The Heiress & the Bodyguard

by Ryanne Corey

  Billy started to do as he was told, then froze. “Colin?”

  “Lucas?”

  Julie’s head was swinging from one man to the other so quickly, she was dizzy. The blond, spiky-haired intruder looked downright disappointed, lowering his gun and lifting his beer to his lips. “Damn it, I thought I was going to have some fun. What a shame.”

  Billy turned on his heel, looking ready to kill the best friend he had in the world. “What the hell are you doing here? You’re never here. Do you know you almost shot me?”

  The light-haired fellow took a long swallow of beer, green eyes changing from menace to merriment in a split second. “Did not. You’re the one who actually shoots people, I just threaten them.” His curious gaze roamed over Julie head to toe and toe to head. What he saw seemed to please him mightily. “Still, maybe I should have shot you after all, Lucas. Who is your beautiful friend?”

  “Can I put my hands down?” Julie asked faintly.

  Colin nodded. “Sure thing. Sorry about that.”

  Julie tottered over to the bed and sat on the edge. Her mind told her this was Colin, and the threat of imminent death was simply a case of mistaken identity. Her emotions, however, had a hard time shrugging it off. Did these people actually live like this, skipping along the fine line between life and death with such blithe assurance? Zap, in the blink of an eye Colin was nice and normal not two seconds after he threatened to kill them.

  This never happened in Palm Beach.

  “I’ve never had a gun pointed at me,” she said shakily. “I need a bit of time to adjust before I meet you, Colin. Please forgive my manners.”

  “She’s a purebred!” Colin said gleefully. “You never cease to amaze me, Lucas.” Then, to Julie, “How do you do? I’m Colin Spears, and I’m your new friend. I’m sorry about the gun, really. Usually I don’t need guns with women.”

  Billy’s blood went from simmer to boil when Colin started flirting with Julie. “Stop it right there,” he said through gritted teeth. “She’s off-limits, pal. Got it?”

  “Yes, Billy,” Colin replied meekly, green eyes dancing a tango. “I’m sorry, Billy. I thought you were an intruder, Billy.”

  “So what’s with the beer?” Billy yelled. “You’re trying to tell me you thought an intruder was up here, but you stopped at the fridge for a beer?”

  “Yes.” He took another swig. “I was thirsty.”

  Billy knelt down on the carpet in front of Julie. “This jerk is Colin Spears, and I’m going to beat him black and blue after you go to sleep. Are you all right?”

  “Fine,” Julie said dazedly. Then, a new light in her eyes, “it was sort of a rush.”

  “A purebred with spirit!” Colin whooped. “I’m going to shoot you after all, Lucas. I want her for myself. Where did you get that ugly-as-sin car in the garage? It looks like a little lime.”

  Billy knew he was in dangerous water at this point. Colin was half-looped, which wasn’t unusual when he was off-duty, but he tended to talk too much when he was well-oiled. If he happened to say anything contrary to Billy’s “vacation” story, Billy would be in deep trouble. Any reference to Billy’s new security firm or recent retirement from the force would be highly unwelcome under the circumstances. “You’re very tired,” he told Julie. “I’m going to get Colin out of here so you can get some rest.”

  “But it’s his house. We can’t stay here now. We need to find a motel, Billy.”

  “No, we don’t,” Billy replied, giving Colin a look that clearly said behave. “Colin is only staying for one night. He never stays in one place more than one night at a time.”

  “Really?” Despite the threatening look Billy gave him, Colin’s voice dripped with exaggerated disappointment. “I thought I came up for a week. I must have been mistaken.”

  “That’s right,” Billy muttered, his anxious gaze still roaming over Julie’s pale features. “You were mistaken, Colin. I’ll let you know just how mistaken when we go downstairs. Julie, get some sleep. I’m sorry about this incredibly unwelcome visitor.”

  “Like she said, it’s my house,” Colin whined, the gun still dangling from his fingers. “What do you mean visitor?”

  “Shut up, Colin. Drink your beer.” To Julie, “We’ll sort it out in the morning, all right? If you need me, I’ll be right downstairs.”

  “So will I!” Colin piped in.

  “How reassuring,” Julie murmured, her glazed eyes still focused on Colin’s gun. “You should…you might want to put that away now. I just discovered I don’t like guns.”

