on – simply perfect and breathtaking. "Erm, ready to go, Ms. Jones?" He asked nonchalantly as he could, automatically going back into his I-don't-give-a-damn-mode, but not without a struggle.

"Yeah, I am." She could sense by his voice that he seemed rather off by her appearance. Was her sexy vibe possibly be working? With a smartass grin, she then looked him over noticing he wasn't wearing his usual black suit. Instead, he was wearing black dress shoes, dark navy blue jeans, a white shirt complete with a black blazer. Very casual, very sleek. Very handsome. Was he planning on dropping her off then going off duty for the rest of the night? She never thought too much about it then.

As they then proceeded to his vehicle and began to drive off, it was only the beginning of their night out. Even though Finn never made many conversations with her all week, tonight was different; all options were on the table to get him to loosen up. "So, Finn… you must work out to maintain such a job to protect others, right?"

"Yes."

Perfect. A man who worked out and stayed fit was always attractive. Figuratively speaking, if someone was going to provide a protective service, they had to be fit and well maintained. A good man who took care of his body was such a turn on. Addy decided to continue her charade. "So… if you were to… let's say… take off your shirt," Addy was grinning hard at this point with flushed cheeks, "there would be an appealing six pack?" It was only till after she asked the question did she really think that she had taken it too far.

"I suppose."

And that response from Finn made her completely renounce her thoughts about her last question and sigh. His monosyllabic responses began to annoy her anew. All she could do was stare at the back of his boring head with his boring responses as they continued their ride. She was trying to break him out of his comfort zone, even if it would only be for a short time, yet she was being met with brief and apathetic retorts.

Brushing it off and remaining quiet for the remaining duration of their ride, they drove up to the club, getting out of the vehicle and handing the valet the keys. Addy didn't clue in at first, but once the two of them approached the entrance of the club, she then finally noticed that Finn wasn't there to simply drop her off. Grabbing his arm and pulling him away for some privacy, she looked up into his eyes oddly. "Um… what are you doing, Finn? I am fully capable of going in myself."

"Yes, I am well aware that can handle yourself, Ms. Jones. I was going to pay for our cover charge and open the door for you."

She then raised her eyebrow at him. "Were you planning on going in with me? Simon usually would wait somewhere nearby, like a café or bookstore until I was ready to go home."

"Well, I'm not Simon." He responded in a very relaxed yet very obvious tone that he didn't care. "Besides, who said I was on duty? I'm here to enjoy myself just as much as you are." She wasn't buying it. Sure, he was wearing attire to blend in more to the scenery, but deep down Addy knew something was up. "Are you embarrassed to be seen with me after hours?"

Oh, embarrassed was definitely not the word she was so concerned with at all. If they were to walk into the club together, Addy was sure that they would look hot as hell together! With features like his, most women would be all over him. Crap. Her friends would be drooling over him too! Damn, that wasn't good. Worst of all, it wasn't like she could tell him that either. "Oh, no, no, nothing like that! Just feels a little awkward?"

"No need to worry, Ms. Jones. Enjoy your time out with your friends."

At that moment all she could think of was thank goodness he wasn't wearing his suit to draw attention – acting like the ultimate professional to attract any unwanted attention so that people would look at her like she was some celebrity.

"G-Great… thanks. And um… It's Addy, by the way. No need to call me 'Ms. Jones' all the time. Especially when we are out like this."

Noted but definitely wasn't professional to address a client by their first name, despite how much he would like to.

Tonight was definitely going to be interesting.