Colin, however, appeared pleased. “I’m flattered you think so.” He lifted his wine glass. “To the tour.”
She clinked her soda glass against it. “To your tour. And our book.” She smiled at Prince Charming. Surely all would be smooth sailing from now on. She dismissed the niggling unease about the too short meeting tomorrow. Soon she would schedule a longer one to gather all of the necessary information. No need to worry.
The next morning, after a quick breakfast of tea and toast, which Mrs. Stroud had thoughtfully delivered, a knock sounded on Alexa’s bedroom door. Her heart leaped. Maybe it was Colin, coming to collect her for their meeting.
Alexa hurried in her stockinged feet to fling open the door. When she looked up, expecting to see Colin’s face, she saw nothing but empty air. Her gaze dropped several inches before encountering black hair. “Oh. It’s you.” Hope was replaced by discomfort. She had hoped, perhaps unrealistically, not to see him again.
Jamison’s black gaze was equally unfriendly. “Colin wants you.” He turned abruptly and headed down the hall.
Did he expect her to follow him like a puppy?
Alexa scowled and shut the door. If so, he had another think coming.
Failure one for her good resolutions. However, in her own defense, she wasn’t prepared yet. She slipped on new high heels that matched her warm-toned, caramel pantsuit, and rubbed a sheer gloss on her lips. There. Now she was ready. Never mind she didn’t know where to meet Colin. She could ask someone—but certainly not that disagreeable bodyguard.
A hard rap came at the door. She opened it and looked down. With her heels on, Jamison barely reached her nose level. “Yes?” she inquired.
His black eyes looked hard, and lips thinned. “If your majesty is ready, follow me.”
“How kind of you to offer,” she retorted, trotting fast in his wake. More unfortunate, impulsive words sped off her tongue. “Civility goes a long way. Or don’t they teach you manners in bodyguarding school?”
He turned so fast that she almost smacked into him. Luckily, she careened into the wall instead. It all happened so fast that she spun on one spiky heel and twisted on the other. A terrible cracking sound rent the air, and then she abruptly lost three inches in height.
She stared in horror. Her new strappy sandals! “Now see what you’ve done!” she accused.
“Want me to break off the other one, too?” he suggested unrepentantly. “Then you’ll have a matched set.”
Alexa gasped. “You obnoxious man!”
“Good thing I’m not looking for kudos from you, then.”
“What’s with the American slang? I thought you were Italian!”
His dark eyes flashed, but he did not reply.
“I need to change my shoes,” she informed him. “Why don’t you just tell me where to go?”
His eyebrows climbed.
Alexa flushed when she realized the double meaning of her words. “I mean tell me how to get to Colin’s office—or wherever I’m going.”
Jamison glanced at his black watch. “Be quick. Colin’s only got half an hour.”
Clearly, the recalcitrant bodyguard intended to wait for her. Oh, goody. Alexa slipped off her dead shoes and sadly placed them in the back of her closet. They had cost a hundred dollars. Maybe when she got home she would get them repaired. For now, her tan heels would have to make do.
Actually, Alexa realized it was a good thing she had returned to the room, for she had forgotten her notepad and digital recorder during her initial conflagration with Jamison. Fully prepared this time, she exited her room. The bodyguard waited for her, just as she had feared. Remorse over her snappish comments warred with irritation with him. No matter how hard it might be, she had to try to take the high road.
With a disapproving curl to his lip, he asked, “How many pairs of heels did you pack, anyway?”
“Feeling intimidated?” she asked sweetly, unable to help herself.
He took off down the hall with his back to her. “No. But I wonder what deficiencies you’re trying to cover.”
Alexa gasped in outrage, and her good resolutions again deserted her. “You rude man! Does Colin know you treat his guests this way?”
Jamison turned suddenly, and she skidded to a halt. “Stop doing that!” she complained.
His level black gaze held hers, looking ominous. “Are you threatening me?”
Alexa refused to back down, and stared down her nose at him. “He deserves to know, especially if you’re this rude to everyone.”
