Author: Kirsty Moseley

Chapter Thirty-Three

~ Ashton ~

Once in the solitude of the bedroom, I closed the door tightly behind me. I didn’t want to make this call near Anna in case I had to bring up Carter in the conversation. As I pressed the connect button and put the phone to my ear, I silently prayed that he would go for one of the three options because I didn’t want to spend two weeks pining for her.

Maddy answered on the third ring. “Hi, ma’am, it’s Agent Taylor. How are you today?” I asked politely.

“Oh, Agent Taylor, I’m good. How are you and Annabelle?” she asked happily.

“We’re great, thanks. Is it possible for me to speak to Senator Spencer?”

“Sure. He’s free right now, I’ll buzz you through.”

The line beeped, and he answered a few seconds later. “Agent Taylor, is everything alright?” he asked quickly.

“Yes, sir, everything’s fine. I just wondered if I could talk something through with you. It’s about Anna’s winter break.” I tried to sound confident when all I wanted to do was beg this man to let me spend Christmas with his daughter.

“Okay, I’m listening.”

“Well, sir, Anna has just asked me if it would be possible for her to go away for winter break. She said she wanted to get away and have a break somewhere hot,” I lied, blaming the whole thing on her. Hopefully, if he thought it was her idea and something she really wanted, he would be more likely to accept it. This was one of the reasons why I wanted to speak to him in private.

“She wants to go on vacation?”

“Yes, sir, she said she’d like to,” I confirmed, trying to sound casual.

“I’m not sure that’s possible, I mean, with the whole guard situation…” he trailed off, sounding like he was thinking about it.

Okay, Ashton, now sell it. “I’d be happy to take her. We could go somewhere where she’s not going to be recognised. The risk will be minimal to her. Less than here actually,” I countered, trying to convince him.

“You would take her? What about your time off?” I could clearly hear the shock in his voice.

I smiled. “That’s fine, I don’t need time off. I’d be happy to take Anna.”

He was quiet for a while, obviously thinking about it. “Well, where were you thinking?” he asked.

I smiled. Okay, I’m half way there, he hasn’t said no! “I’m not sure where she would want to go, sir. Somewhere far enough away that she wouldn’t be recognised, somewhere quite remote,” I suggested, thinking of lying on a quiet beach with her.

He sighed. “Can I call you back? I’ll speak to Melissa about it; she was looking forward to having Annabelle home for Christmas as much as I was.” The disappointment in his tone was obvious.

“Okay, sir.” I closed my eyes and prayed that her mother would say yes.

“You think she would like that? It would make her happy?” he asked quietly.

“Yes, I’m positive it would.”

“I’ll call you back in a bit.” He disconnected the call.

I physically crossed my fingers, just hoping that he’d agree to it. My mind wandered to all of the places we could go. Of course, I couldn’t afford five star luxury, but since I’d been guarding Anna I’d had nothing to pay out for because they paid my rent and expenses. I had some money saved, so we could certainly go somewhere nice.

About fifteen minutes later, my cell phone rang. I was still in the bedroom because I didn’t want to go out and get Anna’s hopes up by saying he was thinking about it, just in case it didn’t happen. If he said no, then I would move onto option two of her coming to LA with me. I didn’t think she’d actually want me to go to her parents’ house with her, they would be cooing over our ‘relationship’ and she hated that, it would make her feel uncomfortable.

“Agent Taylor,” I answered, knowing it was Maddy’s number.

“Agent Taylor, please hold,” Maddy instructed.

The phone clicked, and he came on. “Agent Taylor, I’ve spoken to Melissa, and we’ve agreed to her going on vacation if you’re sure that you don’t mind taking her,” he said casually, as if we were discussing the weather. My breath caught in my throat because I was seriously expecting him to say no.

“Absolutely,” I confirmed, grinning from ear to ear.

“Okay, great. We were thinking that Melissa and I would book the trip as her Christmas present.”

My mouth popped open in shock. “Sir, that’s nice of you, but I can cover it.”

He laughed a booming hearty laugh. “That’s not in your job description, son.”

“I know that, sir, but Anna and I have become friends, it wouldn’t really be like working. I guess it would kind of be a vacation for me too, so I’m more than happy to pay for us,” I explained.

