The woman was something else, and he had to tamp the unexpected urge to laugh at being caught in the act. That bit of humor she evoked surprised him, because it had been much too long since a woman had amused him as much as Christine did. If anything, he knew they could at least be friends during the next few weeks.

Christine continued the conversation with her father without missing a beat. "There are so many fanatics and extremists out there, especially with the whole gentrification issue at stake, and your safety is definitely a priority."

Nathan ate a bite of his salad. "Actually, this is about your safety for the next few weeks, and that's why Ben is here."

Upon learning who her father had hired for her, Christine met Ben's gaze, her blue eyes bright with delighted pleasure and satisfaction, the kind that spelled pure, seductive trouble for Ben. "You're my bodyguard?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ben drawled, and gave her a good-ol'-boy grin before digging into his salad again.

She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud. "So, during the next few weeks, when I'm out at a public function, Ben will be with me?" Christine asked her father, to confirm exactly what to expect from Ben's services.

Finished with his salad, Nathan set his fork on his plate and looked at his daughter, his expression uncompromising, showing Ben the resolute opponent that Delacroix had the ability to be. "Actually, this security detail is a bit different. I've hired Ben to be your bodyguard twenty-four/seven, until the election is over. Hell be by your side at all times, day and night, which means he'll be living with you and staying in your guest room at your place."

Christine's jaw dropped open, then snapped shut again. For the first time since arriving, she was clearly shocked and speechless at her father's unpredicted bombshell and it took her a few moments to speak.

Finally, she glanced at Ben, then back to her father. "Is having Ben live with me really necessary?"

Nathan reached over to his daughter and clasped his larger hand over hers on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know it seems extreme, but right now, it's absolutely necessary."

"Why?" Christine's worried gaze searched her father's for answers. "What's going on that I'd need that kind of stringent, round-the-clock protection?"

Nathan moved his hand back as Maggie came through the dining room and cleared their salad plates. As if sensing the serious tone to the conversation, the other woman quickly and efficiently placed their main entree dishes in front of each of them, then retreated back to the kitchen.

Ben inhaled the rich, redolent scent of pasta and cream sauce topped off with grated Parmesan cheese, and his stomach rumbled hungrily in response. It wasn't often, if ever, that he ate something homemade and smelling as mouth-wateringly delicious as the wild mushroom raviolis that Maggie had prepared, and he was anxious to taste and enjoy the meal. But, at the moment, Christine was obviously too upset to feast on one of her favorite dishes, and Ben was trying to be a gentleman and not start without her.

"You know I'd hire security for you regardless since the election is so close," Nathan went on in an obvious attempt to alleviate his daughter's fears. "But this morning I received an anonymous letter demanding that I drop out of the election or face some kind of dire consequence. While the threat wasn't specific and I have notified the police, I'm not taking any chances with your safety or your mother's safety. I'm making sure that we all have round-the-clock protection."

It didn't escape Ben's notice how Nathan had cushioned the truth about the intimidating note he'd received, and knew he'd done so deliberately, to keep his daughter's panic at a minimum. Ben appreciated the gesture, since it was much easier to watch over someone who wasn't jittery and constantly looking over her shoulder for something to happen. He needed Christine calm and relaxed and cooperative, and her father had achieved that state of mind beautifully.

Christine drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, her initial trepidation fading beneath the small smile she gave her father. "You're right, of course. I'm sorry I overreacted. It's just that you've never employed a full-time bodyguard for me before."

Ben guessed that Nathan never had any reason to until now.

"It's strictly a precaution, okay?"

Seemingly reassured, she nodded. "Okay." She picked up one of her remaining forks and pierced a ravioli, her appetite restored. Before taking a bite, she asked, "Do you think the threat for you to drop out of the race for governor is related to the gentrification issue?"

Since Nathan Delacroix was one of ESS's clients, over the past year Ben had kept up on Nathan's campaign and political views, and what he'd learned had given him a healthy respect for the man.

Even though Nathan was very wealthy himself, he was a man who fought for the underdog and was a huge advocate for the poor. He believed in equality and nondiscrimination, and he also believed in preserving the integrity and historic quality of many of the inner city neighborhoods, especially the lower west side of Chicago.

