Benny Hayes—funny, kind, hot as hell star forward for the FU Fire hockey team—thinks that I’m the whole package? I shake my head in disbelief. “Not for nothing. I mean, I don’t want to ruin your bad ass hockey boy rep or anything, but you’ve got the pretty part down too.” Talk about the total package.
Benny lifts me up, and I curl around him, my hands in his hair and my ankles locked at his waist. My heart feels as light as he makes the rest of me seem. “True. I’m better at the dirty part, though. Let me show you.”
“Maybe I should show you.” I can’t contain the silly grin on my face. Instead of trying, I pull his head down for the kiss he’s been teasing me with.
When he raises his chin, my sigh is audible when our lips finally meet, and he murmurs against my mouth, “Maybe you should.”
The End
About Mandi
Mandi Beck has been an avid reader all of her life. A deep love for books always had her jotting down little stories on napkins, notebooks, and her hand. As an adult she was further submerged into the book world through book clubs and the epicness of social media. It was then that she graduated to writing her stories on her phone and then finally on a proper computer.
A wife, mother to two rambunctious and somewhat rotten boys, and stepmom to two great girls away at college, she shares her time with her husband in Chicago where she was born and raised. Mandi is a diehard hockey fan and blames the Blackhawks when her deadlines are not met. Ask her who her favorite hockey player is though, and she’ll tell you that he calls her...mom.
Check out Mandi’s Amazon page for a full list of her books.
Body Heat
Rochelle Paige
Sera
“Another hotshot athlete? And I’m the one stuck on close protection detail again? Seriously?” I dropped my head low and squeezed the bridge of my nose between my index finger and thumb. A deep sigh puffed out of my mouth as I thought about how much of a pain in the ass the jock we’d protected last month had been. And I didn’t just mean that figuratively. He’d literally been a pain in my ass because he’d taken every opportunity he had to pinch it. Hard.
Since my cover required me to be his date at public events, the douchebag had plenty opportunity to put his grubby hands on me when I couldn’t react. By the time the threat to him was over, he’d even left a few bruises behind on my ass. The only reason I hadn’t broken his fingers was because I damn well knew it’d end up being front page news. He was a major league pitcher whose hands were worth millions, after all.
The media coverage wasn’t the problem in and of itself. It’s what it would’ve triggered that was the issue. If my boss found out exactly how much of a slimeball the client had been around me, the guy would have had more than a few broken fingers to worry about. Even though he and the rest of the team knew I could take care of myself, they were still protective of me when it came to guys. They had no problem treating me as an equal when we were on assignment, but it wasn’t rare for them to act like I was their little sister during our downtime. Having three pseudo big brothers who’d been trained to kill wreaked havoc on my dating life, that was for damn sure.
Not that I wasn’t just as protective of them—in my own way—as they were of me. I’d taken the crap dished out by the douchebag client in stride and had only allowed myself a small measure of payback. After the threat to him had been neutralized, I visited his hotel room and rammed my knee into his balls hard enough that he was going to sing soprano for a while. I hadn’t said a word about it to anyone because I hadn’t wanted the guys to run the risk of getting caught when they made him pay for it. As skilled as they were, he was too high profile for the kind of vengeance they’d want to rain down on him—no matter how much I would’ve loved to see him writhe in pain. Besides which, if I’d really wanted him to pay, I could’ve done it myself. But just because I’d let it go didn’t mean I wanted to go through it all again.
“He’s the client. His job shouldn’t matter, not when he’s paying us to keep him safe,” Brecken chided as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his broad chest.
I clenched my teeth at the idea of disappointing him. Brecken was more than just my boss; he was a friend. Our paths had crossed during my last tour overseas, and we’d quickly learned to rely on each other in some pretty fucking bad conditions. When he’d heard I was leaving the Army three months after he had, he’d looked me up and offered me a job working for the security firm he’d started with Whit Baker as his right-hand man. Boot camp and eight years of active duty together had forged an unbreakable bond between the two men.
“Rowan Charles isn’t just any hotshot athlete. He’s the best damn quarterback to have ever played the game,” Whit chimed in.
I tilted my head to the side to look at him. He was sitting in the chair next to me with his legs kicked out. His twinkling eyes and shit-eating grin made him look like a little boy who’d just found out he was getting every item on his wish list for Christmas. “Since you’re such a big fan of his, maybe you should be the one assigned to close protection detail instead of me.”
Whit gestured down his long body with a sweep of his hand. “As gorgeous as I am, I just don’t fill out a cocktail dress half as well as you do.”
“The last thing I need to picture in my head is you in a dress,” Brecken grumbled.
Whit leaned forward and rubbed his hands together. I was familiar enough with the wicked gleam in his eyes to know that whatever came out of his mouth next would be dirty. “I can think of worse things. Like—”
“Don’t,” Brecken cut Whit off before he could get started.
“But—”
Brecken glared at Whit until he settled back in his chair with his lips pressed together. My lips tilted up in a smug grin until Brecken aimed his scowl my way. “Don’t you start with me, either.”
I put my hands up in surrender. “Hey! I didn’t do anything!”
