Chapter Three
Lucy answered the phone, and then went out to the pool where Angelica was lounging in the morning sun. “Monroe is on the line.”
“What now? Tell him I’m busy.” Angelica put her sunglasses on and took a sip of her mimosa.
She was in a mood. And when Angelica was in a mood, it was best not only to give her everything she wanted, but to anticipate her wants as well.
The problem was, often her directives contradicted. She wanted to be informed immediately when any movie offers came in, but now that Monroe had called, she didn’t want to talk to him.
What had her in a mood today? She got to sleep in and it shouldn’t be jet lag or a hangover. She’d only had a few mimosas. Whatever it was that had her in a mood, she needed to take the call.
“He’s got a movie offer,” Lucy said.
With a glare, Angelica got up from the lounge chair to come inside and take the call on the landline.
Neither of their cell phones worked here, so they had to use the landline instead. Texts sometimes made it through, depending on where you were in the house, but not calls. Lucy wasn’t thrilled with this either, but as they could do nothing about it and their location was remote for a very good reason, the sooner they adjusted and got on with things, the better. There was no reason to get into a bad mood over it.
The way Angelica was stalking inside, she appeared ready to give Monroe an earful. Lucy followed her and thought, better him than me.
That would make it a two aspirin day rather than an eight aspirin day. Lucy wasn’t about to take any of the stronger medications Angelica usually offered her. Not after what that stuff had done to her mother, who’d taken a few too many one night. Just enough that she’d died in her sleep, but not enough to rule it a definite suicide. Either way, it had still been too soon. Her father had never gotten over it and passed a year later. Within a month, Lucy had moved to L.A.
Lucy pushed those thoughts aside. I’m not going to think about all that now. That’s in the past. Now, I have a new job keeping Angelica out of trouble and a new life on the west coast.
The space in between movie projects gave Angelica far too much time to get into trouble. And where Angelica went, Lucy had to go, because it was part of the job.
It really was exhausting, though. If only another job in the costuming department would open up.
Angelica was strutting about the room in black heels and a black bikini with a white see-through cover up, every bit the movie star. Monroe was sending the details of the movie offer by fax, along with a synopsis of the script. Lucy could tell Angelica was looking for something to drink. Monroe’s call had pulled her from her lounge chair by the pool where she’d been sipping mimosas all morning, so Lucy went to fetch her mimosa for her.
Just as she returned with it, there was a knock on the front door. With a flourish of her hand, Angelica waved for her assistant to go answer it.
Lucy set the glass on the desk where Angelica would soon be sitting, and then pushed a yellow pencil into her long, black hair that was piled in a disorganized heap on top of her head in the clip she’d hurried to use this morning. Then she went to the front door.
The bodyguard must be here. It’s almost noon.
Opening the door, she stood speechless at the sight of the tall, dark-haired and definitely handsome man, who could’ve walked onto any movie set to act the hero in one of Angelica’s movies.
His features: straight nose, strong brow, and intense eyes were unforgettable. His intense presence and the way his dark brown eyes took her in and missed nothing as his gaze looked down into hers, deeper than most people saw, was unsettling. Attraction between them flared along with something more. Her eyes widened, she caught her breath, and lost her words. It took her a few seconds to regain them. She blinked twice, as if unsure of what her eyes saw.
“H, hello.” She blinked and said, “You must be the bodyguard.”
His smile was disarming, but clearly meant to reassure her. “Yes, ma’am. Must be.” He nodded. “Jack Barr. From Brotherhood Protectors.”
“Lucy Wood. I’m the assistant. Miss Glory is in the next room. Please follow me.”
Jack walked behind the shorter, curvaceous woman, watching her hips sway, and noticed the pencil sliding down out of her hair just as it slipped out. He reached and caught it, just brushing Lucy’s lower back with the tips of his fingers.
She stopped short and turned to face him, her wide, blue eyes gazing up at him.
“Your pencil,” he held it out, “fell.”
She reached her hand up to her hair, checking, as if she were distracted by something. “Oh,” she said. “Yes. Thank you.” Then she blushed. A delayed reaction, but charming nonetheless.
