The Mogul And The Muscle

“What does that mean?”

I crossed an ankle over my knee. “It means you can either trust his judgment or not. I don’t exactly have a resume.”

“So what is it that you do? Bodyguard-for-hire?”

“Sometimes. Depends on what the client needs. But this will be my last job. I keep trying to retire.” I cleared my throat, not sure why I’d told her that last part.

“What was your most recent job?” She put up a hand. “I’m not asking for confidential client information. I’m just trying to get a better idea of what you do.”

“Female college student. She was being harassed by an ex-boyfriend. His father was prominent politically. Made things complicated. She hired me, and now she no longer has a stalker.”

She was hard to read, but the slight twitch of her eyebrows might have meant she was impressed.

“Did you use violence?”

I shook my head slightly. “Wasn’t necessary.”

“But you would have.”

“Only if my client had been in danger of serious harm. What are you concerned about, Ms. Whitbury? That Derek hired a thug? I don’t have a criminal record, nor have I ever broken anyone’s kneecaps with a baseball bat.”

Her eyes stayed locked on mine. They were such a bright shade of green. The intensity of her gaze, coupled with that danger instinct that wouldn’t shut up, was making my adrenaline kick in. My heart beat harder, but I kept my posture casual. My face neutral.

“Okay,” she said, finally. “I’ll hire you—temporarily. We’ll start with a security evaluation, and you can make your recommendations from there. I’ll take them under advisement.”

There was a challenge in her expression. In the set of her full lips and the way her eyes narrowed slightly. Like she was daring me to convince her she needed me.

All right, Cameron Whitbury. Challenge accepted.

5

CAMERON

Brandy poked her head into my office, leaning around the partially open door. She’d put on her you know you love me, don’t fire me smile. “Need something?”

I answered without looking away from the document I was reviewing on my computer screen. “A few minutes of your time, if you aren’t too busy showing the Incredible Hulk around the office.”

With a soft laugh, she came inside and shut the door behind her. “He’s not green.”

“We haven’t seen him angry yet.”

“Fair point.” She lowered herself into a chair on the opposite side of my desk.

I clicked the mouse to save and close the document, then turned my attention to Brandy. “You knew about him?”

She winced. “Emily texted last night and told me to expect him.”

“And you didn’t give me a heads-up because…”

“She said not to.”

I snorted out a laugh. “Of course she did. What do we know about him?”

“Not a lot. I looked him up after I got Emily’s text, but I didn’t find much. No social media. No mentions in news articles, at least not recent ones. He has a Florida driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement, but that’s about it.”

I tapped my fingernails on the desk. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Emily had hired me a bodyguard. That woman was stubborn. But even if I’d been expecting a bodyguard to walk in my office this morning, nothing could have prepared me for Jude Ellis.

The man was enormous. I was five-nine with a love of high heels, so I was accustomed to looking men in the eye. But Jude? Even from across my office, he’d made me feel small. He had to be six-five, and I couldn’t even guess his weight. He had the widest shoulders I’d ever seen. And those cuffed shirtsleeves and tattoos? Holy arm porn. He looked like he could flex his biceps too hard and burst the seams of his shirt.

But his size didn’t tell the whole story. Sure, his thick tattooed arms and the way his thighs strained against his slacks made him look like most of his body’s resources had gone into building muscle. But there was a sharp intelligence in those intriguing hazel eyes.

“He’s friends with Derek Price,” Brandy said. “And you know Emily wouldn’t hire someone who wasn’t trustworthy.”