“But we can play matchmaker while you’re in town,” Willow offered.
“Hey, if Aiden weren’t leaving town tomorrow, I’d offer to distract him for you,” Piper said, glancing over her shoulder at Aiden. “That brother of yours might be overprotective, but he’s scrumptious. He just needs to loosen up and realize he can use that tie for something much more fun than making a good impression.”
“Piper!” Bridgette chided. “That’s Remi’s brother.”
Piper held her hands up and said, “I’m just trying to do my part to help a friend.”
“Let’s get back to matchmaking for Remi,” Aurelia suggested.
“Thanks for the offer, but as much as I would love that, you know how it is when I’m filming. Going out is impossible. I either have fans all over me or the paparazzi trying to make something out of nothing. And with Aiden’s army at my back, it’s not like I’d have any privacy anyway.”
“Maybe you just need less obtrusive security,” Aurelia said. “I thought Ben referred Aiden to Mason Swift, the guy he used when he was trying to track down Bea’s mother.”
“I have no idea who this Mason guy is, but every time I ask Aiden to call off these guys and find me one plainclothed bodyguard that won’t make me feel like I’m in jail, he says he’s dealing with it.”
“Mason and Bodhi were in the Special Forces together, and then they both worked at Darkbird. According to Bodhi, Mason has a sixth sense for sniffing out trouble.” Darkbird was a civilian company that carried out dangerous covert rescue missions for the military. “I don’t think Mason does security work anymore, but his employees do. He’s here somewhere. You can talk to him if you’d like.”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t need or want security,” Remi said adamantly. “I think even one bodyguard is overkill. I just need space to breathe.”
“Like I said, I can keep the hunky hulks busy so you can go have some fun. I’ll get them greased up and smiling in no time.” Piper winked at Porter, whose expression remained as unaffected as a mannequin.
“Wow,” Willow said. “I’ve never seen a man not react to you at all.”
“The night’s still young,” Piper said snarkily.
“Go for it,” Remi urged. “I have a bone to pick with Aiden. But first I need to find a bathroom.”
“Out that door and down the hall.” Willow pointed to a door in the back of the room. “Want us to come with you?”
“No. I’m good, thanks. One bodyguard is enough. I’ll be right back.” Remi searched the faces of the crowd as she made her way through the room, hoping to see the mysterious man she couldn’t get off her mind.
Disappointed not to have spotted him, she pushed through the doors in the back of the room with Porter on her heels. She strode down the hall toward the ladies’ room feeling like a dog on a leash, trying to keep her emotions in check. But between her disappointment and annoyance, it was a futile effort. When she reached the restroom alcove, out of earshot of the other guests, she spun on her heels, leveling Porter with her most threatening stare.
“I’m going to the bathroom!” she hissed. “Do you want to pee for me, too?”
Porter’s facial expression remained professional as he said, “No, but I have to check the bathroom before you enter it.”
“Of course you do. Go ahead!” She threw up her hands as he walked past.
Remi turned to catch her breath—nearly smacking into the broad chest of the gorgeous man she’d seen outside. She froze, her heart racing. He was even more devastating up close, with perfectly manicured scruff, full, kissable lips, and steel blue eyes that had the knee-weakening triple effect of being intimidating, seductive, and regal. She didn’t even think that was possible! She’d worked with beautiful men her whole life, and never before had she felt an instant zing of attraction like the one ricocheting inside her now.
She was vaguely aware of Porter knocking on the ladies’ room door behind her as Mr. Devastating’s narrowing eyes pinned her in place and he said, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to pee for you, either.”
Shit. Shit, shit, shit. He’d heard everything she’d said.
She opened her mouth to tell him she was frustrated and shouldn’t have been so rude, but her mouth had gone bone-dry and she couldn’t find her voice. His eyes drilled into her. Disapproving? Amused? She wasn’t sure which, until his lips quirked up in a half smile, half smirk. No acting class could have prepared her for the titillating heat this man exuded—or the embarrassment overtaking her.
He crossed his arms with a discerning, arrogant look in his eyes.
