“See? I knew he was the right person to bring. He was so entertaining while we waited,” Fiona said.

Rebecca thought she was one of the most adorable women she had met at one of her signings. The way she spoke about Jack just made her like him even more.

“Oh, is that where all the laughter was coming from? Maybe I should hire him. Book signings can be so boring for everyone waiting.”

“That is a great idea.”

“Mom,” April reprimanded. “Sorry, she’s a huge fan.”

“I can tell. Well, I guess it’s only fitting to say I’m a huge fan, too. The way you raised both of your children to not make a fuss when people like me dine in their restaurants, that’s something special. They both helped immensely when I needed it.”

“Aww, you are a darling. Thank you.”

After she’d signed the mountain of books they’d brought and taken a selfie with them, she gave Mervyn their usual signal that she needed a break. She beckoned him closer with a tilt of her head.

“Make sure he is waiting for me,” she whispered when Mervyn crouched down in front of her.

“Thought so,” he whispered back. He stood and began typing on her phone.

She continued to sign books for a further five minutes, then excused herself, announcing that she’d be back after a short break.

Mervyn led her down the hall to the room Steven had set aside for her.

Jack was waiting on the couch, eating an apple.

She giggled as soon as she saw him.

“That could have gone so wrong. She’s insane,” Jack said.

“Thank you for coming.”

“Ten minutes, Becks.” Mervyn smiled as he closed the door.

“Now you know why I hate book signings.” She kicked off her high heels and straddled Jack’s lap.

“How’s your hand feeling?”

“Hands are fine. It’s the ass that isn’t.”

“Your ass sure looks fine to me,” he said, throwing the apple core into the wastebasket next to the couch. “And here I thought we could have a quickie.”

“Ooh, a quickie in Barnes & Noble. Intriguing.”

“I’m giving you a lot of new ideas for your stories, aren’t I?”

“Stop talking, you sexy beast.” She planted her lips on his.

His hands slipped under her dress, skimming over her underwear. He rolled her over onto the couch so he could slide her panties down her legs.

She chuckled against his lips and broke the kiss.

“Jack, I can’t smell like sex.”

“No sex, then.” But he still removed her panties. His head vanished under her dress—and his tongue slid into her.

She groaned as her body arched, her hands clutching his hair.

“Still going to smell like sex,” she panted.

He chuckled against her. The vibration enhanced the pleasure.

She ached to have him inside her, filling her. Reaching an arm out, she grabbed one of the throw pillows behind her and bit into it to muffle her moans.

Just as she was about to orgasm, a loud knock interrupted them, and Jack pulled his head out from under her dress. She groaned in frustration. She’d been so close.

Jack gave her a goofy grin. He stood and helped her up from the couch.

Becky held out her hand for her panties.

Jack just stared blankly at her hand. “What?”

“My panties.”

He laughed. “I’m keeping them.”

“Jack. I need my panties. What if I slip and everyone sees…everything? It will be headline news.”

His expression was utterly mischievous. “Then I suggest you don’t fall.”

“My panties,” she hissed through clenched teeth.

Mervyn poked his head in.

“The door wasn’t even locked,” Jack whispered.

“Let’s go, Becks,” Mervyn urged.

She glared at Jack. “You heard Mervyn. Go.”

Patting her dress firmly to make sure nothing was hanging out, she then took a deep breath. Jack had a massive grin on his face.

“Let’s go, Becks.” Mervyn snapped his fingers impatiently.

Scowling, she trudged out of the room and down the hall.

“What’s wrong with you?” Mervyn asked.

“Nothing.”

“Oh, please tell me you didn’t, Becks.”

“No, there wasn’t enough time for that.”

“You actually thought about it?” Mervyn sounded shocked. “Who are you?”

She winked at him. “Someone who definitely cannot slip and fall today. It would ruin my entire reputation, or perhaps give me a new one.”

He gasped. “No!”

