Guarding Amberley

by Nicole Flockton

  Amberley clenched her fists to stop herself from grabbing the thousand dollar decorative pillow next to her and throwing it at her mother. “Mom, stop it. I’m not fifteen anymore.” She stood up, making a decision. “Honestly, your support hasn’t been all that supportive. And your lack of faith is hurtful. While you may not believe in my screenwriting abilities, Trident Movies, and Pascal Hernandez do. I’m writing the screen play for Pascal’s new action adventure movie, and I’m going out of town for the next couple of weeks on a research trip.”

  “What? Pascal Hernandez asked you to write a movie?” Her father blurted out. It took a lot to make John Price sit up and listen, naming one of the hottest directors in Hollywood would do it every time.

  “Yes, Dad he did. He personally phoned me and told me about the ideas he had and asked me to come up with a short sample for him to read. I did that and he liked where I was headed. He asked me to write the whole thing, which I’ve been doing over the last month. I’m very excited and I would appreciate your support.”

  “Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Her mother asked.

  “If you’d taken an interest at all in what I’m doing, you’d know that the scripts I’ve written for some independent movies have been praised. But you’ve ignored all that because all you want is for me it to do what you want and go back into acting. You need to understand that’s not happening. My future is as a screenwriter.”

  The silent conversation going on between her parents was quite entertaining, even if she had no idea what they were saying. Her parents had been together so long they could basically communicate their thoughts and feelings with a raised eyebrow or pursed lip.

  “Well that’s wonderful, darling.” Her dad rose from his chair and crossed the short distance to give her a quick hug. “Where are you headed for your research trip?”

  “Virginia. There’s a Navy SEAL base there.”

  “Virginia?” Her mom asked. “Why not go to San Diego. It’s closer.”

  And close enough for you to lure me back to L.A. on some pretext when you find the next victim you want me to marry.

  No way would she tell her mother that, no matter how annoying she was being. Despite Bettina’s attempts to not listen to her daughter, Amberley had no doubt her mother loved her in her own unique way.

  “True, but I don’t know anyone in San Diego. I know someone in Virginia who’s in the Navy and has been helping me with any questions I’ve had. Now I want to go see him and immerse myself into how a Navy SEAL lives and the job he does. Draw those experiences into my script.” The more she talked the more feasible and believable it sounded.

  “That’s a good idea, sweetheart,” her father commented from his position back in his chair.

  “Yes, why don’t we make it a girls trip. It’ll be fun to be just the two of us.” Bettina smiled a satisfied glint entering her eyes, as if the plans were all finalized and didn’t require further instruction. It was a look Amberley was familiar with.

  “Geez, Mom, no. No girls trip. I don’t need you to come with me. I’m a grown woman. I live by myself. I’ll be fine. Besides I won’t be among strangers. I’ll be with Thomas Grant. He’ll be helping me and I’ll be staying with him.” Mentally crossing her fingers that Tom would be willing to help her, not to mention let her stay with him.

  Shit, what if he lived on base and didn’t have room for her? She brushed the thought away. If she had to, she’d stay in a hotel. Her parents didn’t need to know that.

  “Thomas Grant? Isn’t he the brother of that Jenny girl?”

  Amberley controlled the urge to roll her eyes. Her mom hadn’t really appreciated the likes of Jenny and her brother Thomas in Amberley’s life. What purpose did it serve to have people in your life who couldn’t help your career, her mom had prattled to her over and over. But she’d been determined to have a sort of normal life. As normal as she could get with who her parents and grandparents were. But for a short while she had and it had been a wonderful time of her life.

  “Yes, Mom, Thomas is Jenny’s brother and you know he serves his country. I don’t like that you talk down about him. He puts his life on the line time and again so you can drive around in your Bentley and drink it up with your fake friends at the Beverly Hills Hotel. And,” she paused going in for the kill. “He’s my boyfriend.”

