So she felt it too.
When I opened my mouth, she shook her head and brought her finger to her own lips this time. “Not tonight. Let’s just cook and have some clean fun together. Deal?”
Fine, but you asked for it. “Deal.”
I am so going to hell for this. But at least I knew it in advance.
Chapter 14
RYLEE
Jules had the most eccentric office I’d ever seen. With heavy, patterned drapes in the windows, dim lighting, and thick rugs, it felt more like a burlesque bar than a place where business got done.
The only exception was that there wasn’t an actual bar in sight. Instead of a counter from which to serve alcohol, there was an antique mahogany desk that he kept clear of all but the most essential clutter.
Even his laptop had a compartment within the desktop that he could close when he didn’t need it. Today, the only items in front of him related to Wicked and my performance in it.
He came over to hug me when I walked in, smiling and wiggling his fingers at Carter before the door swung shut behind me. “How’s that going for you?”
“It’s been the most frustrating ten days of my life, but I’m learning to live with it.” I brushed a kiss to his smooth cheek before letting him go. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“The plans for the New Year’s reveal.” He motioned me into a wingback chair at the desk and walked to a panel in the wall that hid a mini-fridge. Extracting two bottles of sparkling water, he slid the panel back in place and handed one to me. “All the details are pretty much locked in. They’re finally in agreement over the song, and your outfit has been sent over.”
Nerves scattered through me. I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat, scooting to the edge of my chair. “What song is it?”
Jules dropped into his chair with a wide grin breaking out across his face. “They went with your suggestion. You’re coming back with ‘I’m Not That Girl.’”
“Really?” Giddiness replaced the nerves, although they hadn’t disappeared entirely. “Shit really is getting real now, isn’t it?”
How many times can I use the world “real” in one sentence?
He didn’t seem to mind, though. Instead, he just nodded, cracking the lid of his water bottle and taking a long swallow of it before replying. “It’s a good thing though, right? It came very close to being ‘Defying Gravity,’ but this is your moment. They didn’t want anyone else up there with you when it came right down to it.”
“Is Dustin okay with it?” My co-star, who was playing my love interest in the show, was a nice enough guy. We didn’t know one another very well, and I didn’t want to start off with any hostility between us.
Jules waved my concern off, chuckling as he stood up again. “He was the one who cast the deciding vote. He knew what song you’d asked for, and he sided with you. It seems he was also relieved not to have to share the stage with you when it’s the first time in years you’re taking it. He said to tell you it was your time to shine, and to enjoy it.”
“My time to shine, huh?” I watched him curiously as he strode over to the walk-in closet beside the small stage in the corner of his office. “Maybe it would’ve been better if I had someone else onstage with me. You know, just in case.”
He whirled around to face me and pointed his finger at my chest. “None of that talk. You’re fine, and you’re going to have an excellent performance. I’ll prove it to you.”
Disappearing behind the curtain that led into the closet, he emerged a moment later holding a hanger with a protective covering over the clothing on it. “This is your outfit. Come change. Then we’ll go over your song. You’ll see. It’s going to be great.”
“You’ve heard me sing that song a hundred times, and that’s the conservative estimate.” I pushed to my feet and went to him. “I’d love to see what I’ll be wearing, though. There was still a debate around it at the last rehearsal.”
“They were waiting for the final song choice,” he said and thrust the hanger at me. “This won’t be what you’ll be wearing for it during the show. It’s a special dress, designed especially for you for your breakout performance.”
I took it from him, holding it against my chest as my heart started hammering against my ribs. “Will I be painted?”
He smirked. “Not this time, no. They’ve incorporated enough green into the outfit that they don’t think it’s necessary for your skin to be green too. They want you to be immediately recognizable even to people who aren’t expecting it to be you.”
“So you mean they want me to be recognizable by hopefully everyone?”
“Some are expecting it to be you.” He sighed deeply, pursing his lips and shaking his head. “Nathan Biles is still asking questions and spreading his rumors. We’re working on shutting him down, but there’s only so much we can do.”
“It is his job, I guess.” I just didn’t understand why he was so obsessively focused on only me. “Let’s not think about him. Do you really need me to try this on and do the song right now?”
“They need to be sure of the measurements. It’s quite possibly the most important dress you’ll ever wear, barring your wedding dress one day. It needs to fit perfectly.”
“I don’t mind singing the song, but why? We have a formal rehearsal this afternoon, don’t we?” Since New Year’s was only a couple of weeks away, it was time to start putting on the finishing touches and wrapping things up for this performance.
“Because I said so. That’s why.” He tapped the tip of my nose with a fond smile on his lips. “I told them I had the power to veto any dress they want to put you in, but especially the one for New Years. I want to see for myself if it all works together. It has to be perfect.”
“This is why I love you so much.” I gave his forearm an affectionate squeeze before turning toward the closet. “Can we invite Carter in? I’d love to get his take on it as well.”
