Lucia and the Bodyguard

Chapter 14: The Party

At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely.

-W. Somerset Maugham

Diego Suarez's POV

I carefully closed the door of my old bedroom behind me, mentally preparing myself for the party ahead. This was the last thing I want to do given a chance, stand around while men tried their very best to flirt with Lucia Salazar.

It took every ounce of my self-control to stop myself from assaulting those men and buried their bodies somewhere in the estate. Now I need to endure the same thing what's worse now the Conde precisely instructed me to keep an eye on his younger sister. I don't know what madness had possessed me to torture myself like this.

Now I have to watch closely while men try to flirt with the Señorita. If anyone made her smile twice tonight he would end up in the creek lifeless. My expression turned grimly when I remember Condesa's cousin. It seems that woman is pairing her cousin to her sister-in-law. That guy was a bother.

I was about to walk in the hallways when I nearly jumped in my place when the Condesa spoke behind me. "Oh no...you are not going to wear that at the party, Diego. A big. No."

"Your Excellency," I greeted her casually while she's aware of my racing heart. She startled me. Heck, I didn't even hear her walk in the silent hallways. "What brings you here?"

She grinned at me brightly. "A brought you something." She thrust the tuxedo placed in a wooden hanger in my hand. "Wear this tonight."

I looked at my suit. "This is fine, Your Excellency."

She shook her head resolutely. "Nope. Can't wear that I'm afraid. I want to see the female guests of Madre drool at the handsome bodyguard of Lucia."

My eyes narrowed in her direction. Whenever this woman is involved in something there's nothing good at the outcome. I think she was forcing me to play with her strings she's planning something evil again tonight and I'm one of her pawns. Well, sad to say I will not be part of her game. "Thank you very much for the offer, ma'am, but I am more comfortable with my clothes."

"I will not leave here until you wear this. I especially bought this tux for you." She said obstinately. "Your choice but I will tell you I am not going anywhere until you wear this but I hope you make the right decision since I don't want my husband to suspect that I am having an affair with you since I spent the night in the hallway with you."

I stared at her in disbelief. Where the heck did she get that notion? She's a handful I pity the Conde to fall for such a woman.

"Are you being serious?"

She nodded with a wicked smile on her face. "Very. Now, are you going to wear this or Leandro will suspect we're having an affair since I will not leave you alone until you change your clothes?"

"That's ridiculous, Your Excellency," I informed her shaking my head in disbelief.

The maddening woman merely raised her eyebrow in my direction. She's not going to stop until she gets what she wants. She would not back down without winning the fight. "What to wager with that, Diego?"

I eyed her for a moment while she did the same. After a moment I broke the eye contact and admitted that I lost this battle with the Conde's wife. "All right, you win."

She gave a self-satisfied smile as she pushed the expensive tuxedo in my hand. "That's what I thought. Now get change and I will wait for you here. Five minutes."