“He refuses to give them back.”

“I was right. He’s a hobo.”

“I love everything about him. Just get me safely to my chair and don’t let me fall.”

“Take my arm.” He smirked at her. “At least he makes you laugh.”

---

Back at the Boathouse, Jack was prepping food for that evening’s reopening.

His phone buzzed.

“Yes?” he answered.

“You are so crass,” Mervyn stated.

He laughed.

“Jack, you could have inadvertently ruined her reputation. One slip, and she could have flashed her fanny to the entire world.”

“Wow. She really does share everything with you, doesn’t she?”

“No, she doesn’t but, at the rate she was walking, she might’ve missed her flight today.”

“I’m sorry. I won’t steal her panties again.” Jack was still filled with laughter, but tried his best to suppress it.

“Please don’t make me start carrying spare panties around along with everything else.”

“You have my solemn promise. My apologies, Mervyn.”

“Rebecca always stays at the Hilton. If you want to, be there at two. If not, let me know. I’ll think of a way to break it to her gently.”

“Gently?” Jack asked.

“You’ve made it crystal clear you aren’t interested in her lifestyle, Jack. I don’t know what she’ll be to you tomorrow. She really likes you, every aspect about you. So, let me know.”

He was happy to hear that Rebecca liked him just the way he was, and that she liked him just as much as he liked her.

“What’s her room number, Mervyn?”

Mervyn inhaled deeply. “Go to the concierge. Please wear a baseball cap and glasses. Tell them your name is Frank, that you’re there for an interview with Rebecca for a position on her security team. I’ll arrange everything with the concierge desk.”

“Well, aren’t you a guy of many talents?”

“I told you I’m the best. Don’t be late.”

Rebecca seemed to lead an exciting life. Perhaps, things could actually work between them. After all, today hadn’t been so hard.

His phone rang again.

Adrian.

He pulled his laptop closer and opened the Skype app.

“What the fuck, Jack?”

Jack grinned sheepishly.

“So, I take it that the ‘she’s not into you’ statement was wrong.”

“I dislike the fact that you always know when things happen to me.”

Adrian laughed. “From clueless to all the way, in less than a few minutes, is a big leap, Jack.”

“Yeah, I know. I really like her.”

Anna walked past in the background with Bea wrapped in a hooded towel.

“Stop that woman. I want to see my niece.”

“Anna!” Adrian yelled. “Jack wants to say hi to Bea.”

“She needs to get dressed, bear.”

“Just bring her here quickly.”

Anna emerged with Bea and sat down. “Jack, she’s naked.”

“You’ve got her wrapped in a towel, Anna.” He waved at Bea. “Hey, baby girl.”

Bea giggled when she saw him. It confused her to see two of her dad, but she laughed nonetheless.

“See? She misses me,” Jack joked.

“She thinks you’re me.”

“Have you told Anna yet?”

“Told me what?”

“You said not to, bro.”

Jack laughed. “Good boy.”

Anna’s voice took on an edge. “Tell me what?”

“Jack. Don’t be an ass.”

“You laughed when I was in trouble, now it’s my turn. Enjoy.”

“Jack!” Adrian yelled as Jack closed the laptop.

Grabbing a pen, he wrote a note and taped it to the hostess station, telling Lilly he wouldn’t be in until six.

He swapped out his shorts and tee for a button-down and a pair of well-fitted jeans. He locked up the Boathouse and headed out.

When he got to the Hilton, he donned a cap and sunglasses before climbing out of the SUV.

He stepped through the revolving door and walked up to the concierge desk.

“Hi,” Jack greeted the girl behind the desk. “My name is Frank. I have an appointment with Mervyn at two. It’s for—”

She held a finger up and spoke.

Oh, fuck, she was on a call. He felt like an idiot.

When she hung up, she looked up at him. “Security guy for Rebecca Finlay?”

He nodded.

