by KB Winters
Her whole body relaxed, softened as she stepped forward. I took a step back and held my hands out in front of me. “I was hoping we could both...come.”
“Jag, get her out of here please. And if you see her in here again, remove her again.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Jag wiped his hands on a napkin and stood. With dark brown skin and twenty-inch biceps, Jag cut an imposing figure to anyone with half a brain. The man was harmless, unless he was forced to be deadly.
“No need for that shit,” she snapped, glaring at Jag. “Touch me and I’ll call the cops,” she sneered.
“Excellent idea. Jag, can you report we have a trespasser on the property?”
“Golden Boy,” she whined and stomped her foot again. “We could be so good together. I’ll let you fuck me any way you want me.”
“Not. Interested. Are you here to get a tattoo or a piercing, Sheena?” I knew the answer was no but she knew it was the only way she could stay and I could see the minute she decided.
Her hair swished around her shoulders when she nodded. “I want another navel ring. Two of ’em will be real sexy, don’t you think?”
I shot a look at Jag, who’d gone back to enjoying his tacos while the sounds of Lasso entertaining the teenyboppers filled the front of the store. “When you’re done with lunch, can you handle this?”
Jag nodded, trying hard not to smile. Everyone loved Jag. He was funny and nice, smart as fuck and got along with everyone. Except Sheena. She treated him like the white trash racist she was, but the truth was, she’d tried to fuck him and he wasn’t interested.
“I don’t want him to do it! I’m the customer and I want you to do it.” Arms crossed, she gave a satisfied smile as though that fucking settled it.
“Well you see, Sheena. It’s my shop and I reserve the right to refuse service to whoever I want. So Jag will do it, or you can leave. Now.” A quick glance at the clock in the tiny closet that passed for our break room and I knew my next appointment would be arriving soon.
Hurt flashed in her eyes but, the hard woman that she was, she replaced it with anger. “You’re not such big shit, you know, Golden Boy? You’ve been in prison for a long time and I don’t see any bitches knocking down your door.”
I laughed. “Don’t you worry about my door, Sheena. My door, my life, my bitches are none of your fucking business.”
Movement sounded in the break room as Jag finished and washed up before stopping beside me. “Are we doing this piercing or are you leaving?”
That was Jag, no-nonsense to his core. It would piss off a hothead like Sheena, but he was the kind of man you wanted on your side when shit went down.
“Ugh, come on then, I don’t got all day.”
“You mean you don’t have all day,” Jag corrected, chuckling when she let loose a string of impressive curses.
The bell sounded above the door and moments later, Lasso yelled out, “Boss!”
Sheena growled and Jag swore under his breath as Teddy walked in, looking hotter than fuck in an orange-ish pink tank that cupped her delicious tits perfectly, but her long legs were hidden by a long, flowing skirt the same color as her top but with big ass white flowers. “Teddy.”
“Tate,” she said smoothly, lips pursed slightly but when she slid those designer shades away from her eyes, they were lit with humor. “You ready for me?”
“Fucking slut!” Sheena’s shout brought all the noise in the shop to a screeching halt. “I thought I told you to stay away.”
Teddy arched one auburn brow and shot back a bored look. “And I thought I told you to take that up with whoever would be dumb enough to catch a case of the herp from you.” She flashed a sweet smile up at me and then Jag. “You must be Jeremiah.”
“Jag, ma’am. What gave it away?”
She grinned. “Well the cowboy is over there turning two sweet girls to mush so you must be the organized one.”
“Not the black one?”
She laughed. “Obviously you’re black, but all I heard from chatty Cathy over here was that one of you was a cowboy and the other one was the logistical genius.”
“Genius, eh?” Jag smiled over at me and I punched him in the shoulder.
“Are you coming, Jag? I ain’t got all fucking day.” Arms crossed, Sheena tapped her foot to make sure everyone knew how unhappy she was. “Make sure you watch yourself bitch, it’d be a shame if something happened to that other leg.”