  Chapter Two

  Thomas ‘Red’ Grant laughed at something Joker said while pulling out his phone which had vibrated with an incoming message.

  He looked down and saw Amberley’s name in the little rectangular box on his home screen. Every time he saw her name, his heart rate kicked up a notch and this time was no different. If the guys knew she was sending him a message they’d give him a hard time. They already did whenever he answered one of her texts.

  No matter how many times he told them he and Amberley were just friends, they didn’t believe him. If the truth be told, he kept saying it in an attempt to convince himself. She was his little sister’s best friend, and there was the unwritten rule that you didn’t tap your sister’s friends, no matter how sexy and attractive they were. The flirty texts didn’t help.

  Before he could unlock his phone the device rang. Once again Amberley’s name popped up. Why was she calling? She never called. Their dealings had always been via text message.

  Anxiety that something had happened to Jenny and her husband had him swiping to accept the call quicker than a jackrabbit.

  “Amberley, it’s Red, what’s up?”

  “Red? Thomas is that you?”

  Tom walked away from the guys when he noted that conversation had stopped the second he’d mentioned Amberley’s name. Yeah, he’d be getting twenty questions when he finished with the call.

  “Sorry, yeah, Amberley, it’s me, Tom. Red is my nickname.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I forgot you guys give yourselves nicknames. I’ll have to make a note of that in my script. Umm, so listen.” Amberley paused, the silence lengthening. Even though the anxiety that something had happened to Jenny had partially faded, he still remained poised to spring into action if needed. “I hope you’re not too busy, it’s just that I’m at Norfolk International airport. Do you think you can come and get me?”

  Whatever he’d been expecting, for Amberley to say she was at the local airport, wasn’t it. “What? You’re here? Why? Has something happened to Jenny?” Voicing his earlier thought.

  The second he finished talking, he realized how ridiculous that sounded. Amberley wouldn’t fly out to see him if Jenny was badly hurt. It would be far quicker to relay the bad news via a phone call. And the phone call would come from his parents not his sister’s best friend.

  “No. No. Jenny and Darren are fine. But, well, I needed some space and so here I am.”

  Again there was a slight hesitation in her words. What was up with that? “Are you okay? Are you the one in trouble?”

  She laughed, but again it sounded strained to his ears. “No, not really. And why is someone in trouble or danger your immediate go to?

  “Occupational hazard, Ambs. But you said not really when I asked so what’s going on?”

  “Well if you want to be technical I guess you could call annoying my parents being in trouble.”

  Tom recalled her parents. Who didn’t know Bettina and John Price. You’d have to live under a rock not to recognize their names. The guys on the team didn’t know that Amberley was their daughter. If they did, the hell they’d give him would be tripled. As it was, being the only single guy on the team now had him feeling like a third wheel on some occasions.

  “Well I can’t help you with your parents, but can help you out with a ride. Give me twenty minutes and I’ll be there.”

  “Thanks, Tom, it means a lot.” Her voiced lowered and his body reacted to her sultry tones, especially hearing her call him by the shortened version of his name. She’d only ever called him Thomas.

  “Not an issue. I’m always here to help Jenny’s friends.” And friend was all she cou
ld be, no matter how much he was attracted to her.

  Disconnecting the call he strode over to where Cowboy and Faith stood by the grill.

  “I’ve got to go. Sorry about missing lunch.” Tom walked away without giving them a chance to respond. It was rude, but the need to get to Amberley wasn’t something he could ignore.

  He’d almost made his escape when Robot, his team lead, came over to him. “Red, everything okay?”

  “Yeah, it’s nothing. My sister’s friend called. She’s at Norfolk Airport and needs a ride. I’m going to get her.”

  “Is everything okay? Is she in trouble?”

  Funny, how his team lead asked the same questions he’d asked Amberley. As he’d told her—occupational hazard. “Nah, she’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow at PT.”

