Impulse

by E. B. Walters

  “Maybe you can ask him what this job is about,” Greg said. “The suspense is killing me.”

  Me too. “Okay. Let me talk to him.”

  Jillian jumped up and paced as she waited for Lex. How was she going to deal with him? And how had he found her? He hadn’t bothered to ask for her name. And just because she’d turned him down didn’t mean he had to come up with a lame excuse to see her again. She needed a real job, not to play games with bored billionaires.

  What was she thinking? Men like him didn’t play games. They made money. Lots and lots of it, and she needed some yesterday. He probably had people bending over backward to do his biddings. She, unfortunately, was never good at bending over backward or forward. No, not true. She was pretty nimble from years of gymnastics and dance as her exes would testify. She just didn’t suck up to people.

  Talking to Lex Fitzgerald would require a nicely-worded opening line, which wasn’t her strongest point. She spoke her mind and went with her instincts. It didn’t help that Lex was gifted with everything that made him so damn alluring to women. Wealth. Good looks. Charm. Bet he was great in bed, too. Or not. Jillian giggled at her naughty thoughts. He probably gave orders and didn’t know how to let go.

  “Jillian?”

  She tried to steel herself against the effect of that smooth, sexy voice of his. She really tried and failed miserably. She closed her eyes, savoring its effect on her. Then she opened her mouth and words poured out.

  “I will not allow you to bully my agent, Lex. I said no to dinner, and I meant it.”

  A slow chuckle answered her. “If I bullied your agent, I was not aware of it. Just a second.” Then she heard him apologize to Greg before coming back on the line. “I have a job for you.”

  An arrogant billionaire who apologizes? That thought steadied her. “Let me guess. You were so impressed by my riding skills you’ve decided I should test-ride your bikes?”

  “No. I believe we have people doing that sort of thing.”

  “You believe? You don’t strike me as someone who doesn’t know every aspect of his company?”

  He chuckled. “I do, except Leeds belongs to my cousin, not me. I’m just helping him iron out a few snags.”

  Hmm, wonder what the few snags were and how he’s ironing them? “So if this is not about my stunts, what’s going on? You need a bodyguard? If Greg didn’t mention it, I’m licensed to carry a gun and I’m a fourth degree black belt in Karate.”

  A chuckle, then, “I’m listening.”

  “At the right fee, I can stop any man, woman, or uh…” She couldn’t say child. That would be insensitive. Besides, she adored kids. “Or aliens from getting to you.”

  This time, she got a laugh from him. “Aliens?”

  “They’re around. We just don’t know it, or don’t want to admit it. Anyway, are you serious about this bodyguard thing?”

  “Absolutely,” he said firmly. “It will take a lot of acting, blending in, and pretending to be something you’re not.”

  Ah, that must be where her acting abilities are needed. The problem was she sucked at acting. Tried it and failed. She was better at escaping unscathed from mayhem, a stuntwoman.

  “Then your safety will be my number one priority twenty-four seven. No one will know exactly what I am or see me coming.” She still wasn’t buying this. “Why me? There’re lots of security companies around with muscle-for-hire.”

  “I thought we were discussing this over dinner?”

  It was time to play it cool, not the desperate woman willing to make a quick buck to save her family’s business. “I have to make sure you’re legit before I agree to a dinner.”

  “Your agent vouched for me.”

  “My agent is intimidated by you. No, awed by your mere presence and your family.” She hoped she inferred she wasn’t. Actually, she was more than awed and intimidated by Lex Fitzgerald. It was a lot easier to talk to him when there were several cities between them than across a table. His ability to fluster her was a phenomenon she planned to analyze when she wasn’t listening to his sexy voice.

  “So why me?” she asked again.

  “I’ve tried hiring private security firms, but I’m dealing with a breed of threat that’s subtle and tenacious.” A creaking sound followed, and Jillian was sure it came from Greg’s chair. It tended to squeak when someone leaned forward. “You see, in my line of business, reputation is everything. Any hint of a scandal and my competitors get an edge on a bid or negotiations stall.”