"It very well could be related," Nathan said with a shrug. "But as I said, there wasn't anything definitive stated in the letter, so it could be tor any number of reasons, as well as just a hoax. The police will be checking into any leads they might find, but in the meantime I'll sleep much better at night knowing you've got Ben watching over you."

Christine nodded in understanding.

While Nathan and his daughter went on to discuss her father's political agenda, specifically his opposition to tearing down old, lower-income neighborhoods in Chicago to make way for luxury condos and commercial high-rises, Ben listened to their avid conversation and ate his lunch.

Ben made it a point to understand not only the people he watched over but the agendas around them. While Nathan was committed to restoring and revitalizing the rundown neighborhoods, he had political opposition to his views on gentrification. Charles Lambert. Nathan's opponent for governor, was pushing to tear down the deteriorating lower west side to make way for a chic and trendy locale that would bring in a substantial income for all involved.

But Lambert's way would also destroy the inner city and those who lived there. Long-time residents would be evicted and displaced in lieu of modern, state-of-the-art buildings and upscale businesses. And unfortunately for Nathan. Charles had the support and financial backing of major developers and many of the cities wealthy residents.

The three of them finished the delicious main course, and Maggie followed that up with a heavenly-looking bread pudding drenched in a rich, decadent apricot sauce.

Christine took a bite of the dessert, then closed her eyes, a soft, appreciative moan escaping her lips as she savored the delectable taste. Ben wholeheartedly agreed that the confection was as close to ambrosia as he'd ever enjoyed, but it wasn't the dessert that captivated his attention. No, it was Christine's sensuous response that ensnared him and kept him riveted to the sated expression on her face. When she finally let her lashes drift back open, met his gaze, then oh-so-slowly swiped her bottom lip with her tongue, he felt his blood pump hard and fast in his veins.

She blinked at him, then smiled sweetly.

He dropped his gaze to his own dish and released a deep breath. Lord, she was brazen. Or maybe it was his overactive imagination putting a sexual slant to her enjoyment of the dessert, because her father seemed oblivious to his daughter's wanton display.

"There is absolutely nothing that compares to Maggie's bread pudding." She sighed, and ate another spoonful, and Ben was eternally grateful when she didn't launch into another moaning, groaning, orgasmic like response again.

"I have to agree," Nathan said in between bites. "I think she outdid herself this time, if that's even possible."

"Absolutely." Christine wiped away a bit of sauce from the corner of her mouth. "By the way, Ben, since you've officially been hired as my bodyguard, I wanted to let you know ahead of time that I have plans tonight."

Ben swallowed hard, trying not to choke on the bread pudding he'd just eaten. "A date?" Jeesuz, was he about to be a tagalong chaperone while Christine went out with some guy? How awkward was that? He hadn't even considered that possibility, and for some odd reason the thought of her being with another man as he stood close by and watched made his stomach churn with something too close to jealousy.

And he was so not the jealous type.

"A date, an engagement, whatever you want to call it," she clarified with a wave of her hand, which sent off another melodious sound from her gold bracelets. "I'm meeting up with some friends at Envy. It's a nightclub in the city. Have you been there before?"

He shook his head. "No. I've heard of it, though." Envy was so not his type of place to hang out. It was like comparing sophisticated cosmopolitans and caviar to the cheap beer and pretzels he preferred. But it didn't matter what he liked, because he was being paid to remain by Christine's side, no matter what she did or where she went.

"As far as I'm concerned, Envy is a hedonistic place, and you don't belong there," a pretentious female voice interjected, the chastisement in her tone glaringly evident.

Ben immediately recognized the voice. It seemed that Audrey Delacroix had deigned to grace them with her presence.

Christine rolled her eyes at her mother's derogatory comment. Then, with a smile in place, she glanced toward where Audrey had just entered the dining room, dressed in a brown silk blouse and matching slacks. Her blond hair was pulled back into a complicated twist, and though her makeup had been impeccably applied, there was no mistaking the dark circles beneath both of her eyes.