Being at her house most of the time gave me just as much a chance to annoy her as she did me. I liked to plant myself closer to her because I knew it drove her crazy. She looked like she wanted to kill me at moments. Not that she gave in to any of her urges. She just held her tongue and avoided the conflict. It couldn’t be healthy.
That was another thing I’d noticed about her, though. She wasn’t healthy. She ate like a fucking bird and worked out as hard as some of the men I’d trained with. She was too thin. Yet I still heard Gerald making comments about her weight every so often. I didn’t know how miniscule he wanted her to be, but she would disappear soon if he wasn’t careful.
I was making my rounds for the morning and passed the room where Charlotte got her makeup done. She’d just come from her workout and most of the stuff they’d put on her earlier hadn’t stood up to her sweating. She was sitting in her makeup chair, facing the big mirror, so I had to take my chance to bother her.
Stepping into the room, I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded to Sharon. I’d considered taking her home the first couple of days I’d been around, but she seemed like the type that would get messy. I couldn’t cross the lines with her.
“Well, look at you. To what do we owe the pleasure?”
I winked at Charlotte in the mirror and almost laughed when her cheeks heated and her mouth turned into the perfect frown. “I wanted to come by and see my Charlotte.”
Sharon laughed and squirted something onto the back of her hand before taking an egg-looking thing and bouncing it into the goo and then onto Charlotte’s face. “Your Charlotte doesn’t seem thrilled to see you in here.”
I moved closer. “What’s that?”
Charlotte’s hands were tight on her knees, the knuckles white. She looked like she wanted to tell me where I could go, but she still managed to keep that cold exterior.
“Foundation.”
I leaned against the counter in front of Charlotte, so she had to look at me, and nodded. “Interesting. I think I’ll watch today.”
“Whatever floats your boat, stud.” Sharon laughed and grabbed a brown stick. She smeared it under Charlotte’s cheekbones and then bounced that egg over her face some more.
“Don’t you have something else to do?” Charlotte shifted in her seat and winced as Sharon scolded her for it.
“Nope. Nothing else right now.”
“Paul comes back today. That means that we won’t need you as much.”
I grinned. “Is that so?”
She looked down at her lap and tucked her lips into her mouth, obviously fighting to keep them sealed. It just made me want to rile her up even more.
I reached out and used my thumb to pull her lip out from between her teeth. Her skin was softer than I’d thought it would be and the moisture from the inside of her mouth was warm under my skin. I’d had a witty comment to make, but the way her eyes flicked up to mine, all fire and heat, sucked the words from my brain.
I pulled my hand back to my side and crossed my arms over my chest. “You shouldn’t chew on your lips.”
Charlotte’s jaw worked like she was grinding the hell out of her teeth. “You shouldn’t touch me.”
Hell, she wasn’t wrong. That meant shit to me, though. I stared down at her, wondering why she got to me so much. She was fucking awful, but I had this feeling that there was something boiling under the surface. I couldn’t help but want to dig at it and figure it out.
Sharon cleared her throat and shifted from foot to foot. “You guys done?”
I forced myself to straighten and grin at her. Lightly squeezing her shoulder, I moved towards the door. “I’m done. I’ve got rounds to make. See you later, Charlotte.”
She didn’t reply, but when I glanced back, I saw that she was still watching me in the mirror. Her lip was back between her teeth and I got the idea that it was a blatant fuck you for me. Silent, but pointed.
I laughed and shook my head before leaving. I had to adjust my dick before making my way downstairs. There was something about that little silent telling-off of hers that turned me on.
I tried to clear my head of her and think of anything else as I walked through the house. Once the house was secure, I made my way outside and walked around the property, sticking close to the building in case Charlotte yelled for help. I was rounding the back of the house when I heard someone talking.
A gut feeling told me to hold off on rounding the corner. Instead, I stopped and pressed my back against the cool brick. I instantly recognized the voices as Gerald and John. It was weird because John wasn’t supposed to be back until later that night.
They were coming out of the guest house at the back of the property, an area I’d been told that no one ever went into. I looked around in time to see John pull Gerald in for a heated kiss. They were in the doorway, partly hidden from view, but I could tell it was them and what they were doing.
To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I hadn’t been expecting that at all. I moved back to where I was and frowned.
“What time does she expect me to be back?”
“Anytime after six. You can say you went for drinks or whatever, if you want to stay out later.”
There were more lip noises. “You’re so good to me. The less time I have to be around her, the better.”
“All right. Get out of here before the guard sees you.”
“I managed to sneak in without him seeing me, didn’t I? Maybe you should get me an action role. I was pretty good at it.”
I was going to let them slip away before that comment, but that pissed me off. I stepped around the house and watched as they both turned and spotted me. They were farther apart, so it didn’t look bad. Unfortunately. “Oh, John. Hey. When did you get back?”
His face reddened. “Just a little while ago. I had to talk to Gerald about work before coming inside.”
Gerald nodded. “And I was looking for some old paperwork in this dusty old place. I managed to find absolutely nothing.”
I grinned. “I didn’t see your car, John.”
