He raised his brow as he looked at the puppy wagging her tail and staring at him with adoring eyes. “Right.”
Bella leaned against the wooden railing. “Wren and I were chatting during her appointment yesterday morning. She mentioned that you happen to be the very same Reed who helped Chase save Julie’s life.”
He shrugged, not interested in being anyone’s hero. “I was on duty.” He hadn’t been, but he’d been in the office when his coworker realized his girlfriend was in trouble. Brothers helped brothers. End of story.
Her smile dimmed. “Modest.”
His shoulders jerked again.
“She almost died.”
“Luckily, we got to her in time.”
“Yes.” She stood straight and gave the meat a small poke with the spatula. “What do you say? Want a piece of chicken?”
“I can’t.”
“Maybe some other time.”
“I’ll definitely take a rain check.” But not anytime soon. Bella with the big brown eyes was dangerous territory.
“Sure. I’ll see you around.”
“See ya.” He gave Lucy one last pat and turned to leave.
“You’re antisocial, Reed. A grumpy hermit. When was the last time you had dinner with a pretty girl?”
He fisted his hands as one of his mother’s searing potshots burned his ass. He turned back as Bella was sliding the chicken on a platter. “Can I change my mind?”
She beamed at him. “Of course.”
He set his bag on one of the lounge chairs. “I can take that for you.” Their fingers brushed as he accepted the heavy dish.
“Thanks. Come on in.” She stepped into the kitchen, gesturing for him to follow.
He looked around at the open concept layout identical to his condo’s, but the similarities stopped there. High-end furnishings decorated this space. Thick candles on fancy holders burned throughout the room, and Top 40 music played low on the large-screen TV. Pictures—some of her posing with friends or maybe family members—filled frames on tables and hung among the prints of flowers and seascapes on the walls. Bella clearly did well for herself. “Nice digs.”
“Thank you. I love it. I had a few visions in my head. Wren helped me pull them together, and this is what we came up with.”
“Nice,” he repeated as he set the platter on the table.
“Thanks. Do you like wine?”
He preferred beer. “Sure.”
“I think I have some iced tea, or there’s water if you’d rather have that.”
“Wine is fine.”
“Great.” She moved to a cupboard and stood on her tiptoes, making her calves bunch as she grabbed two glasses. “White will probably go best with the chicken.”
“Perfect.” He crossed his arms and uncrossed them just as quickly, aware that his body language was often perceived as standoffish. For a decade, keeping people at a distance had kept him alive. Now it made him an asshole.
“I made a corn salad with this and threw together some greens,” she said as she opened the bottle. “I wasn’t expecting company, so we’re going humble tonight.”
“You won’t hear me complaining. I was going to grab a burger on my way home from the gym.”
She poured two glasses and handed him one.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” She brought an extra plate and silverware to the table. “Where do you work out?”
“Rusty’s over in Santa Monica. It’s a little place—kind of rough.”
“Oh.” She sipped her chardonnay on her way back by the island, then reached in the fridge for the corn and small side salad and brought them over, placing them next to the chicken.
“You’re into yoga?” he asked.
“I am. I try to go every day. I think we’re ready.” She pulled on the apron strings and lifted the stylish smock over her head, giving him a better look at all of her smooth skin and the slightest tease of cleavage before she turned to hang the apron inside the pantry door.
He took a deep drink of his wine, doing his best to ignore the fact that his neighbor was one perfect package. Every inch of Bella appeared to be toned and polished.
She turned back, sending him a friendly smile. “Ready for dinner?”
“Yeah.” The faster they ate, the sooner he could leave. Goddess-like or not, he had no intention of getting mixed up with Bella. The last thing he needed right now was a romantic hassle. Sitting across from her at the small table, he served himself a hearty portion as Bella helped herself to her own. “This looks amazing.”
“I hope you like it.” She cut a bite of chicken and sampled with a considering nod. “Not bad.”
He followed her lead, enjoying the hints of lemon and pepper melding with the meat. “I’d say it’s better than not bad.”
She shook her head. “I’m not a great cook…yet, but I want to be. I’m thinking about taking a few classes.”
“Cooking classes?”
“Sure. It’s never too late to learn new things.”
He helped himself to the corn salad and discovered it to be out-of-this-world delicious. “True.”
“And they’re supposed to be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to it, actually.” She chewed a small spear of asparagus and swallowed. “So tell me about yourself, Reed. Let’s start with your last name.”
“McKinley.”
“Reed McKinley.” She nodded, then sipped more wine.
“And you?”
“Colby. How long have you been working for Ethan?”
“Give or take six months.”
“And before that, what did you do?”
“Cop. NYPD.” He wiped his mouth. “What about you?”
“I’ve been in California for about a year now.”
He went after his salad. “Where were you before?”
“All over but mostly Vegas.”
He’d been expecting some high-end place like Napa Valley. It wouldn’t have surprised him to hear that her family had a mansion up in The Hills. “Huh. How did you meet Wren?”
“I do a lot of work with Abby Quinn at her downtown Stowers House location—the shelter she helped start. I also work with Sarah on occasion if she needs help with makeup at her photo shoots. They introduced me to everyone else in the Ethan Cooke Security family.”