He noted how unaware she was of herself and her surroundings.
This was one distracted woman. What had her so distracted? Was it the stalker or was she always like that?
Shy and soft-spoken, she fit the pattern he’d predicted.
Clutching the pencil firmly in her hand, she turned again, saying, “This way.”
He followed her out of the large foyer and into the second room on the right, a library that now served as an office. The fax machine pushed out papers and the famous Miss Glory stood holding one, dressed in a skimpy black bikini and a white cover-up that showed as much as it covered.
With her back to them, she hadn’t noticed him yet. “This is unacceptable,” she said, waving a paper in her hand. “I cannot work with that man. Get Monroe back on the phone.”
Lucy cleared her throat, though not loud enough for Miss Glory to hear, but as if she were gathering courage. “Your new personal bodyguard, Mr. Jack Barr, is here.”
“You can also call me Gunny.”
Miss Glory put the paper down fast and turned herself, her full charm and her full breasts toward him. “Jack Barr.” His name purred off her lips. “What a delicious name for a bodyguard.” She ignored his nickname as if he hadn’t spoken it and took a step forward, and then brushed her blonde hair away from her face with her right hand. As her posture changed to lift her breasts, she sent him a sensuous smile. “Well, this is a pleasure.” She practically purred her words.
“Pleasure to meet you too, ma’am.” He stepped up and reached out to shake her hand.
She placed her hand in his with a raised brow and waited for him to kiss it.
He gave her hand a firm shake and said, “I was briefed on your situation, but why don’t you tell me about it?”
“Why yes.” She removed her hand, then moved slowly over to a chair and sat, arranging her body so he could appreciate the view. Waving a lazy hand at the chair next to her, she said, “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll tell you all about it.”
He moved to sit in the chair she had indicated. “Good. I want to know every detail.”
“It started months ago, but my assistant didn’t see anything wrong with someone sending me roses and notes. I get them from all around the world, you know. I have many admirers and fans.”
“I’m sure.” Jack nodded.
Without looking at Lucy, she said, “Bring me a rum and Cola and whatever Jack likes.” Her lips curved in a smile.
He turned to Lucy and smiled. “I’ll take a Cola if you have it.”
“Yes, of course,” she answered.
Turning back to Angelica, he said, “I never drink when on duty.”
“Oh, but you’re not working yet, we’re just talking. And one little drink wouldn’t hurt.”
“The cola is fine.” His tone, though friendly, was firm.
Lucy hurried to get their drinks and Angelica leaned back in her chair and began. “Well,” she flourished her hand, “there’ve been these strange things that happened and Monroe, my agent, insisted I come here and have a bodyguard while on break between movies. So here I am in Montana, where there’s nothing to do but lounge by the pool.” She dropped her gaze into a smolder just for him and said, “I really need…” she paused breathily, “something to do.”
Ignoring the fact that the famous, well-endowed blonde actress clearly would like to do him, he redirected her and asked, “What strange things?”
“Well, it started with the roses. One single red rose every day for twenty-four days and the same note each time, and then he suddenly stopped. Then a few days later, he sent a lacy red see-through nightie. Lucy didn’t call Monroe until the nightie came.” Her voice was faintly accusatory, but Jack didn’t see anything wrong with someone sending roses, so that seemed a bit extreme.
As he watched Lucy and Angelica and picked up on the dynamic between the two women, he remembered the note in the dossier about how Angelica wouldn’t hire blonde assistants. They had to have dark hair. Lucy had beautiful dark hair. Long, straight, and shiny. The picture of health. He much preferred that to what was likely a bleach job blonde who’d probably had surgery on those ample breasts. They were so large, you couldn’t help but look at them and they were great to look at, but he preferred the real deal.
Angelica made sure everyone looked at her. Typical actress, she really wasn’t his type. She’d want to be the center of attention. Hot as she was, even though a night with her might be fun, one night with her would bring more trouble than it was worth.
Lucy, on the other hand, was a quiet woman who didn’t like the attention or want it. The two women were as opposite as they could be. Lucy was the perfect assistant for Angelica. His guess was, she probably put up with a lot.
