“Gunner and Ryder are working on taking care of his men. We’ll have to deal with those two thugs standing behind him, but that’s better than twenty.”
“How long until they’re contained?” Jake whispered, ducking his head as Faustus’s gaze drifted over the crowd.
“Gunner is supposed to show as soon as they’re done. When you see him, do what you need to do, but don’t get yourself killed.” Noah offered him a champagne-filled glasses. “Here, you need to relax.”
“No, I’m on duty.”
Faustus smiled and addressed the crowd again. “Sorry about that. My fiancée isn’t used to crowds such as this, and she gets nervous…says things she doesn’t mean. Isn’t that right?”
Her lips trembled. “Yes.”
Gunner needed to hurry up before Jake turned Hulk smash.
“Now we’ll have our first dance, and then you’re welcome to join us.” Faustus took her hand, and they descended the steps.
Lexi was graceful, her dress hiding her feet. Jake was reminded of the first time he saw her in a gown. She was floating, like a princess. His princess.
Faustus put one arm around her waist and held her hand in the other. They waltzed around the dance floor like two people who hated each other. Jake was pretty sure she stepped on his toes a few times on purpose. There was satisfaction in that.
A moment later, Gunner appeared at the far end of the room and mock saluted Jake. A rush of adrenaline and relief flooded him. Jake strode to the unhappy couple and tapped Faustus on the shoulder. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to cut in.”
The color in Faustus’s face drained.
“Jake,” Lexi said his name like a prayer. “Oh, you’re…oh.” Tears streaked down her cheek, and she smiled. “I saw the house…it exploded.”
“And I wasn’t in it.”
She flung her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. “I’m so glad you’re okay. You have no idea…I lo—”
“I’m sorry, but you weren’t invited,” Faustus said, seeming to find his voice and maybe a little courage. He pulled out his phone, tapped the screen, and put it to his ear. Then he waved at the two goons who’d been standing behind him. “Where are they?”
“You mean the twenty or so hired guns?” Jake asked. “I’m guessing they’re tied up somewhere.”
Something hard gouged Jake in the back. “Walk, or this party gets ugly,” the man he’d fought at the airport said.
As Jake looked over his shoulder, he recognized the man as the one he’d fought at Ellington Field.
The man’s lips curled. “Walk.”
Jake slipped his arm around Lexi’s waist and pulled her flush against him.
“The lady stays,” the man said.
“Not without me, she doesn’t. I’m her bodyguard. Where she stays, I stay.”
The gun pressed harder into his side, and like the man had x-ray vision, right on the spot where Jake had been shot. “Move.”
“I’m not leaving him,” Lexi said, her shoulders straight and head held high. She leveled her gaze at Faustus. “Unless you want to explain killing your fiancée in front of all these people, I suggest you let me accompany Jake.”
Faustus’s jaw clenched, and he glared at her. “Move. Both of you.”
Jake looked around the room. Noah was gone. If he had to fight Faustus and the big guy holding the gun on him, his “ten steps” mantra would be put on repeat. He was used to pushing himself, but he also knew how close he was to his limit.
Still, he’d get Lexi out and worry about that later.
Chapter 25
Jake was alive. He was alive and beautiful, and all she wanted to do was smother him in kisses and tell him how much she loved him. He’d appeared out of nowhere, and it was an answer to prayer. One she thought she’d never have answered with a yes.
Faustus’s painted-on smile held as they weaved through the crowd. He nodded at various guests like nothing out of the ordinary was happening. They continued out of the ballroom, down a hall, and passed several doors before stopping in a large game room.
He shut the door and whirled on them. “You crashed my party, Mr. Maverick. It was invitation only.”
“Perhaps you should hire better security. I walked in with no problems.” Jake smiled. He turned his attention to Lexi. “Are you okay?”
Lexi looked up at him. He’d somehow survived a bomb, and he was asking if she was okay? She nodded. “I’m fine, especially now that I know you’re alive.”
Faustus growled. “I should have stuck to my original plan and had you shot on sight.” He tipped his chin to the guy behind Jake as he grabbed Lexi by the arm and yanked her away from Jake. “Take care of him!”
Jake twisted around and punched the guy in the stomach and then delivered an uppercut. The gun slid across the wood floor and under a chair. Jake threw two more punches, and the guy landed in a heap on the floor.
Lexi raked her heel down Faustus’s shin and then slammed her open palm into his nose. “I’m not some delicate flower you can grab at will. You put your hands on me again, and I’ll break your fingers.” She slammed her fist into his stomach and then brought her knee up to his face as he bent forward.
Faustus’s back hit the wall, and just as he tried to take a swing at her, she socked him square in the jaw. “And that’s for pinching me,” she said as Faustus’s eyes rolled back in his head and he slid down the wall to the floor.
She caught Jake’s gaze and smiled. “See, I did listen.”
“That was awe—”
Faustus’s guard pushed off the floor, but before Lexi could warn Jake, he rammed into him from behind, taking them both down. Jake grunted as the man landed on top of him. He elbowed the guy in the face, knocking him off his back. Twisting around, Jake punched him twice in the side of the face. Jake scrambled to his feet just as his opponent did, and they faced each other.
