President's Daughter's Bodyguard-Chapter 111: Don’t Start*

Chapter 111: Don’t Start

Theo carried Frank’s body with a steadiness that did not match the messy feelings inside him.

The courtyard was still stained with the memory of the sniper’s bullet, and smoke hovered like a veil refusing to lift.

Danielle followed, but didn’t say anything, watching the tight set of his jaw and the way his shoulders strained under the pressure that had nothing to do with Frank’s body.

Theo laid Frank gently on the long oak table in the back room. It had once been used for maps and his plans, but now all of that seemed irrelevant. He pulled a white sheet from a cabinet and unfolded it slowly.

His hands trembled as he laid it over Frank’s still form.

Danielle stepped closer. She wanted to say something meaningful, something that would pull him out of the hollow space he had fallen into, but Theo’s silence was too hard to break.

He touched the edge of the sheet as if memorising its texture, and for a moment he seemed lost without direction.

She whispered softly, almost too afraid to disturb him. "Theo."

He didn’t look up immediately. When he finally lifted his eyes, they were bloodshot and tired. "I will not leave him like this. He deserves better."

Danielle nodded and approached him, gently placing her hand on his back. The gesture made Theo inhale almost like it hurt, but he didn’t move away. Her presence was soft and warm against the coldness settling inside him.

He took out his phone and called Aidan. There was a pause as the line connected. The voice on the other end sounded strained, but Theo didn’t give him time for excuses.

"Aidan," Theo said, "I need another helicopter. I need Frank’s body transported safely. No delays."

Aidan hesitated, and Theo’s voice changed to ice. "I don’t care what restrictions we are under. You will get it done."

Another pause. Theo’s fingers tapped against the table. "Good. Do not make me call again."

He ended the call and lowered the phone, staring at the floor for a moment before he spoke again. "He should not have died like that. Not for me. Not for any of this."

Danielle reached out and touched his arm. "He cared about you. He would have followed you anywhere."

Theo gave a faint, hollow laugh. "He followed me and ended up dead. I do not know if that makes me loyal or cursed."

Danielle shook her head gently. "You are not cursed."

Theo finally looked at her. "You think I am not. But you don’t know what follows me."

"I know enough," she placed her hand on his shoulder.

Theo leaned against the edge of the table and rubbed his forehead.

Danielle stepped closer, unsure if he would allow it, but when she touched his chest lightly, Theo’s body gasped only for a second before relaxing under her hand.

So, he lowered his head as if her touch grounded him in a way nothing else could.

She wrapped her arms around him slowly, carefully, and Theo’s breath caught in his throat. He embraced her warmth that was full of concern.

Theo closed his eyes and let his forehead rest against her shoulder.

"You are shaking," Danielle whispered.

"It is nothing," Theo muttered.

"It is not nothing."

Theo’s arms moved around her almost on their own. He held her tighter, pulling her closer, and Danielle felt how tense he still was. His heartbeat was fast, and the sound of it pressed against her ear.

She stroked his back gently. "You do not have to hold everything alone."

Theo let out a slow breath. "I don’t know how to do anything else."

"You can learn," she muttered quietly.

Theo’s fingers tightened on her waist. Her voice, her warmth, her scent, everything about her cut through that mess inside him.

Danielle didn’t realise how close they were until Theo lowered his head and his lips brushed the side of her jaw.

Her mouth formed the "o" lightly and pulled back just enough to see his face. His eyes were darker than before, filled with an emotion that scared and pulled her all at once.

"Theo...this is not the right time."

He stared at her for a long moment, breathing hard, struggling with whatever was rising in him.

"I know," Theo said. "But you hold me like this and I forget the world outside that door."

Danielle swallowed, her fingers still resting against his chest. "I am just trying to comfort you."

His lips curved slowly. "You are succeeding more than you intend."

Danielle looked away briefly, suddenly aware of how close they were, how intense his gaze had become. "Theo... I didn’t mean to... make you feel anything like that."

"You didn’t make me," he murmured. "You just touched me."

The energy between them thickened, almost electric. Danielle tried to step back, but Theo’s hands stayed on her waist, not pulling her closer, but not letting the contact break either.

"I should give you space," she said.

He shook his head. "No. I do not want space from you."

Danielle’s breath trembled. "You are grieving."

"Yes," he said. "And somehow you make it bearable."

She looked up at him again, and the intensity in his eyes nearly stole her breath. He lowered his forehead to hers. It was a kind gesture and intimate in a way that made her heart beat faster.

Their bodies stayed pressed together, the warmth passed between them too strong to ignore.

"Theo..."

He inhaled deeply, the sound heavy. "If you keep holding me like this, I will not stop myself."

"Then don’t..."

Theo didn’t try to hide it. He didn’t hide the desire sharpening his expression or the way his breathing changed under her touch.

He leaned closer, slowly, deliberately, giving her every chance to move away.

But Danielle didn’t...

Her hands stayed on his chest.

And Theo’s fingers slid just a little lower on her waist, his voice dropped to a low and hushed whisper.

"You have no idea what you are doing to me."