Angelica, far from quiet, was a typical Hollywood diva. He wondered what Lucy was like when she wasn’t around her boss. If she loosened up more, she wouldn’t be so shy around him. She was watching him while trying not to seem like she was.
Her gaze then drifted as if she was thinking of something, and then she touched the pencil, which was now tucked back in her hair, as if remembering when it had fallen out. A slight smile crossed her face.
Ah. So she’d liked that touch on her back after the pencil had dropped and was clearly thinking about it right now instead of paying attention to the conversation.
She glanced at him and he sent her a smile, which had her blushing even more before sending a shy one back at him.
Angelica finished her drink and stood, shrugging off her cover-up and gathering their attention again. “Let’s continue this out by the pool. This air conditioning is too chilly.” Walking past him with that strut, she said, “Follow me and I’ll tell you about the edible panties.”
Setting his glass down, he followed her out to the pool where the July sun beat down. Lucy came along behind with her note pad.
Angelica settled herself on a lounge chair and Lucy handed her a pair of sunglasses.
“Fix me another drink,” Angelica said to Lucy, then turned her attention to him again. “Sit there.” She indicated the chair next to her and he sat. “Isn’t the sun marvelous? So warm. Temps are climbing. You’ll want to take off your jacket before you get too hot.”
“I’m fine. You were going to tell me about edible panties.”
“Oh yes.” She smiled. “Do you like strawberry?”
He smiled, but didn’t answer. Waiting her out for her to go on and giving her his complete attention, it wasn’t long until she continued.
“After he sent the lingerie, the next day he sent edible panties. And then, the worst thing of all, the night before we left, he sent a horrible rotten cabbage with a note that said I was rotten not to wear his gifts and I’d be sorry for running away from him!”
“That was a definite threat. Do you have these new notes?”
“Yes, Lucy has everything.” A note of frustration crept into her voice when he turned his head looking for Lucy, who stood just inside the sliding glass doors with Angelica’s drink in one hand and a phone in the other up to her ear.
She was frowning. Lip reading, he saw her say, no, I can’t. Anyway, I’m out of town. Then she turned her head and he lost the rest.
Who was she talking to? And why did she look so unhappy?
“You can ask Lucy later.” Angelica’s voice held a bit of annoyance that hid beneath her friendly tone.
Jack was good at picking up on subtleties. Angelica was annoyed that he was watching Lucy. She’d better get used to it, because the men on her security detail had to watch everyone and everything. They could not afford to give Miss Angelica Glory their full and complete attention every minute of the day.
Angelica leaned toward him slightly and dropped her voice, which had risen dramatically as she’d told her story and now whispered so low, he almost couldn’t hear her. “I’m not safe in L.A. It’s why I had to come here. But the stalker might even know I’m here! He could come after me here!” Her ample chest rose and fell as she gave him a good glimpse of her cleavage. “I’m so glad you’re here to protect me. I just don’t know what I’d do otherwise.”
“We’ll make sure he doesn’t get to you. And hopefully, he’ll be caught soon.”
Lucy returned with the fresh drink for Angelica.
He then launched into the security precautions he and the other two team members were putting in place to ensure Angelica’s safety while Angelica nodded in a semi-bored fashion, which let him know she was paying very little real attention to what he said.
Her pretty little assistant, Lucy, however, was not only paying attention, she was taking notes. He’d talk to her later, privately, to see if there was anything else he hadn’t been told. The more intel he could discover about the assignment, the better.
Lucy bit her lip, thinking.
He said, “Lucy, do you have any questions? Anything to tell me?”
She shook her head.
“Okay, ladies. I want you both to tell me about anything that makes you feel nervous even if you think it’s silly. Everything should be quiet here and we don’t foresee problems, but let’s establish that right now. There is no such thing as a silly concern. Okay?”
“Of course,” Angelica said.
“Okay,” Lucy said. She had a look on her face, which told him there was something she might like to tell him but she wasn’t sure.
Yes, he needed to get Lucy Woods alone and find out what was on her mind.
“Lucy, I’d like to look at those notes later,” he said.
She nodded. “Oh yes, there’s a whole box of things. I kept everything that was sent unless it was perishable. The notes and the um, other things.” She blushed.