“And that’s exactly why I’m pissed at you.” His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the top of his desk. “Because you should’ve spoken up the first time that cocksucker took advantage of your professionalism and touched your ass. I put you on close protection detail because his team wanted to keep the situation under wraps, and it was easier for them to spin the presence of a new woman on his arm. It wasn’t so he could treat you like shit.”
Dammit. I should’ve known at least one of the guys would’ve noticed him getting handsy with me. I might’ve been the one assigned to be close to the douchebag, but it wasn’t like I’d been on the assignment by myself. Whit and Devon, the other member of our team, were too damn observant for my own good sometimes. When neither of them said anything about it, I assumed that I’d managed to keep a lid on it. And as the saying went, I’d made an ass of myself because of it.
“You’re right, I should’ve said something. I’m sorry.” I kept my apology short and to the point, figuring that my explanation would come across as an excuse more than anything else.
“We’re a team. We don’t keep shit from each other,” he added. “That’s why we’re the best at what we do. We trust each other, one hundred percent.”
“Fuck.” The last thing I ever wanted to do was give Brecken any reason to think I didn’t trust him. Even though I’d known it was time to get out, I’d had no idea what I would do as a civilian. His offer of a job helped keep me sane and eased the transition for me big-time. “It had nothing to do with not trusting you and everything to do with having your back. I didn’t want you to wind up in jail. Not over something as insignificant as a few ass grabs, and definitely not when Hadley already has her hands full running around after Quinten while she still can before her belly gets any bigger.”
Bringing up his pregnant wife and toddler like that while he was pissed at me was a dirty trick, but I knew it would work to defuse the situation because my boss was head over heels in love with Hadley. And crazy protective of her, which was understandable considering how th
ey’d met.
His eyes softened like they always did when he was thinking about Hadley. Shaking his head, he growled, “Don’t think for a second that I don’t know what you’re doing.”
“You always do,” I laughed.
“Keep that in mind the next time you try to pull the wool over my eyes,” he ordered before picking up the remote for the large monitor on the wall to my left. When the screen powered on, he pulled up the quarterback's dossier. As soon as I saw his picture, an inappropriate thought popped into my head. If the pitcher had been half as gorgeous, I might not have minded the ass grabbing quite so much.
Rowan
“Do you really think this is all necessary? It’s not like I’ve never had an obsessed fan before.” I glared at Carl as the SUV we were riding in pulled into the parking lot next to the building where we had an appointment in about five minutes. It wasn’t so much that I was angry with him as it was the situation.
“You know I’m not in the habit of scheduling appointments just for shits and giggles.” I thought of the meeting as an unnecessary hassle, but Carl viewed it as being vital to my safety. I was fairly certain he was overreacting, but I felt I owed it to him to take this seriously based on how freaked out he was. He’d been my agent ever since I first declared my intent to enter the draft during my senior year of high school eight years ago, and letting him take the lead on business decisions had made me wealthy beyond my imagination. If meeting with a security expert made him feel better, then it was the least I could do. Especially after I’d crushed his dreams two weeks earlier.
But I wasn’t happy that he’d sprung this appointment on me at the last minute, knowing damn well I’d think he was going overboard. He could be over the top sometimes, and it definitely felt like this was one of them.
His office was only a mile down the street, but he’d had an SUV with blacked-out windows pick us up at the back door his employees used. Even though nobody was in the parking lot, he shoved a cap and glasses at me to help disguise my identity. It must’ve worked because the guard at the front desk barely glanced my way before waving us through to the elevators. The receptionist also didn’t react when Carl gave her his name, and we were quickly ushered into a corner office.
After spotting the security team he’d hired, I was struck by the knowledge that I wouldn’t be able to take any of them in a fight. I was a big guy who was paid millions of dollars to keep his body in peak physical shape, but they had an air of lethalness that I couldn’t match—including the hot as fuck woman who was perched on the far corner of the desk.
The lean muscles in her calves and biceps made me think that she might just be as serious about her workouts as I was. But it was her unflinching gaze that set her apart from any other female I’d ever met before. This woman not only knew herself but she was also comfortable in her own skin. Her confidence was one hell of a turn-on.
The man sitting behind the desk stood as we walked toward him. He reached his hand out to shake Carl’s.
“Thanks for meeting with us so quickly, Brecken.” Carl turned to me, and added, “This is my client, Rowan Charles.”
“My client too now.” The man’s focus shifted to me, and he stretched his arm out again. “I’m sorry it isn’t under better circumstances.”
“It never is,” one of the guys to my left mumbled. He was sitting with his legs stretched out. The other one reached over and slapped him upside the head, earning himself a glare.
“That’s Whit and Devon.” Brecken pointed at each man as he said their name. “They, along with Sera”—he jerked his chin in the woman’s direction—“make up the team I’ve assigned to you.”
“Nice to meet you.” My greeting was meant for all of them, but my focus remained on Sera.
“Carl tells me you have a stalker.” All our heads swung back in Brecken’s direction.