“You get that prize.” He started walking again.
“Oh! Well, aren’t I lucky?”
“Why don’t you tell him?” Jamison suggested. “Then Mart will have to deal with you. Poor guy.”
“Just draw me a floor plan of the house. Then I won’t need either of you,” she retorted.
Jamison gestured toward an open door. “Colin’s study.”
Alexa had barely noticed descending the grand staircase, for she had been so busy sniping at Jamison. “Thank you,” she said stiffly. “Your help—and company—left much to be desired.”
Jamison disconcertingly leaned closer. “Ditto.”
She rolled her eyes just as Colin emerged. The star kissed her cheek. “Alexa, love, you look beautiful this morning.”
“Thank you.”
Jamison turned on his heel, but not before Alexa spotted the sneer curling his lip. She longed to zing him with another attack, but didn’t want to appear childish to Colin. With a narrowed gaze, she watched the bodyguard stroll away, doubtless to find fresh prey. She trembled a little—both from the encounter and from her own appalling inability to resist Jamison’s provocative comments. What had gotten into her? And why had he taken such an immediate dislike to her?
“Sleep well?” Colin inquired, ushering her into a dark paneled room, lined with books.
“Yes,” she assured him.
Two other people occupied the room. A stocky, muscular man with blondish gray hair razored into a buzz cut caught her attention first. It was hard to ignore him. His hard, aggressive stance reminded her of a pit bull, and he hovered near the door, as if eager to escape.
“Alexa, I’d like you to meet my manager, Paddy Ferguson.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said.
A silver, half moon scar bracketed one side of the manager’s mouth, and his eyes were like pale green chips of ice. Those hard orbs sized her up, as if assessing her worth to both Colin and the tour. With an abrupt, dismissive turn of his shoulders, he addressed Colin. “We’re almost sold out in Paris. Barcelona, Rome, and Zurich are at half-capacity or less.”
Colin’s lips twisted. “It’s the economy. This down slump is hitting everyone in the pocketbook.”
“I’ll get those numbers up. Don’t worry about it.” Lifting a brusque hand in farewell, he left.
Colin’s wry smile remained. “That’s Paddy. He’s not a schmoozer—except when he absolutely has to be. But he’s the best brain in the business. I’m lucky to have him.”
“He seems determined.”
“He is. Nothing gets in Paddy’s way. If it does, he runs it over.” Colin chuckled. “The tour will be a complete success. I have no doubt about that.”
Alexa’s attention turned to the other occupant of the room. A woman with a perky cap of blond hair sat on a chair beside Colin’s desk. She shot Alexa a quick frown. Then Alexa wondered if she had imagined it, because the next instant the petite woman affixed a wide smile upon her face.
“Alexa, I’d like you to meet Eve, my secretary. Eve, Alexa. As I told you, she’s going to write my autobiography.”
Eve said, “Pleased to meet you. I’m sure we will be working closely together. Colin is busy most of the time.” Her accent—or lack thereof—placed her as an American.
“Yes.” Colin turned down his perfectly cut mouth. “If you have questions, ask Eve. She knows everything about me. How long have you been with me, Eve? F
ive years?”
“Seven.” Eve’s gray eyes smiled at Alexa, but a flash of something—perhaps fear, or malice—flared in them.
Eve’s demeanor made Alexa feel uncomfortable. In addition, her unease from last night intensified. So, Colin was a busy man. She should have expected that. Fine. Then she would make the most of each meeting that she could finagle with him. But one thing had already become clear; she would prefer to spend as little time as possible with Eve.
“Now.” Colin turned to a pile of stacked albums. Perhaps fifteen, Alexa guessed. “Start with these. The photo albums are labeled, and you might find events you want to discuss in the book. Note those and ask me later. The scrapbooks are pretty self-explanatory, righto?”
Colin seemed edgy, and soon explained it. “I have an appointment in a few minutes. Do you have any questions, or would you like to start with the albums?”
