I looked up at Jules. “Something is going on with Nathan. I don’t know what it is, and I don’t know why, but we need to beef up security until we figure it out.”
“Good call.” He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his side. “I don’t know what it is about you that brings out the crazy in people, but do you think you could dial it back for me?”
Despite the tension of the situation, his attempt to lighten the mood brought a smile to my face. Somehow, he always seemed to know exactly what to do and say to make everything seem just a little better and brighter. Even random threats from a guy I didn’t even really know.
“I’ll do my best, but only because you asked so nicely,” I said when we climbed into his car.
The tiny hairs at the back of my neck stood up, and I got that feeling that we were being watched, but when I looked around, there was nobody there.
I wasn’t generally a paranoid person, but Nathan had scared me. It’s a good thing they’ve got a guard available immediately. I have a feeling I’m going to need one if I’m going to keep doing stuff like sleeping.
Chapter 7
CARTER
Something bad had happened. I didn’t know what yet, but I intended on finding out. As soon as Bart had called me to tell me Rylee had requested someone to start sooner, I’d known something was up.
A part of me had wanted to race right over to her house to make sure she was okay, but I hadn’t followed through because I didn’t know where she lived—a small problem when wanting to go right over—and it also probably would’ve freaked her out. No, not probably. Definitely.
All morning, I’d been on edge while waiting for the time of our meeting to finally arrive. I was worried about the sudden schedule change, but I was also more than curious to see how she would react when she saw who I was.
I walked into the conference room at our offices five minutes early, and Rylee was already there. I slammed to a stop when I realized it, taking in every inch of her with just one deliberate sweep of my gaze over her body.
The first thing I noticed was that she looked physically fine. She didn’t appear to have any injuries, nor was she displaying any of the obvious signs of discomfort that might hint at something hidden beneath her clothes.
Relief coursed through me like a living thing that had taken up residence in my veins. She’s not hurt. Thank fuck.
Throughout a relatively sleepless night, I’d envisioned a few scenarios in which she’d been attacked by one of those psychos who’d threatened her. The mere thought of someone hurting her had been enough to make my blood boil, and an alarmingly intense desire to exact vengeance on her behalf spread through me.
The images my brain had so helpfully conjured up somewhere between two and four this morning had plagued me, and it was only now that I was seeing with my own eyes that she was uninjured that I managed to relax.
The other thing I noticed immediately was that she was even more beautiful up close than she had been when I’d seen her in the grocery store. The Rylee I remembered from childhood was gorgeous, but the woman sitting in front of me now was stunning. There was no other way to describe her.
Except maybe as an extremely fuckable version of Snow White. Dark auburn hair, bluest eyes, smooth pale skin, and full perfectly red lips. She was made even more perfect by the light smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Jesus. How is it possible that she’s become even more breathtaking over the years?
I felt like someone had wrapped their fists around my lungs and squeezed all the air out of them. Just seeing her had knocked the breath right out of me.
All of this took no longer than a beat, but time seemed to have slowed down. No more so than when she lifted her gaze away from the phone she’d been scrolling on and looked up at me.
When our eyes connected, it was like I’d been struck by lightning. The chemistry that’d always existed between us had nothing on the way every atom in the air suddenly crackled in the room right then.
Until I realized that while she was looking at me like she appreciated what she was seeing, there wasn’t a single ounce of recognition in her eyes. She didn’t have any fucking idea who I was.
That’s a good thing, right?
Maybe without the pressure of a shared history and the knowledge that I used to be her brother’s best friend, we actually stood a chance of getting to know each other for the people we were now. More than that, it might make it easier for me to focus on doing my job—and not the woman I was supposed to be protecting.
I knew I’d changed a lot since the last time we’d seen each other, but I really hadn’t thought I was totally unrecognizable. Sure, I’d filled out a lot from the scrawny kid I used to be, grown a few more inches, cut my hair much shorter, and I had stubble now. But did I really look so different that she had no clue I was me?
Evidently, the answer to that question was yes.
Rylee extended her hand after standing up, an easygoing smile spreading across her lips as she took a step toward me. “Hi. You must be Carter. I’m Rylee. It’s very nice to meet you.”
It was a split-second decision not to come clean to her about who I was just yet. “Yeah. I’m Carter. You might want to hold off on deciding whether it really is nice to meet me until we’ve gone over all the rules you’re going to have to live by for the next month.”
When I slipped my hand into hers, I felt like an earthquake passed through me at the feel of her skin against mine. The only sign that she felt it as well was the slightest flaring of her nostrils before she released my hand and went back to her seat.
Her smile hadn’t even faltered, even though I was ninety percent sure I’d faint if a feather so much as came near me right then. “Trust me. You won’t have any problems with me not following the rules. I’ll do what I have to do.”
“In that case, you and I are going to get along just fine.” I pulled out one of the leather chairs around the table and lowered myself into it. As much as I’d have been able to stare at her all day while marveling about the fact that the connection between us felt so strong after so many years, I had work to do. “Why don’t we start with you telling me what made you make the decision to hire a guard, and we’ll take it from there?”