  Making his escape, he headed toward his SUV, glad he wasn’t boxed in and would have to get the other guys to move their cars. Tomorrow would be soon enough to answer all their questions. At least by then he’d have some sort of idea why Amberley was escaping her parents.

  Gunning the engine, he took off in the direction of the airport, his thoughts drifting to the woman he was about to pick up and her star-studded family. Bettina Price had never been happy with Amberley and Jennifer’s friendship. He had to admit when Jenny had first introduced him to Amberley he’d been a little star struck. The fact his little sister was acting cooler than he was, hadn’t been lost on him. He’d been fifteen and a mass of raging teenage hormones and there was a TV star in his house.

  Over time she’d become just Amberley, his sister’s best friend and not Amberley the star. It had been hard to give off an I don’t give a shit about you attitude around her. It was the exact opposite—he’d wanted more than anything to kiss her and maybe more. Jenny had picked up on his crush and had told him all about the best friends code—no hitting on friends—a code he’d never heard before.

  Jenny had gone back on her word and started seeing one of his friends, Darren. By the time he’d found out he’d moved on from his crush, and was dating the head cheerleader through junior and senior year of high school. After graduation they probably had the most amicable break-up ever. He had no regrets dating Joanna, but he couldn’t deny every time he saw Amberley he always wondered what if.

  Was this now his what if time?

  Tom shook that thought out of his head as he slid into a parking spot. Picking up his phone he sent Amberley a text.

  I’m here. Where are you?

  His phone beeped pretty much straight away.

  Baggage claim. Figured this was as good as place as any to wait.

  At least she wasn’t outside. There wasn’t a lot of press hanging around the airport, not many celebrities flew into Norfolk, but someone could’ve recognized her, snapped a picture of her and put it all over social media. Her show may have ended, but who her parents were would never change so she still had enough star power for a photo to go viral.

  Fuck, it must suck to live life like that.

  I’ll be there in five

  Pocketing his phone he walked into the airport, immediately scanning the area, noting the people with backpacks, the child crying and clinging to its mother’s leg. Everyone seemed to be going about their business like normal, but that never meant anything. Things could change in a heartbeat. He’d been on enough missions to see how quickly a situation could go from normal to chaotic.

  Striding through the terminal he located the baggage claim area and headed down there. The space was packed as it looked like a couple of planes had landed at the same time. Finding Amberley would be a challenge seeing as he didn’t know if she wore a disguise. It wouldn’t surprise him if she did.

  “Thomas!”

  He turned in the direction of his name and his breath caught. Amberley was walking toward him, a big smile on her face, rolling a suitcase next to her. She looked even more beautiful since the last time he saw her at his sister’s wedding.

  Her maid of honor dress had clung to her body in all the right places. The hardest thing he had to do was walk away that night, but, he’d gotten a call for a mission and had to miss most of the reception. Today she had on a pair of skinny jeans and, was that?

  He narrowed his eyes and then threw his head back and laughed—she had an Iron Man t-shirt on.

  “Nice t-shirt. Glad you came to your senses.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far. But, I could be persuaded. Or,” she paused, looking up at him from beneath her eyelashes. “I could change your mind.”

  Before he had a chance to comprehend her flirty look, her arms were around his neck and her body pressed into his. Her flowery scent wafted around him and reminded him of the roses growing in his mother’s front yard. Reflexively his arms circled her waist. With their bodies pressed close together, it was impossible not to feel the shudder ripple through her body.

  “Really? How?”

  She smiled and touched his face. “Maybe like this.”

  A second later her lips were glued to his. Shock held him as immobile as a statue.

  Amberley Price was kissing him.

  The teenage boy he’d once been reveled in the sensation. The adult man he was now reacted like any hot-blooded male would when a gorgeous woman kissed him. He shifted the angle of his head and deepened the kiss. His dick went hard against the zipper of his jeans. Her fingers dug into his back and scrunched up the loose sweater he wore.