“Look, your boss is out cold. You don’t have to do this,” Jake said.
The guy laughed. “You’re right; I don’t. But I like it. And when I’m done with you,” he said and cut a glance at Lexi, “I’ll have a go at her too.”
Jake’s jaw clenched. “That was the wrong thing to say.”
He rushed the guy, slamming his fist into the man’s gut. He grabbed Jake’s arm—the one with the bullet wound—and twisted it behind his back, and Jake cried out as his face hit the marble top of the pool table.
With his free hand, Jake searched the table and grabbed one of the billiard balls, smashing it into his opponent’s head. He stumbled back but recovered before Jake could move and dove forward, driving Jake backward onto the table.
Lexi’s eyes widened as the guard walked around the table like he was looking at a prize he’d won. He brought his elbow up, and Lexi yelled, “Ten more steps!”
Jake nodded and rolled, avoiding an elbow to the face. His feet hit the floor, and he staggered sideways before righting himself. He shook his head and sidestepped as the guy charged, and Jake elbowed him in the back.
His opponent fell to his hands and knees, and Jake grabbed a pool cue and cracked it against the side of guy’s head, knocking him out.
Jake stumbled as he straightened. “And stay down,” he said as he gulped air. He turned to Lexi and smiled. “I think he might be bigger than me.”
His knees buckled, and Lexi ran toward him.
“Jake!” She threw her arms around him as she came to kneel in front of him.
He wrapped his arms around her, and she could feel his body trembling from the exertion.
“I love you, Lex. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. I love you more than anything,” he said as he buried his face in her neck. “All I want is you.”
Tears pooled in her eyes. At that moment, those were the three sweetest words she’d ever heard. He loved her. He loved her, and he wanted her, and she’d never wanted anyone as much as she loved and wanted him.
Pulling back and taking his face in her hands, she said, “I
love you. I thought I’d never get to say it, but I do. I do love you. You have no idea how much. You are the sweetest, most loveable man I’ve ever met.” She smiled. “And I’d really like to tell people the position of husband has been filled.”
He nodded. “I’d really like that. I think it would crush me if I had to live without you. I’ll go anywhere you go. I’m done. Done with assignments. Done with everything that will keep me from you.”
“I don’t want anything but you.”
He squeezed her tighter, touched his lips to hers, and immediately deepened the kiss. Time stood still for her. The world faded. She didn’t think his kisses could be sweeter, but this one was the best yet. It held promises and so much hope. He loved her, and he was hers.
They kissed until the doors to the game room flew open. Noah, Ryder, Gunner, and her father all stood there.
“Faustus?” asked Noah.
Lexi nodded to his limp form across the room. “He’s right there.”
“The police are looking for him.” Noah walked to Faustus and squatted in front of him. “Something about kidnapping, assault, and the authorities in Greece have questions about his father’s death too.”
Ryder laughed. “Dude is done.”
Gunner and Noah took Faustus by the arms and pulled him to his feet. “We’ll see you guys in a little bit.” Noah winked.
Her father crossed the room and stopped by her. “Are you two okay?”
With Lexi’s help, Jake stood and faced him.
“Yes, Papa,” she said. “We’re fine.”
“Alexandria, I’m so sorry. I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I was afraid Faustus would kill you. He had pictures of you all over the city, even after I hired guards. He said the only way to keep you safe was to have you marry him.”
“You held a gun on Jake.”
“I did, but it was because Faustus said it was either him or you. What would you have me do?”
Jake nodded. “I would have done the same thing.”
“Jake?” Lexi looked up at him.
“He was put in an impossible situation. His hands were tied.”
Her papa nodded. “It’s true. My hope was to get Faustus to the states so that Mr. Maverick would have the opportunity to take care of him without getting you hurt. I knew you were safe with him.”
“So you would have never made me marry him?”
“No. Not only would I not have let it happen,” he said, his gaze landing on Jake. “I sincerely doubt Mr. Maverick would have either.”
Jake smiled. “You were right. I’d fallen for her. I gave you my word that I’d keep her safe, but I fell in love with her. I have no intention of annulling our marriage or divorcing her.”
Her father smiled. “Mr. Maverick, or can I call you Jake now?”
“Jake’s fine.”
Her father reached out and cupped her cheek. “All I’ve ever wanted was her happiness.” He dropped his hand and turned his gaze on Jake. “You love her?”
“More than I thought possible.”
Her father shook Jake’s hand. “Then welcome to the family.”
“You’re not angry?”
“No, my boy. I’m not angry. To have a son with your courage and convictions is a rare thing. Come, let’s talk about olives.” Her father touched Jake’s shoulder. “Did you know they were a gift from Athena?”
Lexi stopped her father. “Papa, maybe we could talk about olives at a different time.”
Jake nodded and held onto her tighter as he swayed. “Perhaps after I’ve had a second to catch my breath.” He used his free hand to hold his midsection. “I think I might need medical attention.”
“Oh yes! We’ll have plenty of time to talk while we fly to Greece. You have family to meet and a wedding to plan.”
“Papa, we’re already married.”
