by Marie Carnay
Holly blushed. “I am sorry about that.”
Trent waved her off. “Like I said, it’s fine.”
Ian caught Trent’s eye and he did his best to get the message across. Convince her.
After a second, Trent rolled his shoulders and turned back to Holly. “Look, just agree, all right? Ian’s not going to let it go and there’s only so long I can stand here looking like a cake-o-gram gone wrong.”
Holly laughed and the tension eased. “Okay, fine. I’ll come stay. But only if I can pull my own weight. I’m not freeloading.”
“Whatever gets the job done.” Ian winked at Trent and pulled out his wallet. He fished a business card out and handed it to Holly. “That’s my address. Come by after work. The place’ll be ready.”
“Okay.”
Her gaze held his and he couldn’t help but wink. “It’ll be fun, trust me.”
She nodded and Ian turned toward the parking lot before grabbing Trent by the shoulder. “See you tonight, Holly.” He steered his friend around the corner and toward the car.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Trent leaned closer. “What the hell was that, Ian?”
“What did it look like?”
Trent frowned. “Like you were trying to get in her pants.”
Ian chuckled. “She wasn’t wearing any. God, didn’t you take a look at her? She’s drop dead.”
“Now’s not the time to be thinking with your dick.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have a thing for her, too.”
“Bullshit.” Trent climbed in the passenger side of the Range Rover and slammed the door.
“How well did you know her when she lived here?”
Trent frowned. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not here for a vacation.”
“Yes, you are.”
“It’s a working vacation, Ian. I’ve got a job to do. Same as you.” He buckled his seat belt and Ian revved the engine.
“You don’t need to remind me how to run a business, Trent.” His friend snorted and Ian’s anger flashed. “Last time I checked I’ve made billions.”
Trent’s tone turned sharp. “Then how about you keep your pants zipped and Holly off your mind? We can’t be distracted. Not now.”
Ian exhaled. “You work your way and I’ll work mine.”
“If there’s one hint of a threat to her, I’m holding you responsible.”
“There won’t be.”
CHAPTER TWO
HOLLY
THE CAR SLOWED to a stop and Holly blinked. This can’t be right. She fished out the business card from her purse and read the address again.
82 Windermere Lane.
She glanced up. Holy shit. Holly knew Midnight Cove had some nice digs. Mansions dotted the entire coastline. Playboys. Entrepreneurs. Billionaires. She’d known a few when she was younger and she’d heard all about the crazy parties Hillary had catered lately.
There’d been weddings on floating compounds constructed for a weekend. Entire islands that were rented out for a night of scandal and too much liquor. Five-year-old birthday parties that sported more caviar than bouncy houses.
But a gray stone villa with huge glass doors she could see the ocean through?
Her fingers typed a quick text. You’ve catered for Ian Knowles, right?
She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel.
Yep. Is something wrong?
Holly swallowed. There was a problem all right. This has to be a mistake. When I knew him, he lived in the bungalow next door. Just like me.
She chewed on a nail.
I told you he was doing well. What’s the big deal? I thought you were friends.
Holly snorted and looked up at the mansion. It was the size of a small hotel and just as grand with hydrangeas pouring over stone planters and checkerboard patterned grass. Even the driveway had a design—shells curled and curved in the concrete, swooping up to the front door like an ocean wave.
She looked through the front door again at the blue water. It sparkled just beyond the house, no more than a hundred yards away. This wasn’t just a nice house. It was opulent. Over the top.
The opposite of her life in Los Angeles.
She turned back to her phone. I don’t think I should stay here. It’s too nice.
Too late. You’ve already said yes.
Holly shook her head. I know. TTYL. She stuffed her phone in her purse and tried to pull it together. She couldn’t believe she’d even thought about the past. How his lips felt pressed against hers. How he caged her in against the garage all those years ago.
Fantasizing about Ian Knowles made as much sense as her staying in his guest house. A broke baker from Los Angeles with no place to live and barely enough money for gas? Not exactly rich guy material.
She pushed open the car door.
It was one thing to grow up next door to someone who turned out to have more money than Holly’d ever dreamed of. It was another altogether to bum a place to live for a month. She should have said no. She wasn’t a charity case and she didn’t need Ian’s help. No matter how good his looks. Or Trent’s.
Holly hit the button for the trunk. Beep. Beep. Nothing. Damn it. She walked around to the back of her car and hit the button again.
The lock popped and gears ground together, but it didn’t open. Great. Of all the places. She gave the faded black metal a good thwack with her palm as she tried the lock again. Finally. It opened with a groan of protest and Holly grabbed her bag.
She hated to leave the beat-up Volvo out front, just sitting there like a sore thumb. But she didn’t see a garage. Not even a big bush to hide it behind. Just another reminder that she wasn’t close to Ian’s league.
With a groan, she hoisted the duffel over her shoulder and marched to the door. It’s only a month. I can last a month.
She reached the front door, raised the pewter knocker and gave it good wham. The sound echoed through the house and she rocked back on her heels, waiting. Nothing. No footsteps. No calling out. She banged again.