I stepped forward, ready to deal with Sheena but I didn’t need to. Teddy stepped closer to her, towering over the woman by at least five inches. “You better bring a fucking car because it’s the only way you’ll get me. Now run along before I get mean.”
“Damn, I want to be her,” one of Lasso’s girls whispered.
Teddy’s lips twitched as she stared at me and I swear, as cheesy as that shit sounded, I was caught in her blue gaze. “So, where do you want me?”
I took a long moment to appreciate the beauty that was Teddy Quinton. She was long and lean, but now her arms were sculpted and I knew her abs and legs were too. She was effortlessly beautiful and when she tried, she was goddamn stunning. “Sorry to tell you, Cover Girl, but I think you’re wearing the wrong clothes for this job.”
She laughed as I guided her to the first room past the register and slid onto the red leather seat. “First of all, there’s no such thing as the wrong clothes. Unless of course it’s acid wash,” she added a little louder than necessary. “Second of all,” she said and grabbed one side of her skirt and pulled it back, revealing one-mile-long leg. Her head fell back when I cupped her calf and let my hand slide up her leg. “You can work with this?”
I shrugged. “As long as you don’t mind having your skirt open like that for the next few hours.”
“Not like you haven’t seen it all before. Anyway, I do have on panties so there’s not much to see.”
Lasso chose that moment to duck his head between the curtains. “Did someone say panties? Well hello, gorgeous. Is this the taco lady?”
She laughed. “I hope that’s not what I’m being called, cowboy.”
He blinked and his smile widened. All I could do was shake my head at the relentless flirt. “Who said I was a cowboy?”
“Besides those jeans?” she asked, drawing a loud guffaw from the Texan.
“I like her,” he said with his best boyish grin. “If you get tired of the pretty boy over here, the name’s Dallas.”
She laughed. “Have you seen yourself? Your face is as pretty as his hair,” she said and ran her long manicured fingers through my hair until I groaned.
Lasso’s grin faded. “That’s my cue to leave. Going to eat some tacos, boss.”
“Listen for the door,” I told him and pulled the curtains shut. Then I turned to Teddy. “Ready?”
She nodded but I could see the nerves in her blue eyes. “As ready as I can be, I suppose. Be gentle.”
“Always.”
Chapter 10
Teddy
One week. Those two words acted as my mantra all day because, for some reason, my focus was shot. Last minute wedding planning for Kip and Gillian, plus another new couple who wanted a midnight Elvis wedding in two weeks wasn’t a lot for me. Yet, as I left the office with several assistants still making calls and picking up items for this weekend’s wedding, all I wanted to do was go home and pass out.
I was searching in my tote for my car key and I heard, “Teddy! Teddy, we need to talk.” Gillian Frye was tottering up the sidewalk in stilettos she could barely walk in, wearing skintight jeans and an adorable pink crop top that made her look at least a decade younger than her twenty-five years.
“What about, Gillian?” Though based on the scowl she wore and the way her hands fisted at her hips, I could guess.
“Kip. I know you’re sleeping with him and I want you to stop.” I opened my mouth to tell the fool how wrong she was, but a hot pink nail pointed at me before I could. “I don’t care that you used to be somebody or that you’re sti
ll hot, I want it to end or I will end you.”
I could’ve eviscerated her with just one sentence, but that would be like kicking a newborn puppy. So, I decided to be mature. “First of all, I don’t sleep with other women’s men. Period. It’s too much drama and I’ve yet to meet a man worth it. Second, you need to talk to Kip. He’s been hitting on me for weeks and I shot him down. I don’t fuck around with pretty boys.”
She sucked in a breath, skin flushed an ugly shade of red. “I don’t believe you.”
“And I don’t care, but it’s the truth. Look Gillian, you seem like a nice girl so I’m going to give you some advice. Kip is young and newly rich and if you really want this to work, not just for the cameras but for real, you need to speak up. Men need to be handled so if you’re not happy with his behavior, let him know. I don’t want him, believe me, but one of these women out here will and they’ll have no problem with the fact that someone else is wearing his ring.”