  “I see.” She sat on the edge of her bed. She still wasn’t sure he was serious. “Actually, I don’t. Where do I come in?”

  “I’m talking about women, Jillian. I smile at one and they think it gives them the right to slip into my bedroom during a party, hide in the closet until my guests leave, or bribe the doorman. And my poor driver is never sure whether a woman is serious about him because they’re not above seducing him to get to me or distracting him while their friends slide in the back of my car.”

  And he was complaining? Most men would just go with the flow. That said a lot about him. “Poor man.”

  “Thank you,” Lex said.

  “I meant your driver.”

  “I don’t get any sympathy?”

  Stop being so damn irresistible. “Why? You’re getting all the girls.”

  He chuckled. “No, I’m not. I have to be polite, send them home, and put up with their husbands at the club. You have no idea how often I’ve stepped out of the shower to find a naked socialite in my bed. Or two. The last straw was the triplets.”

  Jillian’s imagination had kicked into high gear the moment Lex mentioned walking out of the shower. Was he a terry robe man or a “towel wrapped around his waist, water droplets glistening on his chiseled, broad chest” man?

  “Triplets?” Jillian whispered, her mind still enjoying the images in Naughty Land.

  “Long story,” Lex said. “The bottom line is I need a female bodyguard to stop this kind of thing from happening. Someone who can make sure I’m not subjected to nude selfies on my phone, not accosted as I enter or leave a restaurant or my building, or served with frivolous lawsuits for alleged sexual misconduct. In other words, I need you, Jillian Finnegan.”

  Geez, what a way to spoil a woman’s wicked imagination. “You get nude selfies? Lucky guy.”

  He chuckled. “I’m not. My number is unlisted and is only known to family members.”

  Then his family was trying to get him hitched. She was still not buying anything he said. “Sounds like you really need a bodyguard.”

  “Twenty-four seven. How much do you charge?”

  She’d never guarded anyone, but she needed three hundred and fifty large ones ASAP. One week’s pay, and her family problems would go bye-bye. The sum she was thinking was outrageous, but she figured if a sitcom actress could get a million per episode, fifty grand for several hours a day wasn’t bad. Plus she didn’t have a script. She had to improvise.

  “How much, Jillian?” Lex asked impatiently.

  “Fifty grand a day. That’s three-fifty a week.” She cringed and waited for his laugh or a hell no.

  Lex whistled instead, and she could imagine his gray eyes narrowing. “That’s a bit steep, don’t you think?”

  “I’m worth it. I can improvise, and I’m discrete. Besides, women love me. I’m what they call non-threatening.” Most actresses weren’t threatened by stuntwomen. “However, I’ll give you a discount if you’re thinking long-term. Twenty percent.” Which she hoped he wasn’t. Men like him didn’t stay single for long. “Since we’re in the middle of filming Terra Frost, we do have to work around my schedule.” And she had her Phantom Rider nights, which he must never know about.

  There was silence on the line, then, “And for a year?”

  Was he serious? The amount would be staggering. Millions. “Still twenty percent and three-hundred-and-fifty thousand in cash the moment I sign the contract.”

  More silence. She waited for him to call her
bluff.

  “That sounds reasonable,” Lex said calmly as though she hadn’t just asked for an insane amount of money, the kind she’d never earn in Hollywood. “Let’s discuss the details over dinner, shall we?”

  He was serious. Just how loaded was this guy?

  Jillian blew out a breath, the relief coursing through her was so sweet she almost yahooed. She was desperate for any gig, and this was it. She now had twenty-four hours to mentally prepare herself for a one-on-one with Lex. Somehow, she didn’t think she’d be ready. But she would try. Physically, she had to find a way to dampen his effect on her senses. Maybe she’d think of him and prune-faced socialite triplets. Jillian smothered a giggle.

  “Jillian?”

  “Sounds good, but I have plans for tomorrow evening.” The Phantom was riding again, and that was one date she refused to cancel. “Can we make it lunch or maybe meet in your office?”