Alexa flipped on her digital recorder. “Give me a quick idea of the message you’d like to convey with the book. Something you want your fans to take away from reading it.”
Crossing his arms, Colin fingered his chin. “That’s a tough one. I want people to know I come from the working class. My da was a plumber, my mum a house cleaner. I’m a chap like any other. I want the book to be an inspiration and encouragement to others, especially kids, to pursue their dreams.”
Alexa smiled. “I like it.” She asked a few more questions, and then Colin had to leave. He said a house man would carry the albums to her room.
Eve lingered behind as Alexa selected two albums to bring upstairs now. “Anything I can help you with?” Eve’s words were cordial, but her tone sounded cold.
Alexa wondered about the other woman’s attitude. Did she think Alexa was interloping on her turf? “Are you a writer, too?” she asked cautiously.
“Oh, heavens no!” Eve laughed sharply. “Why would you ask?”
“You don’t like me.” Alexa rued her habitual lack of tact. “What I mean is, have I done something to upset you?”
“Of course not.” Eve pressed her lips together. “We’ve only just met.”
“I don’t intend to cause trouble. I hope you know that.”
“I know Colin is very taken with you. However, if you step out of bounds and hurt him, you’ll answer to me.” With that menacing statement, the secretary swept from the room.
Alexa stared after her. Eve obviously felt protective of Colin. Because he was her employer? Or because she possessed deeper feelings for him? Alexa decided then and there that she would be a fool to get on Eve’s bad side. Eve appeared quiet and meek with Colin, but underneath, she might well be a cat with claws. It remained to be seen whether the cat would attack.
When Alexa returned to her room, she found a detailed map of the house, hand drawn in precise, bold lines, under her door. Clearly, Jamison had drawn it and delivered it. It irritated her, because he most certainly hadn’t done it to be helpful. It was his means to get rid of a nuisance. Her.
Alexa found herself wasting several minutes thinking up sarcastic words of thanks for the bodyguard. If he had shown up, she would have delivered them, too, with much relish.
Thankfully, he didn’t. Wasn’t it about time she behaved like a civilized adult with him?
Alexa settled down to sort through the various albums that Colin had leant her. The job would take every spare minute this week. Hopefully, she would find an afternoon to explore London. After all, she had never been there before, and may never return again after this trip.
Alexa threw herself into the work by writing notes and piecing together the beginning of an outline on her computer. She wanted to get as much done as possible now, for she would have to stop work early this evening. Tonight was the concert. She couldn’t wait. What would it be like to arrive at the concert on the arm of a rock star?
That night, just as she had dreamed, Alexa rode with Colin to the concert. She had never been in a limousine before, and reverently touched the soft, white leather seats. Even more amazing, she could stretch out her long legs. Plenty of room. She even spied a mini-refrigerator. Doubtless for celebrating after the concert.
The limo purred to stop outside the private entrance to the concert stadium. The driver came around and opened the door, and then Colin took her hand and helped her out. “Come on, love.”
As soon as Alexa slid outside, cameras flashed. Several television cameras pointed their way, and female fans screamed from the sidelines, waving banners.
“Now you’ll be famous, too,” Colin joked with a grin. He waved and blew kisses to his fans as he strolled toward the entrance. Alexa’s heart jumped and skittered. She was at her favorite star’s concert. And he was holding her hand! She had to remind herself to keep breathing. It was hard. Part of her felt just like those teenagers screaming on the sidelines.
Inside, Colin instructed her to get a backstage pass from an assistant, and then he peeled off toward the dressing rooms. Alexa draped the purple pass, attached to a purple cord, around her neck.
“Come with me.” Mart, the blond linebacker, appeared by her side. “Colin asked me to show you around.” A Texas drawl flavored his words.
“You’re American.”
Sea green eyes grinned down at her. “Born and bred.”
Mart pointed out the lounge where she would go at the end of the concert. “The groupies hang out over there,” he drawled, pointing to a different room. “I imagine you’ll want to steer clear of them.”
