Escorted by the Ranger

by C. J. Miller

  “Sometimes I hate that I’m not ever alone. I don’t have privacy. There’s always someone around.” She was being rude and emotional, but she hadn’t had enough sleep or any coffee and she was too tired to deal with this problem.

  If Jack wanted to pretend like the night before hadn’t happened, then she would indulge him. A part of her heart broke, but that’s what happened when she got involved with a man. Thinking Jack was different might have been a hopeful delusion.

  * * *

  The bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip were blinding. The crowds, the screaming raucous laughter and heavy traffic were more intense than his urban security training had prepared him for. Jack hovered close to Marissa. He couldn’t see in every direction around them and a threat could be lurking close by. On the plus side, the disorienting lights would make it hard for an assassin to pick Marissa out of a crowd.

  Jack had been beating himself up since they’d left the house that afternoon. Sleeping with Marissa was the stupidest move Jack could have made.

  She was everything he wanted in a woman. Being with her was a fantasy and he could envision spending time with her. But he worked for her and that made his feelings for her inappropriate. A personal relationship with her would cause him to lose objectivity.

  They were no closer to finding the person who killed Avery and while the threats against Marissa had waned, she wasn’t safe until Avery’s killer was caught.

  Thousands of strangers milled on the streets making it impossible to verify that none of them had it out for Marissa. The casino where they were staying, the Lucky Strike, was equipped with high-tech cameras and surveillance. The Lucky Strike had provided security to some big name celebrities without incident.

  Marissa was in town to promote the newly renovated casino. New slot machines and luxury accommodations, a five-star restaurant and an exclusive, high-end spa. They had added a VIP area with high dollar tables and top-shelf drinks. Marissa had been hired to show up, promote the games and accommodations at scheduled events and spend time in the casino.

  Jack and Marissa entered the Lucky Strike through a side entrance under a green-and-gold awning. They were escorted by a bellhop in a green uniform to a private elevator with gold doors. Inside the elevator, the concierge inserted their keycard into a slot. The elevator opened into their suite. A sunken living room, two large televisions, a patterned forest green rug that contrasted the geometric prints on the wall felt sumptuous.

  “Your attire has been placed in the closets in your rooms. Is there anything else I can get for you?” the bellhop asked.

  Marissa looked around the room. “This looks great. Thank you.”

  Jack tipped him and the bellhop left. The elevator doors closed and Jack and Marissa were alone. On the far end of the room, three sets of sliding glass doors presented an amazing view of the Las Vegas Strip.

  “I guess you’re used to places like this,” Jack said.

  Marissa shrugged. “I still get a kick out of cool hotel rooms. Some of them blend together, but this one claims to have a hot tub with a view overlooking the mountains and twin soaking tubs with massaging jets and surround sound. Barry hooked us up with one of the best suites in the place. Give me a minute to change,” Marissa said.

  “I’ll do the same.”

  Marissa went into the main bedroom. Jack found a tuxedo waiting in the second bedroom’s closet. He changed into it, impressed how well it fit. This was their place for the night and he wondered if he’d have the discipline to sleep in the second bedroom when Marissa was asleep in the main one. She had been chillier toward him since they’d slept together and he’d left without saying anything to her. He had disappointed her and he hated that.

  When she exited the bedroom, Jack couldn’t take his eyes off her.

  She was the epitome of glamour. Her dress was green with a high slit and straps at the top that twisted together. Marissa spun and Jack had to compose himself. The back of the dress was almost nonexistent, dipping to her lower back and accenting the womanly curve of her rear.

  “Do I look too much like a leprechaun? I took a peek at the outfits the casino arranged for me. Every single one is green. Like head to toe green.” She smiled.

  “You look amazing,” he said.

  Marissa tipped her head and smiled. “I was starting to think you’d lost interest. That maybe one night slaked your curiosity and you’d moved on.”

  He hadn’t lost interest. He was upset at himself for not keeping professional boundaries. When he was close to her, he wanted to bend and break the rules, touch her, lean in close and kiss the soft skin at the base of her neck, wrap his arms around her slender waist and hold her against him. “I didn’t add to my report what went on between us.”

  “Why would you? You weren’t working. It doesn’t concern anyone else. Just you and me,” Marissa said.

  It wasn’t as black-and-white as she painted it.

  He inhaled deeply and calmed himself, pushing his libido aside and focusing on his job. One of the most beautiful women in the world was a red-hot temptation and he had to keep his hands off her. “I heard from the head of security at the Lucky Strike. They’ve added security at the entrances to where you’ll be making your appearances. They will be sticking close to the list of invited guests. No time to vet every person who walks through the doors, but we’ll do our best.”

  Marissa strode to him and set her hand on her hip. She swiveled her body close. “If you want to stay close, you should pose as my boyfriend.”

  “That will invite questions,” Jack said.

  “I can handle it,” Marissa said.

  Her boyfriend. That idea was wildly appealing. “No doubt. But it’s better I don’t.”

  Hurt flickered in her eyes. “Why are you pushing me away?”

  He owed her an explanation. “Because if I don’t keep you at a distance, I will do something to make a spectacle of you. I’ll kiss you or look at you with obvious lust and the whole world will know about us.”

