Page 40 of Not the Bodyguard's Princess
“I was going to when I came in, but it was already off. Mom must have wanted you to have your privacy without giving you the fine print.”
“Thanks for letting me know. It’s funny. I complain about my hotel room being bugged, and it is basically the same thing.”
“Yes, only we tell you where and why. September chose the level of listening she wanted. If this were your place, you could choose the security level you want. We once put my sister in an undercover situation with so many cameras that only the bathroom had no visual, but it still had audio. She would play games and do things just to annoy us. Or she would talk to us at night when she couldn’t sleep.”
“That could come in handy.” Jordan put the other leg down and turned to face him. “I know Tonie will be staying in the suite with me, but if I wanted to call you, could I?”
“How else am I supposed to learn the filming tricks of 1950s films?” Andrew hoped his smile conveyed the same message.
“This morning didn’t—”
“Jordan, this morning when I woke up, I thought of you as a person with a great sense of humor and a gorgeous smile who happens to be an actor. This afternoon, the only part that has changed is that you are a very convincing actor with amazing empathy for others.” He could have gone on but stopped.
“But I should have kicked Storm out and called HR or the Screen Actors Guild.”
“I understand why you didn’t. Publicity, backlash, and who knows? Neither of us could have guessed at the outcome of letting him in. We can both beat ourselves up for the other things we could have done. But we’re still left with what happened.” Violence was rarely the answer, yet in this case, Andrew regretted not hitting the actor. “I’m determined to never leave you alone with him.”
“Thanks. It could have been worse. What if Storm...” Jordan shivered.
“I have a big question for you. Can you still work with me? The other day you trusted me to get you out of a threat area without any questions. Can you still let me in your personal space without freezing or second-guessing me?”
“As you said earlier, we’re good. And I’m glad you were there. I think Stu and company would have left me alone with Storm, and that would have ended much worse.”
Andrew nodded. After reading some Hollywood gossip blogs, he assumed the main reason Storm had taken this role was to clean up his reputation as a womanizer. “Usually, after an incident that doesn’t end the way we hope, we brainstorm what do to next time.”
Jordan held up her hand. “There isn’t going to be a next time. Storm is banned from my trailer and everywhere else for life. I do not need to feel degraded or degrade others to be a good actress.”
“It probably won’t help, but I think guys are wired differently—at least I am. I was shocked, but I don’t feel degraded.”
Jordan gave him a half smile. “Thanks. If you don’t mind, I think I’m going to take that nap now. Don’t let the house listen to me snoring.”
Andrew laid his hand on top of Jordan’s. “I suggest you don’t snore, then. And definitely don’t sleep talk about shoelaces.”
Jordan looked at their hands and then at his face. “I won’t.”
Andrew shut the door as he left the room. On Sunday, he’d been ready to quit because he didn’t think he should work for this client. Four days later, he wondered if he should quit because he wanted to kiss this client. Perhaps he needed a nap too.
16
“Cut!Great, September. Everyone take ten while we review film.” Paul waved everyone off the set.
Jordan left her mark next to Storm and hurried around the extras to September. The last two days of filming had been grueling, and Paul’s temper had risen with every take. As much as Jordan wanted to discuss her frustrations with Andrew, she refrained, allowing Tonie to take Princess to the dog park and staring at the phone late at night to avoid conversation. It would do no good for her bodyguard to know how disgusting she found Storm’s touch on her bare back as they filmed the dance sequence over and over.
Adam stood at September’s side, water bottles in each hand.
September handed an empty bottle to her fiancé, who was an extra in the scene. “I hope that is the last take. I want to be home for church tomorrow.”
Jordan stretched a kink in her neck. “I will miss you when you go back.”
“Me or Melanie Hastings’s brownies? I haven’t figured out how to compete with her brownies.”
Adam wrapped an arm around September. “I’m sure we can come up with something better than Mom’s baking.”
September giggled, then abruptly stopped, her mouth a firm line. Jordan turned to see what had ruined the moment.
Storm. He looked from Adam to Jordan and then September. A momentary confusion crossed his face, quickly replaced by a fake smile. “September, I see you’re working to get your squeaky-clean image back. I hear Hearthfire is the place to do that.”
Adam’s jaw tightened. September tapped his arm with a single finger, and he relaxed. “I’m not trying to be anything I’m not. I love to sing, and this show is a great debut for this song. Have you met my fiancé, Adam Hastings?”