  “I’ll be out of town during the day, until evening. What are you doing tonight?”

  “Uh, nothing.”

  “Then let’s have dinner tonight.” His voice changed timbre from indulgent and amused to sexy and hypnotic. “I’ll send my car for you. Is six-thirty okay?”

  Jillian’s brain scrambled to come up with an excuse. She couldn’t possibly meet him today. She wasn’t ready.

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Great.” She heard amusement in his voice.

  “Do you need my address?”

  “No, I’ll get it from Mr. Underwood. See you this evening, Jillian.”

  Greg was back on the line while Jillian was still trying to figure out how she’d gone from needing more time to prepare for their meeting to agreeing to see him tonight. The man had a way of making her agree with him before she knew what she was saying. He must have placed some spell on her, which didn’t bode too well for a working relationship.

  “Let me call you back in ten minutes.” Greg’s voice implied he’d said something, but she hadn’t heard it.

  Scowling, Jillian put her cell phone in the pocket of her robe and padded to the kitchen. She paused in the middle of the room, not exactly sure why she was there. Her stomach churned and her mind was pure goo. What was she thinking agreeing to meet Lex Fitzgerald tonight? What was she going to wear?

  She turned around and went straight to her closet. There should be something decent beside the jeans and the tees. Nothing that screamed perfect-for-dinner-with-a-billionaire. She checked her watch. She had less than three hours. Maybe she should go shopping and buy something nice. Do her hair and nails.

  Her phone went off, and she jumped. Jeez, she was a hot mess. “Greg?”

  “So what’s the job?”

  “He wants a bodyguard.”

  “What? You mean he wants you to act the part of a bodyguard?”

  “No, he wants a real bodyguard.”

  “Did you brag to him you’re licensed to carry guns?” Greg sounded outraged and worried at the same time. He was a pacifist by nature and hated guns with a passion. His parents and only sister were gunned down during a break-in at their home when he was in his late teens.

  “No, G. No guns. He’s been having problems with women.” She quickly explained Lex’s problems. “I agreed to be available to him for, I don’t know, as long as he needs me. We’ll iron out the details later tonight.”

  “Sweetheart, what that man needs is a wife, not a bodyguard,” Greg said.

  “Yes, well, I’m in no position to provide him with one, so bodyguard it is. Did he tell you he changed the meeting to tonight?”

  “Yes. We’ll be there.”

  Safety in numbers. Good.

  “But we won’t sit with you,” Greg added.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, her voice rising.

  “He got us a reservation, Jill, but we won’t eat with you. We’ll get together tomorrow to finalize the details. He mentioned he’d be out of town but he plans to be back by five. I told him how you tried to get us a table for our last anniversary and couldn’t get in, and he made one phone call and voila! We’re in. Can you believe that? Chris and I have been dying to…”

  Jillian tuned Greg out. He tended to go off on a tangent anyway. Lex had surprised her again. She could pretend and say she hated the ease with which Lex got his way or accomplished things, but she’d be lying to herself. She was impressed. He obviously didn’t let obstacles or people keep him from his goals. He’d wanted her to have dinner with him tonight, and it was going to happen.

  On the other hand, he didn’t have to get Greg and Chris that reservation, yet he had. What other surprises did the billionaire have in store for her?

  CHAPTER 4

  Lex watched the rooftops, his thoughts on Jillian. Her sexy voice still rang in his ear, arousing him in ways he never knew possible. At age thirty-nine, he hated the idea that he couldn’t control his body at the mere thought of a woman.

  He’d bedded his share of beautiful women, even contemplated marrying one, but this was the first time in years he could say a woman had him enthralled. She was smart, a quick-thinker, and outrageous. She made him laugh. He couldn’t believe his luck when she’d suggested the bodyguard job. It had made things easier. With a different actress, he would have offered a simple business deal. But Jillian…

  Ahh, she was prickly. He had no doubt that one false word from him and she would have hung up. He’d learned quite a bit about her during their conversation. It would have been better studying her expressions and body language, but her responses had given him a glimpse into her mind, her character as a person, what made her tick. He liked her. Lex grinned.

