Knock Out (A Reynolds Security Novel) (4 page)

“
Wow, I didn’t really see you as the salad type.”

“
Is that what I ordered?” He wrinkled his nose and she giggled.

“
How do you think I keep my girlish figure?”

“
I’ve seen how, by burning thousands of calories every day.”

“
So is that why you moved me into personal protection? Because you figured I was in shape enough?”

“
Partially.”

“
What’s the other part?” He smirked and she was suddenly on edge. He had done it for some personal reason. “Look if you think I am going to sleep with you out of some misguided appreciation…”

“
Whoa, slow down there sugar.” He put up his hands in surrender.  “No need to jump right to the worst conclusion. I told you I don’t sleep with employees.” She managed to rein in her temper, barely. “I admit my reasons were selfish, well business minded selfish. Do you know how many times a week we get requests for female bodyguards? Now don’t get that sour look on your face, it’s not a fetish thing. We have a lot of young female clients. They want a body guard that can blend in at some swanky shop down town. Or at some A-list party. The big guys that we have on payroll stand out for what they are. Don’t get me wrong, they are a great deterrent but not always what the client wants.”

“
Do you do permanent assignments?”

“
Sometimes. Not usually. You’ll probably end up with the visiting starlets. Probably have to go to a lot of parties.” He smiled and she rolled her eyes. “The company will give you an expense account for wardrobe of course. Our accountant is a real hard ass. I am sure you’ll give him a heart attack. For the men we only have to buy one tux and they are good for everything. Somehow I don’t think it will be the same for you.” He chuckled and she rolled her eyes.

Jace grinned when the waitress placed cheeseburgers in front of each of them.

“Salad huh?” He quirked an eyebrow at her.

“
Nah I am a red meat kind of girl.” She grabbed the ketchup bottle and doused the fries on her plate. She offered him the bottle but he shook his head.

“
Nope, that’s where you’ve lost me.”
 
Not wanting to give him the opportunity to barrage her with questions again she turned the tables on him. She asked him where he’d grown up, North Carolina, she asked him about all the sisters he’d mentioned. He told her he was the baby and his four older sisters still treated him as such. He told her he had eight nieces and two nephews all still in North Carolina. She was of course suitably impressed. They sat there talking long after their plates had been cleared away. They split an ice cream sundae and still they sat there talking and laughing.

Lou never wanted to go home but this time it
wasn’t for the usual reasons. Eventually the subject rolled around where she didn’t want it.

“
How is it you’re single? You work in a male dominated field. You must have guys hitting on you all the time. You probably have to beat them off with a stick.” He meant it as a compliment she knew that but she felt that familiar sick sour feeling fill her stomach. She didn’t meet his eye.

“
I am good at deflection.”

“
I’ve noticed.”

“
What about you? I’m sure the naked woman in your office isn’t the only woman throwing herself at your feet.”

“
Nope, and you’re deflecting.” He smiled at her and she sighed.

“
I don’t do relationships.”

“
What do you do?”

“
Dinner.” She looked at the clock on the wall it was shaped like a cat with a swinging tail and eyes that ticked back and forth. "It's late I better get going. Thanks for dinner."

"I'll walk you out." He rose with her ruining her hasty retreat. "Did you have a car in the garage?"

"No, I walk most of the time."

"Can I give you a lift then? Or walk you?"

"I'm fine."

"Like you said it's late. I don't like the idea of you out here alone."

"So let me get this straight." Her tone had turned icy. "You trust me to protect other people but you don't think I can take care of myself?"

"That's not what I said." He sighed.

"Right, I am not afraid of the dark." She turned and stalked off. He wisely didn't follow. There were a good many things she was afraid of and the dark was one of them. But she wouldn't admit that to him. She might be afraid but she would never back down from anything. So she did what she always did, she stayed alert taking notice of everything as she walked the few blocks home.

Chapter
6

Despite her best efforts to keep everyone at arm’s length, Lou found herself growing to like the group she was training with. There were two men in particular she was growing uncomfortably close too in completely different ways.

Colby was better than the best girlfriend she ever had. He was all friendly demeanor and good advice without the makeup and clothing obsessions or the back stabbing and cattiness she'd experienced with her last best friend. At least she was reasonably certain he wouldn't be sleeping with her boyfriend. Not that she had a boyfriend or even wanted one. Still there was one man who had started occupying her thoughts with disturbing regularity.

Jace had been joining her for her work out every night. Sometimes they simply shared the space quietly doing their own routines. More often they talked and joked. They even sparred a couple times though with much less force than the first time.

She was both relieved and bothered by the fact that he hadn't asked her out again. It was for the best. She knew it was. She was too damaged to have a relationship and she was his employee. But the reaction her body had whenever he took his shirt off was undeniable. After the attack she assumed that her sexuality would be lost forever. The idea of anyone touching her gave her panic attacks. Now suddenly her libido had come roaring back to life. She could imagine someone touching her. Someone in particular and she wanted to touch him. She found herself day dreaming about tracing the hard lines of his chest with her fingertips, with her tongue. She found herself imagining all manner of things that had never even occurred to her.