That judgmental look struck a nerve, cooling her desire. She lifted her chin, meeting his steady gaze with an icy look of her own, and said, “Don’t you judge me. I’m sure if you were on a leash twenty-four-seven, you’d snap sometimes, too.”
Her heart pounded as she pushed through the ballroom doors, storming through the crowd in search of Aiden and mentally preparing her next escape—which would be out of the country if her brother didn’t call off his dogs before she completely lost her mind and people started calling her America’s Wicked Witch instead of America’s Sweetheart.
She whipped through the room, becoming angrier by the second, and finally spotted him through the glass balcony doors, talking on his phone. She stormed outside, glad he was alone.
Aiden pocketed his phone, his brows slanting in confusion. “There you are. Where are Porter and Merrick?”
“They don’t matter right now. I’m done, Aiden. I can’t do this anymore.” She paced, arms flailing, frustration flying from her lips. “I feel like a caged rat living with those two guys watching over me. They don’t speak to me except when absolutely necessary. I can handle myself, and I swear if you don’t get them to back off, you won’t be the only one leaving the country tomorrow.”
“Remi, calm down.” Aiden was twelve years her senior, and he lived in a constant state of calm, which could be infuriating. Even when she was a sad and confused preteen after their parents were killed, he’d never lost his cool. People said he was a dead ringer for David Beckham without all the tattoos, but Remi knew David had nothing on the man who had given up his hopes and dreams, along with most of his life, so she could have hers.
“Calm down? That’s easy for you to say. You don’t have men following you everywhere. I can’t even go to the bathroom without one of them standing outside the door.” She was pacing again, unable to rein in months of frustration. “I spend my life living under a microscope by the media, and I have never given you any reason to believe that I can’t handle myself. I can deal with that kind of scrutiny from the press. It’s a pain, but I get it. It comes with the territory. But this? This constant watchfulness? It’s too much!”
“Remington Aldridge, stop,” he said sharply.
She stilled at his use of her real name, which was the only indication that Aiden was ever at the end of his rope and that he’d heard every word she’d said. She crossed her arms and clamped her mouth shut.
“If you’ll let me get a word in edgewise, you’ll see I have taken care of everything.”
“You have not—”
“Have I ever not taken care of you?” he interrupted with a sterner tone.
The brotherly love in his eyes tugged at her heartstrings. “No,” she said more calmly. “But there’s such a thing as doing too much.”
“Not when your life is on the line,” he said firmly, leaving no room for negotiation. “I read every one of your texts. I know you’re frustrated, but I had to work out the details to be sure you’d be taken care of.”
“I don’t need to be taken care of. Whoever sent those letters and broke into my house in LA hasn’t done anything in months. Nobody’s out to get me, Aiden. The stalker has moved on to his next obsession. You have me locked in a fortress at night, and we have security on set. Just hire a driver to take me to and from set, and I’ll be fine.” Remi hated to drive, though she knew how.
“Remi, it’s my job to
keep you safe. If I weren’t going out of the country, I’d do it myself. But rest assured, I hear you. I know you want one bodyguard, not two.”
“Plainclothed.”
“Done.”
“And not an asshole.”
“Porter and Merrick are not assholes. They’re professionals.”
“That’s fair.” She huffed out a breath, feeling bad for referring to them that way. “I’m sorry. I just want to be treated normally. Can’t you find a guy who can talk to me like a normal person? Someone who doesn’t watch me like I’m a job?”
“You are their job, Remi, and I’m sorry about that. But I did find you the best security there is, at least according to Bodhi.” He glanced over her shoulder, and a satisfied smile curved her brother’s lips. “Remi, meet your new bodyguard, Mason Swift.”
The name rang a bell, and she felt a little relieved, hopeful that Bodhi’s friend would treat her like a normal person. She stood up a little straighter, praying Mason had not heard her ranting. She’d had enough mortification for one night.
She turned, and her stomach pitched at the sight of Mr. Devastating’s eyes dancing with amusement.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Divine. Mason Swift at your service.”
