Nikolai

My rules when it comes to my job in personal protection are pretty simple:

1. Protect the client’s life, not their feelings.
2. Don’t put hands on a client unless you’re getting them out of harm’s way.
3. For God’s sake, don’t do something stupid like fall in love.

Twenty-four hours after meeting Jude Archer, rules one and two are already out the window.

Thankfully, there’s no chance of falling for the callous businessman who cares more about his next deal than he does his own safety.

Jude may have managed to make fools of all the guys his wealthy boss and rumored lover has hired to watch him, but he’s playing in the big leagues now. The son of a bitch might not value his life, but I’m pretty fond of mine.

Time to teach the clueless Jude Archer a few hard lessons....

Jude

My rules for success aren’t for everyone, but they should be.

1. Work hard.
2. When you’re on the verge of giving up, work harder. Life owes you nothing. You have to take what you want.
3. For God’s sake, don’t do something stupid like get distracted by feelings.

With just weeks between me and the closing of the deal that will give me everything I want, I don’t have time to worry about a supposed stalker who hasn’t had the balls to do anything more than send a few threatening letters to my wealthy boss.

Sure, I sent a few so-called bodyguards packing. Even if I thought I was in serious danger, I can’t have someone watching me 24/7. My life works the way it does for a reason and no one, not even the gorgeous Russian ex-soldier who thinks he can scare me into submission, is going to change that.

Nikolai Falkov thinks he has something to teach me? Yeah, good luck with that.