So, she had the nightie, the thongs, and the edible underwear. And was embarrassed to have them, or embarrassed to tell him, to talk about them. This could be an interesting conversation later tonight. It wouldn’t take much to make her blush.
“Go get the box now, you silly girl,” Angelica said.
“Remember you have Nan’s Nail service coming in an hour,” Lucy reminded her. “In case you want to eat first.”
“Hold on just a minute, Lucy.” Jack held out his hand to her and she froze. He looked at his watch and frowned. “Angelica has a visitor coming in an hour?”
“Yes, I’m having my nails done.” Angelica held out her manicured nails. “They’ve chipped.” She pouted. “Since you won’t let me go into town, the nail tech is coming here.”
“Lucy can’t just schedule people to come and go here. Anyone who comes has to be cleared.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Angelica scoffed.
“No ma’am, I am not.” He sent a stern look to both women. “I have a call to make now before they arrive. All visitors to the ranch must have clearance first. Do I make myself clear?”
For once, both women were silent as they nodded.
Lucy watched him quietly, thinking. Amazed Angelica had let anyone give her orders without blowing up.
“Good. Lucy, I will get with you later this evening.”
“Okay,” she said quietly, watching him with admiration.
You could certainly tell he was a Marine. His sharp eyes took everything in and he listened with patience to everything Angelica had said, giving her just enough attention to keep her going. But it was clear she hadn’t mesmerized him the way she did most men. He had the most amazing, commanding way about him. Command in a voice he never once raised.
Jack wasn’t most men. Jack was a Recon Marine.
****
Lucy paced in her room, glancing in the mirror each time she passed it.
Jack wants to see me in private.
The thought had her stomach doing flips. He wanted to talk. And she did too, but that was the problem.
Why do I seem to lose my words when he’s around? Pheromones, that’s what it is. Every time he comes near, before he even speaks, my senses go on alert as if they’re screaming… Here he is! Here he is! All muscle and hard body with that gaze that sees everything. Go get him, girl!
Too bad her body and her mind didn’t seem to be cooperating with this. Because a woman who fumbled her words wasn’t going to be attractive to a sharp guy like him. His mind was as sharp as his body was hard, and his voice… there was just something about his voice.
She glanced at the box, which held the nightie and the thongs and the notes. The roses and cabbage had been thrown out, of course. Until the cabbage came, there’d been no implied threat. There’d been no time to give it to the police before flying to Montana, and Monroe had said just to wait and turn everything over to the security company. He hadn’t wanted to tell the police, only wanting to handle this privately with the security people he’d hired. From now on, they’d check anything received out, and then decide what the police needed to see, if anything. Monroe hoped to avoid the story leaking to the press.
So far, the stalker had done nothing but send notes and gifts.
It wasn’t against the law to send someone notes, either typed or emailed. In fact, it was guaranteed under free speech. So the police would really be no help until something worse happened. Lucy had kept the box and everything in it all orderly and neat. She could show that to Jack, and she’d show him her notes on the computer. Maybe that was what he wanted to talk about.
Her phone buzzed again. Another email had come in. It wasn’t about Angelica. Instead, it was another email from Grant. The guy from the bar who continued to ask her out no matter how many times she told him no.
One day you will say yes.
She frowned at the email. Him again. Why was he so persistent? Didn’t he understand that she was never going out with him?
Jack knocked on the open door jam. “Is this a good time?”
Startled, she looked up at him. “Sure. Come on in. I was just checking messages.”
She deleted the email without answering Grant. It’s best to ignore him. Then eventually, he would go away. Jack was here now.
Within minutes, Grant was forgotten.
“Let’s talk about these notes. Take them out in the order you received them and tell me all you can remember about each. Who made the delivery, what they looked like, how they acted, anything that might have seemed off.”
“Okay.” She took the box and sat on the big queen bed with the beautiful blue quilt and he sat next to her. This was the closest she’d been to having a man in bed with her in over a year, since she’d started this job that hindered her social life so much. And Jack’s presence, so close to her, on this nice, soft bed was firing up her libido.
