This assignment had become significantly more complicated for me, and to be honest, I was out of my league. It was even hard for me to grasp. I was about to go undercover, so I could go public, to come out as a rock star’s fake-girlfriend, to protect him in the meantime, and do all that while trying to stop a potentially murderous stalker? The last time I checked, none of these skills were in my wheelhouse—worst of all, being anyone’s girlfriend. I needed some space to figure out what to do.
Obviously, I couldn’t turn it down. I had already signed the contract. I guessed I could back out now before signing the addendum. But if the money was the same, I couldn’t afford to walk away. In a way, it was less responsibility. I wouldn’t have to hire and manage a team, or pay salaries. I would finish the job with a million dollars that was all mine. That kind of money was more than enough to set up my own firm. It would leave me with a healthy balance to keep me going while business picked up. Serving as Johnny’s personal bodyguard would also look impressive on my resume—not to mention the A-list celebrities I’d get to know during this gig.
Personal bodyguard. The words echoed through my mind. I had a hard time not disconnecting it from something sexual. Johnny had been amazing in bed last night. I would be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t more than eager to go back over there every night and find out what else he could do; and how he could make me feel. I stopped myself. The feeling part was the problem. If Johnny had been the smug, arrogant, selfish rock star I imagined, it would have been easy to use him in bed, and then move on. The problem was he wasn’t anything like that. He was almost frustratingly caring and sweet. At least he was toward me.
He and Kevin had a strange dynamic, and it made me wonder who he really was when no one else was around. There was so much tension crackling anytime he and Kevin were in the same room. He never directed that type of energy at me or anyone else. Johnny had only shown me kindness so far. And last night, his desire to please me in bed seemed genuine. It was not contrived or phony in any way.
“Ugh,” I groaned, pushing off the sink and stalking back to the bedroom.
I had to let it go. I had to get him out of my head. The only real cure I knew would be an intense workout—one that did not involve Johnny, or the memory of his touch. I shook my head before that idea started to grow roots in my mind. I stripped out of my black slacks and white button-up shirt, unhooked my bra, and stepped out of the lacy panties I had been possessed to wear that morning. I rummaged in my bag and found my sports bra, regular underwear and running shorts. I changed quickly, throwing on a lightweight jacket and lacing into my well-worn running shoes. I jogged in place to warm up and went through a few stretches. I was just about to leave my room when there was a knock on my door. I dropped my hand from the door handle, surprised.
“Uh, yes?”
“It’s Johnny. Can I come in?”
I cringed. It was going to be more difficult getting him out of my head when he was constantly around to tempt me. But this was my job now. I had to get used to it. Fast. I opened the door and looked up at him. He had an infectious smile on his face. I couldn’t help but return one to him. If only I could stop the images of those lips kissing every inch of my body.
“Oh, hey, am I interrupting?” he asked, looking down and noticing my clothing change.
“No, not at all. I was just about to come and ask where your workout room was.”
He nodded and flashed me a devilish smile. “Some bodyguard. Leaving me alone the first chance you get. Are you sure you’re allowed to go anywhere without me?”
The gleam in his eyes told me he was teasing. “You can come to the gym and run with me, if you think you can keep up.”
His eyes darkened at my challenge. “Lucky for you, I have a phone interview with some radio station, but how about a rain check? There’s a full workout room on the lower level.”
“Great. That’s perfect.”
“Or better yet, we can throw down in my private gym down the hall when I’m free again.”
I smiled up at him, picturing the two of us grappling on a gym floor mat. I clasped my fingers together—I needed to keep my hands to myself. Otherwise I would have reached out and run my hands down his smoldering chest and abs.
“Now that you mentioned it, it sounds like a better idea for me to use the gym that’s closest to where you’ll do the phone interview. That way, I’ll be close enough to keep watch over you. Just in case.”
“Of course. Use any one you want. I’ll be on the main floor. Both workout rooms have a treadmill and a lot of other cardio and strength equipment.”
“Thanks. That helps.”
“So hold on a minute. Is this your first trip to Los Angeles?”
“It is.”
“Then you have to run the path outside. It starts at the gate and follows the ridge all the way to the top of the hill. It’s about three miles each way, and a killer workout. You’ll love it.”
“I really should stay close. Keeping you safe is my priority, after all.”
“Agent Carlson is downstairs. And the guards are outside. Come on. Just this once. I insist.”
I thought about it for a second. “Well, okay.”
“It never disappoints.” He said, and paused. He had more to say. “By the way, there was a reason I came up to talk to you. I wanted to ask you something.”
He made a point of standing in my path.
“Shoot.”
“I know you’re only signing on now to act like my girlfriend, and it’s all serious business. But I thought I’d ask anyway. How would you like to go out for dinner?”
That was a really bad idea. I had to draw the line. “Johnny, I—”
He held up a hand to stop me. “Okay, maybe I should have explained myself. I just need some time away from here. We could go somewhere quiet. Think about it this way. If I tell you I’m going to dinner and you have to come along to protect me, would you say no?”
“No. I would go with you. As your bodyguard. But that’s not—”
“So it’s settled.”
