She sucked her teeth. “Am I supposed to be reading between the lines here or something?”
He laughed and pointed at the door. “Get out of my office. I have work to do.”
She had one hand on the door when Rook called out to her again.
“Geo? Go easy on him, okay? Our job is to keep him safe. And that’s exactly what we’re gonna do.”
***
Moreau had been waiting for Geo to confront him about this, and she didn’t disappoint.
“Are you gonna get yourself killed in order to prove a point?”
She slammed his bedroom door closed behind her and he swiveled in his desk chair. “And exactly what point would I be attempting to prove, Geo?”
“Don’t call me Geo.” She narrowed her eyes at him.
That got a genuine chuff of surprise from him. “I’m sorry? I thought you hated your first name.”
“You’re the one who explained it to me, Moreau. That you use a first name when you’re sweet on someone. And now you’re over here calling me Geo like you’re not sweet on me anymore.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
Damn. But this woman could just wreck him. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I’m still sweet on you. I’m not a fickle man.”
“Then why are you over there and I’m over here and in a week we’re just going to all grin and shove you in the line of fire?”
Moreau perked up. “Rook agreed then? He’s found a way to let me do the red carpet?”
She frowned and strode over to his bed, tossing herself down into a cross-legged sit. Her elbows on her knees. “Of course he figured out how to do it. The man is a tactical genius. But what I want to know is why you’re asking him to do it. And why you’re frowning and serious and calling me Geo. Explain.”
“I’ve just had a dose of reality, is all.” He swiveled away from the sight of her on his bed and looked out the window instead. It was the same view as the one from his old room in the crow’s nest, just two floors down. The East River was inky black and ominous out his window, in the distance, the Statue of Liberty burned on into the night.
He turned to her. Charmed, despite himself, by the ornery expression on her face. “I’ve realized that I can’t force my way into love, Geo. Either it’s there or it’s not. And you’ve been very clear with me, from the beginning, that I was barking up the wrong tree.” He paused and waited until his throat stopped tightening. “I’ve made mistakes with who I’ve trusted in the past. I live a good life. I’m warm and fed and my mother loved me very much when she was alive. For these things I’m grateful. It is quite a bit more than most people get. I think I was being… unrealistic in my search for more.”
He turned to her and was momentarily silenced by the absolutely stricken look on her face. She looked like he’d just told her he had minutes left to live.
But he’d started it, and now he had to finish it.
“It’s not my lot in life to be surrounded by people who… want me. I pay good people to care for certain aspects of my life.” He rose up and held out two hands to her that she took in a dazed sort of way. He guided her off of his bed. “And that is going to have to be enough.”
He gently led Geo to the door of his bedroom. She tugged away from him, her arms coming to cross over her chest. “Moreau—”
“Davy,” he corrected her, and though it felt as if he were shoving a blade under his own ribs, he gave her a charming wink. Something he would have done to the audience during a late night television interview. He wanted to show her that there were no hard feelings. Because there weren’t. Only sad ones, really.
She flinched back from him, disbelief in her eyes. Then, drawing a long breath, her eyes narrowed and he could practically see the battle rise within her. She made a small, rude noise and brushed past him, slamming the door behind her.
He chuckled into the vacuous emptiness she’d left in her wake.
He’d had as much of Savannah Georgia as he’d ever get, and instead of being sad that they weren’t made for forever, he was going to be damn grateful for the parts of her she’d allowed him to have.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Geo was damn near stunned for the next two days. Rook and Sequence were running around with their heads practically cut off, attempting to plan the security aspects for the red carpet appearance next week, but Geo merely did her job. She monitored the security feeds when she was supposed to, ran errands when it was her turn, monitored Moreau’s movements within the bunker, ate, slept, and walked around in a complete daze.
She’d been dumped.
It wasn’t the first time she’d been dumped. But that didn’t mean it didn’t sting like a bitch.
It wasn’t the rejection that was hurting her the most. No. It was the mild uneasiness she felt that this whole thing was her fault. She was trying not to blame herself, considering she did what she could with what she had. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was capable of more than what she’d given to Davy.
She’d gone feet first into their quasi-relationship with full body armor on. And then she’d been shocked when he hadn’t liked getting his ass knocked to shit over and over again.
Who the hell wanted to get told over and over again that they weren’t what she was looking for? And isn’t that what she’d done? Sort of?
Or not.
The pendulum of her mood swung back the other way and she was mad again. All she’d asked for was time. And standing outside that SUV, after that knee-knocking orgasm, hadn’t she basically spelled it out for him? That maybe she could be with him if he would just play the game her way for a little while? If he’d just keep things chill and casual until she could get used to it, then sooner or later, she was going to come around.
But yeah. Her anger swung back on the pendulum. Maybe the whole problem was that she’d been thinking of this as some kind of game with rules, and he’d just been gunning for her heart.
Geo plunked into her seat in the tactical meeting with the team and frowned at the wide berth that they all gave her. Even Rook was sitting on the other side of the table.