  Before money was mentioned during their conversation, Lex had been fantasizing about her, wondering if her wheat-spun hair was as soft as it looked. Now he imagined it spread out on the pillow as she writhed with passion, his hands on her skin, his fingers stroking her intimately. She had the kind of lips that could drive a man insane. Lips meant to be licked, sucked, and worshipped. On the other hand, they could be doing the worshipping.

  Lex shifted uneasily in his seat, blood rushing to his groin as his thoughts became graphic. He’d better focus on something else fast.

  What did she want with three hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cash? No one asked for that unless they were planning to do something that left no paper trail. Was she in trouble? One phone call and he’d have his security team on the case, digging into her background. But like his earlier decision, he didn’t want to pry. He wanted her to trust him and willingly share personal things.

  The chopper descended to the helipad on the rooftop of his building.

  “Thanks, Mathews,” he told the pilot before he stepped down.

  “Will you need me tonight, sir?”

  “No. File a flight plan for tomorrow. See you at nine.” Mathews was the only full-time pilot he employed. He and a co-pilot from a nearby temp company often flew the jet when Lex, members of his company, or family were headed out of town. He was also in charge of the chopper when necessary. Though licensed, Lex only flew when Mathews was off duty.

  Lex left the roof and headed for the lower stairs. The upper ones led to the penthouse. Paula met him before he reached the side door leading into the building.”

  “Ryo Hujimura called,” she said. “He wants to have a teleconference.”

  Lex glanced at his watch. It was four in the afternoon, but eight in Tokyo. Ryo, Yoshi Hujimura’s son, was usually in his office by six, which was the time the two of them talked. Something wasn’t right.

  “Is that why you’re meeting me out here looking”—he studied her, rattled came to mind, but he wouldn’t dare say it—“worried?”

  “Your cousin is here, and he’s not happy. He called earlier, but when I explained that you were not to be interrupted when in a meeting, he hung up. Now he’s here.”

  The way she said “your cousin” could only mean one person—Eddie. He tended to rub people the wrong way. He had no filter when pissed. Lex indicated the door,
and Paula walked ahead of him.

  “Can you explain to him that I wasn’t stonewalling him? I like it better when he’s not scowling so ferociously,” Paula added.

  Lex stopped himself from chuckling. Paula was old school and tough as nails, but something about Eddie often made her hold back. They entered the executive floor and headed to his office. Fitz-Valdez owned real estate across the country with offices in San Francesco, Chicago, and New York, but the head office was in L.A. The properties managed by the company were vast, including hotels on several islands in the Caribbean.

  “I’ll call Tokyo after I’m done with Eddie.” Lex disappeared inside his office. Business was important, but family always came first.

  His cousin stood at the window with his back to the door, staring at the view of downtown L.A. He turned, relief sweeping his face. Usually, he wore a poker face, something he’d perfected during his years as an LAPD detective.

  “Is everything okay?” Lex asked.

  “Lloyd is having problems meeting our deadline,” he said, coming straight to the point.

  Lloyd owned a fiberglass company in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. He was the number one producer of fiberglass body components for bikes in the country.

  “When did you talk to him?” Lex walked to the wet bar to pour himself a glass of water.

  “An hour ago, but I spoke to the contact, Butler. I couldn’t get an answer from him. When I tried to call you, your secretary stonewalled me.”

  Lex heard the frustration in Eddie’s voice. As someone new to business, he took each delay and bump personally. “Paula has a knack for reading people, and you’re still an enigma. Next time, smile.”

  “I did, and she hightailed it out of the office.”

  Lex chuckled. That he would have liked to see. “Paula didn’t stonewall you. I was at an important meeting and couldn’t take personal calls.” He pressed the intercom. “Paula, get Lloyd Jenkins on the line.” He glanced at Eddie. “Want a drink?”