I hadn’t quite been prepared for the story that followed. I knew about the threats obviously, but it was definitely news to me that there was creepy reporter borderline stalking her. “What an asshole.”
She nodded, her eyes wide as she ran her fingers through her long hair. “I know. It’s just so fucking weird. It came out of nowhere.”
“People in your situation often feel that way, but it’s never out of nowhere. It started somewhere and it’s likely he’s been building up to this for much longer than you think.”
“Now there’s a comforting thought.” She sighed softly. “I guess it’s a good thing Jules, my manager, had already spoken to your boss. I’m sorry if this has suddenly become a lot more complicated than what it was when you agreed to take me on as a client.”
“It’s not a problem. Unfortunately, this kind of thing is a lot more common than most people think. It won’t be my first rodeo with a guy like that.”
“That actually is a comforting thought.” She smiled. “Well, not that it’s so common, but that you’ve seen it and dealt with it before.”
“Really? Here I thought you were comforted by the knowledge that there are so many other people out there getting threatened by dirtbags.”
Rylee didn’t skip a beat. She snapped her thumb and index finger together, shaking her head. “Maybe I should start a support group. We can all comfort each other.”
“There are actually support groups out there. They’re not quite as well-known as some of the others, for obvious reasons, but they’re pretty active.”
“I can understand why they would be. Getting threatened is bad enough. I can’t imagine what it must feel like if the person who has threatened you actually starts following you around or trying to
hurt you.”
A visible shudder traveled through her. I wanted to hug her so damn badly that I ended up digging my fingers into my thighs to keep from reaching out to her. We’d never been particularly close, but there had been times here and there that we’d hugged.
Birthdays. Their grandfather’s funeral. Once or twice when we said hi or bye. I remembered what it felt like to have her in my arms, though. Not so well that I could still feel exactly what her body had felt like against mine or anything as obsessive as that, but I remembered those hugs, and they’d been good.
“Hopefully, you’ll never know what that feels like,” I said, settling for using a reassuring tone. “Even if this guy or anyone else tries anything, I’ll be there. No one is going to hurt you.”
“About that.” She sucked in a breath and rolled her lips into her mouth before slowly releasing them. “I’m not sure how your arrangements with clients usually work, but I want twenty-four-seven security and I’d like it to be only one person. I’ve got a guest bedroom at my place where you can stay.”
My heartrate kicked up a notch. It wasn’t the first time a client was expecting me to be with them every minute of every day, but this was Rylee. I was attracted to her, which was a first for me with a client.
Not only that, but contrary to popular belief, I did have a life outside of work. Twenty-four-seven jobs never really excited me.
On the other hand, I’d feel much more comfortable knowing she was protected at all times. “I’ll need to have Sundays off to go home to my dog, Max. During daylight hours on Sundays when I’m not with you, I’ll arrange for Bart to be there.”
“Max can come with you to my house, but fine. Sundays off. Do you have any dietary requirements I should be aware of?”
“Nope. I’ll eat pretty much anything but you know you’re not expected to feed me, right?” One of the drawbacks of having to live with a client was having to eat whenever you had time instead of at normal mealtimes.
Rylee shrugged her shoulders, her eyes locked on mine. “I might not be expected to feed you, but I’d like to. It’d be too weird only cooking for myself if you’re right there. Plus, it’s the least I can do for wanting someone with me all the time.”
“It’s really not necessary, but I won’t stop you if that’s what you want.”
She smiled. “That’s what I want. You said you eat ‘pretty much anything,’ so there’s obviously stuff you don’t like. Care to share?”
“I’m not crazy about tripe.” I chuckled when she scrunched up her nose.
“That won’t be a problem,” she said. “It’s not something I’m very familiar with and I have no plans to change that.”
I laughed. “I know it’s considered a delicacy by many, but my palate is just not that refined.”
“Agreed. Anything else you don’t like?” She slid her forearms onto the polished surface of the table and leaned forward.
The shirt she was wearing wasn’t low cut, but in this new position, I could see just a hint of her cleavage. Oh, man. It’s going to be a long, hard month for me.
Deliberately keeping my gaze very firmly on hers instead of where it so badly wanted to drop to, I reminded myself that this was a professional relationship. “Anything else is fine, really. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll just be grateful to be getting food.”
“And here I thought we were hitting it off so well. Now you shut down on me?” She shook her head, but her eyes were alive with humor. “That’s okay. I’ll get it out of you eventually. Let’s change it up a little. What’s your favorite meal?”
“Steak.” I didn’t even have to think about it. “But I’m not telling you anything else until you promise me you’re not going to run out to get everything I tell you I like as soon as you leave here.”
“Fine, I won’t go as soon as I leave here,” she promised, flashing me a coy smile.
I crossed my arms on the table and raised an eyebrow at her. “Let me rephrase. You won’t go get it at all.”
“I’m afraid I can’t promise you that.” She smirked but her gaze searched mine with sudden curiosity in it. “Am I just that easy for you to read? It feels like you knew what I was going to say before I even said it.”