He held up his finger. “Ah, but, my love, I promised your mother that when you found love, I would throw you the grandest wedding imaginable. Your husband isn’t the only man who knows how to keep promises.”
Lexi turned to Jake. “How do you feel about living in Greece?”
“I’ll live anywhere as long as I’m with you.”
Epilogue
Five years later…
“Are you thirsty?” Lexi asked as she approached Jake. Her knee-length cotton sundress made her soft skin look even softer, if that was possible.
He brushed his hands down his jeans and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Which kind of thirsty?” he asked with a smile.
“The water kind of thirsty.”
“Oh, well, that one’s quenchable. The other isn’t.” He took her in his arms and kissed her.
In the last five years, his life had changed so much that it was hard to recall what his dreams were before he met Lexi. He’d moved to Greece and remarried her, and she’d finished her residency there. She’d wrestled with being a doctor for a while but ultimately decided she loved it. Not because of her mother, but because Lexi genuinely enjoyed helping people.
“How was work today?” asked Jake.
“I missed the babies, but it was good. Simple really, runny noses and coughs mostly.”
“Where are the girls?”
“Papa has them. He thought I could use a little alone time with my husband.”
Jake cocked an eyebrow. “He wants more grandchildren.”
“He hasn’t been subtle, has he?”
“No, especially when he says, ‘When are you going to give me more grandchildren?’” Jake chuckled. “The twins are only a year old.”
“True,” she said, her Greek accent making the word sexier. Since their return, it had come back thick, and he loved it.
He took her face in his hands and kissed her cheeks. “I think you get more beautiful every day.”
“Jake, love, I do need to tell you something.”
He tilted his head and smiled. “What?”
Her eyes twinkled in the evening sun. “My papa has gotten his wish for more grandchildren.”
Jake’s lips parted, and his pulse took off. “You’re…”
“Pregnant.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “Are you okay with that?”
Okay? “I’m more than okay,” he said and picked her up around the waist, lifting her feet off the ground.
She circled her arms around his neck and kissed him.
“I’m thrilled as long as I have you,” Jake said.
He groaned as she sank her hands into his hair and kissed him again.
“I think you were Greek all along. What, with this Achille’s heel.” She grinned.
“Just don’t tell my enemies.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you. I promise.”
Jake pressed kisses to her cheeks. “I’ll hold you to it. Say eighty, ninety years?”
“You think that long?”
“According to your father, all this work with olives will give me longevity.”
Pressing her lips to his, she said, “I like the sound of that, my love.”
Five years. She’d called him her love for five years, and the sound of it still made his pulse race and his heart pound. It had been more than a phrase. It’d been a salve for his soul. She’d given him love, children, and peace.
“I love you, Lex Maverick.”
Her smile lit up her face. “I love you, Jake Maverick.”
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Sneak Peek! The Matchmaker’s Fake Marriage Chapter 1
With a sniff, Peyton Burrows grabbed the box of tissues off her bed as she shuffled into the living room of her apartment and flopped down. Without even checking herself in a mirror, she knew how she looked. Life had kicked her while she was down and then thrown her off a cliff. And right before Christmas?
Only six days ago, she was engaged to Frank Salmon, Esquire, and only one meeting away from a promotion at the bank. A promotion she’d already decided to
give up so she could move to Paris with Frank. Only, it wasn’t that kind of meeting after all. Now she was newly single and looking at a pink slip. It had all happened so fast that she felt as though she was suffering from whiplash.
The phone in her bathrobe pocket buzzed against her hip, and she fished it out. “Hey, Tracey.” Ugh. She sounded pathetic.
“Hey, I’m sorry to hear about your job.” Peyton and Tracey had worked together at the bank for five years, but Tracey’s job was secure since she was in mortgages and the bank wasn’t moving that department.
It was the only job she’d had since graduating high school. When it was bought out six months ago, she’d known changes were coming. She just didn’t think her department moving to Iowa would be part of the merger. Now she was twenty-eight and looking for a new job.
“They offered to let me move to Iowa, but not as a supervisor.”
Tracey scoffed. “What? That’s an insult. You took over bad debts and recovered over eighty thousand dollars’ worth of lost assets. Assets the bank had already written off.”
Peyton sat up, energized by the injustice. “It was more than enough to cover my salary. You’d think that would’ve given me job security.”
“Did they tell you why they wouldn’t give you the supervisor job?”
“The supervisor in Iowa had seniority, and there isn’t a need for a second one.”
“Nice. Real nice.” Tracey paused. “Have you heard from Frank?”
Frank. The jerk. He’d proposed at Thanksgiving in front of her parents. Her parents! It had been grand and wonderful, and a big ole fat joke. Through the grapevine—also known as his loudmouth brother—she’d learned that he’d only dated and proposed to her to look good to the partners at his firm. Once he found out he was heading up the Paris office, Peyton was an accessory he no longer needed, and he dumped her.
Peyton groaned. “No, and I don’t want to hear from him. We dated four months, and he was using me the whole time. I mean, I know it was fast, but he said that when you’re in love, you follow your heart.”
The Bodyguard's Fake Marriage Page 16