He watched her expectantly, so she began. Reaching in, she pulled out the oldest note. “This one, it was raining and the deliveryman threw me off guard. He was wearing a raincoat and hat. So I didn’t really see him well enough to describe him.”
By the time she had gotten to the red nightie and pulled it out, she’d wondered if he was bored. He said little, mostly nodded or asked a short question or two. She cleared her throat while holding onto the nightie, and then told of how she’d received the package, Angelica had opened it, and then handed it off to her.
From the look in his eyes that he quickly hid, Lucy suspected he was imagining her in the red lace while she sat holding it.
Her face turned red and she laid it down on the bed between them. Which was even worse, because now it looked like it was laid out, waiting for her to put it on.
“I decided, given the circumstances, I didn’t want anything to do with it, so it went in the box.”
“Not into sexy lingerie? Boyfriend not into it?”
She turned redder. “If it’s sent by some creep, no. I have no use for it. And no, there’s no boyfriend.”
Again, that quick flicker before he hid it.
Could he be glad I didn’t have a boyfriend? He was. That flicker was real.
“That’s a real shame.” He nodded toward the nightie. “That you have no one to wear it for.”
“It is. I haven’t had a boyfriend in over a year, not since I started working for Angelica. There’s not much free social time. She goes out nearly every weekend and I have to go with her and post all her social media online. It doesn’t leave time for dates or getting to know anyone.”
“And your family doesn’t mind you being busy every weekend?”
“My parents passed and I never married or had kids.”
He nodded. “Do you like working as Miss Glory’s assistant?”
“Every job has its pluses and minuses.”
“True. Assistant to such a well known actress must be a challenging job.”
“Oh, it is. I fell into the job, really. Monroe had fired her last assistant and was looking for someone fast. I was trying to get work in the costume department, and we ended up in the elevator together. He asked if I was looking for work. At the time, I needed to pay rent and thought this job would get me close to people at the studio who might hire me when another costuming department job opened up.”
“Interesting. And where are you from?”
“Columbus, Ohio. How about you?”
“Houston, Texas.”
“Oh, I’ve never been there. I bet you know how to ride horses.”
“Yep.”
“I’ve never ridden one.”
“We’ll have to change that while you’re here.”
“I’d like that.” She smiled.
Was that a date? Did he just ask me out or was he just being nice by offering to teach me? Either way, it sure was nice.
“I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of each other, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you better, Lucy.”
“I’m looking forward to getting to know you too.”
“Remember, any time you want to tell me something, night or day, I’m here. If I’m off duty, one of the others will get a message to me.”
“I will.”
“You looked like you had something to tell me earlier.”
She glanced down, keeping her thoughts to herself.
“Lucy.”
His voice and the way he said her name, pulled her to look up at him. “Yes?”
“I understand you might not feel you can speak freely in front of your employer. Whatever you tell me, I’ll keep in confidence, between us. Unless it affects her safety, and then the team needs to know. But I want you to feel you can speak freely to me.”
“Okay.” She nodded.
He waited for her to tell him what was on her mind, but she couldn’t do it. It was personal and had nothing to do with Angelica. He would just think she was being silly. “It’s nothing, really. Nothing to do with the stalker.”
“If you’re sure.”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m sure.”
“Miss Woods,” Katie Wells knocked on the doorframe. “Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes.”
“Okay, I’ll tell Angelica.”
“Now sugar, you let me do that and you just enjoy your young man.”
Lucy’s jaw dropped. My what?
Katie turned and went to find Angelica.
“I’ll see about that ride tomorrow night,” he said.
Ride? Lucy’s mind went blank.
“You wanted to learn how to ride a horse,” he said.
“Oh! Yes, I did.” Flustered, she laughed. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. We’ll go riding when my shift changes in the evening.”
“Okay.”
He stood. “Good night, Lucy.”
“Good night.”
He walked to the door, and then turned. “Remember, any time of day or night, I’m here. Any problems, you come to me.”
“Yes, I will.”
With his words ringing in her ears as she sat on the bed watching him walk away, she couldn’t help but imagine him on that bed saying, “Come to me”.
His last three words would echo in her mind for hours to come.