Page 7 of The Bombshell and the Bodyguard
At least I’d gotten a hit song out of it—my first, in fact. “Teaser” had gone double-platinum and launched me into the upper echelon of the music industry.
He might barely notice me, but Wilder Lowe had played a crucial role in making me a star.
I doubted he even realized the song was about him. If he did, it would take a lot of guts to stand there looking at me now with such a friendly, open smile on his face.
A new layer of steel coated my backbone, giving me the strength to stand a little taller.
Taking a deep, fortifying breath, I strode toward the two men and pasted on the stage-smile I relied upon when I was sick or exhausted and the show had to go on anyway.
“Hello Wilder. It’s good to see you again.”
Chapter Three
Off-Limits
Wilder
Jessica, Hap and I sat in Hap’s office, discussing home security.
It seemed surreal to be here like this, talking with her the way I’d talk with any other potential client, while inside, my heart and mind were participating in a riot—complete with looting, arson, and graffiti.
Stop Staring At Herwas spray-painted in bright red across my brain, but my optic nerve couldn’t seem to relay the message with all the noise.
“... so you can see why she needs a different security firm,” Hap was saying.
I hoped I hadn’t missed too much of the conversation.
“Right.” I cleared my throat and attempted to do the same with my mind. “I did notice several deficiencies in the perimeter defense system. If you’d like, I’ll put my home security expert Gray Lupine on it as soon as possible. He’s a pro with a very... unique skill set. His qualifications are unmatched. Gray is out of state today, but he’ll be back late tonight. We’ll come by first thing Tuesday morning to do a thorough assessment.”
Hap nodded, looking pleased and relaxing a bit in his leather club chair. “What about personal security? A bodyguard?”
“We can take care of that, too,” I assured him. “No one understands wanting privacy better than I do. And as far as safety, everyone in my firm is a former SEAL. We’re prepared for anything.”
In the matching chair next to Hap, Jessica sat listening quietly. Her posture was relaxed and confident, but there was tension around her eyes and lips.
It felt a little strange to be discussing her home security needs with her brother instead of with her, but she hadn’t said much at all since our initial exchange of polite greetings. Maybe she was too rattled from the alarm last night.
I forced myself to meet the unusual green eyes that had always drawn me in when I should have been looking the other way. “What do you think, Jessica? Sound good to you?”
A spark lit the jade-green irises. When she answered, an unexpected hint of disdain flavored her tone. “I’m still not sure it’s necessary. It was a false alarm—there was no break-in. And do you even have time to take this on? I remember from when we spoke at the Reece wedding howbusyyou are.”
Ah. So she wasn’t rattled. She was pissed.
The moment I’d turned down her invitation to get a drink after the reception or to have breakfast the next morning and catch up, I’d known I’d hurt Jessica’s feelings.
She saw me as her brother’s best friend. She didn’t understand my reluctance to spend any time with her.
She had no idea how I’d always felt about her—and that’s how it would stay.
It hadn’t been good for me to see her last year at the wedding. I’d worked very hard over the years to forget about Jessica Bailey’s effect on me.
I’d been (mostly) successful at putting her out of my mind, though it had been impossible to do completely with her alluring voice all over radio and her face on TV.
But seeing her at Sully and Angelina’s wedding—in that silver evening gown—had snapped her right back to the forefront of my mind, and no matter how hard I tried to distract myself, she’d taken up residence there since that night.
And now she was sitting right in front of me, somehow looking evenmoreappealing in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, without a drop of makeup on.
Those incredible green eyes narrowed, awaiting my response. I had to give her one that wouldn’t pique Hap’s interest or alert him to the unspoken and long-running issue between his little sister and me.
