A Bodyguard For The Princess (A Bad Boy Romance) by Mia Carson Page B

other things on her mind. She finished her coffee and braced herself for a day of ignoring Matt, something she never did to any of the working people in the palace. If he could give her the cold shoulder, so could she. Today, Matt would see a side of her she never wanted anyone to see. Though she was still curious to learn about Matt, that didn’t mean she had to play nice.
    Serves him right. Let’s see how he likes it , she thought and walked to the doors, ready to start another long day.
     
    ***
     
    By evening, Matt’s jaw ached from clenching it so hard throughout the day, though he wasn’t sure what he’d expected. He’d spent the day before avoiding her gaze and ignoring the brushes against his sides, trying to put distance between them. Today, Daphne returned the favor tenfold. There had been no “good morning” and not even a friendly smile nor attempt to catch his attention. She wore a shirt with a high collar and pants, covering as much skin as possible.
    Even when she turned in for the night and he let his hand brush against hers, her whole body stiffened, and she moved quickly into her rooms, slamming the door in his face.
    “Damn woman,” he growled through his teeth and stormed down the hall.
    He had done it for her own good. He told himself over and over it was a good thing she ignored him. The distance would make it easier on both of them and keep them from doing something they’d regret. That was what he told himself, but damned if he believed it.
    Matt skipped dinner, not hungry at all, and went straight to his room to crash. He begged sleep to come fast as he tossed and turned on his bed with her face hovering around him, his hands gripping the sheets, though he imagined they were her breasts—those lush breasts that fit so perfectly in his palms. He grew hard thinking of what else he wanted to touch on Daphne’s body, what he would do to her until she cried out his name.
    The dream intensified, and suddenly, he wasn’t in a bed with Daphne moaning beneath him. He stood on a rooftop, rifle in hand, as he stared out over the open, deserted streets. The sky cracked open and rain poured from it, drenching him. Somewhere, a man called out his name, but the rain was too heavy. Matt couldn’t find him.
    He screamed until his throat was raw, but still there was nothing to tell him which way to go. A gunshot echoed painfully in his ears, and when he glanced down, blood drenched his hands—
    Matt shot upright on the bed, cringing as the last images of the all too familiar nightmare faded into the dark corners of his room. His heart thundered beneath his bare chest, and he punched the bed hard, struggling to find some semblance of control again. There was little chance he’d fall asleep again, so he tugged on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt before he padded out of his room and down the hall. The door to the surveillance room was open, so he walked in and found Jeremiah, his feet propped up on the control panel, watching the multiple security feeds.
    “Evening, Matt,” he said through a yawn. “You’re not on the rotation tonight.”
    “No, couldn’t sleep,” he said. “Anything exciting?”
    “Never is. Hey, since you’re here, mind watching for a minute? Need to take a leak. Too much coffee,” he muttered, glancing down into his empty mug.
    Matt told him to go and took over the chair as Jeremiah hurried from the room. His eyes scanned one monitor after the other—views of the halls and main rooms of the palace—and then the courtyards. He leaned back in the chair, waiting for his mind to relax, when he saw something moving in the east courtyard. He looked closer, using the controls to zoom in, and cursed.
    “What are you up to, princess?”
    Daphne crept along the wall of the palace until she reached a trellis and began to climb. Matt’s eyes narrowed, watching her climb it like a damn monkey until she disappeared out of the camera’s sight. He checked the others, but she