“Wren said you’re a…I don’t know what that was she said you are.”
She grinned, lighting up her amazing face. “I’m a medical aesthetician.”
“There’s the title but I still have no idea what that is.”
She laughed. “Skin care. I work with Dr. Huberty—a dermatologist—just a couple miles away from here. I do all kinds of stuff: facials, makeup consults, body sculpting, laser treatments.”
He paused mid-cut into his chicken. “Laser treatments?”
“Sure. I’m a laser technician as well—skin correction.”
He got back to work, thoroughly enjoying his meal. “What do you do with your lasers?”
“Vein reduction, hair removal. I take off tattoos and do acne reduction therapies. I can even whiten teeth.” She flashed her pretty pearly whites at him.
He helped himself to more of the corn salad. “And how do you body sculpt someone?”
She grinned again. “Long story short: I hook my clients up to machines that freeze fat in problem areas. The cold temperatures kill the fat cells and the body absorbs them.”
“Huh. You must do well in this town.”
“It was a slow start, but Sarah and Abby have been great about sending people my way. They got me in with Dr. Huberty when her former aesthetician went on maternity leave. She decided she didn’t want to come back to work, and Dr. Huberty wanted to offer more treatment options, which I’m qualified to do. Luckily, my appointment book stays pretty full.” She curled her leg beneath her. “Chase and Collin go overseas a lot for work. What about you?”
“Nah. I deal more with the private sector details—keep a low profile.” And he would for several more
months to come until he could be sure he was in the clear. His cover had been blown. Keeping his face out of the public eye was for his own good. “Mostly megarich businessmen and women who don’t want to get kidnapped and held for ransom when they stop for a cup of coffee.”
“I imagine that could ruin their day.” She set down her fork after clearing her plate. “I haven’t seen you at any of Ethan and Sarah’s parties.”
He shrugged. “I work a lot.” Just the way he liked it.
She made a sound in her throat as she nodded.
He set down his silverware, not sure what to say now that their meals were gone. They’d pretty much small-talked it out. The only thing left on the topic docket was the weather, which spoke for itself.
“I’m afraid I don’t have any dessert to offer you.”
“This was great as-is.”
“Any big plans for the rest of the weekend?”
He shook his head. “I’m working tomorrow morning. You?”
“No. Just lunch out and probably a walk on the beach afterward.”
“Sounds like a good way to spend a Sunday.” When was the last time he’d let himself relax?
“It is.” She pulled his dirty plate on top of hers.
He pushed back his chair and stood, picking up the dishes, and brought them to the sink. “I should get out of your way.”
“Only if you want to. Lucy and I are thinking of binge-watching something on Netflix.”
He looked around, seeing that he was leaving her with very little to clean up. That was acceptable, right? “Yeah. I’ll probably try to get in a workout.”
She stood, bringing the remains of the corn salad to the island. “Have fun.”
“Thanks for dinner.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Night.” He walked to the French doors, gave Lucy a good-bye pat, and stepped outside into the fading light.
“Good night.”
He tossed a last look into Bella’s cozy home, realizing he wasn’t sorry he’d stayed. It was hard to go wrong with easy conversation and good food.
Chapter Four
Bella sat in the stop-and-go traffic on Highway 1 with the convertible top down, singing along with Ed Sheeran on the radio. Today the weather was glorious—the perfect opportunity to enjoy Mother Nature’s beauty. Smiling, she savored the warm breeze playing with her hair as she accelerated again, loving the way the late-afternoon sun felt on her skin.
She’d left Dad at the restaurant almost two hours ago, still surprised that they’d had a fairly nice time. Talk of her work and home in the Palisades dominated much of their sixty or so minutes together. Dad hadn’t seemed interested in bringing up the past or sharing much about himself other than the couple of tidbits she’d been able to weasel out of him while they ate their grilled cheeses and soup. He’d kept to his work as a mechanic over the years, but never married or had more children—not even a dog or cat. And that was about it. Now she couldn’t help but wonder if their meal and conversation was a one-time interaction, some sort of obligatory gesture so he would be able to tell himself he’d tried, or if Dad would reach out to her again.
She thought of him all alone for the last two decades, finding the idea incredibly sad. Her life with Mom had been a series of ups and downs—mostly downs—but they’d had each other for the most part. Now she had so many wonderful people in her life. And Lucy.
She grinned as she glanced over at Lucy’s currently unoccupied seat, completely in love with her sweet pup. She’d always wanted animals. Mom and Dad had promised her a puppy for her sixth birthday, but that never happened. Last year, she’d finally gifted herself the Great Dane of her dreams—the perfect twenty-fifth birthday present. Lucy had been her biggest joy and best friend since the moment she brought her home. And her best friend was bound to mope when she smelled the ocean breeze on Bella’s hair. Her puppy was a champion sulker when she didn’t get her shot at chasing the seagulls. The sun was just hinting at turning toward the horizon for the day, the perfect time to walk the beach—something she and Lucy did almost every night.
