towards us. She hugged her arms around herself, and I had the urge to take off my hoody and wrap her up in it.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I don’t think Ryan will be a good fit here is all.”
“Why?”
“Your dad doesn’t think you will be safe with me. Thinks my head is too messed up. War does that to a man. But I have never, nor will I ever, intentionally cause harm to another living thing.”
“He stays, Dad. You send Ryan away, and this joke is over. I don’t want a bodyguard. It’s pretentious and stupid. I’m doing it to appease you and Mum. But I am not sending this man away.”
“Aloura.”
“Graham, I love you, but you need to calm down and let the man do his job,” a voice called from the doorway. My attention snapped in that direction, finding Aloura’s mom scowling down at Graham. Christ, had she been fucking the cocky bastard while her mom was in her home?
Aloura turned, dismissing her dad, and grinned victoriously up at her mom.
“I’m hungry. I’m going inside to make Ryan and me some dinner. Are you joining us?” She asked her parents. When she entered the house, she pressed a remote and music blasted out, making her dad grimace.
“Oh Lord no. When you start listening to music and not eardrum splitting noise, then maybe I will.”
“Aloura, you know he’s getting on in years. He needs to be tucked up in bed by seven with cocoa and his copy of Chemistry World ,” Sally quipped, kissing her daughter on the cheek before heading towards Graham. She linked her arm through his and tugged him away. “Take care of my baby girl, Ryan.”
Aloura grinned triumphantly and waved at them. Graham huffed out a breath, shaking his head. “Seems I have been dismissed.” He turned to me; the look in his eyes conveyed a thousand thoughts. All equating to one thing: hurt my daughter, and I will kill you.
“I swear she is safe with me,” I said quietly, but with an honesty I hoped he understood.
They turned and walked away. I followed Aloura into the house, vowing to keep my promise to her dad.
As we entered, she pointed a remote towards a box on the wall, and the music shut off.
“It would have been nice to know you had a boyfriend. Keeping track of the situation is essential.” I dropped my bag near her row of colourful chucks and slid my boots off, seeing as she removed her shoes when she came in.
She turned to stare at me. “I’m sure when I have one, I will tell you.”
“What?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Friends with benefits then, whatever you want to call him.” I huffed. My tone was terse, and I had no right to be such a prick about this.
“I assume you’re talking about Harry?”
“Yes.”
“Okay firstly, that is disgusting. The man is a total whorebag. Secondly, what the hell gave the impression we were together?” She wandered into the kitchen, shaking her head. Loose tendrils of hair slid against her neck.
“You were all sweaty and had a...glow.”
“A glow ? I am sweaty because we just spent the last hour dancing. He’s my dance partner. And he was incredibly worked up today because one of his ‘women’ is giving him grief. He likes life simple, and she’s trying to complicate things. You did see my mum was here right? Not sure what happens where you come from, but voyeuristic tendencies in front of my parents isn’t something I’m into.”She grinned at me before she dove into the fridge, and placed stuff on the worktop. I was glad of the reprieve so she couldn’t see how close her words had been to the truth, in my case. When she closed the door, she said, “He wants to shag who he wants, when he wants. She wants him to commit to only shagging her. It’s never going to happen.”
“So you and he?”
“I’m not the prettiest toy on the self, Ryan, but I’m not desperate. We’re best friends. Have been since we were kids. We were about ten years old when our dads met. My dad likes to play it cool and say it wasn’t love at
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I don’t think Ryan will be a good fit here is all.”
“Why?”
“Your dad doesn’t think you will be safe with me. Thinks my head is too messed up. War does that to a man. But I have never, nor will I ever, intentionally cause harm to another living thing.”
“He stays, Dad. You send Ryan away, and this joke is over. I don’t want a bodyguard. It’s pretentious and stupid. I’m doing it to appease you and Mum. But I am not sending this man away.”
“Aloura.”
“Graham, I love you, but you need to calm down and let the man do his job,” a voice called from the doorway. My attention snapped in that direction, finding Aloura’s mom scowling down at Graham. Christ, had she been fucking the cocky bastard while her mom was in her home?
Aloura turned, dismissing her dad, and grinned victoriously up at her mom.
“I’m hungry. I’m going inside to make Ryan and me some dinner. Are you joining us?” She asked her parents. When she entered the house, she pressed a remote and music blasted out, making her dad grimace.
“Oh Lord no. When you start listening to music and not eardrum splitting noise, then maybe I will.”
“Aloura, you know he’s getting on in years. He needs to be tucked up in bed by seven with cocoa and his copy of Chemistry World ,” Sally quipped, kissing her daughter on the cheek before heading towards Graham. She linked her arm through his and tugged him away. “Take care of my baby girl, Ryan.”
Aloura grinned triumphantly and waved at them. Graham huffed out a breath, shaking his head. “Seems I have been dismissed.” He turned to me; the look in his eyes conveyed a thousand thoughts. All equating to one thing: hurt my daughter, and I will kill you.
“I swear she is safe with me,” I said quietly, but with an honesty I hoped he understood.
They turned and walked away. I followed Aloura into the house, vowing to keep my promise to her dad.
As we entered, she pointed a remote towards a box on the wall, and the music shut off.
“It would have been nice to know you had a boyfriend. Keeping track of the situation is essential.” I dropped my bag near her row of colourful chucks and slid my boots off, seeing as she removed her shoes when she came in.
She turned to stare at me. “I’m sure when I have one, I will tell you.”
“What?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Friends with benefits then, whatever you want to call him.” I huffed. My tone was terse, and I had no right to be such a prick about this.
“I assume you’re talking about Harry?”
“Yes.”
“Okay firstly, that is disgusting. The man is a total whorebag. Secondly, what the hell gave the impression we were together?” She wandered into the kitchen, shaking her head. Loose tendrils of hair slid against her neck.
“You were all sweaty and had a...glow.”
“A glow ? I am sweaty because we just spent the last hour dancing. He’s my dance partner. And he was incredibly worked up today because one of his ‘women’ is giving him grief. He likes life simple, and she’s trying to complicate things. You did see my mum was here right? Not sure what happens where you come from, but voyeuristic tendencies in front of my parents isn’t something I’m into.”She grinned at me before she dove into the fridge, and placed stuff on the worktop. I was glad of the reprieve so she couldn’t see how close her words had been to the truth, in my case. When she closed the door, she said, “He wants to shag who he wants, when he wants. She wants him to commit to only shagging her. It’s never going to happen.”
“So you and he?”
“I’m not the prettiest toy on the self, Ryan, but I’m not desperate. We’re best friends. Have been since we were kids. We were about ten years old when our dads met. My dad likes to play it cool and say it wasn’t love at
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