Damn it. Did they forget? Change their minds? The sound of water splashing and low voices carried from around the side of the house. The pool. She knew the house had a pool in the back. What villa didn’t? Maybe she’d find Ian there.
A few hurried steps around the stone walkway and Holly skittered to a stop. Oh, my. Find him she did.
Ian Knowles pushed himself up out of the pool. Broad shoulders. Cut arms. Body made for underwear ads, not piles of money. His red trunks slid low on his hips and the deep V of his muscles made Holly’s insides flutter. If anything, the years had only made him hotter. Sexier.
She ran her tongue over her lip and drank him in. Every last inch of his tanned skin, his long blond hair wet and dripping…it all burned into her brain. A permanent picture of male fantasy. Mmm. She’d be busy tonight.
He looked up with a sharp glance and she flushed. Damn it. Getting caught staring wasn’t the first impression she’d wanted to make. With a guilty hustle, Holly made her way to the edge of the pool.
“Holly! It’s about time you got here! I was wondering if you’d changed your mind.” Ian wiped his face off with a towel and reached out to kiss her cheek. The smooth dampness of his skin against hers made her reel. She stepped back before she said something stupid. Focus, Holly. Focus.
The water splashed behind Ian and Holly glanced that way.
Trent. He swam up to the edge of the pool and in one fluid leap, was standing next to Ian. There was the Trent she remembered. The dress shirt and slacks had hidden it all from view. His piercings and long hair might be gone, but his tattoos were still there. A dragon curved around his side and Holly fought the urge to crane her neck to find its swishing tail.
A seventeen-year-old Holly had ogled that ink every chance she could get. But instead of lanky limbs, the dragon now covered impressive muscles.
Holly cleared her throat. Two gorgeous sculpted hunks of men. Live and in the flesh. It was enough to turn any woman’s legs to
jelly. She didn’t even know where to look.
As she tried to smile hello, Trent frowned. He grabbed a towel and rubbed the water off his body like he needed a good sanding. His face turned stony and impassive. Did he not want her here?
She cleared her throat. “If staying in the guest house is a problem, I’m sure I can—”
“It’s not.” Ian interrupted her with a smile. “Don’t let the grouch over there fool you. He just needs to relax. Right, Trent?”
He grunted a reply. Great.
“Ignore him. He just skipped dinner.” Ian reached out and took her by the arm. The moist pressure of his fingers had Holly tensing to avoid a shiver. “How about I give you a tour? The main house has an enormous kitchen. It’s a baker’s dream.”
Holly swallowed. “I could make a cake if you’d like.”
Ian’s lips twitched and he leaned close. “I’d love to taste it as long as it’s not all over me. And I bet if you made one, Grumpy might even crack a smile.”
Holly stifled a laugh and glanced behind her. Trent stood at the edge of the pool, brows knitted as he stared at her and Ian. “I’m not sure, he seems pretty mad.”
“Then you better put some liquor in it. You can do that, right?”
Holly grinned. “How’s bourbon chocolate delight sound?”
“Dangerous.” He grinned and reached for the handle to the back door. “Come on, let’s start the tour.”
* * *
TRENT
“This is a terrible idea.” Trent stalked back and forth behind the couch and rolled his shoulders. He needed Ian to understand the gravity of the situation.
“Relax. There’s nothing to get so worked up over.”
“Someone should.”
Ian leaned back on the soft brown leather. “Why? Because you don’t get the guest house? Come on. There are plenty of rooms for you choose from here in the main house.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Then what the hell has your panties in a bunch?”
Trent popped his knuckles. “It’s not safe for a woman like that to be here. Not with what’s going on.”
“You can’t be serious. First of all, there’s nothing going on. Second of all, it’s Holiday. She lived next door to me for years. Shit, you mowed her damn lawn.”
Trent scrubbed his face. “Times have changed.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Trent pinned him with a stare. “She’s not safe here. It was one thing when I had to keep track of you. But her, too? It’s not a good idea.”
Ian scoffed. “What happened to being the best in the business? Or does that only apply when your client’s got a dick?”
“Don’t be an asshole, Ian.”
“Then don’t be so uptight. You’re here to relax. Take a load off and have a damn vacation.”
Trent narrowed his eyes. “No. I’m here because someone’s harassing you. If you don’t figure out who it is, it will escalate. Trust me.”
He couldn’t make heads or tails of Ian’s attitude. He’d hired him for security. Ian wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t understand the risk. But now? Trent paced toward the window and turned around. Did one look at Holiday really make Ian think with his libido instead of his brain?
Ian stretched out on the couch like he didn’t have a care in the world. “So I’ve gotten a few threatening emails. So what? I called you so we could relax and catch up.”
“Then you shouldn’t have hired me.”
“How else would I get you to come?”
Trent bristled, but the man had a point. Trent was all business these days. Gone was the brooding teenager who cared more about a good time than a good job. The Army had straightened him out. Put him on the right path. Now security was his business. He figured out threats before they turned into problems. Ian needed him, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
His friend rolled his eyes and pushed himself up to stand. “Come on, we’ll throw a few parties. Have a guys’ week. You can find the source of the emails and that will be that.”