“Yeah,” I confirmed with a shrug. “It's not the first time I've had one, but Carl is concerned that my retirement announcement triggered this guy and is taking his interest in me to a new level.”
“I don't just think it; I know it,” Carl argued. He pulled out copies of the notes I’d received from his briefcase and set them on the desk in front of us. “This guy has been writing to him ever since he was drafted. For years, he’s talked about how he’s Rowan’s biggest fan. That all changed when he announced his retirement. The cops agree the tone of the letters is different now, and the risk level to Rowan has increased. They’re the ones who suggested I hire him some private security.”
Brecken read the notes and handed them over to Sera. “It's my understanding that you want one of my operatives to go in with a cover so nobody knows they're on close protection detail. Is that correct?”
“Absolutely,” Carl confirmed. “The last thing we need right now is a scandal. It could hurt Rowan's chances of locking down a gig after retirement, as well as put some of his endorsements at risk. We can’t afford for that to happen.”
Maybe he couldn’t, but I sure as fuck could. If I ever ended up having a family, they’d be set for generations to come even if I didn’t work another day after this season ended. But now wasn’t the time to argue with Carl over my plans for the future.
“We’ve had similar cases where protecting the client from scrutiny was second only to their safety.” Brecken gestured to Sera. “In your case, utilizing one of my female operatives for your close protection detail seems the wisest course of action because her presence can easily be explained away.”
“Whoa, wait.” Carl gave Brecken an incredulous look. “Are you trying to tell us that she”—he pointed at Sera—“is going to be responsible for Rowan’s safety?”
Brecken leaned back in his chair and nodded. “If you want to keep the situation under wraps and avoid questions from the media, she’s your best bet.”
“No. No way. Not a chance in hell.” Carl shook his head. “He's not going to have some chick on his arm pretending to be a badass when the danger is real. Rowan needs someone who can actually do something about this guy if he escalates to violence.”
Whit and Devon snorted, but they bit back their laughter when Brecken shifted his gaze their way. Sera’s eyes gleamed with humor, but she didn't say a word in her defense. I was intrigued by her lack of response. Most women would’ve lost their shit, but she seemed completely unbothered by the trash talk Carl was flinging in her direction.
I wouldn't be nearly as set financially without his hard work, but that didn't mean I wasn't aware Carl could be a bit of a prick at times. Normally, his attitude meant good things for me because it was why he was such a great negotiator. But not today. Not with this woman.
“Back off,” I ordered him. “You said these guys are the best in the business, and they’re giving us exactly what you wanted.”
Carl’s eyes widened in shock. “You're really okay with having this bit of fluff in charge of your safety?”
“Bit of fluff?” Whit echoed in disbelief.
“Dude, they really don't know her at all,” Devon added.
Sera slid off the desk and looked at the Whit. Some form of unspoken communication passed between them, and he jumped up and moved toward her. When he got within two feet of her, his arm whipped out in a jab aimed straight for her head. She deftly blocked the blow and countered with a hit of her own.
What followed next was a shock to Carl…and maybe me a little bit, too. Within the small confines of the office and without coming close to where we sat, they went full force at each other. I’d never seen anything like it before. The two co-workers sparred as though their lives were on the line, the man holding nothing back just because Sera was a woman.
Brecken let it continue for a minute or two before he barked, “Enough.” Then his gaze swung to Carl and me. “My employees don't need to prove themselves to you. They’ve more than proven themselves to me, on the battlefield and off. If that's not good enough for you, then you can hire another firm.”
After glaring at Carl, I turned
to Brecken. “It’s my decision to make, and I’m comfortable with the team you've assigned me.”
“You're the boss,” Carl grumbled.
“Damn straight I am,” I shot back.
He’d been a little testier than usual since I announced my plan to retire. Like most people, he didn't understand why I was getting out of the game when I was on top. But it wasn't their decision to make, and I didn't let other people’s opinions bother me too much. Sera might be the exception, though. The approval shining from the sexy but dangerous brunette’s green eyes meant more than it should this soon after meeting her.
Sera
It was rare for a hotshot athlete to truly be cool with me being assigned to their close protection detail, but the firmness with which Rowan shot down his agent’s objections made it clear that he was. Some of our male clients pretended they were completely on board because they hoped to get in my pants. But since I was there to protect them, not sleep with them, that was never going to happen. I’d never been tempted to get personal with a client. Until Rowan.
Not that anyone with a vagina would blame me. He was hot as fuck with his muscular six-foot-three frame, thick dark hair, dark eyes, and square jawline covered with scruff. Backing me up the way he had only made him more attractive to me.
“Thanks, boss. I’ve got it from here.” I walked to the door and opened it. Looking over my shoulder at Rowan and his agent, I added, “Since Whit, Devon, and I will be working your case, how about we head into the conference room to hammer out the details? I’m sure Brecken has a million other things to do today.”
Rowan was the first out the door, moving faster than I expected. Whit and Devon followed him, and his agent wasn’t far behind them. Whit led us into the conference room, claiming a chair at the head of the long table. Devon chose to sit opposite from him on the other end. Rowan and Carl snagged the seats closest to the door, leaving me with the side across from them.
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