It was more than I wanted to say, but she seemed like a girl out of her depth with the Hollywood game. If she didn’t toughen up, she’d end up being one of those sad reality starlet stories.
“I followed him, Teddy. I saw him come here early in the morning. Without any cameras, and Kip will barely take a shit without a crew in the house. I believe you, but I also believe what I see.” She pointed from her eyes to mine for emphasis and I shook my head in disbelief. Shit. Could she really be as naïve as she looked?
“I’ll tell you, Gillian. But if I hear one word of this on your show or in any kind of press, I’ll use my money and whatever star power I have left to ruin you both. Got it?”
Green eyes went wide with shock, she nodded quickly and a long ponytail bobbed behind her. “I swear.”
I took a deep breath and let it out. “Someone has been leaving, let’s call them gifts, outside my house. The first time it was Kip, so when the others appeared, I assumed it was him. Incorrectly, it turns out, but the police showed up at your house and he got scared. Worried and wanted to talk without the cameras. That’s it.”
“Oh my god, Teddy! Are you all right?” Her eyes were even bigger now, like the queen’s emeralds, and I really hoped she didn’t get chewed up and spit out in this industry. “I’m so sorry this is happening to you.”
“Yeah, me too. But whoever it is doesn’t seem to be targeting my office, so your wedding will go off without a hitch. I promise.” She opened her mouth to protest and I held up a hand to stop her. “No, Gillian. Don’t worry about this or me. Just pamper yourself so you’re beautiful and blissed out on your wedding day. I’ll take care of the rest.”
How I ended up comforting her, I had no clue. But it was all part of the job.
“Thank you again, Teddy. And I’m sorry for the accusations.”
I grinned. “I respect you more for coming to me. Just keep that shit up, okay?”
She nodded, squeezed me in a hug I didn’t ask for but accepted, because I wasn’t a complete asshole, and tottered back off to her sleek little sports car. She’d come without her entourage, which was a testament to how worried she was about Kip and how genuine her feelings were for him.
With that distraction out of the way, I jumped into my car and put on some NWA to clear my mind on the drive home. Between that knockout sex with Tate, which I still wasn’t ready to even think about, let alone talk about, and the stress of this stalker, gangsta rap was the only thing that could help me. And I didn’t give a damn who watched me rap along, complete with hand gestures, because that was just how bad I needed to lose myself in the music.
My love of rap music was the only thing that had followed me from foster care to fashion and all the way out to Vegas. By the time I pulled into my driveway, I felt about ten percent more relaxed than when I left the office, and considering the past few weeks, that was a win.
Until I got to my door and saw a sight that finally had me worried. The last two gifts had taken on a different tone than the first six or so. The photo was a clear threat, but what faced me now, as I dialed 911, was as overt as a threat could get. A giant blue dildo with a knife through the center hung on my door, both of them on top of a photo, I assumed of me. “Die Bitch” was written in red paint on my door but it looked like the blood it was meant to resemble.
I did as the 911 operator instructed and went to sit in my car while I waited for the police. A tap on the window startled me and I realized I should’ve been paying better attention. Just because this weirdo hadn’t shown his face yet, didn’t mean he wouldn’t.
I smiled. “Mrs. Welliver, how are you?”
She wore a frown, but I could see her concern and I stepped out of the car to talk to my neighbor.
“Honey, I’m worried. What’s going on?”
“I wish I knew. Someone, it seems, doesn’t like me all that much.” Not that it was a surprise, I didn’t do much to endear myself to anyone but my clients, but this was something else. “You should probably get back inside before the police come.”
She was at least seventy years old, but as active as a woman half her age. Still, I didn’t want her caught up in this.
“I’m packing, sweetheart, don’t you worry about me,” she lifted her denim jacket to show the handle of a gun.
“I want to be like you when I grow up, Mrs. Welliver.”
She winked. “I’ll go have a seat in my rocking chair but send one of them over when they arrive. Make it a cute one too.”