Sweet mother of all things hot and annoying, someone really was out to get her.
“Excuse us for just a second,” Remi said with what Mason was sure was practiced restraint. She grabbed Aiden’s arm and spun him around, their backs facing Mason, though it didn’t stop Mason from hearing her panicked whispers. “Are you kidding? Him?”
“You wanted one bodyguard, and he’s the best there is. Mason owns the company that Porter and Merrick work for. I fly out tomorrow, Remi, to deal with one of the most important deals Ben and I have ever negotiated. I need to know you’re safe so I can be clearheaded and focus on business. It’s either Mason, or I tell Porter and Merrick not to move out of your house, which they’re set to do before you and Mason leave this event.”
Remi looked over her shoulder at Mason, her honey-brown hair covering one keen hazel eye. She was even more stunning in person than on the big screen. Mason had seen her enter the building, moving with the grace of a swan and the cool edge of a movie star, but the minute she’d seen her girlfriends, that practiced facade had fallen away, and quickly thereafter she’d let loose on Porter Lawton. Porter and Merrick were two of Mason’s best men. They’d fought with him in the Special Forces, and Porter had followed him to Darkbird. Porter was not only the first person Mason had hired when he’d opened his company, but he was the man Mason called when he was in trouble. He and Merrick were good, responsible, honest men. The only reason they were aloof with Remi was because they were heeding Aiden’s directive that they not get mixed up with Remi on a personal level. He didn’t want them distracted from their jobs.
Remi narrowed her eyes, lifted her chin defiantly, and turned away to argue with her brother again.
She was a hot little number with a perfect ass, and so fucking pretty, if she weren’t such a diva, Mason might have to work at keeping himself in check. But he didn’t do clients, and he definitely didn’t do divas. Hell, he didn’t do many women at all.
“Fine,” she snapped at Aiden, and then she turned a smile on Mason that had the power to melt a normal man’s heart.
Mason was anything but normal.
He didn’t usually take on security jobs, but Remi had run through four bodyguards in as many months. He’d stepped in and taken over as a favor to his brother-in-arms Bodhi Booker. Mason had done his homework. He knew Remi Divine—aka Remington Aldridge—had lost her parents when she was twelve, had been raised by her brother, had been acting since she was a teenager, and had won her first Oscar at twenty. Now he also knew that she was far feistier than her low-key good-girl reputation indicated.
“It’s nice to properly meet you,” Remi said with an air of dignity far more fitting of the A-list actress than her earlier fit about having to pee. “I assume Aiden has gone over everything with you? He’s told you that I need to be given space?”
“Remi,” Aiden warned with a chiding glance.
Aiden was an impressive, well-educated investor. Many billionaires would have hired nannies or shipped their young charge off to boarding school, but as far as Mason could tell, Aiden had dedicated his entire life to raising and caring for his sister. He’d been thorough in hiring security for her, too. He’d not only followed up on every reference Mason had provided, but Mason had heard from colleagues that Aiden had conducted an even more widespread investigation. Mason appreciated Aiden giving Remi’s safety the importance it deserved, just as Mason planned to do. He had requested a guest list from tonight’s event, and his staff had prepared reports on each and every individual in attendance. Mason had also checked the backgrounds of the women and men Remi had spent time with over the last two years. He had every intention of finding out who was stalking her—and he wasn’t knocking anyone off the list until he was certain they posed no threat.
“Don’t worry, Aiden. There’s nothing I can’t handle.” Mason met Remi’s armored gaze and said, “As far as space goes, I’ll give you enough to do my job.” He wasn’t about to get derailed by the gorgeous spitfire or allow her to compromise his ability to do his job. If his instincts told him something was off, she’d just have to roll with it.
Remi lifted her finely manicured brows, and a glacial smile slid into place. “Well, then, it looks like I can join the others in the ballroom. They’re seating guests for dinner. I assume I’ll see you after the event?”
“You’ll see me before that—” He’d been about to say Princess . . . He had no idea why that word had popped into his mouth, but he knew better than to let it slip out. “Would you like me to hold your clutch while you enjoy the event?”