“Yeah, I caught a cab.”
“Something wrong with your car?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Sure. What’s with the third degree?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did it feel like I was interrogating you? I’m just a curious guy. Always have been. Don’t let me keep you, though. I’m sure you’re more than ready to get inside to Charlotte.”
He glanced over at Gerald and hesitated a second before nodding. “I am. I’m headed that way now.”
I stood there and watched him head towards the house. I didn’t look away until he was inside the back door. Feeling smug, I turned to Gerald and smiled. “Need help looking for that paperwork?”
He stammered in closing the door and backing away from it. “No, no. I’m going to look inside. Thanks, though.”
I watched him run off too, and nodded to myself before finishing my rounds. I felt good about ruining John’s plans to stay away from his wife and about scaring Gerald. Everything else, I felt bad about, though. Charlotte was getting cheated on by her asshole husband. That sucked for her.
I wondered if she knew.
I debated the pros and cons of telling her.
It was just that she’d been so fucking cold. Surely she knew. Why else would she be so nasty and miserable all the time? She had to know. Mentioning it to her would just be an embarrassing reminder. I didn’t want to do that to her.
I made my way back inside and upstairs to check on her. It wasn’t that I liked being near her; I just liked to know that my charge was safe and sound. I just stayed closer to her to fuck with her.
Charlotte was in her room, attempting to pull up the back zipper of a dress. It as another tan number, but it hugged her well. I leaned against the doorway and grinned, wondering how long it would take her to realize I was there and get pissy.
It took longer than I would’ve liked. I finally cleared my throat and chuckled when she jumped and spu
n around to face me. “Need some help?”
She glared and stalked towards me. “John must’ve left the door open.”
“So, the prodigal husband has returned. Am I being relieved of my duties?” I lowered my eyelids and licked my lips. “Because I could help zip you into that dress, if I’m still on duty.”
Her cheeks turned pink and she stumbled on the plush carpet. Catching herself, she scowled at me and shoved the door shut in my face. I had to step back to avoid getting hit.
I couldn’t help laughing, though. I’d gotten under her skin and there was something so satisfying about that.
I finished my trip around the house and went back downstairs to find Gerald in the kitchen. I leaned against the counter and stared at him. “John’s back. You want me to stick around?”
He tapped his fingers on the island and frowned. “He’s going to be busy, so I think we should have you stay during the days. We can play it by ear at night.”
I nodded. “Cool.”
He blinked at me a few times and then cleared his throat. “I just wanted to mention that discretion is the name of the game in this job, Mr. Fields.”
If that was his way of asking that I not mention to his boss that he was fucking her husband, I wasn’t making any promises. I shrugged and straightened up. “Actually, Gerald, the name of the game is keeping Charlotte safe. As long as nothing interferes, I’m not concerned about anything else.”
Gerald had the decency to look embarrassed. “Yes, of course—you’re right.”
I nodded. “I know.”
Chapter 7
Charlie
I stormed down the stairs, feeling my blood boiling. I was going to lose it. I’d had it with Tucker. I was so fed up that I was ready to break character and scream at the stupid man. He’d be lucky if he made it out with all of his limbs.
“Gerald!”
I slipped on the landing and almost busted my ass, but managed to catch myself last second and then kept going. I was on a mission. I found Gerald coming out of the kitchen, his eyes wide and his anger nearly palpable.
“What the hell are you screaming about? There are people in this house besides us, Charlotte!”
I jerked my finger in the direction of Tucker and shook my head. “He has to go!”
The idiot in question came sauntering down the stairs, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. He probably didn’t. He was probably happy all of the time and thought life was just great. I hated him.
“What are you talking about, Charlotte? Please, refrain from explaining in a scream.”
I glared at Gerald. There was no reason for him to condescend to me. Asshole. “Tucker needs to go. I can’t live like this. He’s driving me crazy.”
“How?”
I sputtered. How? How was he not? “He keeps coming into the room while Sharon is doing my makeup.”
Tucker moved to stand next to me and smiled down at me like he didn’t have a care in the world. “I was just making my rounds, Charlotte. I tried explaining that to you.”
“Don’t talk to me like that. Don’t you dare. I am not an idiot. I know that you’re trying to fuck with me.”
Gerald gasped and grabbed my arm. “Charlotte!”
Tucker just grinned. “Well, that’s a drastic change of course.”
“You’re fired!”
Gerald pulled on my arm, dragging me closer to him. I noticed Tucker’s eyes move to his hand and Gerald loosened his grip immediately. “I’m sorry, Tucker. Obviously, Charlotte isn’t feeling herself.”
“I’m feeling fine. I just don’t want him here anymore.”
“Like I said, she isn’t feeling herself. You’re fine, Tucker. We appreciate you making sure everything is safe here. I’m just going to have a talk with Charlotte in my office.”
I shook my head. “No, Gerald. Fire him. Let me fire him. I need peace and some alone time. This is insane.”
Gerald’s fingers tightened painfully on my arm as he pulled me away from Tucker. “He’s staying. Stop this, Charlotte.”