  “Is that bad?” she asked.

  Never mind the professional problems stemming from it, they would have to deal with pressures from being in the public eye. “We’re trying to keep a low profile.” He was on the job and would not split his focus.

  “I’m doing nothing of the sort. The reason for me being here is being in the public eye. The casino wants me to draw attention to this place.”

  Jack removed her hand from him. “I think it’s best to keep it cool.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “In public or in private?”

  She wasn’t afraid to ask the hard questions. He liked that about her. “Public.”

  A smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “When we’re alone, does that mean we can do what we want to do?”

  They were consenting adults. His inability to say no to her was his problem. “Yes,” he said.

  “Kiss me.”

  Could he stop at just a kiss? “We know it will be more.” Heat traveled over him.

  “Then let it be more.”

  The seduction in her voice flowed through him. “You’re due in the casino in ten minutes. That isn’t enough time to let this go further.”

  “They expect me to be late. We can say we were late to throw off anyone plotting against me,” she said.

  Tension knotted his shoulders. “Don’t joke about that,” Jack said.

  “I’m not joking, but I am asking you to kiss me.”

  She wouldn’t let it go until she got what she wanted. He wanted the same thing. Why fight it? Jack set one hand on the back of her neck and the other on her hip. Bringing their bodies thigh to thigh, hip to hip, he kissed her the way a woman should be kissed. He traced an outline of her lip with his tongue.

  Her mouth opened beneath his and he deepened the kiss. His entire body heated. Her hair
brushed his hands, silky strands that tickled his skin. The generous curves of her body seemed to fit against him and with the right movement, he could take them to paradise.

  Desire charged in his veins and possessiveness and lust nearly destroyed him. The fabric of her dress was silky and tight around her body. He imagined too easily sliding it off her and letting that rich-looking fabric pool on the carpet. Grappling for his control, he slowed his escalating thoughts. This wouldn’t end with her back on the mattress and his body over hers. She would let it happen; he could read it in her reaction and in her eyes. He would be the one to stop it.

  People were waiting for her. He shouldn’t be doing this.

  When he broke the kiss, she had a slightly dazed expression.

  “You’ll be late.” His voice was gruffer than he’d intended. Everything south of his belt wanted to stay in this room with her.

  “Will you stay close to me tonight?” she asked.

  “Yes. Nothing will happen to you. Not on my watch.”

  “Then we should go downstairs.”

  “In that dress, it will be hard to keep people away from you.”

  Marissa turned, showing him the back. She looked at him from over her shoulder. “I think that’s the point.”

  * * *

  Marissa erased her feelings for Jack off her face. She had to look like she was having the best time. Casually flirt with the men and be delighted with every press of the slot machine buttons. This wasn’t her first time making a paid appearance. She knew the ropes, though she almost had declined the job. Her old friend Barry was the casino’s general manager. A slick-looking guy in his forties, he had salt-and-pepper hair and his clothing was impeccable and expensive. His shoes were shiny black and he moved with confidence in his swagger. Marissa and Barry had met back when she was modeling for a clothing designer who was selling her fashions in a boutique store in Las Vegas. Barry had been a security guard at the Lucky Strike and had been working the photo shoot as a side gig.

  “Welcome back to the Lucky Strike. We’re glad to have you here,” Barry said, kissing her cheeks.

  “It’s great to be back. It’s been too long. I’m thrilled to be part of this,” she said. People were taking her and Barry’s picture and listening to every word.

  “You look beautiful,” Barry said.

  “This place is beautiful,” she said.

  Barry’s eyes glittered, appreciative of her comments. “We have a surprise for you. We invited a dear friend to dine with you tonight.”

  Marissa’s chest grew tight. A friend could mean a number of people she would rather not see. “Oh? Who?” She tried to keep her voice light and failed.

  “Declan Ambrose,” Barry said.

  Genuine delight swept over her, followed by relief. “That’s great. I haven’t seen him in a while.” She almost said, “Since Avery’s memorial service,” but her words were supposed to be happy and uplifting.

  Barry took her on a tour of the renovated wing of the casino. She was given a VIP card attached to a gold bracelet to use in the machines. She carried her green clutch and hoped the cameras were snapping shots of both the bracelet and the clutch. Waitresses in tiny white-and-green outfits delivered drinks and Marissa took a sip of one. She wasn’t a beverage connoisseur, but she wanted to look enthusiastic about the service.

  Jack had the ability to fade into the background, but Marissa sensed him close to her, watching. She felt secure knowing he was with her.

  “Tell me about the handsome man following you. He does not take his eyes off you,” Barry said.

  Marissa didn’t have a problem with anyone knowing of her personal relationship with Jack, but she’d respect his wishes to keep it quiet. “Since what happened with Avery, we’ve taken additional security precautions. He’s a bodyguard.”

  Barry lifted a brow. “I’m never wrong about these things. I see a spark. I see something in his eyes. Not just an employee.”

  Barry was perceptive. “He’s become a friend.”

  “I see,” Barry said.