He laughed again. “Agent Taylor, it’s terrific that you two are friends, but you’re not paying for the trip. Melissa and I will book it for the two of you.”

“Sir, honestly. I can’t let you do that-”

“Son, I appreciate your position, but at the end of the day, you’re going to be working, aren’t you? You do plan on protecting my daughter, don’t you?” he asked, amused.

“Of course.”

“Well then, it’s settled. As part of your job, you’ll be accompanying my daughter on vacation. You won’t be paying for it,” he stated, ending the discussion.

“Thank you, sir,” I replied, frowning. I felt a little deflated now because I’d actually wanted to book it and take her. I didn’t want it to be like I was working, even though I would be.

“You’re welcome, son. Thank you for doing this for Annabelle; if it wasn’t for you, then she wouldn’t even be thinking about a vacation. We really appreciate what you’re doing for her,” he said gratefully.

I smiled. “You’re very welcome. Like I said, Anna and I have become friends.”

“Well, is there anywhere you two would like to go? Did she mention anywhere?” he asked curiously.

“Not really, she just said somewhere hot. Are you planning on sending a far guard with us?” I asked curiously. Please say no, I want her to feel completely comfortable…

“I was under the impression that you meant just the two of you,” he answered.

I grinned, fist pumping the air. “Yes, sir, I did mean just the two of us. I just wondered if that was alright with you.” My insides were going crazy as I thought about rubbing lotion on her body with no one else watching, and no act to keep up.

“Son, can you protect my daughter on your own?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” I answered confidently.

“Well then, that’s good enough for me. I trust you, Agent Taylor. If you say you can protect her then I believe you,” he replied just as confidently.

Wow, he genuinely does trust me with his daughter! “Thank you, I appreciate your confidence.”

“Like I said when you took her to LA, if it were any other agent then I would say no.” The hair on the back of my neck prickled at his proud tone. I’d never had a father figure in my life, so I really appreciated that this man was so confident in my ability.

“I won’t let you down,” I promised.

“Good. Well, Melissa and I will have a think about it and get it arranged, if you really have no preference as to where you go…”

Jeez, I would follow that girl to the ends of the earth, I don’t care. “No, sir, anywhere is fine. I would ask for an apartment though, instead of two hotel rooms. That way it would be easier for me to do my job without having to worry about another entrance to her room. Also, if you could book all the travel plans under another name, like LA, that way it would just cover the trail further,” I suggested.

“Good idea. I’ll let you know what we come up with and hopefully we’ll have it booked by the end of the day. I’m sure Annabelle will want to go shopping for vacation clothes,” he laughed, and I felt the predatory grin slip onto my face as I imagined all of the beachwear outfits she’d wear.

“Thank you, sir.” This seriously was the best four months of my life, probably the best four months of anybody’s life.

“No. Thank you, son,” he countered as he hung up.

I stared at the phone for a minute in shock; Anna was going to flip when she heard this. I rearranged my expression before I exited the bedroom. She looked up expectantly with a hopeful expression on her face. I tried my best to look sad, and it must have worked as her expression faded and was replaced by a fake smile that clearly meant she thought we were headed to her parents’ house.

“So?” she prompted as I sat next to her on the sofa.

I sighed dramatically. “Well, we can’t go to LA.”

“Oh man, I’m sorry, Ashton! You should just go on your own, you’d get to hang with your friends, go out New Year’s Eve, and have fun,” she smiled, trying to look enthusiastic.

“No, I want to spend winter break with you,” I refused, trying desperately to keep the smile off my face.

She sighed. “Ashton, come on, be serious. It’s going to be so awkward for us at my parents’ house, how am I supposed to explain you being there instead of going home?”

“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t want to do that,” I nodded in agreement.

She smiled sadly. “So just go to LA. Spend time with Nate.”

“I don’t want to do that either.”

She took my hand, squeezing gently. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“Yeah. So, about that shopping trip for Christmas presents…” I trailed off, fighting my urge to grin like a moron.

“Yeah?” She looked really sad, but she was obviously trying not to show me.

“Well, do you think we could go somewhere that sells skimpy bikinis and sun cream?” I asked, laughing.