Unbelievable. If he’d known how Ian would blow off the job the minute a sexy woman entered the picture, he’d never have agreed. Having it be Holiday was a million times worse. How could he concentrate now?
Trent turned toward the windows and stared out at the pool. “It’s a mistake. You shouldn’t have invited her. Not when you’ve got a security issue to deal with. Now you want her baking you a cake? Having dinner? Christ, Ian. What are you thinking?”
Ian poured himself a scotch and capped the bottle. “That she’s a hell of a lot better company than you’ve been the last few days.”
Trent frowned. He’d seen the way Ian leaned in and whispered in Holly’s ear and how he held her arm as they walked away. Good conversation had nothing to do with it. “You just want to get in her pants.”
“And you don’t?”
“You should be thinking about your business. Not Holly.”
Ian flopped on the couch and let out a sigh. “So you’re the only one who gets to multitask?”
Trent spun around. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You heard me. I saw the way you looked at her.”
“Don’t be an asshole.”
“Don’t be a liar. You had a thing for her, didn’t you?”
Trent turned back to the window. “We were kids back then, Ian.” He remembered running through the neighborhood with Holiday. Causing mischief. Having fun. She made him forget his mom and the revolving door of boyfriends, the bounced rent checks, and the empty fridge.
He might have left her to join the Army, but she’d never left his memories.
Ian interrupted his runaway thoughts. “Last time I checked we’re both adults now.” He took a sip of his drink. “And Holly…”
Trent tensed. “What about her?”
“All those curves. Those hips. Don’t tell me you don’t want her.”
“I shouldn’t.” Trent ground his teeth together. He could deny it all he wanted, but it was true. The minute he saw her standing there, shocked and embarrassed as he wiped off the cake…it all came back. “You’re putting her at risk.”
Ian leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. “So I’m supposed to stop living while you hunt down this supposed threat? We don’t even know who it is. Or what they want. For all we know, it’s some kid with an iPad and too much free time.”
“Those e-mails read like someone who knows your business. Someone who wants to hurt you where it counts.”
“No one in China’s going to bat an eye at vague rumors or threats.”
“What if that’s just the beginning?”
“Then you’ll take care of it. That’s why you’re here, right?”
Trent raised an eyebrow. “I thought I was here for a vacation.”
Ian grinned. “That too.”
Right. He walked over to the opposite couch and sat down. “I still think she should leave.”
“Too late. We’re having a party tomorrow night. I’m inviting her.”
Ian leaned back with a smug tilt to his mouth and Trent fought to keep his voice even. “What?”
“A little food, a few drinks. We can see where the night goes.”
Trent clenched a fist. “Holly’s not that kind of girl.”
“That’s the thing. You don’t have any idea what kind of girl she is.”
“I know her.”
“No. You know what she used to be. People change.”
Piss. As much as he hated to admit it, Ian had a point. He didn’t know Holiday anymore. She could be into crazy sex parties and snorting cocaine off strippers stomachs for all he knew.
The woman who’d dumped a cake all over him didn’t seem like that type of girl. She seemed honest and innocent. Confident but unsure. Sexy as hell. Damn it. He needed to get ahold of himself before he did something stupid. Before she distracted him from the job.
Trent pushed himself up to stand. “I’m go
nna call it a night. See you in the morning.”
Ian sipped his drink and nodded. “Party starts tomorrow at eight. Don’t be late.”
Trent walked out of the room without another word. He knew that look in Ian’s eyes. It meant he’d set his sights on Holly. And what that man wanted, he usually got.
After all these years, did Holly want him too?
Trent stalked down the hall and swung open the door to his room. He preferred the guest house. His own kitchen. Living room. A place to work without Ian or his staff. He walked over to the window and looked out into the night.
Landscape lighting cast a warm glow over the grounds, illuminating the path to the guest house. If he squinted, he could make out the ocean in the distance. He stared out at the shadows, lost in thought about Ian and Holly and what it all meant, when a guest house light turned on. Shit.
Holly appeared in the window—a silhouette in the bright yellow light. Trent knew he should look away, but he couldn’t. The sight of her had him spellbound.
She raised her arms over her head and in moments, her shirt was gone. A shimmy of her hips and her jeans slid to the floor. Damn. Her hands reached behind her back and the ghost of a bra peeled off her skin.
Even in shadow she was beautiful. Full, luscious hips. Ample breasts he could stroke for hours. Waist he could wrap his arms around. Gone was the awkward teenager from all those years ago. In her place was a woman who checked all of Trent’s boxes. A woman he’d love to tangle himself up in all night.
In any other situation, he’d be all over her. But the timing was terrible. He should be running away from her instead of toward her. Trent turned from the window and closed his eyes. No matter how sexy, Holly was off-limits. For her own good.
CHAPTER THREE
HOLLY
“YOU SHOULD HAVE seen him, Hillary.” Holly motioned out a hulking man shape with a batter-covered spatula. “All muscles and wicked smile. He’s…”
“Sexy?”
“Sinful. Better than cake.”