It was a bad idea, but he had a point. And the way his eyes seared through me, my mind and body would eventually say yes to anything he asked.
“All right,” I told him. “I’ll go, because it’s my job.”
“Excellent. And you’ll sit and eat with me. Okay? Think of it as our first practice date. You know? To come off as authentic when we’re on tour.”
“Ahhh. Sure, okay. A practice date with my sexy fake boyfriend sounds nice.”
The word sexy slipped out. Shit. What was I thinking? Ahhhh yes, I remembered—my defenses were down, and I was just too into him to stop myself. His voice was low and husky, and that was enough to send a bolt of heat between my legs.
“Excellent,” he said. “I’ll plan everything. Just meet me downstairs at seven.”
I nodded. He cupped one hand under my chin and stared into my eyes for another long moment before brushing his fingers away.
“I can’t wait, pretend girlfriend.”
I didn’t have time to say anything in response—not that I had much to add. He turned and walked across the hall to his room. As soon as he disappeared inside, I jogged down the stairs and right out the front door. If I had given it any thought, even for the slightest moment, I would be tempted to follow him into his room and pick up where we left off the night before.
Once outside, I did an easy jog down the long driveway and let myself out the side of the gate. I stood on the quiet road, looking left, down the hill, and then right, up the hill. I needed to exhaust myself. That would help me stop myself from sleeping with Johnny again—especially with this dinner plan of his. I took his advice and immediately went to the right. I started running full speed up the hillside.
As I ran, I slowly regained control of my breathing, movements, and soon my mind quieted down enough for my thoughts to focus only on the next step; the next breath; the next turn. I ran until I made it to a lookout point, and slowed to admire th
e view. I eventually came to a full stop at a spot alongside the road. There was a break in the trees and it seemed like I could see the entire city of Los Angeles. It was breathtaking. I had never seen anything more beautiful.
I don’t know why, but looking out at the view became overwhelming. All these new and tightly-bottled emotions bubbled up inside me. It threatened to escape. I took that as my cue, sucked in a deep breath, and bolted back down the hill. I did not want my brain to unpack or analyze any of those feelings rushing up to the surface.
An hour and a half passed since I had left the house. When I let myself back in the gate and walked up the driveway, Kevin’s car was gone. There were no vehicles up at the house at all. I let myself inside, careful to shut the front door silently behind me. I wasn’t sure if Johnny had gone out with Kevin or not. I didn’t want to see him just yet, but I needed to face reality. Keeping my eyes on that man’s body was now my job. I checked all the main-floor rooms. Nothing. I went up the stairs and checked all the rooms before knocking on Johnny’s door. He didn’t answer, so my guess was he had left as well.
I moved down the hall to my room, and a glance at the clock showed me I had four hours before our fake-date. I quickly showered, threw on an oversized sweatshirt, and flopped into bed. I set an alarm on my phone before letting myself crash into the comfort of an afternoon nap. I was almost asleep when the phone rang.
I reached for my phone, wondering if I didn’t set the alarm right. That’s when I saw Kevin’s number flashing on the screen.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Amanda, this is Kevin.”
“Hi Kevin. How can I help you?”
“I tried to find you before I had to leave. Did you go out?”
I instantly felt guilty. I should have trusted my gut and stay at the house with Johnny.
“I went for a run.”
I didn’t dare say Johnny told me to go. That would be irresponsible and show a real lack of judgment.
“It would be preferable if you stay close to Johnny going forward. We have a gym in the lower level. He can show you.”
“Understood. And thank you.”
I rolled my eyes. This was all on me.
“Great. I’m also calling to let you know I booked you a flight back to Miami for tomorrow morning.”
I bolted upright, my heart racing. Was I being fired after all?
He continued. “We have four days before Johnny’s first performance on the tour. I assume you need to get home and pack some more things, as you had only originally planned to be here overnight.”
The flood of relief felt good in my system, and my racing heartbeat came back in check.
“Thank you. Yes, it would be perfect to have a couple of days to pack and tie up loose ends before we leave.”
“Excellent. I’ve emailed you the flight details. You’ll leave tomorrow morning. I’ve booked you to return to LA on Friday morning. You’ll meet us at the airport, and we’ll all take a private charter plane to Greece.”
“Great,” I replied. “But what about Johnny? Will he be safe while I’m in Miami?”
“Yes. Agent Carlson will be here with his team.”
I knew he would be fine with the agents—they were the FBI after all. Still, I felt resistance growing at the idea of leaving my post.
“Okay. Thank you, Kevin. I appreciate you making the arrangements.”
There was a silence on the other end, as if he was preparing to add something. In the end, he acknowledged me with a gruff, “You’re welcome,” and we ended the call.
After I disconnected, I flopped back against the pile of pillows lined up at the head of the bed. I let out a long, slow sigh. My mind had kicked into high gear. There was no hope of a nap anymore.
Chapter 10 - Johnny
Kevin left after my radio interview wrapped up. It felt good to have the house to myself. I had searched the house for Amanda. When I couldn’t find her, I figured she was still out for her run. I went back to my room, had a long shower, and spent the rest of the afternoon watching TV. It was the only way to keep busy after I made dinner reservations at the restaurant in downtown LA.
