Sammie froze, every muscle in his body going rigid. His dark eyes grew even more intense, and though his tone was carefully controlled, Rebecca could catch a hint of resistance in it. “Miss, this isn’t appropriate.”
But Rebecca seemed not to hear him at all. Instead, she leaned in closer, lifting her chin to look up at Sammie’s sharply defined profile, a playful smile flickering at the corners of her mouth.
“What’s so inappropriate? You’re my bodyguard. I’m injured. If you don’t hold me up, how are you supposed to protect me?”
Sammie’s face became even more severe, his expression set in stone. “It was my mistake. Please, Miss, punish me as you see fit.”
“Punish you?” Rebecca arched an eyebrow, a teasing glint in her eyes. “How about this, then? For your punishment… spend the night with me.”
Sammie flinched, the movement so abrupt Rebecca almost lost her balance. He quickly dropped his gaze, refusing to meet her eyes, his voice low and stern. “Miss, please don’t say things like that.”
A sharp, almost mocking laugh slipped from Rebecca’s lips as she studied his tense profile, her gaze flickering with a complex emotion even she couldn’t name.
“You refuse this, refuse that—my father asked you to protect me, and this is how you do it? Now that I’m hurt, isn’t it your duty—by the rules of your profession—to pay with your life?”
Sammie pressed his lips into a tight line, falling silent for a long moment.
Finally, he lifted his head and met her gaze, his voice unwavering. “Miss, my life is yours. You can take it whenever you wish.”
Rebecca’s breath caught in her throat, as if something heavy had lodged there, making it impossible to speak.
She stared at Sammie’s calm, untroubled eyes, irritation and frustration twisting inside her.
He would give her anything—his life, his loyalty—but when it came to feelings, he always kept her at arm’s length, never crossing the invisible line between them.
“So that’s it? You really think I’m not good enough?” Rebecca blurted out before she could stop herself, a note of wounded pride creeping into her voice. “Am I that terrible?”

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