“Maybe not,” Alexa said. “I’ve never experienced the groupie subculture before.”
Mart raised a brow. “It’s a spectacle. Mostly women dressed in skimpy clothes, throwing themselves at Colin. Culture is not in their vocabulary.”
“All the same.” Alexa smiled. “I’ll need to observe it for the book.” As the tour progressed, she realized that while Mart may look like a stereotypical jock, he was funny and sharp. She laughed repeatedly at his dry comments. She was glad that she had told Colin about her problem with Jamison. At least she wasn’t saddled with him tonight.
After a bit, Colin came out dressed in hip-hugging leather pants, a white shirt unbuttoned midway down his chest, and a leather vest. His hair was mussed and spiky. He headed for the far side of the stage, where he engaged in a long, intense conversation with Paddy.
Mart needed to speak to another guard for a moment, so Alexa sat on a couch and watched the bustle. She was amazed by all of the equipment backstage. Setup for the concerts must take an incredible amount of time. People rushed to and fro, completing the last minute jobs before the show began.
Colin was too busy to speak to her, but Alexa didn’t expect anything different. She spied Jamison talking to the other guards. He gestured with relaxed authority toward different spots on stage, obviously giving them instructions. Was he the head of Colin’s security? Even Mart listened to his friend for a few minutes before returning to Alexa’s side.
“Show’s about to start.” Mart escorted Alexa to her seat near the stage. “Have fun,” he grinned. “Come backstage at the end.”
The concert started with a flash of sparkling white lights, and then Colin appeared, dead center of the stage, and women screamed long and loud and jumped up and down. Alexa gave a short scream, too, and then felt embarrassed. But she couldn’t swallow her silly grin as she stood with the other fans. She realized then that she would probably have to stand for the rest of the concert—at least, if she wanted to see anything.
Blue, strobing lights flashed across the stage, and the drummer rolled the drums. More screams pierced the air. Then, with a flash of the guitar, Colin played the first, vibrating note of his most famous song. Alexa found herself clasping her hands, waiting for the next note. His arm whirled through the air, and the concert screamed to life.
Alexa swayed with the others and joined in the familiar choruses. Excitement charged through her, electrified by Colin’s performance. He knew just how to keep the crowd in the palm of his hand.
Alexa loved every one of his songs, but especially the few, softly crooned love ballads. She could not get over the fact that she was here, watching her favorite star sing! And she was actually staying at his house. It seemed, once again, like an incredible fairy tale come true.
By the time the concert ended, Alexa’s emotions were charged so high that she felt like one of his groupies. She fought her way backstage, where a harried looking security guard checked passes, letting people through one at a time. Alexa immediately saw the “groupie” area. Colin stood there, greeting fans with a handshake and a high watt smile, while Jamison and Mart stolidly flanked him.
Most fans were women, as Mart had said. Many wanted autographs, and behaved in a normal fashion. Others pressed kisses to his cheeks. One fainted. Alexa was embarrassed for her female species. Never mind that part of her wanted to run and get his autograph, too. She managed to control herself—barely. Colin still vibrated with an electric energy that sucked the fans to him like a magnet. He had been blessed by the gifts of both charisma and musical genius.
Alexa decided to retreat to the lounge before she embarrassed herself. The next hour or more whirled by. Members of the band introduced themselves. Some had long hair, a few were pencil thin with tattoos, but all were courteous and friendly.
Mart appeared at her side. “Colin’s going out with the band. Do you want to come, or go home?”
Alexa felt wired, but she wasn’t a partying type of girl. Especially when Colin was the main person she would know. He’d be too busy to spend much time with her. “Home,” she said. “I’ve got to work in the morning.”
Mart led her out to a small fleet of black cars. He spoke through a window to a driver, and then opened the door for her. “He’ll see you home.”
“Thanks, Mart.” Alexa leaned back in the plush seat and tried to relax. It was impossible. She felt like dancing.
Her Reluctant Bodyguard Page 4