The place I chose was quiet enough that we would have some privacy. Up until now, no paparazzi had ever figured out I ate there regularly. That miracle was only because I used the staff entrance in the back alleyway, and they had cleared a small private room to seat me every time I had dinner there.
I was dressed and ready long before the planned time. This night needed to be special. I couldn’t afford for anything to go wrong now. As promised, Amanda came down promptly at seven o’clock. I was transfixed at the bottom of the stairs, staring—more like leering, truth be told—as she carefully descended in her black pumps. She was dressed in a pink button-down shirt, and a black skirt that stopped just above the knee.
“Wow,” I muttered. “You look stunning.”
“Thanks,” she answered as she approached me, her heels clicking lightly against the tile flooring. “But you don’t have to go overboard with the compliments. I’m not dressed up because I hadn’t planned to be out at all for this trip. And I definitely didn’t think a fancy pretend-date with a rock star was in the cards when I packed my bags.”
She smiled at me and my chest tightened. She was exquisite.
“I meant it. You look amazing,” I replied, hoping to reassure her.
I held out my arm for her to take the crook of my elbow. It had been a long time since I had been out on a real date. The rocker’s life was not nearly as glamorous as everyone made it out to be. Much of it was contrived, no different from the plan the FBI had concocted. It felt good to be playing this game, though. My scheme could not have gone down any better. It was exactly what I wanted to be—the man with Roxy Punisher on his arm. And this was not about Amanda’s public persona. I was obsessed with Roxy…and Amanda. I had to have her. If I ever got the chance again.
At the thought, my mind conjured up the image of when I slipped off her robe to find she was completely naked. I wanted to hold on to that mental picture for as long as possible. Unfortunately, I had to let it go when my cock twitched and hardened, pressing against the fabric of my slacks. It was time to focus on something else before she could notice. I didn’t want her to think all I wanted was to get her in bed with me.
“So, where are we going?” she asked.
“I made reservations at one of my favorite restaurants. You’ll see.”
I led her out the front doors, set the security alarm and walked her to my black sports car in the driveway. She glanced back at me with an approving nod.
“Nice car.”
“Thanks.”
“Hennessy Venom, right?” She asked as I stepped in front and opened the passenger door for her.
“Yeah!” I was surprised. Not many women on this side of the world knew about this make and model of vehicle.
“What year? Twenty-thirteen?” She accepted my extended arm so she could sit.
“Close. Twenty-fourteen.” I answered as she settled in.
I quickly rounded the front of the car and climbed into the driver side.
“Wow,” she said, admiring the interior. “Is this the one with the V-shaped eight-cylinder engine, and twin precision ball bearing turbochargers?”
“Yes! Whoa.”
“What?” she asked.
“I really don’t mean to sound sexist, but I’ve never met a woman who has this kind of in-depth knowledge about cars.”
“Oh, there are lots of women who know about this stuff.”
“Not in Los Angeles. And certainly not at my concerts. Although, I may be generalizing a bit.”
“Well, all the more reason to find some hobbies where you can meet women like that.”
I didn’t want to meet anyone else. But I kept that to myself.
“Yeah? Like where?”
She hesitated. “Hmmm. You’re probably right. Because other than the girls I knew in the MMA, I can’t think of anything.”
I started the car and revved the engine for her. She squealed with delight and laid her head back, listening to the engine purr.
“That’s hot,” she said, and a sexy smile rose up on her face.
“I couldn’t agree more,” I replied, not taking my eyes off her for a moment.
Her face flushed at my words. That’s the affect I wanted to have on Amanda. I had been obsessing over for a better part of three years. I decided to go easy on her. Within moments, we were speeding down the driveway and into the dusk that had fallen over the city.
I told her about the restaurant I had chosen. I shared that it was a little bistro-type place on the edge of town that I had stumbled into some years before. Anything closer to downtown Hollywood and I wouldn’t have had a minute alone with her. It would be photographers, girls asking for autographs, and having to politely answer fan questions for most of the night. There were only a few rare occasions that I enjoyed that attention. It was usually when I needed to get so far out of my own head, I had to let the rock star take over for the night. Those nights allowed me to lose myself in the dissonance of it all. But not tonight. Tonight, I had a chance to do something I’ve wanted to do for over three years—spend my time with Amanda.
The area near the bistro only had street parking, so I drove around the block a few times until I was able to find a spot. I pulled in, willing myself not to screw up the parallel parking job. Amanda was probably a skilled driver too. I managed to park without needing to make a ten-point adjustment. I considered that my first victory for the night. I got out of the car, rushing around to open Amanda’s door. It’s how I was raised to treat a woman, but any opportunity to get my hands on this particular woman was a bonus.
She took my arm and stepped out, straightening up so close to me, I could have pulled her into my chest and kissed her gorgeous lips. I offered her my arm and led her across the street to the alley beside the little restaurant. I explained my reasons, and she nodded. Once inside the back entrance, the head cook greeted me enthusiastically. He called the hostess and she led us to the private dining room. My usual spot.
Wicked Bad Boys Page 64