  They were in the middle of the airport creating a scene. He should pull back. Put some distance between them, but he’d been wanting this moment for so long that he planned to savor and memorize it.

  Who knew when this would happen again?

  The need to breathe had them separating, both their chests heaving in sync. As if it sunk in at what she’d done, Amberley stepped out of his hold, a pink hue highlighting her cheeks. He wasn’t sure if it was from their kisses or embarrassment.

  Tom cleared his throat and spied her bag sitting on the ground beside her. “Right, that’s a different form of persuasion. But, um, yeah, we should go.” He grabbed the handle and headed back in the direction he came, hoping Amberley followed.

  As he passed through the throng of people he observed the speculative looks on their faces. Yeah, he and Amberley had given a pretty good display of public affection right then.

  God, he hoped no one recognized Amberley and snapped a photo of them together. As a SEAL it was imperative that he was discrete when in public. The last thing he or the team needed was his face splashed across the gossip pages of every internet site.

  He couldn’t believe he’d been so irresponsible. He and Amberley were from completely different worlds. Worlds that didn’t belong together. Kissing Amberley couldn’t ever happen again.

  Amberley hurried to keep up with Thomas. She was tall but for every step she took, he took two.

  What the hell had she been thinking to just kiss him like that?

  She never indulged in PDA’s, and there’d been plenty of times some of her dates wanted to give the impression they were more than a photo opportunity set up by their respective agents. No one had come up to her while she’d waited for him, but she’d seen people give her a second look when they walked past.

  What if one of them had taken a photo of her and Tom kissing?

  Anyone could upload a picture of stars these days. There were so many social media sites that people were on all the time. She’d avoided social media as much as possible. She worked hard at keeping a low profile, even with her high profile parents.

  All she could hope for was that her kiss with Thomas would not be the next hour’s lead news story.

  The warm sun hit her face as she walked outside and she was glad she still had her sunglasses on. A slight breeze ruffled her hair and she dug into her tote to pull out a hat and popped it on. One thing her mother always made sure she carried—a hat and sunglasses, because you never know when you will need it Amberley. For once her mother was right.

  Her lips still tingled from th
eir contact with Thomas. How many nights had Amberley lay on the twin bed in Jenny’s room, imaging her friend’s big brother kissing her? Too many to count.

  Amberley had loved being around Jenny and her family. After their initial shock and awe that their daughter had a teenage TV star as a friend, they’d begun to treat her like a normal girl and she’d loved it. At the Grant’s house she could have all the food her mother forbade her from having. It had been freeing and when Thomas had graduated and gone off to basic training with the Navy, she’d cried in her pillow that she never had the courage to tell him she liked him.

  Well here she was following him, and about to spend time with him. Only he didn’t know that little tidbit yet. She’d cross that bridge when he asked her which hotel she was staying at.

  He stopped by a silver SUV, not the type of car she expected a single guy to drive. It looked more like a family car. Then again, he was part of a team, it made sense to have a big car. If the rest of the team were as tall and muscular as Thomas, squeezing into a muscle car would be a challenge. Not to mention a sight to see. Maybe she could write that into the script. It would make for a fun scene and bring some lightness to the movie.

  Yes, she liked that idea a lot. Quickly she pulled out her tablet and opened up her One Note document to make some notes.

  “What are you doing?” He asked and she jumped, he had moved to stand beside her.

  She looked up at him, her gaze landing on the lips she’d locked with not ten minutes ago. “Umm. I, umm.” Get a grip, girl, she admonished herself. “I had an idea for a scene for the movie I’m writing and I wanted to get it down before I forgot it.”

  He reached around her, his warmth enveloping her and she steeled her spine from leaning back into him. “Well how about you do it in the car. The parking lot is not the safest place to be loitering around taking notes on a device that could be snatched out of your hand.” He pulled the door open.

  How long had it been that someone other than a driver had opened the door for her? The dates she’d been on in the past not one of the guys had opened the door for her. But it seemed natural that Thomas would do it.