Riddick's POV

They wanted me to protect some kid's ass. Do I look like a fucking gundog? A dog, maybe... but a fucking bodyguard! I don't give a shit about kids. They're just millstones round your neck. What the hell though. It paid good money.

Then I saw the kid. She was sneaking out in the night. I caught a glimpse of her face when she looked back toward her uncle's house. Beautiful green eyes with a cocky smile. Interesting.

I followed her through the city. She caught up with some punk kids. She looked back at one point and I thought she'd made me. Impossible, but it would have made things more interesting.

The kids went into a nightclub, paying some good money for it. I waited some and went after them. Loud noises came from the back of the club.

Stupid kid! She was facing two big, muscular brutes. One of his friends was on the ground. What was she doing? If she had any instinct for survival she'd have run.

The other brute was in her face. I felt the urge to protect her and to throttle her at the same time which was both interesting and unnerving.

Before I could step in she kicked the guy in the knee and he fell to the ground where she kicked him in the face. She moved pretty fast and it all happened quickly.

The first guy had recovered and was about to attack when he was stopped by the sound of gunfire.

"Get the hell out of here!" the owner of the place barked, his gun aimed at them.

The kid turned around. She looked at me for a split second before passing by me and walking to the exit, followed by her friends.

I'd gotten a better look at her. She smells good. The scent wakes something in me... something new. The urge to throttle her grew stronger. Why did I feel protective of her? She was nothing to me.

I followed her outside and called, "Hey, kid!"

She didn't even slow down.

"Camelia!"

She stopped and turned around. She looked surprised for a second, then her face went dull again. I didn't know if she'd been taken aback by my eyes_ they used to have that effect on people_ or by the fact that I had called her by her name.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Hey, watch that mouth of yours." I scolded. I didn't know where that had come from. When did I start caring about kids swearing? But this kid... her scent.

She almost smiled at the scolding. I came closer. I could feel the other kid's fear. Good. But her, she didn't even blink when I stared at her.

I merely looked at the other kids and said "Go." I never raised my voice but they fled at the tone.

"Who'm I gonna play with now?" she asked petulantly.

"No one. Go home." I ordered.

She huffed and turned on her heel. I was taken aback. Since when did people show me their back? I'm a murderer. I saw red. I could have killed her and she chose to lower her guard? I sped up and caught her. I grabbed her by the arm.

"Hey!" she protested.

"You don't walk away from me." I growled.

"Who the fuck you think you are?" she said, trying to get loose.

I tightened my grip. "I told you to watch your mouth." I warned.

"Let go of me!" she demanded.

"Not before you show some respect. Not before you stop going around by yourself and risking your life."

"Down, big guy! You're not my father."

"No, but your uncle paid me to protect you."

"Good for you! Now let me go." she said evenly.

I looked at her for a moment. I could sense her fear but it wasn't enough for my taste.

"Time to go home."

Camelia's POV

The man didn't seem willing to let go of me. He'd been hired by my uncle, he said. Great! I didn't need a fuc... a babysitter. He kept staring at me, daring me to move or to protest. His eyes shone in the night. They were weird and cool. He wore a sleeveless t-shirt which showed off his muscular shoulders and arms. He was bald. His face was cute even though he wasn't smiling. He was strong, and he was obviously not used to taking shit from anyone, kids in particular.

He shouldn't have touched me. I used my ability and read him. In my mind I saw him killing people. I could sense his twisted feelings toward me. Obviously he didn't know how to deal with me.

He sensed the change in me. "What are you doing!" he snapped.

Riddick's POV

It had felt as though she was in my head. I had smelled real fear in her, and then she'd relaxed. I saw her looking at me, at my body. She was too young to be interested in me like that. How old was she anyway? 15? She looked younger with her bratty, cocky attitude.

"You know what, I can pay you twice what my uncle paid you, just to keep you off my tail."

Keep off her tail? The only thing that crossed my mind was to tan her tail good and proper. She flinched. Was she a reader?

"Do you read minds?"

She didn't answer right away but I could smell her confusion.

"What the fu... the hell're you talking about?"

She was no longer in control of her emotions. She had corrected her language so I knew I'd had an effect on her. Good thing. She could learn.

"Read me, little girl."

Camelia's POV

I saw it in his brain. I was over his knee and he was spanking me. It could not be true. My butt cheeks clenched in anticipation. I saw him smile. A satisfied smile.

"You have no right..." I protested weakly.

"Try me." he dared.

I lost it. I aimed a kick at his groin which he easily avoided. I had expected that. I pulled hard and I got my arm free. I started running fast. I knew he could overpower me. He was strong and he definitely knew how to fight.

I didn't get far away. I was climbing a grill when I felt strong arms close around my waist. He pulled and I fell with him. He didn't let go of me. He carried me with him.

"Let's see how good a reader you are..."

I saw it. All of it. He purposely opened his mind for me to see. I saw what he had in store for me. I started to fight him, scratching and shouting.

"Easy tiger."

Riddick's POV

The kid finally saw what she had coming. I found a good spot and sat down on it. I put the little fury over my left knee. I put my right leg over hers. I secured my arm around her waist to keep her close to me. It felt so familiar, so natural. Intriguing. I've never done that to anyone before. I mean, I did it once or twice when the women have asked for it, but this time, there was no sexual connection to it.

I started spanking her squirming butt as soon as I had her settled. She screamed and cursed all the way. I threatened her with a mouthful of soap to make her stop swearing.

I stopped as soon as I smelled tears in her eyes. She was stubborn though. It had lasted longer than I had expected, but the girl has a strong will. I liked it.

Camelias's POV

I couldn't believe he had spanked me like a child. My butt hurt. I tried not to cry but his hand had fallen again and again. As soon as the first tear rolled down my face he'd stopped. It felt awkward to be turned over his knee like that. I tried to stand up but he kept me in place.

"Do we have an understanding?"

I hated him! I bit my tongue to avoid my sharp reply. I didn't want to anger him more in this position.

"Yes!"

"What was that?" he asked in a growl, leaning on me.

"Yes, sir." I corrected myself.

"That's better." he said, finally letting go of me.

I stood up quickly and couldn't stop myself. I rubbed my butt, looking angrily at him. The bastard smiled.

"First rule." he said.

"What?"

"Now that I'm in charge of you, you will follow my rules."

I remained silent.

Riddick's POV

The kid was not happy with me setting rules for her.

"First rule: you don't get yourself killed. Second: you obey me. Third: you watch your mouth."

I added that one just to enrage her. It worked. I could smell it. But she was smart enough not to say it. Apparently she did have a survival instinct, at least as far as her butt was concerned.

"Now come. Someone has to go to sleep." I said, using a tone that was more suited to toddlers.

I started walking and smiled with satisfaction as I smelled her following me. We walked to my car and I opened the door for her. She hoped in. I fastened her seat belt and smelled her disapproval at being treated like a child, but she kept her mouth shut. I got into the car and drove to her uncle's home. The ride was silent. I couldn't quite understand why I felt so protective of her. I liked her cockiness for sure but I wouldn't have put up with it from anyone else. They would have been dead already.

She must have thought I'd spanked her to make a point, to show her who was in charge. The real reason was because I was so angry that she fought those guys. She could have been hurt or worse. How was it that I wanted to hug her and to shake her at the same time?

To be continued