When I was a little girl I had this dream of what I wanted my life to be like when I grew up. I knew my career, the man I would marry, and the kids we would have. I had it all planned out and I was young enough and naïve enough to think it would all turn out like that. I guess that’s how you are supposed to grow up. You shape your entire life around those dreams you dream as a child. I dreamed the kind of things the world would accept. I never knew I would grow to become a woman the world would scorn.
I suppose you are wondering how that is. I don’t really come off as sounding like someone you would hate, right? I never really thought of myself as someone that you would hate either. I never imagined my life would become something people turned their backs on. Okay, so I am exaggerating wildly. You’ll soon learn I tend to do that quite often. The truth is my life is simply one that most people don’t admire or respect. Maybe it was the career I chose. Maybe it was because I was a woman. Maybe it was for a reason I could never fathom. I don’t know. All I know are the looks I got, the whispers I heard, the cold shoulders I felt. You might think it crazy when I tell you what I do. Even I thought it was ridiculous, but you can’t argue with fact, right? Okay, so maybe you can. Doesn’t mean you’ll win though.
I’m a twenty-four-year-old single woman living alone in Orlando. I’m five feet six inches tall, a hundred and ten pounds even. My name is Ryder Taggert and I’m a professional bodyguard.
So now you can have on of two thoughts. Either you can go “Oh that’s not too bad? What’s wrong with that?” Or you can say “A bodyguard? What kind of woman is a bodyguard?” Now can you see me shrugging my shoulders as I respond that I really don’t care.
I am a woman through and through. I dress like one, I act like one, and hell I even wear makeup and jewelry. I am as feminine as any other female. I just happen to make my living protecting other people. That tends to scare men. Truthfully, it terrifies them to think that a woman can do harm to them in the effort to protect someone. Not really an ego booster if you know what I mean. So I haven’t been on many dates. My life is pretty much my work.
I’ve protected some pretty influential people too. Governors, senators, and businessmen. I’ve also protected a few stars. Julie Roberts, Bruce Willis, and Sir Elton John. I go through life will friends every day people would die to know yet scorn me for knowing because of my career. I’ve come to terms with other people’s view of me. And I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t matter. They can hate me all they want. I’ll still be the best of the best at what I do.
It was because I was so good that I was on my way to a meeting. It was with a member of one of those boybands that are flooding the world at the moment. Apparently the guy was getting some threats because of his recent relationship. What was the name of that group again? Backdoor, Backpack, no it was Backstreet! Backstreet Boys and the guy’s name was Brian Littrell. I hoped he wasn’t some whining kid. No way in hell I was taking that on. I’m a bodyguard, not a babysitter.
With that thought in mind I pulled into the parking lot of Jive Records and jumped out of my jeep. I headed toward the door with long confident strides when suddenly someone grabbed my shoulder.
“Hey,” the stranger yelled.
Instinct took over and, grabbing his hand, I spun and sent him flying with a snap kick. Taking a deep breath, I focused my eyes on my assailant. Then I groaned.
On the ground in front of me just a few feet away lay Brian Littrell.
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