Jules paused, his eyes narrowing as his head cocked and he folded his arms over his chest. “You would, huh? Why has it been the most frustrating ten days of your life, young Rylee? Have you been doing naughty things that are contractually forbidden?”
I laughed, rolling my eyes at his protective demeanor. “I’ve been behaving myself perfectly well. For the most part anyway.”
“I thought you meant you were frustrated because you have a bodyguard, but I’m getting the feeling now that you’re frustrated by him and not because he’s a guard. Am I right?”
I chose my words carefully. Jules was one of my best friends and my most trusted adviser, but he also took my safety—and the rules made by those in charge of it—very seriously.
“Tani and I both think that I might need to replace Carter as my bodyguard.”
His brows jumped in surprise, his forehead crinkling. “Why? Has something untoward happened?”
I shook my head immediately. “Nothing untoward and certainly nothing I didn’t want. I’d just like the opportunity to start dating or at least humping the man. He’s perfect for me, Jules. The way I feel when I’m around him…”
“You’re falling in love,” he finished for me, his voice barely above a whisper. “Holy fuck.”
“Don’t say anything to the firm yet, okay? He’s been very good about everything and I don’t want to get him in trouble. There’s just something about him that draws me to him, and I can’t seem to shake it.”
He hesitated for a long minute, searching my gaze before his Adam’s apple moved on a gulp. “If anything happens that makes you question his professionalism and ability to guard you, you need to tell me. Am I clear?”
“Crystal.”
Since Carter had put a stop to things in my kitchen, I’d looked into why rules existed prohibiting bodyguards from dating their clients. He’d said it wasn’t only because of the rules, but we’d never gotten around to talking about what his other concerns were.
I didn’t believe that he could think I was so shallow that I really cared abou
t his childhood or where he came from, or that any of it should stand in our way. Especially when I honestly didn’t give a damn about his background, except of course for wanting to know more about who he was. It definitely wasn’t something that factored into my feelings about him.
Whether he’d grown up as a billionaire or a pauper made zero difference to me. Money, or the lack thereof, didn’t define people. It was the person he was that had drawn me to him, and that was the guy I wanted to get to know better. Whatever was going on in his bank account made no difference to me.
As for the rules, apparently there was concern that familiarity bred complacency and unprofessional relationships, and that could put the client in danger. Something told me that it wouldn’t be like that with Carter, but I still didn’t want to get him in trouble. I also didn’t really want to lose him as my guard. I’d gotten used to having him around, and I really liked it. Even if it’d been a struggle keeping my lips and hands to myself.
Jules accepted my agreement without question, simply sighing and gesturing toward the curtain. “Go get changed in there. I’ll get your hottie and bring him in. Just don’t let him distract you, okay? If you’re distracted by him, I’m going to have to assume that the same is true for him. I want you to be happy, and I can see you’re happier with him around, but my priority is keeping you safe.”
I nodded as I swept the curtain aside to reveal the closet beyond it. “We’re both capable of doing our jobs regardless of the chemistry between us. You’ll see in a moment.”
Now all I had to do was prove to him that I was right. One of the reasons why he was even giving us a chance and not going straight to Bart was because he’d seen Carter in action that day we’d had lunch together. I knew Jules well enough to know that he’d been impressed by Carter’s skills and awareness of our surroundings, which meant he was okay with giving me this chance as long as it didn’t put me in overt danger.
As I changed into the dress, I put my thoughts about my bodyguard on hold for the moment. If I was going to prove to Jules, and to myself, that Carter wouldn’t be a distraction, I actually needed to not be distracted by him.
The New Year’s performance was going to be a huge one for my career, and I really did care about it. It wasn’t difficult to focus on that instead of the low timbre of Carter’s voice on the other side of the curtain.
Every aspect of the upcoming performance mattered, the dress being an important part of the character I had to slide into. Taking a deep breath as I stepped into the black lacy number, I zipped up the side, admiring the exquisite workmanship and thought that had gone into it.
The lace was sheer with a layer of shimmering emerald material underneath it. My bodice and arms looked like I’d been painted that color, and though my legs were covered, the skirt was sleek enough that the emerald popped from my hips and thighs as well.
A high collar came up to just below my ears, and the frilly touches over my chest were made to look frayed. I found a matching pair of heels at the bottom of the plastic covering and slipped them on to complete the look.
There was a hat in there too, which I perched at the back of my head after pulling my ponytail out of my hair. I was surprised by the overall effect. I’d always admired costume designers and marveled at how their creations could morph a person into a character, but these people had surpassed my expectations.
After adding a bit of stage makeup from Jules’s closet, I looked just like the infamous Wicked Witch. The effect was dazzling—even to me.
When I walked out, Jules turned a finger in the air and examined me with a critical eye. Carter was seated in a padded chair facing the small stage, and he didn’t move, but I heard his sharp intake of breath when he saw me.
“I approve,” Jules said finally. “They did a great job. Let’s take it for a spin, shall we?”
I nodded and climbed onto the stage, forcing my gaze to stay off Carter’s as I prepared to launch into the song. Everything inside me stilled when I belted out the first note, and it went off without a hitch from there.
