“Maybe you can make an exception. Just for tonight.” Just so you won’t be falling down drunk.
She seems to be thinking about it. “Maybe a roll. A small one.”
“Come on.” Elsie grabs Katie’s elbow. “I saw some crab salad and crescent rolls over by the reindeer ice sculpture.”
I follow as Elsie and Katie head over to the massive spread. I’ve been to a few all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets in my life but they were nothing compared to the food laid out before us. Not only is there every imaginable type of food available for consumption, there’s a lot of it.
The saddest part, though, is that I haven’t seen one person touch any of it. It’s almost like it’s there to look at, but not to eat. Or maybe they’re all on the carrot sticks and celery diet so they’ll be thin enough for their next movies.
“What are you doing?” I hear a voice say as soon as Katie has a roll in her hand.
It’s that asshole Devon Black.
Katie looks over to him and freezes with the roll in midair.
“I thought you were off carbs.”
I know I probably should mind my own business, but I was charged with Katie’s safety and I think this falls under my jurisdiction.
“She’s had a little too much to drink. She needs to eat something.”
Now Devon’s beady little weasel eyes are on me. “And who are you?”
“Hunter Wilde.”
“What kind of name is that?”
“Well, if I was named Devon Black, I wouldn’t be too quick to make fun of anyone else’s name.”
For this I’m actually rewarded with a smile from Elsie. Score.
“You didn’t answer my question. Who are you?”
“You’re wrong. I did answer your question.”
“Then what are you doing with my girlfriend?”
“Maybe if you spent more time worrying about your girlfriend and less time worrying about whose skirt you’re going to get into next we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
I know this is way over the line, but the prick deserves it. Both Elsie and Katie are wide-eyed and they look like they’re in shock. Maybe no one has ever talked to him this way before because I seem to have rendered him speechless. His jaw is moving, but nothing is coming out of his mouth.
Six months ago I probably wouldn’t have been so bold, but I spent a lot of time with my older brother, Tucker, in the gym and he toughened me up physically and mentally. If he hadn’t I probably wouldn’t have made it through the police academy.
Devon looks like he wants to hit me, but I don’t think he’s that stupid. I’m about six inches taller than him and I outweigh him by at least fifty pounds.
Finally Katie pipes in. “He’s a security guard, Devon. Chill.”
“I am chill, Babe.” He gives her an arrogant smile that I’d like to punch right off his smug little face.
I have to physically restrain myself when he takes the roll out of her hand and tosses it into the trash.
Katie looks completely defeated, but I think it’s more than just the piece of bread. I suspect it’s that she no longer has control of her life. Everyone else in the world seems to be making decisions for her. Even something as simple as eating a crescent roll isn’t her choice. I can’t even imagine what that’s like. I’ve always done exactly what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it.
When Katie exclaims, “I think I need another drink,” Elsie and I glance at each other.
Elsie looks like she wants to say something but refrains.
“I’ll get you one,” Devon says as he plants a kiss on Katie’s cheek.
I notice that she flinches, but Devon doesn’t seem to have a clue.
“Are you really going to have another drink?” Elsie half whispers. She looks concerned.
“I really am,” Katie shoots back.
“But…”
She cuts Elsie off. “I just want to greet all the people I’m supposed to greet. Have photos taken with everyone who’s expecting a shot and get the hell out of here.”
“Okay.” Elsie removes a list from her pocket and reads off a bunch of names. I recognize a few of them—celebrity athletes—two basketball players, a football player and a professional golfer.
I’m a little surprised when Devon returns with a bottle of beer. Not only didn’t he ask her what she wanted, he didn’t even bother to have it poured into a glass. I realize I may be a little particular because I’ve worked in the family bar all my life, but the guy doesn’t even act like he has one ounce of class.
He hands the bottle to Katie. She looks at it for a few seconds, shrugs, and then lifts the bottle to her lips and chugs.
Just like the glass of wine she only breaks to take in a breath before she downs the rest of the bottle.
Even Devon looks a little surprised when she hands the empty back to him.
“Who’s first on the photo list?”
I try to keep an eye on Katie while staying out of the photos. It proves to be a little more difficult than it should be.
I’m not sure how Katie can handle the pace of this meet and greet. I’m exhausted and I’m not even the one who’s in the spotlight. I’m just following her. But Katie seems to be handling it like a trooper.
“Is that it?” Katie asks Elsie.
She glances at the list. “That was the last one.”
Katie lets out a big breath. “Did you see where Devon went?”
Elsie points to the other end of the room where he’s chatting up another large-breasted blonde. It makes me wonder what he’s doing with Katie since he seems to have a thing for girls who look like they just stepped off the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
There’s nothing about Katie that’s like that. And maybe that’s why I’m starting to like her just a little more than I should. It’s becoming a lot clearer why people call her America’s Sweetheart.
“Will you take me back to my room?” Katie looks up at me and her eyes are pleading. My heart swells in response.
