That’s good.
Really good.
Once her stalker sees this, it’s going to piss him off to know his own actions caused our reconnection. But will it be enough to provoke him?
“Why do you need security?” Cara asks.
Joslyn tries for a game smile, but it falters. Her voice rasps a bit when she explains, “I have a stalker. Things have gotten pretty bad. Well… I just feel safer with protection.”
“That’s awful,” Cara croons, and the audience murmurs their assent.
Joslyn manages a bit of a brighter smile.
“What’s your new fella’s name?” Cara—going back to her reporter instincts—prods with a gleam to her eye.
“Would you like to meet him?” Joslyn asks, and my body locks tight. This was most definitely not in the plan, but as Joslyn grins at me where I’m standing in the wings, I can see a devilish quirk to her lips.
Cara turns to ask the audience. “Would we?”
A deafening cheer rises, and Joslyn stands from the couch. She smiles across the way, motioning with her hand for me to come join her.
I vow to myself if I get her back in bed, I’m going to spank her ass until it’s red as a fire engine. But for now, I decide to go with the flow. I’d dressed casually in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a blazer, so it’s with confidence I step out into the spotlight. A stagehand quickly mics me up.
I grin at the audience as I throw them a wave. Turning to Joslyn, I lock my eyes on her as I head her way. Moving past Cara I give a small nod of my head, but then my attention returns to Joslyn.
My pace doesn’t slow. I walk right into her, a hand going behind her head and another to her waist. My mouth crashes down on hers, a bit more punishing than necessary, but that’s payback for calling me out here like that. Still, the reward of her tongue slashing against mine as I bend her backward with the force of my kiss is everything.
When I let her up, I vaguely hear Cara say, “Oh wow… now that’s a kiss.”
Joslyn stares with eyes wide with astonishment, but also sizzling with heat. She felt that kiss between her legs if I was a betting man.
As the crowd’s applause starts to die, Joslyn does a quick introduction to Cara and then I’m sitting on the couch next to Joslyn. I toss my arm over the back of the couch and let my fingers graze softly over the bare skin on her upper arm, hiding my satisfied grin when Joslyn shivers in response.
To my surprise—and oddly, my delight because this is just a ruse after all—she shimmies in closer to my body until her side is plastered to me.
“So, Kynan,” Cara drawls from her chair, boldly eyeballing me. “You’re a security professional?”
I give her an incline of my head in acknowledgment. “I own a company called Jameson Force Security and—”
I’m interrupted by Cara audibly swooning and the audience gasping. Confused, I watch Cara, who is fanning herself and staring at Joslyn. “You didn’t tell us he’s British. Oh my God… that accent.”
I don’t even know what to say, but Cara winks at the audience. “Am I right, ladies? Like who wouldn’t fall in love with that voice?”
I’m actually disappointed in myself when a warm flush creeps up my neck. I mean… I’m all for the ladies ogling me or whatever the fuck it is they do, but it’s Joslyn’s tiny giggle from beside me that has me staring down at her. She peeks up through long lashes and just shrugs, her amusement evident.
But I don’t want to waste time or opportunity, since the message we came to convey needs to be said. I smile rakishly at Cara, but my eyes are hard with determination. “Don’t go swooning over me. I’m totally taken by this woman here. Like she said… she hired me to protect her from a particularly cowardly ponce who thinks he can terrorize her.”
It’s here I glare directly into the camera, laying down my challenge. “And if he’s watching, I have a message. If he comes near my fiancée again, he’ll regret it.”
This is so far off script from what Joslyn or Cara was anticipating, and I need to make sure this part of the interview isn’t cut. If he wasn’t provoked by Joslyn before, he will be now.
But that doesn’t seem to be particularly important to Cara. She practically squeals, “Fiancée? You’re engaged. Where’s the ring? When are you going to tie the knot? You must tell us everything.”CHAPTER 18Joslyn“Go get into something comfortable,” Kynan says as we step inside my front door. “Do you want beer or wine?”
“Wine,” I say as we move through the great room. I turn left toward my room, but Kynan goes right into the kitchen since he’s carrying the pizza we’d picked up.