"So what's his name?"

"What?" Lou looked up startled and Colby grinned.

"Don't bullshit a bullshitter sweetheart. I know there's a man on your mind."

"Maybe I was composing my grocery list."

"A grocery list doesn't usually cause a woman's cheeks to flush and her eyes to glaze over. You have the look of an aroused woman."

"How would you know?" She snorted and he laughed.

"Just because it's not my vintage of choice doesn't mean I haven't sampled the wine."

"You're so gay." She laughed. It was something she said whenever he showed himself to be something other than the hard macho man he portrayed.

"Maybe, but I'm not wrong. Every time we go anywhere you attract male attention. Not that I mind of course but you ignore them all."

"Whatever. I don't attract anything. You just like imagining male attention."

"Take blondie at the end of the bar." She tried to tell herself she wasn't looking just because Jace was blond but ‘herself’ didn't believe her. It wasn't Jace. It was just another bleached surfer wannabe. He was cute but not the mouthwatering male specimen she'd just been remembering shirtless and sweaty. "He's been eyeing you since we came in. If you gave him one iota of encouragement he would be on you like white on rice."

"How can your brain formulate such impressive analogies and such lame ones at the same time?" She asked drolly. He laughed but was undeterred.

"You're deflecting. Come on admit it. There is someone. You like to come out with me cause I scare away your would-be suitors."

"Well that last part is true."

"Just give me a name." She shook her head and he grinned. "You confirmed there is a someone that's a start."

"I didn't confirm anything."

"So what is it? It he oblivious? An ex? Married?"

"Married?
Really?" She was shocked that he thought she would mess around with a married man.

"So what is the problem?" Lou took a swig of her beer and groaned. She knew Colby. He wasn't going to let this go. He was like a dog with a bone.

"All right I will tell you some things. Don't push."

"What me? I never push." She snorted again but didn't bother to argue.

"He is just someone that I... Have a crush on."

"A crush?"
He laughed and she flipped him off.

"Yes, that's all there is to it. He's a great guy, nice to look at and... That's it."

"Are you sleeping with him?" Lou nearly choked on her beer.

"No. Didn't I just tell you it's only a crush? I don't do relationships. Relationships are complicated and come with baggage and I have enough of that on my own.
”

"Welcome to the new millennium honey, you can have sex with him without being in a relationship. It's called casual sex and it's all the rage."  She had to laugh at that.

"Look, some of us are cut out for casual sex and some of us aren't. Personally I haven't had good luck with any kind of sex, or relationship for that matter so I am going to keep my fantasies right where they belong. In fantasy."

God he was pathetic. No two ways about it. He had turned into that creepy obsessive guy. He looked at the image on the screen. It was an enhanced still from one of the gym surveillance cameras. One of their workout sessions. She was smiling. Laughing at some lame joke he had apparently told her. She was beautiful and he was pathetic. He'd not only pulled this still so he could look at it various times throughout the day but he had also saved off their sparring sessions so he could replay them. He told himself it was so he could give her tips next time but that was a partial truth at best.

He had a lot of experience with women. Too much if he really thought about it. He had never pursued a woman. If one wasn't interested he simply moved on to the next. He couldn't do that this time. The mere idea of this woman had him forsaking all others and that was scary. He wasn't the
‘forsake all others’ kinda guy. Sure he was a one woman at a time kinda guy. Those times just weren't usually very long. Sometimes only a night. Usually a woman that didn't want a relationship was music to his ears. He didn't want a relationship either. This time it was different. This time he knew he was teetering on the edge of a very dangerous precipice. It was possible he could sleep with her once. Maybe twice just to be sure. And get her out of his system. But it was equally likely that if he slept with her once he would go right over the edge. He couldn't risk it. Not until he was sure she was going to take that leap with him.

The final day of her training was bittersweet. She had grown to like most of these men. She was going to miss spending her days with them. It wasn't as if she were going to call any of them to get together for a beer. Except for Colby of course but he was like a stray she wasn't going to be able to shake him. Before they all dispersed at the end of the day her real life fantasy walked through the door. It had been a while since she had seen him in a suit. She forgot how good he looked wrapped up in one.

He entered the room with Ethan Reynolds, his partner. She remembered him from when she'd been hired. He had interviewed her. She had come in with an attitude and she knew it. She didn't think she stood a snow ball
’s chance in hell of landing the job. She was still shocked he'd hired her after the disastrous interview.