  “Oh.” Colin slipped his gun back in the waistband of his jeans. “Sorry.”

  “Good night, Julie.” Billy wanted to say more, do more for her, but Colin had to be eliminated from the equation, the room, and hopefully the condo, as quickly as possible. Raking a hand through his hair, Billy got to his feet and headed for the doorway. “You’ll be coming downstairs now, Spears.”

  “Figured as much.” Colin wiggled his fingers at Julie. “Nighty-night, beautiful angel in my bed. Tomorrow we’ll do lunch, just the two of us.”

  “The hell you will.” Billy grabbed Colin by the arm, dragging him along with tightly muscled force. Billy was bigger than Colin, angrier than Colin and far more experienced when it came to manhandling reluctant companions. Bearing this in mind, Colin toddled along like a good boy.

  “Parting is such sweet sorrow,” he called out to Julie, bright-eyed and full of good humor, despite the fact he was being hauled off like a petty criminal. “That I shall say…I shall say…Lucas, what’s the rest of it?”

  “Shut up, Colin.”

  Colin shook his head. “No, you fool. That’s not it. Easy, you’re spilling my—”

  The door closed with audible force, cutting short Colin’s recitation. Still wide-eyed, still short of breath, her heart still jumping like a rabbit in her chest, Julie flopped backwards on the bed.

  Her adventure was taking on a startling life of its own.

  “So you’re still lying for a living?”

  Slumped on the sofa with a beer in hand, Billy raised one eyebrow at Colin. He had spent as little time as possible explaining the Julie/Harris/Billy thing, hoping Colin wouldn’t delve too deep. Just a job, he had told Colin. Nothing more. “You know what they say…old dog, new tricks, not a chance. So don’t shoot your mouth off and blow this for me. I’m making a hell of a lot more money than I ever did risking my life.”

  “I should say,” Colin murmured. “Seeing as how you’re getting paid by both the brother and the angel. Nice going.”

  Billy grunted. It was the only sound he could trust himself to make. Colin knew the old Billy, the “pre-Julie” Billy. Naturally he figured Billy was still looking out for number one. If Billy protested too much—there was the Shakespeare thing again—Colin might see too much. From the beginning, Billy knew he had been something of a hero to Colin. Colin had come on the force when Billy was strutting the streets in his full glory, taking bullets and diving into battle with great enthusiasm. He had little to lose, therefore why not put it on the line whenever duty called? We’re all dying, he’d been fond of saying. Just some of us are doing it faster than others. Pass the pretzels and give me another beer.

  Unfortunately, the cynicism and “bad boy” attitude that made Billy such a legendary cop was translating into something less appealing as an ordinary citizen. He didn’t want to be called upon to explain that to Colin, not right now when his heart and head were scrambled like a dozen broken eggs. He was still a guy’s guy, he told himself. Still the hardy American mutt, doing just fine for himself without noble lineage or a drop of blue blood.

  “You’re such a moron,” Colin replied idly, concentrating on opening the second beer of their reunion. “I meant you’re lying to me, not the lady upstairs. Well, actually you’re lying to all of us, but I know better.”

  The American mutt slumped further down in the sofa. Here we go, he thought. I should have known Colin would see right through me. “I don
’t want to talk about Julie. You know the story. Leave it alone.”

  Some people would have been intimidated by Billy’s dark look and flat tone. Unfortunately, Colin was not one of them. “No.”

  “Don’t make me kill you,” Billy said, only half in jest.

  “I’d thought nothing could surprise me after working with the Wonder Undercover Boy in Oakland, but I was wrong. You, my oft-injured friend, have developed a conscience. Not only that—”

  “You’re cruising, pal.”

  “Will you stop with the threats? I’m the one with the gun in the room. Where was I?” Colin scratched his head for a minute, trying to think. “I hate this haircut, I really do. Oh, yes. Not only have you developed a conscience, but I see a glimmer of a heart, as well. She’s gotten to you, hasn’t she? I never thought I would see the day. Can you hear the sound of the hearts breaking all over southern California?”

  “I’ve only known her for a couple of days.”

  Colin’s eyes held a knowing gleam. “And how long have you been watching her?”

  Billy sighed. This was the downside of having friends, true friends who didn’t think twice before hitting you mercilessly with the unvarnished truth. Still, Colin had called his bluff, and unlike in their old poker games, Billy had lost. “I’ve been watching Julie Roper for three weeks, three days and about—” he consulted his watch “—six hours and twenty minutes.”