Her brows knitted, but she handed him the clutch. He tucked it into the interior pocket of his jacket.
“Very well, then.” She turned to leave.
Mason beat her to the door, holding it open for her. She blinked warily up at him and said, “Thank you.”
He leaned in closer, asking for her ears only, “Would you like me to escort you to the ladies’ room?”
“Excuse me?”
“It seemed urgent earlier, and you never went.”
Her face blanched. “I’m fine.” She stormed into the ballroom.
“Did I miss something that I should know about?” Aiden asked as they followed Remi in.
“We met briefly when she was chewing out one of my men.” Mason scanned the room, keeping a close eye on Remi as she found her girlfriends and began talking animatedly, hands and mouth moving a mile a minute. Her friends looked over, and he lifted his chin, proudly accepting the princess’s scorn.
“She’s not normally this belligerent. She’s been pushing back hard lately in ways she never has before,” Aiden explained.
As Remi and her friends settled around a table, Mason said, “Threats and bodyguards have a way of bringing out the worst in people. Nobody likes to lose control of their life. Don’t worry, Aiden. I’ll take good care of her, and I’ll keep you in the loop as I look into tracking the cretin down.” He’d already spoken to the detective in LA who was handling Remi’s case. Although the LAPD reacted swiftly to the break-in, they had yet to make any headway on catching the culprit.
“I appreciate that. As you know, she’s been ditching her bodyguards. You’ll need to keep your eyes on her.”
Keeping his eyes on Remi wasn’t a hardship. Listening to the sass coming from her sexy mouth? That was a different story . . .
CHAPTER TWO
AS THE EVENING wore on, Mason got a much better sense of the pretty princess he’d been hired to protect. She handled herself gracefully at dinner, laughing at all the right times, smiling affectionately, professionally, and in agreement. Although Mason noticed that while she pushed food around on her plate, she ate only a few bites of salad. When she finally headed to the ladies’ room, he was right there
by her side, making small talk. She’d spoken to him without exuding too much of an attitude. Remi was an actress, all right, but even her superb acting skills couldn’t cover up her biggest reveal of the night, which had come later. Aiden would be overseas for several weeks. He and Remi had talked privately for a long time, and Remi’s facial expressions had been camera ready during their entire conversation. It wasn’t until Aiden had embraced her that Mason had seen the love and adoration of a younger sister toward the older brother who had raised her. The break in her facade had lasted only a few short seconds before Aiden stepped back, kissed her cheek, and headed for the door. Remi had stood pin straight, shoulders squared, looking elegant and gorgeous, but the fear in her eyes as her brother walked out the door was inescapable—and it had disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Remi had returned to her friends, spouting happiness about finally being free from Aiden’s watchful eyes, as if that fear hadn’t existed. But now, more than an hour later, Mason was still thinking about what he’d seen in her eyes when Aiden had left.
One by one Remi’s friends left the table to dance with their significant others. She watched them with longing in her eyes, a look that made Mason’s chest tighten and brought a desire to take away that longing. As a private investigator and bounty hunter, Mason dealt with all sorts of people, from the rich and famous to the dregs of society. He’d been hit on by the best of them, but he lived by a strict moral code and never crossed professional boundaries, which was why he shoved the oddly intimate sensation down deep.
Mason had been watching a powerful and arrogant investor who had been eyeing Remi while also chatting up a blonde. The man left the blonde and approached Remi. Mason stepped out of the shadows, a few feet from where Remi was sitting. She and the arrogant prick talked for a moment before the guy offered his hand. Remi took it, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor.
The hair on the back of Mason’s neck stood on end. He’d assumed a sass-mouthed bodyguard ditcher would have a nose for bullshit. He should know better than to assume and made a mental note to school her on the issue. He moved closer to the dance floor, positioning himself so he had a clear view of Remi. She was smiling, but it was the practiced smile Mason had already cataloged, not the genuine one her friends and their significant others had elicited. The man said something, and she laughed, but it wasn’t the carefree laugh he’d heard her use with her friends.
This is Love Page 2