"Congratulations and welcome aboard. I'm Ethan Reynolds and this is my partner Jace Carpenter. For those of you who don't know, we are the ones that sign your paychecks." There were a few courtesy chuckles and Ethan continued, "The idea for this company started in a very hot and sandy place.
Playing armed escort to some people who really didn't deserve it. Out of that has grown a company with a solid ethical core. You will not be asked to put your safety on the line for anyone who would willingly put you in danger. If you find that is not the case please inform your supervisor immediately. I know you've all had all the training and you know this already but I wanted you to hear it directly from me. Does anyone have any questions?" No one did and Jace stepped forward. His eyes skimmed over her as they did everyone else in the room. They didn't linger or show any familiarity. Irrationally she was a little disappointed.

"Test time." Jace said and the room collectively groaned. He grinned. "This will be unlike any final exam you've ever had. You
’re going to a party." The groan turned to a cheer and Jace laughed.

"We have a new client. He is a jewelry designer. He's having a party. His creations will be displayed on a number of guests. This is in fact a dress rehearsal for all of us. We are proving we can do the job as a company, you are proving you can do the job as a team."

"You will be undercover, so to speak." Ethan took over. "You will dress as guests, dance, mingle. There will be another team there they will be marked security. You will not interact with them. Your job will be to look for threats within the guests. The inside man."

“
Sounds like you expect that there will be an inside man.” Colby spoke up from the chair next to hers. Ethan smiled.

“
As I said this is a new client and he’s made no secret that he is a skeptic. I fully expect him to pull some kind of stunt just to test us. You guys have been training together as a team for three weeks. You should know how to work together by now. You will be mic’ed together so you can communicate with each other.”

“
Gentlemen, each of you take one of these.” Ethan held up a stack of papers. “James Burkhart down on second. He will set you each up with a tux. Keep it and take care of it because you are going to need it again. Oh and don’t bother with the James Taylor jokes he’s heard them all.  Ms. Santiago, our female personal protection agents have been few unfortunately so we don’t have accounts set up. My wife tells me there is a boutique also on Second that should have everything you need.” He handed her a credit card. “This is a corporate card, use it well.”

“
Last time I gave a credit card to a woman I never got it back.” Someone muttered and they all laughed. She smiled and took the card.  

They were all starting to disperse when Lou spoke up.

“Who is the jewelry designer?”

“
Viktor Castillo.”

The name meant nothing to her. She
didn’t follow designers of any kind. Let alone jewelry designers. The only jewelry she owned was a small cache of earrings that had belonged to her mother. If it wasn’t for the fact that her mother had pierced her ears as a baby, and wearing the earrings made her feel close to her mother, she probably wouldn’t still have the piercings.  

The name brought back a wealth of info when she
Googled it. Thank God for the internet. His designs were very expensive and highly sought after, but to her they looked over the top. Like that ridiculous diamond bra that Victoria’s Secret put out every year. His label was Designed by V. He seemed to like to use diamonds, especially colored ones. They weren’t to her taste but she could see why he would need a lot of security if he were going to be displaying some of these pieces. Any one of them was worth more than she made in a decade.

She devoured every piece of information she could find.
Anything on the man, his history, his designs. She learned a lot, probably some information that she really didn’t want to know about a man she was supposed to protect. Her research uncovered that he had been one of those sanctioned in the Fowler Report as chief buyer of conflict diamonds. At the time his name had been Viktor Karakas and he and various family ties had been identified among those supplying weapons and military equipment in exchange for diamonds. Of course once the ‘blood diamonds’ became a hot political topic Karakas renounced his involvement. He changed his name and reinvented himself.

Jace was waiting when she entered the gym. She had gotten caught up in her research and simply never left. She’d been so engrossed she’d been surprised to see it was so late when she looked up. She might have skipped the workout altogether but she wanted to see him.

“
I don’t think I am going to work out today.” She said when she entered. His eyes swept over her as if looking for injury.

“
Something wrong?” She wondered if she had become so predictable that he thought only illness or injury would cause her to deviate from routine. She needed to do something about that. A predictable routine was dangerous. She had already learned that lesson.

“
No, I haven’t eaten all day. If I start working out now I am liable to go Scarlett O’Hara and faint. While I am sure you’d love to play the hero and loosen my corset for me, that would just be embarrassing.” First he grinned and then he outright laughed.

“
Did you just compare me to Rhett Butler?”

“
If the accent fits.” She said lightly and he laughed again. 

“
I haven’t had dinner yet though my assistant did bring me lunch. Let’s go eat.”

“
So you got a new assistant?” She asked as they walked. “Is this one going to look better sitting naked on your desk?”

“
Oh God, do not put that image in my head. My new assistant is male.”

“
So is he cute?” Jace groaned and rubbed his eyes and she laughed.

“
You are evil.” His accent strung the words together and it sounded like ‘yar evil’, it caused her to laugh again.

“
Repeat after me, frankly my dear I don’t give a damn.” He pushed her shoulder, a friendly shove you would give a friend and she laughed. Her laugh transformed into uncontrollable giggles and she had to stop walking. He put his arm around her and pulled her against his side.