  Marissa swatted lightly at his shoulder. “Don’t go spreading rumors about me. There’s nothing in my life right now except work.”

  They paused to have their picture taken by a four-sided hand-carved wood beverage bar positioned in the middle of the floor. The lights around the top of bar shimmered and bartenders in tuxedos with glittering green vests and ties moved swiftly, pouring drinks and not spilling a drop.

  Barry straightened his black suit jacket. “I won’t say anything to the media about your personal life. Thank you again for doing this. My boss is thrilled with me. Having you at the Lucky Strike might earn me a promotion. I’ve got my eye on an executive position at one of our sister properties.”

  Marissa slipped her arm through Barry’s. “I hope you get it. Anything I can do, you know I will.”

  “How about a sex scandal in our hotel? Something that will bring big press.”

  Marissa laughed. “Almost anything. Not that.”

  “I’ll think on it. But I owe you. This means a lot to me.”

  She had known her appearance at the Lucky Strike would pay below her usual fee. Her friendship with Barry was more important than that. “I’m holding you to that. I’m planning another fund-raiser next year and I’ll need a premier place to hold it.” Many of her guests who had attended the last basket auction wouldn’t blink at flying to Las Vegas. The wheels in her head started turning as she considered the possibility and how much money she could bring in for the children’s hospital.

  Barry nodded appreciatively. “A star-studded event is right up our alley.”

  They finished another round of promo photos and Barry escorted Marissa to the new restaurant. The floor was polished black-and-white marble. The tables were covered in green linens and the C-shaped booths created private places to dine. The lighting was good, illuminating the table without being glaring and casting darkness around each table to make each feel like its own part of the restaurant.

  Ambrose was waiting for her at the bar and happiness rushed through her. He stood resting one hip on a bar stool and held his drink glass with a relaxed wrist. His suit was incredible, the gray the right hue and his tie and white dress shirt polished. Marissa strode directly to him and hugged him. His suit fabric was crisp and he smelled of pine.

  His arms went around her. “I’ve been worried about you, old friend.”

  Marissa held on to him, feeling grief rolling off him and the words. He was continuing on with life, like she was, but Avery’s death had affected them deeply. She searched for words that would help ease his mind and came up short. Finding something to heal her own grief was hard.

  “How have you been? Really, tell me,” Marissa said.

  He set his glass down and rubbed his forehead. “Avery’s death meant a ton of free publicity for my show. I can’t get my clothes out fast enough. I have waiting lists seven months long. My new designs are in demand and I haven’t even created them yet. That success feels good, but I can’t stop thinking that it wouldn’t have happened if Avery hadn’t died. And then I feel guilty, like I’m benefitting from her death.”

  Marissa took Ambrose’s hands in hers. Losing Avery was as unexpected as it was hard. “You cannot think that way. You’ve worked harder than anyone I know. You deserve this success. It would have happened no matter what.”

  Ambrose looked over her shoulder. “Still traveling with the bodyguard?”

  Jack was more than a bodyguard, but those thoughts stayed private. “No choice.”

  “Someone still coming for you?” Ambrose asked.

  No recent threats, but Marissa wasn’t convinced she was in the clear. “Not sure. We’re playing it safe.”

  “Why would Avery’s killer want you dead? It’s not like you know anything,” Ambrose said. “Or
is that the part I’m missing? Did you see something? Did Avery tell you something was going on in her life?”

  Marissa shook her head. Like the investigators seemed to be, she was in the dark. “I wish I knew something. I have nothing to help the police. I even went by Avery’s place and I was useless. I don’t know why this happened.”

  Ambrose patted her shoulder. “We’re all doing the best we can to make sense of a senseless tragedy.” He stood and shook himself off, as if trying to forget the hurt. “Ready to eat? I’ve eaten nothing all day in anticipation of stuffing myself with five-star food. I skipped the meal on the plane and they were serving shrimp.”

  Jack appeared next to her. Ambrose glanced at him. “Will you be joining us?”

  Jack shook his head. “No.”

  Ambrose sighed and set his hand on his hip. “You plan to stand over us and watch us eat? That’s intolerable. Tell him, Marissa.”

  “Pretend I’m a waiter,” Jack said.

  “I can’t pretend that. I know who you are,” Ambrose said and took a swig of his drink, emptying the glass.

  “Jack, sit with us,” Marissa said. “I’m safe in this restaurant and you’ve had a long day.”

  She was curious to see how Jack would get along with her dear friend. She and Jack were different people from opposite worlds. Did any part of those worlds collide? Sharing her bed with him wasn’t the same as sharing her life, but Marissa was looking for something meaningful, even if abbreviated.

  They took their seats, positioned in plain view of anyone walking by. Bad for security, good for promotional purposes. They were three of the first patrons to eat in the restaurant. The grand opening was the following day.

  Barry stood next to their table. “Please, order anything and I want an honest critique. If something isn’t to your liking, tell me.”

  “Barry, everything has been exquisite. Will you join us? I’d love to catch up,” Marissa said, gesturing to the empty section of their booth.

  Barry looked at his watch. “Unfortunately, I have an appointment. But if you need anything, I’m at your beck and call. You have my cell number.”