She merged over a lane as she got closer to her neighborhood, waiting for her chance to turn left as Reed pulled in from the opposite direction, taking a right on his sleek motorcycle. Her neighbor was a hottie. There was no doubt about it. Striking eyes and a strong, solid chin set in one heck of a face. A great, muscular build worthy of second and third glances. Quiet. Intense. And the motorcycle certainly added a healthy hint of bad boy, but he was too rough around the edges for her. She preferred suits and ties, maybe a pair of glasses—intellectual, sophisticated. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends, especially when he lived so close.
She saw her shot at a left and took it, darting onto the quiet street. Driving down the road, she pulled into her spot as Reed took off his helmet, still sitting on the monster machine that was probably a great time to ride. “Hey, there,” she called as she pulled her keys from the ignition.
“Hey.” He kicked his long leg over in the blinding sunshine and faced her.
She got out and shut her door, walking over to his property line. With her sunglasses and her hand shielding the worst of the sun’s rays, she realized he was wearing slacks and a tie beneath his leather jacket: a mouthwatering combination. “How was work?”
“Four a.m. flight to San Francisco, a couple hours in a breakfast meeting, and another flight back.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Sounds exciting.”
“Not really.”
She settled her purse more comfortably on her shoulder. “Lucy and I are going to walk the beach.”
He unzipped his jacket and loosened the knot at his collar. “You really dig the water.”
She smiled. “I love it.”
“Why?”
She frowned. No one had ever asked her that before. Everyone loved the beach, didn’t they? “It’s beautiful and relaxing, and I love to watch Lucy chase the birds. She kind of looks like a big, awkward moose when she runs.” She chuckled, but he didn’t smile back the way she’d expected him to. Wow, he was serious. “Wanna come?” she asked on a whim, trying to figure out why she was in such eager pursuit of his friendship. Maybe it was because Reed McKinley seemed to be a rare and refreshing member of the male species. Most men fell all over themselves trying to get her attention, often seeing nothing more than her looks. This man standing in front of her didn’t seem to care one way or the other. She liked it.
“To the beach?”
“Yeah.”
“I think I’ll pass. I’m not much for sand in my socks.”
“That’s why they make sandals.” She shrugged, finding herself slightly disappointed after such an enjoyable meal last night—or at least, she’d thought so. “Well, I’ll see you then.”
“Yeah. See you around.” He turned toward his house.
She shook her head and made her way to her door, glancing over her shoulder as she watched him shut himself inside.
~~~~
Reed bobbed his leg up and down as he sat on his front step, waiting for Bella. He still wasn’t exactly sure why he was sitting there, but minutes after he turned down her invitation for a walk on the beach, he found himself hurrying with his shower, then throwing on gym shorts, a T-shirt, and a pair of flip-flops, hoping he hadn’t been too late to catch his neighbor before she left. He wasn’t a big fan of the sand, and the salt often irritated his skin, but here he was anyway when he should have been calling it an early night.
San Francisco this morning. Then he spent the rest of the day chasing down Joey’s leads. He wasn’t ready to call them their leads because as far as he was concerned, this was a long shot. He and Joey no longer sat in parked cars running surveillance. They didn’t risk their lives by wiring up and making deals with the scum of the earth, hoping to gain access to the higher-ups in the elusive Caparelli crime family. Months ago, the jig had ended in a hail of gunfire with him and Joey nearly bleeding out on some filthy warehouse floor, but taking a
look at Joey’s information couldn’t hurt, especially with several hundred miles separating him from the violence in New York.
Satisfying Joey’s curiosity—and his, if he was willing to admit it—was nothing more than a professional courtesy. They weren’t having a whole lot of luck anyway. For hours today, he’d driven around the Los Angeles area, systematically crossing names off the long list. A year ago, they would have narrowed down their man in a fraction of the time, but without access to a DMV database, he was stuck doing this the old-fashioned way. Technically, Ethan could give him a hand, but then there would be questions, and he wasn’t supplying answers to his new boss. Eventually Joey would realize…
He came to attention when Bella opened her front door, wearing a curve-hugging white tank top and flowing blue tie-dyed skirt that showed hints of her golden skin every time she took a step. Christ Almighty, she was a sight as the breeze played with her sun hat and teased strands of her long, glossy hair. Never in his life had he seen anything like her.
His eyes wandered to Lucy’s bandana, which matched Bella’s dress, and he remembered right then and there that this woman was not what he was used to. She’d changed her outfit to take a walk. Technically he had too, but he sure as hell didn’t look better than he had before.
She locked her door and glanced up, smiling when Lucy started trotting his way. “Off to the gym?”
That was his out. All he had to do was say yes. “Not if you’re still looking for company.”
She beamed. “Definitely. Come on.” She started toward her Barbie car.
“How about we take my truck? Lucy can hop in the back.”
Bella hesitated. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
He shrugged. “We’ll all have a little more room that way.”
“Sure. We can try it.” She changed directions and moved to his black F-150 Limited as he dropped the tailgate.
“Do you think she’ll be okay up here?”
“I think she’ll love it.”
She exhaled a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, Lucy. Up you go.” She tapped the back of the bed.
Deceiving Bella: Book Eleven In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series Page 4