I tugged my arm away from him and moved away from both men. “Fine. I’m going up to my room.”
“Charlotte—”
“I’ll be in my room.”
“You need to get ready. We have the appearance at Lander’s Mall this afternoon.” Gerald looked at his watch. “Actually, you need to go record your podcast and then eat. I’ll be upstairs after to help you get ready.”
I felt like screaming my head off. I threw up my hands and hurried up the stairs. I was so angry that I wanted to cry. It was like I was a child in my own house. I wasn’t allowed to make decisions or do anything. I felt like I was in prison. I wanted to run away and hide from them.
I needed space. Tucker was everywhere. I couldn’t be Charlie anywhere. I was going crazy trying to be Charlotte constantly. I didn’t have it in me. Not with Tucker around all the time, giving me bedroom eyes and poking at me. I couldn’t keep it up.
What I wanted or needed didn’t matter, though. It never had. Gerald didn’t care, not as long as I did what I was supposed to and he kept making money.
I couldn’t help slamming my bedroom door closed. I needed to let all the anger out somehow. I got dressed in the outfit that Gerald had put out for me, but I wasn’t thrilled about it. I wanted to trash it. I was feeling more and more like the petulant child that they insisted on treating me like.
I went and recorded the podcast for the day, chatting on about some new décor plan until my brain felt like it was absolute mush. Everything went quickly after that. Tucker stayed away from me while I ate my pitiful breakfast and then did my video recording for the day. After that, we went to the studio in the city and recorded my daily segment.
Instead of going back home, like normal, Gerald had Tucker drive us to the mall. We were tucked away in a cramped back area and told to wait while the crowd gathered outside. I was poked and prodded again to make my face and hair look as beautiful as possible before Gerald shoved me into a white dress that made me think of June Cleaver.
As I waited, I grew more and more nervous. I hated doing live meetings. I hated the crowds, the noise, the live acting I had to do, and the pressure I felt from Gerald. I wanted nothing more than to go home and hide in my bed. I needed time to recover. I was hitting a wall and I was hitting it fast.
Panic set in as someone opened the door that had been blocking us from the rest of the mall, and I heard the dull roar from the crowd that had gathered. I began pacing the small room and felt like I would pass out. I couldn’t do it. There was no way. It was too much.
Tucker looked at me as I passed by him again and sighed. “What’s wrong?”
I looked back at him and shook my head before turning around and walking back past him the other way. “Nothing.”
“You’re wearing a hole in the floor.” He caught my hand when I walked back towards him and pulled me to a stop. “Nervous?”
I shook my head again and pulled my hand away from his. “I’m fine.”
“Come on, Charlotte. You look like you’re about to shit yourself. What’s wrong?”
I moved away and kept on pacing. “I said I’m fine.”
Gerald came back in from outside and clapped his hands. “Ready?”
I couldn’t do it. I sat down heavily on the folding metal chair I’d been in and fanned myself. “I can’t.”
Gerald groaned. “Can you give us a minute, Tucker?”
I didn’t want to look at him. I was embarrassed and I felt like he’d laugh at me. He loved messing with me, so I didn’t get why that moment would be different.
“You okay, Charlotte?” Tucker surprised me by stopping next to me and lightly tugging my hair.
I glanced up at him and sucked my lip between my teeth. He held my gaze and waited until I nodded to leave. I felt a flutter in my stomach and dropped my head even lower.
I heard the dull roar of the crowd again and then the door shut. As soon as it shut, Gerald let me have it.
“I am so fucking sick of this shit, Charlotte. You’ve become such a pain in the ass.” He reached roughly under my chin and pulled my face up. “You know the gig. Do as you’re told and make money. All of this shit you’re pulling isn’t going to work.”
I jerked my face away from his hand. “Don’t touch me.”
“You’re going to go out there and you’re going to smile and look sweet. Do you understand?”
“It’s too much. Why do you keep organizing these things? I hate the crowds. You know I hate the crowds.”
“I don’t fucking care what you hate!” he yelled, grabbing my chin and shaking my face. “Do your fucking job!”
I slapped his hand away and glared up at him. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”
The door to the room opened and Tucker stepped back in. “Everything okay in here?”
“We need more time.” Gerald was scowling down at me, his eyes telling me exactly what he thought of me.
“No, we don’t. We’re ready to go.” I stood up and moved away from Gerald, putting myself closer to Tucker.
“Home?”
Gerald shook his head. “To the event. Charlotte had a change of heart. She realized how much trouble people went through to get here and how much her brand would suffer if she let her fans down.”
The threat was clear. If I kept messing up, the company would destroy me. They had all the rights and means to do it.
“Charlotte?”
I looked up at Tucker and for a second I had a fantasy of telling him I wanted to go home. He’d suddenly not be a jerk and he’d swoop me out of there. He’d take me home and we’d lock all the doors and curl up in my bed together. Shaking my head, I told myself to make an appointment with my waterproof battery-operated boyfriend. Clearly, I was going crazy.
“I’m doing the event.”
Black Dog Security- Complete 5-Part Series Page 35