“Am I supposed to be leading this meeting or something?” She scowled at her pansy-ass friends.
“No offense, G,” Atlas said, looking like he was tiptoeing across a field of daisies with mines buried underneath. “But you’ve been a little on edge the last few days.”
“Have I, Atlas?” she asked, with a grin that sent a shiver down all of their backs at once.
“Geo, do you have an issue that you need to address with the group, or are you going to calm down enough for us to have this tactical meeting?” Rook’s voice was hard, serious, more somber than it usually was. And Geo promptly remembered just how much danger Moreau was going to be in the second he stepped out of the bunker.
“No. No problem. Just some dumbass personal shit.” She dragged a hand over her face. “I’m ready to work.”
“All right,” Rook said briskly, handing out their standard-issue iPads. “Let’s get down to business.”
Rook explained each person’s duty in detail. How they were going to protect Moreau physically and remotely as he walked the red carpet. Geo was ever grateful that she was a physical bodyguard. Rook and Sequence had their work cut out for them, working the cyber end of Moreau’s safety, and monitoring every camera feed at once.
She frowned when Rook revealed that Wilkes had actually been pretty psyched that Moreau had agreed to this. Their one and only suspect had disappeared like a sneeze in the wind and they were fresh out of leads for where to search for him. Their hope was that a big, public appearance would lure him out.
The only plus side that Geo could figure was it meant there were going to be a shit ton of LAPD attending this event as well. That was better than nothing. Though Geo would have chosen her team over theirs any day of the week.
Geo couldn’t help but notice that Rook had apparently saved her duties on the day of the event for last. That was unusual simply because he ran thr
ough her duties quickly and first. Along with Atlas, she had the simplest job of the whole team. Her job description usually read something like: shadow client.
“Now,” Rook said, clearing his throat. “As you can all see, we’ll have Sequence and I stationed in two different safe zones, except for the pick-up and drop-off. Cedric and Atlas will be plain-clothed and shadowing Moreau, vigilant for any in-person threat.” Rook cleared his throat again. “But, to be honest, I’m still not comfortable with this event, no matter how close his bodyguards stick to him. Unless we can have one of you wrapped around him—”
“Oh my god,” Geo grumbled, one hand over her eyes. “You want me to go as his date.”
There was a tense, silent moment before she heard the distinct sounds of a group of men shifting uncomfortably. There was the sound of pants against seats, legs getting crossed, throats being cleared, papers being shuffled, and at least one person had gulped water.
She dropped her hand and met a roomful of guilty eyes.
“What the hell?” she demanded. “You all knew already?”
“Geo,” Rook started. “We, as a team, have never done anything like this before. Had an agent posing as something else. And I wanted to make sure that each member of our team was fully on board with it before we even bothered asking you.”
She huffed out a breath, unsure if she was angry, irritated, or intrigued. “You really think that the best way for me to protect Moreau is to put on an evening gown and give him hickeys all night?”
Rook cleared his throat. “The hickeys are optional.”
Geo couldn’t help but roll her eyes and laugh. “But the evening gown isn’t?”
Rook sighed deeply. “Look, you’re free to say no and you’ll shadow him just like Cedric and Atlas are going to do. Or you can say yes and stick to him like glue the entire night. And if you do say yes, you have some options. The press, obviously, are going to want to know who you are. We can either create an airtight alias for you. Or…”
“Or I go as myself.” She looked in turn at each person’s face. She couldn’t interpret a single one of their expressions. “And the press will write some love saga about how Moreau Davy jumped into bed with a member of his security team.”
Atlas, bless him, actually had the balls to speak up. “Isn’t that kinda what happened, G?”
“None of your damn business what happened with me and Moreau.”
“Actually,” Rook put a finger in the air. “As your boss, it is my damn business. But we don’t have to talk about that now. We do have to talk about whatever you’re going to choose. Because either way, we’re going to have to massively tailor our plans to suit which direction you go.”
Geo groaned and dragged her hands down her face. By the time her palms were slapping the table top, her eyes were trained on the heavens. “Jesus. Beat me over the head with it, will you?” she demanded of a higher power. She turned her gaze back to her team and glowered at them all. “I’ll do it. I’ll do it as myself.”
***
Moreau blinked, took a deep breath, and willed himself back into reality. He could have sworn he’d just heard Rook explain to him that Geo was going to be posing as his girlfriend. But that couldn’t possibly be true. That kind of thing only happened in movies.
And he was an expert on movies.
“I’m sorry. Repeat that last part, please. I must have spaced out.”
He was aware of the uncomfortable glances that the members of the security team were shooting one another. But he was more aware of Geo’s gaze on the side of his face. She was raw and calm and unrelenting.
“I was saying that the less… orthodox part of our security plan for you involves Geo being undercover as your girlfriend.”
Nope. Yup. He’d heard it that time as well. His mouth went slack he looked at everyone but Geo, trying to discern if this was a joke or not.
