Chapter 174: A Well-Deserved Lunch

If nothing else, he was frighteningly efficient.

He possessed that almost unsettling vigilance of men who didn't merely look: they analyzed. Every detail seemed to be recorded, every movement assessed, every change in behavior immediately noticed.

Blanche could pretend it didn't bother her all she wanted, but she could feel his eyes following her perfectly well.

So she crossed the room with carefully studied nonchalance.

Her long red braid slid down her back with every step, swaying gently behind her, long enough to almost brush the floor.

Jax followed its movement with his eyes.

Not a word.

Not a gesture.

Just that constant, cold, professional attention.

Blanche eventually gave him a brief glance.

Their eyes met.

He didn't look away.

She raised one eyebrow slightly.

He remained perfectly impassive.

Kiyan, meanwhile, had witnessed the exchange.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

Barely.

But enough for Blanche to notice.

She shot him an accusing look.

He immediately looked away, as though he hadn't seen a thing.

Traitor.

Blanche continued toward the pool, determined to enjoy her moment of peace.

Finally...

As peaceful as it was possible to be with a silent bodyguard lurking in a corner, a teacher who seemed to have developed a special radar for her antics, and a growing curiosity about the reactions she provoked in everyone around her.

"I'm coming," Kiyan finally announced, busy cleaning.

Blanche turned her head toward him.

By now, she probably should have been used to discovering the many facets of this man. And yet, some of them still caught her completely off guard.

Kiyan had always been the one who handled everything.

Problems.

Unexpected situations.

Dangerous circumstances.

Other people.

Himself.

Accustomed to relying on no one but himself, he had long since developed the habit of taking care of everything that needed to be done on his own. So watching him tidy, clean, and put everything back in its place with such methodical efficiency was strangely... attractive.

Blanche felt her cheeks grow warm.

She hurried away before anyone could notice her blush.

Because a particularly dangerous thought had just crossed her mind.

Kiyan was, in many respects, the ideal man.

And that realization was becoming seriously problematic.

He could cook.

He could fight.

He was organized.

Protective.

Responsible.

He never complained about doing household chores.

And apparently, he could even clean without having to be asked.

Blanche shook her head slightly.

No.

She had to stop this list immediately.

She had already imagined it for far too long.

And then...

Hair tied back.

Floral apron.

A focused expression as he conscientiously scrubbed a surface that was already perfectly clean.

All he was missing was a pearl necklace.

The mental image was so ridiculously sexy that she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning.

So she decided to disappear before her imagination could play any more tricks on her.

The rest of the morning passed to the rhythm of laps.

Blanche swam.

Again.

And again.

The water felt wonderful after the past few days. Little by little, she rediscovered that feeling of weightlessness she loved so much, allowing her mind to empty as her arms and legs moved in a steady rhythm.

Finally...

She could have fully enjoyed the moment if two particularly vigilant presences hadn't been monitoring her every move.

Jax generally kept his distance, but his eyes never left the pool.

Kiyan, meanwhile, seemed much less inclined to remain on the poolside.

Several times, he came swimming alongside her.

Not to talk.

Not to distract her.

Simply to be there.

As though he considered close surveillance preferable.

Blanche tried not to pay attention to it.

She failed miserably.

Every time she turned her head, she found his eyes on her.

And every time, she pretended she hadn't noticed.

After a while, however, she finally raised both hands in surrender.

"Okay. I give up."

She climbed out of the pool, grabbed her towel, and wrapped it around her shoulders.

After an entire morning spent swimming under the watchful eyes of two alpha males whose dark stares were enough to send any unwanted intruder running, Blanche officially surrendered.

Time for a shower.

The hot water finally relaxed the muscles in her shoulders and washed away the last traces of fatigue.

When she finally emerged, she had traded her swimsuit for something much more comfortable: a soft, loose beige cotton tracksuit that immediately made her want to spend the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing.

Her still-damp hair fell down her back.

She quietly descended the stairs.

Then she stopped.

A delicious smell was coming from the kitchen.

Something was simmering.

Something warm, hearty, and incredibly appetizing.

Her stomach immediately protested.

Blanche smiled.

On second thought...

A morning spent swimming gave her every right to eat.

And she already knew someone who was likely to work wonders in the kitchen.

So she followed the smell of lunch into the kitchen, much more interested in what awaited her on the plates than in the evening ahead.

Kiyan, still wearing swim shorts with a khaki T-shirt that reminded her dangerously of Aaron, was busy at work. After putting a roast chicken and potatoes in the oven, he was preparing a strawberry fraisier with pastry cream.

Her favorite.

Without a word, she sat down at the bar and watched him. It wasn't until he put the dessert in the refrigerator that he seemed to notice her.

"You look exhausted," he observed.

"That's because I am," she replied with a smile. "This week has been the most exhausting week of my life."

He smiled.

"I figured. Otherwise, why would I have made your favorite cake?"

Blanche walked around the bar and, under Jax's astonished gaze, planted a kiss on Kiyan's cheek.

"Thank you."

Impassive, he turned away to take the dish out of the oven. But she saw his aura flare up, scarlet and gold.

"I'll take a nap after lunch."

He froze, studied her smile, then nodded after glancing at the bodyguard.

They ate lunch side by side. Blanche wondered why Jax wasn't being invited to join them.

"He'll refuse everything," Kiyan explained. "Even water. As long as he's on duty."

Her grandfather had told her that, after all. What a scatterbrain!

The meal passed in heavy silence, broken only by Blanche's delighted little noises as she savored her dessert.

"Delicious..." she murmured, blushing.

She refused a third slice.

"I need to fit into my dress tonight."

"As if you could ever gain weight," Kiyan teased.

Suddenly, he froze.

"Jax."

The next second, the guard collapsed. Kiyan caught him with his supernatural speed before he could hit the floor.

What had just happened?