“You smiled when you tacked on the ‘as soon as I leave here’ part of that sentence.” Also, I knew her. Maybe I didn’t know the ins and outs of her preferences and pet peeves, but I knew who she was fundamentally, and I knew who she’d been raised by.
Mama and Papa Naples were good people. They’d never had the most money, but they’d have given every last cent they had to someone in need. Mrs. Naples always insisted I stay for dinner, and she cooked enough to feed an army.
It shouldn’t have surprised me that Rylee was taking a page from her playbook. She probably didn’t even realize most people wouldn’t have insisted on cooking for their guard.
She grinned at my reply, rolling her eyes. “Ah. So I am that obvious? I’ll have to work on my poker face.”
“I’ll help you. We’ll make it a daily exercise where you tell me two truths and a lie, and I’ll try to figure out what the lie is.”
“Isn’t that a drinking game?” she asked with a slight frown. “I’ve never played it, but I think I’ve heard about it.”
“It doesn’t have to be a drinking game. Plenty of people play it without alcohol.”
She exhaled deeply. “I’d have loved to play it with alcohol but I’m not much of a drinker.”
Something in her eyes told me there was more to that story, but I didn’t push it. I was enjoying our banter and getting to know each other again. And it was important for the job I needed to do.
“I don’t drink while I’m on duty, so that’s not a problem. We’ll still fix your poker face in no time.”
“Thank you.” She grinned. “Having to keep something as big as my return to the stage a secret if the whole world can see when I’m being evasive or outright lying is impossible.”
We talked for another thirty minutes or so before we eventually parted ways. I stood up to shake her hand again, and caught a whiff of vanilla and berries when she blew past me toward the door. When she left, I realized my heart was racing and my cock was hard.
I was seriously into this woman, and that wasn’t a good way to start a working relationship.
I’m so screwed.
Chapter 8
RYLEE
“Have a good day, honey,” Tani called as Cash walked away from us. He turned to wave with the sweetest smile on his face before disappearing into his preschool.
Once a week, we met for a morning run and coffee after she dropped him off. I met her at the school because it was just easier to take off from here. We lived a few miles apart, and Cash’s school was just about the halfway point between us. Plus, there was a nice park nearby with a trail that we liked and a coffee truck at the exit. It was perfect.
“Ready to go?” she asked, tightening her ponytail as she turned to face me. “I really need to start running more often. I know it’s fucking freezing, but that’s no excuse for the extra pounds I’ve put on.”
It really was cold. We were so bundled up that I couldn’t really see her figure, but I already knew what she had going on underneath all those layers. “Nonsense. It just feels that way because we’re constantly wearing so many clothes. You look great.”
She arched a plucked eyebrow at me and pursed her lips. “It’s not just winter this year. Trust me. My mirror almost broke last night when I got out of the shower.”
I laughed. “Maybe you just need a kinder mirror. Or a stronger one. I wouldn’t mind getting a bit more exercise, though. I’ll need to check with my doctors and my shiny new bodyguard, but it shouldn’t be a problem for us to meet up more often.”
“I can’t believe you’ve actually finally gotten a guard,” she said as we walked toward the park. “When does he start?”
“Tonight.” I toyed with the zipper on my jacket, thinking back to our meeting. “I’m a litt
le nervous about it actually. He’s going to be living in my house with me.”
“Jules told me. It’s for the best for now.” Her breath formed little puffs of white air while she spoke. I didn’t know why, but it was one of the things I loved about winter. “You’ve met the guy they’re sending, right? What’s he like? If you’re not comfortable having him live with you, I’m sure you could get someone else.”
“It’s not that. We actually got along great. There were no awkward pauses. I didn’t feel like he was judging me and thinking I was silly for wanting security, and he seems to have a sense of humor.”
“What’s bothering you then?”
We stopped to stretch at the beginning of the trail, Tani half-turning so she could still face me as we dipped down.
“I wouldn’t say it’s bothering me, but there’s just something really familiar about him.”
She chewed on the inside of her cheek, her eyes lifting toward the gray sky as she thought. “You’ve never had a guard before, right? Maybe it’s that. Maybe he’s worked security for something for you before.”
“Nope. I’ve never had private security for anything. Not even for the big events and stuff. I have no clue why he seems familiar, but it can’t be that.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” She nudged me just before we took off. “Maybe he’s just got one of those faces.”
“He has a gorgeous face, but not in that generic way that makes me think I’ve seen it somewhere before when I haven’t.”
We kept an easy pace. Neither of us was training for a marathon or looking to outrun the other. One of the best things about this time we had together was the girl-talk. We didn’t make having it impossible by pushing ourselves too hard.
“A gorgeous face, huh?” She waggled her brows at me. “Tell me more about this gorgeous face.”
I felt my cheeks heating up, and it wasn’t because I was exerting myself. “It’s nothing. He’s just really good looking. I have no idea how I’m going to sleep with him just down the hall without thinking about things I shouldn’t.”
Dropping The Ball: A New Year’s Billionaire Romance Page 5