I glance over at Devon and he’s now got his hand planted firmly on the blonde’s ass and he’s whispering something in her ear. The guy is a piece of work.
“Aren’t you sharing a room with Devon?” I’m not sure if I’m crossing the line with my question but she doesn’t reply. She just laughs and starts to walk toward the door.
Elsie and I hurry to catch up to her.
Katie is doing more wobbling than actual walking, but the combination of her high heels and her somewhat inebriated state are making it difficult. I take a couple of large strides and arrive by her side just in time to catch her before she topples over.
When she glances up at me, and our eyes lock, a wave of pure heat rushes through me and it takes my breath away.
Instead of putting her back on her feet, which I have a feeling may end up in disaster, I sweep her into my arms.
“You’re like Prince Charming,” she mumbles right before she falls asleep against my chest.
When we get to her room Elsie unlocks the door so I can carry Katie inside. I carefully set her down on the couch but she doesn’t stir.
I’m not sure what to do next. I can feel Elsie’s gaze drilling into my back. When I turn around she has a look on her face like I’m some pervert who’s going to do something to Katie.
“You can go now,” she sneers.
I shake my head. “I’m supposed to make sure she’s okay. She’s doesn’t look okay to me.”
She takes a step closer to me and crosses her arms over her chest. “I’ll take care of her.” She’s trying her best to look intimidating, but it’s not working. She just looks like a little kid trying to play grownup.
I take a step in even closer and place my hands on my hips. One of the first lessons we learned at the police academy was intimidation. When I stare down at her I can see her gulp.
“You know you kind of freak me out.” Her voice is shaky, but at least I know that I make her a little nervous.
Now
I cross my arms over my chest. “And why is that?”
“You’ve got such a sweet and innocent looking face, but you’re so big and you’re really not that sweet.”
“I’m a cop who works as a security guard when I’m not on duty. In which one of those professions do you think it pays to be sweet or innocent?”
She shrugs.
There was a time that I was just as sweet and innocent as I look. But you can’t be a nice guy when you’re a cop. I figured that out very quickly.
Elsie and I are both startled when someone pounds on the door, but neither of us makes a move to answer it.
More pounding. This time it’s louder and more frantic.
“It’s probably Devon,” Elsie says.
“Does that mean you want me to answer it?”
She raises an eyebrow. “Would you?”
I heave a small sigh and then march over to the door. When I open it Devon’s jaw drops.
“What are you doing in Katie’s room?”
“Someone had to take care of her. And it’s obviously not you.”
He points a finger in my face. I know the guy is loaded, but that’s really a dumb thing to do.
“Get out of my girlfriend’s room.”
I cross my arms across my chest and glare at him. “Make me.”
His jaw is flapping, but once again no words are coming out. He looks like a broken marionette.
I narrow my eyes at him. “And I would suggest you remove your finger from my face unless you want me to remove it for you.”
The guy actually starts shaking. I guess he’s only brave when he’s on a snowboard. But he does put his finger down.
“I want to see Katie.”
I continue staring at him.
“It’s okay.” I hear Katie’s voice behind me.
When I turn to face her I notice she looks tired, weary and maybe even a bit defeated.
“You’re sure you want me to let him in?” I want to make sure I understand her intentions.
She shakes her head. “No, I’m not sure.”
“Katie, Baby,” Devon says. “Come on. Don’t leave me hanging.”
I get the impression he wants to come in, more to save face than to actually see Katie.
Elsie joins us at the door. “You don’t have to let him in you know.”
Katie heaves a sigh. “Let me talk to him.”
I take a step back so she can have a conversation with Devon, but not so far back that I can’t still knock him out if I have to.
Katie places her hands on her small hips. “Why are you here, Devon? Is it because you couldn’t score with any of the big busted blondes? Or did you screw all of them already?”
He gives a nervous laugh. “Come on. You know it’s not like that.”
“That’s exactly what it’s like.”
Devon places his arm on the doorframe. I’m not sure if he’s trying to look cool or hold himself up, but he’s failing miserably at both.
“It’s not me, Katie. It’s them. They’re constantly throwing themselves at me.”
“And you can’t possibly resist. Anytime a girl throws herself at you, you just have to have sex with her. You can’t say no.”
He tries to bite back a grin. “You know it doesn’t mean anything.”
I can see Katie is blinking back tears. “It might not mean anything to you. And maybe it doesn’t mean anything to them. But it means something to me.”
Then she turns her back on him and walks back into her room.
I give Devon a little wave before I slam the door in his face.
“I’m so proud of you,” Elsie says as she gives Katie a quick hug.
Katie swipes at the tears running down her face. I feel like I should do something, but I have no idea what. Is there anything worse than seeing a woman cry and not being able to fix the problem?
When there’s pounding on the door again, all three of us look at each other. Surely, Devon isn’t that stupid.
I open the door and realize I may have given him too much credit.
“She doesn’t want to see you.” I make sure to completely block the door so he can’t see her. I don’t want to give the prick the satisfaction of knowing he made her cry.