The group sat at the big square table in their tactical room. It was the same place that Moreau had been briefed on every security plan that Rook Securities had planned for him in the past.
His brain attempted to slog through pudding in order to understand this. “I’m sorry. She’ll be undercover? What does this mean?”
“It means that, to the world, she’ll be there as your girlfriend. Not as a member of your security personnel.”
“And… what will her name be?” It was the only way he could think to ask the question that was rattling around in his head. Which was, basically, how the hell are we going to be able to protect Geo’s privacy if she’s parading around as my girlfriend??
Rook cleared his throat. “Savannah Georgia. As usual. For anyone who asks, you’ve just started up a romance with a member of your security team and now she’s accompanying you on a personal level.”
The gears in Moreau’s head simply stopped grinding. There was nowhere else for them to go. He’d never particularly understood the English word flummoxed until that particular moment. He was completely and utterly flummoxed.
He chanced his first look at Geo.
Shit.
She did not look happy. In fact, she looked downright unhappy. His blood turned to ice when he realized what it was that she must have been thinking.
Jesus no. God no.
He sprang to his feet.
“Davy?” Rook said, startled and halfway rising from his chair.
“I need a minute,” Moreau choked out. “I need a minute with Geo.”
He strode to the door of the room and stepped out into the hall, not even sure that she would follow. God, he hoped she followed.
First, her footsteps, and then her full, beautiful self stepped out into the hallway.
He couldn’t wait even half a second to clear this up.
“That wasn’t my idea, Geo. I would never, ever, attempt to trap you in that way. I know the red carpet was my idea. But it never occurred to me that this would be the job that Rook would choose for you. I’m not trying to force my hand, I swear. I have no desire to trap you into fame. Never. I’d never do this to you—”
“Moreau!” She clapped a hand over his mouth, stopping the flow of words and stepping fully into his space. “I know. It was Rook’s idea, okay? He gave me a choice.”
There was an extended moment where Moreau simply blinked at her. “You chose this?”
His words were still muffled behind her hand. He pulled her hand away and simply stared down at her.
He’d never noticed their height difference quite so clearly before. Maybe it was because he wasn’t hunched over his crutches. But he had a head of height over her. She blinked up at him with a sincere and vulnerable expression in her eyes that he couldn’t quite make out.
“Look, it makes sense, okay? I’ll be able to stick to you like glue, with no one questioning it. It also sends the message to anyone who might want to hurt you that you have a fully trained ass-kicker sleeping in your bed every night. And…” She trailed off and looked at her feet for a long minute. “And I spoke to Rook about being vigilant in protecting you from anyone my father owes money to. Just because they know that I am tied up with you doesn’t mean they’re going to be coming after you for money, all right? That is not gonna be your problem.”
“Geo.” He waited until she gave him her eyes fully. “I don’t understand this.”
She sucked her teeth and held his eyes. “It’s not that complicated, Davy. Don’t overthink it.”
And then she was ducking back into the tactical room and Moreau was blinking at the blank walls.
Don’t overthink it.
The reality hit him in waves.
It wasn’t the fame that bothered her, obviously, because she was agreeing to step into the lion’s den of paparazzi as a woman of high interest. She was agreeing to be his fake girlfriend and everything that came with it—except for intimacy with him.
His head spun. Somehow they’d gone from her wanting friends with benefits, to no benefits, barely friends, but all the trappings of a relationship.
; The only thing that those two arrangements had in common was that they didn’t include loving him. She got to take him in pieces, whichever pieces she wanted, and whatever she didn’t want, she kicked aside.
Nothing had changed. She hadn’t loved him yesterday. She didn’t love him today. And she sure as hell wasn’t going to love him tomorrow.
***
“I need the day off,” Geo told Rook for the very first time in her entire life. Ever since she’d taken on her father’s debts and started paying for his place in the Ferndale Center, Rook had had to force her to take time off. She’d worked every single hour that was humanly possible.
It was unusual for her to ask for time off and it was even more unusual for her to ask for it while they were in the middle of a lockdown.
“You’re serious?”
“Dead.”
Rook set down the surveillance equipment he’d just been familiarizing himself with and turned around to face her. “Is everything all right?”
Geo attempted to keep her face neutral and not let everything show on her miserable face. “No.”
Rook blinked at her. This was another first for her. “Is it your father?”
“No. Rook, I know that you know.”
He bit his bottom lip for a second and scraped a wide palm over the back of his neck. “That you’ve been sleeping with one of our clients? Yeah. I figured that out.”
“I haven’t been sleeping with him.” Geo threw her hands up in frustration. “The man won’t give it up!”
Rook let out a surprised bark of laughter and went to sit in his desk chair, Geo following suit with the chair across from him. “That’s not where I expected that to go.”
“It wasn’t what I expected either,” she scowled. “Aren’t movie stars supposed to be totally slutty?”
“I’ve known Moreau a long time and have never had to cover up any sort of sex scandal for him. Or protect him from crazy exes. If that means anything.”
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