I was amazed that Mrs. Welliver could get me to smile after what I’d just seen, but the old woman was a character. And apparently a meddler because I turned around just as Jana slammed on her brakes and jumped from her car. She practically ran to me with Max following at a more reasonable pace behind her.
“Oh my god, Teddy! What’s going on?” Jana flung her arms around me and squeezed tight and I looked at myself in the passenger window of my car, wondering if there was a sign on me that said I needed hugs. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine Jana.” I did my best to keep my voice even and calm. Didn’t want to upset the pregnant lady. “I just got home from work and found it,” I told her and pointed to the door. “911 said to stay here.”
Max grabbed Jana’s arm to stop her forward momentum and she glared at him. “They need to see if the asshole left any evidence, babe,” he explained. “So they can catch him.”
I had to give Max credit for daring to talk to Jana in such a reasonable tone when she was so wound up.
“Fine,” she snapped, not sounding fine at all. “What is it?”
I sucked in a deep breath, closed my eyes and explained what I saw. “The knife through the dildo was jarring, but the ‘die bitch’ really got to me.”
“This ain’t funny,” Max said in a low, lethal growl. “You’ll come stay with us until this mess is settled.”
I turned and glared at Max. It was my best glare, the one that could freeze a set of balls in less than three seconds, but Max was a bona fide badass and he didn’t scare easily. “And put my pregnant best friend in harm’s way? Yeah, I don’t think so buddy.”
I walked off before he could say more, heading off to greet the first uniformed officer who had just arrived. He asked questions and I answered them with more attitude than was necessary, but they hadn’t taken me seriously at all over the past month. “I’m sorry ma’am, but we are taking it seriously now.”
“Better late than before this psycho kills me,” I muttered, forever a smartass. But when the forensic team finally arrived, dusting for fingerprints and bagging everything, I felt my knees buckle. It wasn’t just a dildo-knife through a photo of me. It was a recent photo from a write up in Las Vegas Magazine, and my eyes were slashed out, my throat sliced from ear to ear and several holes in the Armani blazer I had on. To me, they looked like bullet holes, but the officer claimed they couldn’t be sure yet.
Right.
“Can you think of anyone who would do this?”
Shaking my head, I shrugged. “No. I haven’t been in the spot
light for years and I keep a pretty low profile. I’m not dating anyone and I work for myself. Honestly, officer, I am at a loss.”
He nodded and walked away, and hours later when the sun finally set I was free to go. Where I would go would be a nice hotel suite with a big tub and kickass security.
Max and Jana still waited by my car. “I told you fools to go home hours ago. I appreciate you staying but one of you needs to rest.”
“And what about you, Teddy?” Max’s voice was angry and irritated. “Where will you go?”
“I appreciate your concern Max, but they have these things called hotels that let you stay there for a small fee each night. And they always have rooms available.” Arms crossed, I gave him a defiant grin and waited for his response.
“Well that’s all fine and well,” began a familiar voice behind me. “But I have an available room and no fee.”
I turned with a half-smile. “Thank you for the offer, Tate. But I’m going to have to pass.”
He stepped closer and placed his hands on my shoulders. “I’m not asking.”
“Good, then I won’t feel bad about saying no.” I stared at him, his gray eyes matching my blue ones in intensity, dogged determination and plain old stubbornness. I didn’t want to give in, but I knew I would. Eventually.
His mouth curled up into a smile that sent me reeling. My body heated up and my skin tingled at the predatory look in his eyes. “Good. Then I won’t feel bad for tossing you over my shoulder and carrying you.”
Damn. I must be sick in the head, because just the thought of that is hot as fuck.
***
Nothing helps shove a trauma down deep like getting fucked within an inch of your life. At least, that was what I always said. And last night when I got back to Tate’s, or Max’s place — or whoever’s house it was — Tate had been happy to oblige my need to forget. To just fuck for the sake of fucking.
And good Lord that man knew how to be a proper distraction.
The man groaned behind me, his grip on my stomach and my breast tightening. “You’ve been up for like one minute and already you’re overthinking every damn thing.”