  “How the mighty have fallen.” All traces of humor left Colin’s face. He was younger than Billy, with absolutely no experience in the realm of selfless emotion, and no desire to rectify the situation. Still, he knew it when he saw it. “Lucas…no one thinks more of you than I do. I won’t admit that again, so treasure the information. But you and I thrive in places someone like Julie Roper would drown in. We’ve got our strengths, and they keep us alive, but that’s been bred into us. We keep guard over the rest of the world, we don’t mingle with it. I know I just met Julie, but she has upper class written all over her beautiful face. High altitude, tip-top, cream of the crop, upper, upper class.”

  Billy put down his untouched beer, got to his feet and walked to the sliding glass door. Had he bothered to look beyond, he could have seen the peaceful white curl of the waves washing the shoreline far below. His mind, however, was stubbornly imprinted with Julie’s delicate china-doll image. “I know,” he said softly. “I’ve tried not to think about it, but I know what you’re telling me. I’m all right with how this is going to end.”

  “Are you?”

  He turned, giving Colin an oddly blank look. “I’m lying again, just in case you don’t know.”

  “Oh, I know. I also know that none of this is really any of my business, so feel free to belt me and put an end to the discussion.”

  “You’re too easy a mark. Where’s the challenge in knocking out a little guy with a crew cut?”

  Colin looked pained at the mention of his recent loss. “I feel naked, Lucas, and not the good kind of naked. With God as my witness, I swear I will never be without my ponytail again.”

  Billy smiled faintly, more than happy to change the subject. “As long as you’re wearing blue and handing out speeding tickets, you’re doomed to the clean-cut look. And while we’re talking about your bad luck, you’ll have to make yourself scarce for the rest of the week. I’ll spring for a hotel.”

  “This is so not fair,” Colin grumbled. “I’ve been sitting in that damn trial for weeks, dreaming about getting down here and having some fun. We won, by the way. The guy got life.”

  “I’m happy for you. But not happy enough to let you stay here and hit on Julie.”

  “I have to be honest with you—that’s exactly what I would do.” Colin sighed and tossed his empty beer can across the room, a perfect slam-dunk into the trash can. “I feel so unwanted. Can I at least sleep with you on the pull-out bed?”

  “Hell, no. But I’ll take the floor since I’m appropriating your house.”

  A wide smile split Colin’s face. “Okay. This is just like old times. Remember the stakeout on Downington Street? Thirteen days and nights with warm beer, cold pizza and a hard floor. Oh man, those were the days. Don’t you miss the craziness sometimes? Don’t you get bored and want to take a bullet or something?”

  “At first I missed the excitement,” Billy admitted, his eyes taking on a faraway look. “But lately, it’s been all right. Lately it’s been…good.”

  “Lately,” Colin concluded flatly. “As in the past three weeks, three days, six hours and twenty minutes?”

  “Yeah.”

  Colin shook his head sadly, mourning now for a new, more unexpected loss. “This is horrible. You did take a bullet, my friend. This time in the vicinity of the heart.”

  “I’ll survive,” Billy said. “I always do, don’t I?”

  Because of his sincere concern for his friend, Colin risked one last cautionary observation. “She’s not from your planet, Lucas. In her world, they wouldn’t have a clue who you were, and they wouldn’t much like it when they found out. What do they know about survivors?”

  “They?”

  “The privileged class,” Colin replied. “In case you haven’t figured it out, we belong to another group a little further on down the food chain. Myself, I wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s the secret to being happy, my friend—being content with your lot in life. Plus, we get to carry a gun, which is also cool.”

  “Have I ever told you how much I appreciate your advice?”

  Colin looked pleased. “No.”

  “Good.”

  Seven

  And so it had come to this.

  Julie Roper of the Palm Beach Ropers was wearing men’s slacks, a white Fruit of the Loom T-shirt and, incredibly, a pair of nicely bleached men’s briefs. The entire outfit was securely fastened with a skinny black tie she had found in Colin’s closet. Rummaging in Colin’s drawers for something to wear had been terribly rude but quite necessary. She hoped he wouldn’t mind. The Gator Getaway outfit was badly in need of a wash, and Julie was badly in need of clothes and makeup. She decided vacation wish number one would be to buy a few things off the rack. Wish number two would take her to a thrift store for a few necessities. She’d never been to a thrift store, so here would be another new experience to add to her growing list.

