Jayden's breath caught. For a heartbeat, she just looked at me, eyes shining with something raw and hopeful. Then, in a rush, the words tumbled out. "I… I want to be your bodyguard."
I blinked, surprised. "Baby, you don't have to—"
"No, wait," she interrupted, stepping back just a fraction so she could meet my eyes without looking away.
"I know you don't need my protection. Not really. But… I want to be useful. I want to be the one who keeps you safe. Who watches your back when you're not looking? Because I know you're important to a lot of people now. And I… I want to be part of that. Part of you."
I stopped her with a gentle finger to her lips, then took both her hands in mine and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Okay. Okay. From now on, you will be my personal bodyguard. And you will include Yelena and Claire with yourself. From this moment, the three of you will protect me."
