Page 94 of Take Hold of Me

Wills

My footsteps echoin the empty hallway, around the corner from the dressing rooms. Emilie disappeared through the first door on the left, which had a piece of paper with her name attached to it. Trailing her, Rinaldo gave me a salute and went into a room on the right.

He and Ems dated for five years.

He had his hands—and more—all over her.

And now he’s back in town.

I prowl around this empty corridor, trying to get myself under control. Rinaldo’s trying to make trouble. Seems like the type. Cocky, Spanish jock. Expects things—including women,especiallywomen—to fall at his feet. Emilie didn’t look too happy having to deal with him, though. Which clearly pissed him off.

For whatever reason, she wants me. She’smine. My brain freezes at this thought.

A door closes and I rush around the corner to see if it’s Ems. Instead, the tall, tanned soccer player stands in front of her dressing room, his hand reaching forward.

“She hasn’t come out yet.” I cross my arms across my chest.

Rinaldo turns away from her door, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. A smirk crosses his face. “I was only going to check on her.”

I lean against the wall, my posture screaming I don’t believe him. I raise an eyebrow.

“Hey,” he comes over to me and punches my arm lightly. “So, you and Emmie are together, huh?”

What does he think—that we’re friends? Hardly. And what’s up with his calling her “Emmie?” I reciprocate the arm punch. Harder. “Yes. We are.”

“And you’re her,” his gaze bounces between my head to my feet and back again, “bodyguard.”

I don’t owe this guy an explanation, so I tip my chin.

He laughs. “So tell me, William.”

My chest constricts. “Wills,” I growl. Only FPU calls me by my full name.

“Wills, right.” He rubs his hand against his stubble-clad jaw. “How does it feel to stand behind your girl and watch as she does all the work?”

I bite my inner cheek. Does this guy have brain damage from so many balls flying at his head? He’s messing with the wrong person, and way out of his element. Ems would be pissed if I rearranged his face, right?

“I mean,” he continues when I don’t respond. “I remember when she was out on the town with Cole Manchester. I saw the pictures—he had his hands all over her. I wasn’t even dating her anymore, and those photos pissed me off.”

My ears pop from the grinding of my teeth. Cole was with Rose by then. It was an act, but that doesn’t mean I liked it. This guy’s just trying to get under my skin. “You know what they were doing.”

“Sure do. Emmie and I met through a publicity date, as a matter of fact. Sometimes true feelings can’t help coming through the most scripted scenarios, you know what I mean?”

I swallow, willing my temper down. I don’t have to defend myself to him. Or anyone, for that matter.

“But then again, you know all about those, right?”

“I was doing my job.” Better than chasing a stupid ball around all day, in my book. Where the fuck is Emilie? Why does it take her so long to change?

“Listen, are you coming with us to the after-party?”

Crap. I had forgotten all about that. “Yeah. I’ll be making sure that no entitled, sleazeball douche nozzles cross the line with Emilie. That’s my job, remember?”

He laughs and says, “I like you.”

I don’t have time to process his reaction when Emilie’s door opens. We both turn and a couple of women exit. Rinaldo addresses them. “Ladies.”

I disappear into the wall. My specialty. While they flirt, I focus on containing my seething temper with deep breathing exercises Nolan Kates taught me to stay calm when I first started working for his PI firm. Finally, the women walk away. While the door to Emilie’s dressing room remains open, she doesn’t appear.

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