“Mervyn’s instructions were very clear. However, if going up to the room makes you feel uncomfortable, you are welcome to wait in the lounge.”

“I’d rather wait up in the room. I heard she’s full of crap.”

The concierge laughed. “Whoever told you that must be on drugs. She is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

He smiled. Just his fucking luck.

“Pete,” the concierge called. “Please, would you take this gentleman to Ms. Finlay’s room?”

He felt like a side dish and smiled at the thought. He was sort of a side dish.

Jack followed Pete, the portly bellhop, to the elevator after the concierge handed him a golden key.

He raised his eyebrows. He couldn’t remember the last time he was in a hotel that didn’t use a plastic keycard.

Inside the elevator, Pete lodged the golden key into a slot and pulled it out. The doors closed, and the elevator moved smoothly and very quietly upward.

On reaching its destination, it came to a soundless stop.

“Our instructions were to tell you to make yourself comfortable until your interview,” Pete stated.

After offering the porter a thank you, Jack walked into a huge open space with several plush sofas.

Her hotel room.

He felt like an idiot for taking her to his humble bedroom on the Boathouse. This room was a work of art all by itself.

Curious, he walked over to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. New York City stretched out before him, endless and lively.

He wandered through the living area, which doubled as a dining area with an eight-seater dining table. A grand piano stood in one corner.

Beautiful abstract paintings hung on the walls. A vase filled with white lilies adorned the dining room table.

There was even a kitchen.

Closed double wooden doors told him there were more rooms to this penthouse, but even though his curiosity was further piqued, he decided to rather make himself comfortable on one of the couches and read a magazine.

His phone buzzed.

Just seeing those words made him go hard. It also made him smile, because those very words told him she was comfortable enough with him to not mind her language.

He paged through the magazine without really taking in anything. At long last, he heard the ding of the elevator.

“Jack?” Rebecca’s voice called before the doors had even fully opened. Getting to his feet, he walked to the elevator, expecting to see her two minions flanking her, but she was alone.

Reaching a hand toward her, he pulled her out until she was crushed up against his chest. He kissed her, his tongue swiping over her lips, beckoning for her to open her mouth. When they were both out of breath, Rebecca pulled away and looked up at him.

“Wow, that’s one way to be greeted.”

He kneaded the muscles in her lower back as he rested his forehead on hers. “There’s more where that came from. Where’s your crew?”

“I told them to go bother someone else. I wanted to arrive alone for once. Honestly, I didn’t think you’d come,” she said shakily.

“Why on earth would you think I’d miss an opportunity to get you alone?”

“You made it clear you don’t want this life, which leaves me feeling unsure about a lot of things. But time will tell.”

Chuckling, he kissed her again, lifting her into his arms. He walked over to the dining table and placed her on its surface. He loved having her legs wrapped around him.

“So, I take it that I get the job?” he asked between the kisses he was peppering on her neck.

She laughed. “Most definitely. I have a thing for bodyguards.”

“Oh, I’ll be whatever you want me to be,” he murmured in her ear, before catching her earlobe between his teeth. His tongue slicked the delicate flesh there.

Goosebumps spread over her skin as his hands wandered over her body, finding their way under her dress.

“Where the fuck is your room?”

“That way.” She nodded, her voice tremulous with need. Then she giggled when he threw her over his shoulder, caveman-style.

He stopped just inside the room, momentarily stunned by its opulence. Everything was white, except for the thick, chestnut brown curtains.

The carpet was lush and fluffy, and there was a fireplace directly across from the bed.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Laughing, she asked, “Too much?”

“Nah, it’ll do.” He tossed her onto the bed where she bounced from the impact. “How much time do we have?”

“Two hours at the most.”

“Perfect.”

With a sly grin on his face, Jack crawled up her body until he was face-to-face with her. Angling his head to one side, he lowered his lips ever so slowly to hers, then on a growl, kissed her.

If he could, he’d kiss her forever.