Putting all the longing of my character for her love interest and my own for Carter into it, I closed my eyes and put on the best show I had in years. Jules burst into applause when I was done, and I shot him a cheeky wink before finally allowing myself to look at Carter.
Without harsh stage lights in my eyes, I didn’t need to wait for my vision to adjust. I could see him perfectly, his lips slightly parted and a flush across his cheeks. A little rush spread through me when I noticed the bulge in his pants to go with the expression on his face.
Yes! He’s definitely, one hundred percent into me.
In the week that had passed since our passionate kisses, I’d started to wonder if maybe the attraction wasn’t one-sided after all. I knew now that it wasn’t, and I also knew I could do my job without being distracted by having him there.
All things considered, it had been a very enlightening morning. Tonight, after we got back from my rehearsal, I’d make my move. If he turned me down again, at least I would know that I’d tried. I had to try.
Supposedly, the rules were there to protect me, and I trusted Carter enough that I didn’t think following our hearts—and our bodies—would affect his ability to do his job. I was safe with him. There were still a lot of things I had to learn about my bodyguard, but that much, I was sure of. No matter what, he would protect me. Nothing that happened between us would change that.
Chapter 15
CARTER
“She’s quite something, isn’t she?” A blonde woman with a friendly smile and a small boy in tow dropped into the seat beside mine. She stuck out her hand. “You must be Carter. I’m Tani and this little terror right here goes by Cash.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” I shook her hand first before pretending to wince when Cash squeezed my fingers next. “Wow. You’ve got a really good grip, little man. It’s nice to meet you.”
Cash’s chest swelled and he flashed me a shy grin. “Thank you. Mommy says I’m strong.”
“You are,” I agreed, then sat back again and looked into Tani’s curious bright green eyes. “To answer your question, yes. She really is something up there.”
“Is this the first time you’re seeing one of her performances?” she asked. “Well, I suppose it’s only a rehearsal, not technically a performance. Wait until you see her for real. She’s mesmerizing when she really gets going.”
I made a noncommittal humming noise at the back of my throat. As far as I was concerned, Rylee was always mesmerizing. Back at Jules’s office with that little intimate show she’d given us, I’d been completely enchanted by her. It’d been like she really was a witch who had put a spell on me. A very sexual spell, but hey.
A man walked onto the stage with her, and I tensed when he put his hand on her hip and leaned in to kiss her cheek. Rylee laughed in response to something he said and gave him a quick hug.
Dark jealousy unfurled in my stomach. I didn’t know when I’d started feeling possessive over her, but a primal part of me was roaring “MINE” when he bent his head closer to hers.
Tani giggled at my side, rolling her eyes when I glanced at her. “You’re both as bad as the other. If you want my advice, you should just put yourselves out of your misery and get it on already.”
She kept her voice low enough that no one could overhear her, but I took a quick look around us anyway. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s my job to make sure no one gets close to her, and he’s pretty damn close.”
“He’s also supposed to be that close to her. They are in love, if you haven’t heard.” She watched me carefully and I had no idea what she saw, but she rushed the next part out. “In the play, silly. Dustin is Fiyero Tigelaar. Elphaba’s lover. There’s nothing between them in real life. They hardly know each other.”
“I know who he is.” I had a file on him back at Rylee’s. Nothing that indicated he was a threat had popped up in his background check, but every sense I had was
suddenly on high alert. “I didn’t know he was going to be here today.”
“The show opens in a few weeks. They’ve been keeping the rehearsals she’s involved in as small as possible, but there are a few people who have to be present. He’s one of them.”
My hackles rose when he put a hand on her arm and said something else that made her laugh. “Isn’t he already in a relationship? It seems unprofessional of him to be flirting with her.”
Pot, meet kettle.
Tani laughed, shaking her head at me. “Trust me, he’s not flirting. He’s just funny. You have nothing to worry about. He’s very happily married and he has a set of twins on the way.”
“I’m not worried,” I murmured, but both of us knew I was lying.
She didn’t call me out on it, though. Instead, we settled into an amicable silence while they were singing and talked whenever they weren’t. During one of the breaks when the director called Dustin and Rylee closer, Tani turned to me.
“Has she told you about the time she ran into a vase of flowers during opening night?” she asked. “She didn’t just tap them. She ran full speed into them.”
A surprised laugh tore out of me. I cleared my throat, but she kept right on going. “It was hilarious. Someone had moved the flowers about two feet from where they were supposed to have been, but they were exactly in her path. Rylee, of course, didn’t skip a beat. She stood up after stumbling, winked at the audience, and started singing her song.”
“She’s a natural up there,” I said. “I don’t know too much about this world, but I’m assuming a lot of other people would’ve handled it differently.”
She widened her eyes and nodded. “So much differently, but Rylee’s just not one to cause drama. You know? She loves her job, but she doesn’t take herself too seriously.”
Dropping The Ball: A New Year’s Billionaire Romance Page 10