He looks beat up even though no one has touched him. “I need to know if Katie is going with me to the wedding tomorrow. Our publicists won’t be able to get a statement out before then and people will ask questions if she’s not there with me.”
“Good.”
He looks like I slapped him. “Good?”
I nod.
“But…” He tries to peer into Katie’s room, but I just move so he can’t see in. “You don’t understand.”
“No, you don’t understand. You’re done. She doesn’t want to see you.” Hopefully ever again, I want to add, but that’s really way beyond the scope of my duties right now.
He heaves a slow sigh. “I really fucked up, didn’t I?”
I nod again.
“The producers of my reality show want at least one episode with Katie Lawrence.”
“Good luck with that.”
“Dude, maybe you can talk to her for me.” He gives me a sly smile. “I could make it worth your while.”
I laugh. “I don’t need your money.”
He looks me up and down. “You sure about that?”
“Yeah, I’m positive.”
“Want to be on my show? Everyone wants to be on television.”
I shake my head. “Not interested.”
“I really need her to be there tomorrow.”
“And I really need you to leave.”
He opens his mouth, but doesn’t say anything more. He just shakes his head as he turns and makes his way back down the hallway.
After I close the door and turn back to Katie, she’s grinning from ear to ear. And it’s a real smile. Not one of those smile-for-the-camera smiles. This grin is a little crooked, but makes her eyes gleam.
Even Elsie is grinning, which I consider an accomplishment.
But Katie’s smile fades just as quickly and I can’t help but feel a little disappointed to see it go. “My publicist will have a fit if I don’t make an appearance at the wedding tomorrow.”
“But you don’t want to go?” I’m not sure why I’m even asking. It’s obvious from the sadness that has completely overtaken her that she doesn’t want to go at all.
“I’d rather have my fingernails torn out one by one than to be at the wedding pretending to still be Devon Black’s loving girlfriend. Everyone in Hollywood must think I’m a complete idiot for staying with him this long.”
Elsie grabs her arm. “No one thinks you’re an idiot. He’s the one with the bad reputation, not you. Everyone loves you.”
She rolls her eyes. “Everyone loves Katie Lawrence, whoever she is. I’m not even sure I know anymore.”
“I think you need to get some rest. It’s been a long night. And things will look better in the morning. I promise.”
Katie nods, but I get the feeling that she doesn’t completely believe Elsie.
“You need to get some rest too,” Katie replies. “It’s way past your bedtime.”
As if on cue Elsie yawns. “You’re right. I’m exhausted.”
Elsie moves towards the door but then turns back again. “Are you going to be all right?” She makes a point of glancing in my direction.
She obviously doesn’t know me. I’d never do anything to hurt a woman, especially when it’s my job to protect her.
“I’ll be fine,” Katie assures her. “Get some sleep.”
Elsie gives me one more suspicious look.
“I’ll make sure she’s protected,” I say to Elsie.
She still looks hesitant but then she gives a quick nod before she hurries out of the room.
Four
Katie
When Hunter looks at his watch I get the feeling that he wants to leave. But for some reason I’m not ready for him to go. Even though I don’t know him that well
I feel comfortable around him. I rarely feel like that with most people. Okay, I don’t feel that way around anyone but my family members and Elsie.
Hunter isn’t like the guys in Hollywood. An actor would have sold me out in a minute for a paycheck or the chance to be on Devon’s new show. But Hunter wasn’t impressed with the money or the potential fame. All he seemed to care about was making sure I was protected.
“I need to go to work soon.” When Hunter looks at me, he seems to have a bit of regret in his eyes. Like he wishes he could stay a while longer.
I wish he could stay too. I don’t want to be alone, but I want to be with Hunter even more.
I know it sounds New Age-y, but I like Hunter’s energy. And I like how I feel when I’m with him. I feel like I’m Kat from P-burg again, just a regular girl hanging out with a cute guy on a Friday night.
“I thought you were already at work,” I tease.
He grins. “I’ve got a shift tonight. At midnight.”
“That’s still a few hours from now.”
We both look at each other and a few sparks fly between us. When Hunter puts his hands into his pockets I get the sense that he’s starting to get hard. I wasn’t sure if he found me the slightest bit attractive, but now I’m sensing that maybe he finds me attractive after all.
I move closer to him and when he doesn’t back away, I close the distance between us.
“What are you doing?” His voice is a little shaky, but it’s extremely cute coming from a guy who’s so big and muscular.
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
When I place my hands on his rock hard chest he takes in a sharp breath. We both look at each other for a long moment and the sparks between us really begin to ignite.
I make a move to his collar and begin to remove his shirt, but he takes a step back.
“What’s wrong?” Now I’m the one with a shaky voice.
He narrows his eyes at me. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?” I can’t help the hurt in my voice.
“Is that what you really want to do?”
“Don’t you want to be able to tell all your friends that you slept with Katie Lawrence?”
A Wilde Night (Old Town Country Romance Book 3) Page 3