  From the moment she opened her eyes that morning, she was in a “champagne” mood, feeling golden and tickled from the inside out. The startling events of the night before had taken on a luster of their own as Julie relived Colin’s thrilling arrival. She decided no life was complete without having heard of those four thrilling words: Get your hands up.

  It just kept getting better and better.

  She had seen a new side of Billy when Colin had arrived, a terribly appealing macho thing she found fascinating. Neither Harris nor Beau had ever struck her as being particularly blessed with raw masculine charisma, but the instinctive, good-natured rivalry Colin and Billy shared positively dripped with earthy magnetism. Like every other aspect of Billy’s emerging character, she found his camaraderie with another male fascinating. Billy was a man’s man through and through. And although Colin had been quite pleasant after he decided not to shoot them, Billy possessed an aura of supreme experience and self-confidence that overshadowed the younger man’s boyish appeal. Someday, if Colin was very, very lucky, he might grow up to be as macho as his best friend.

  Her hair was still wet from her shower when she carefully descended the stairs, hands holding up the hem of her slacks just as she would hold up the skirt of an evening gown. The aroma of coffee filled the air, and California sunshine dropped a welcoming, hazy square of white on the carpet—but no Billy. She poured herself a cup of coffee, then wandered out to the balcony to check the beach for her bodyguard. No Billy, no Colin, no anybody.

  When she heard a raspy, muffler-type rumble coming from the garage, she smiled, set her coffee on the table and headed for the second set of stairs. Oh, she loved surprises. These days life was handing
her one right after another.

  The garage door was open, and in the daylight she could see a testosterone vision in a black leather vest, denim shirt and stone-washed jeans sitting astride a huge motorcycle. She didn’t know which was more impressive, Billy’s aura of road-warrior wildness, or the gleaming, hungry-sounding machine. He sat astride the beast with lazy confidence, looking like a long-haired James Dean anxious to hit the road.

  “The car is gone,” Julie said while she shamelessly salivated.

  “Colin wanted to borrow it. We traded transportation for a couple of days.” He grinned, white teeth flashing in his tanned face. “Good morning, boss. Nice outfit, but the pants look a little precarious.”

  Julie lifted her T-shirt just high enough to show off her new belt. “I’m secure. I hope Colin won’t mind.”

  “He won’t know,” Billy replied. “He had an overwhelming urge to drive a lime-green rental car and sightsee up and down the coast. We won’t see him for a couple of days if we’re lucky.”

  “I can’t hear you over the motorcycle,” she said. “Colin wanted to what?”

  “Never mind Colin.” He revved the motorcycle deliberately, his reckless smile rearranging the rhythm of her heartbeat. “Wanna go for a ride, little girl? We can begin your vacation from convention in style.”

  Elated, Julie climbed on the bike behind Billy. She nearly melted the plastic soles of her shoes on the exhaust pipe before Billy explained to her where her feet went. He dropped a helmet on her head and told her to hang on to him with all her might, mind and strength.

  Julie had never ridden a motorcycle before. She had never held on to any man with all her might, mind and strength. She found both experiences wonderfully exhilarating. She loved the wild wind that went along for the ride, loved the feeling of being closer to the people and the cars and the flowering shrubs they passed at what seemed like lightspeed. The shapes and shades blurred into one another, like a Monet watercolor. She loved the rock-hard strength she felt in Billy’s muscles, the tight ridges of bone and sinew. He was warm and confident and so very male, and those qualities were irresistible to a sheltered innocent. It felt as though the more trust she put in him, the more independence she gained. She recognized a sensation of power and passion rising within her, and she tightened her choke-hold on Billy’s waist. Mine, mine, she thought fiercely, then had to grin at her own temerity. This uncharacteristic intensity was just one more surprise that came along with the hazy, jangly, laid-back ease of the California artists’ colony. There were people everywhere on the streets, in everything from bicycles to mopeds to convertibles, crowding the intersections and sidewalk cafés. All the structures seemed to be made of either white or pink stucco, and they greedily crowded each other all the way from the sea to the tops of the foothills. So many people, and Julie Roper was just a face in the crowd. Just another tourist, but one who was truly having the most glorious time of her life.