Naked (The Blackstone Affair 1)

ared, but the idea did not thrill me either. “Are you sure, Ethan? I mean—we can do this another night if you’re busy—”

“—I’m sleeping with you tonight, Brynne. In my bed. End of discussion.”

“Oh boy.” I smiled into the phone. “Can I start dinner for you then? Is there food in the house or should I have your driver stop at the supermarket?”

“No need to stop. There’s food and even some things in the freezer. My housekeeper cooks meals and freezes them. You choose whatever you like—excuse me.” I heard muffled voices and Ethan speaking to someone. “I have to go, baby. I’ll see you as soon as I can get there.”

I said goodbye, but he was already off. I stared at my phone for a moment before setting it down, lost in the surreal, and feeling like Alice in Wonderland again. My life seemed to be careening in fast-forward with me unable to switch modes. I’d gone from single girl to girlfriend in just over a week with no sign of a slow-down. At all.

My phone lit up again with no screen ID on display. “Hello?” I answered.

“Ma’am, my name is Neil McManus. Mr. Blackstone instructed me to pick you up. There’s a black Rover waiting down at the curb for you now.” The smooth English accent formed the words efficiently.

Neil. I remembered what Ethan had said about the driver. “Sure. Be right down.” I slung my bag over my shoulder and made it out to the street at a quick clip. The car that waited looked exactly like Ethan’s Range Rover, but I skidded to a halt when I got a load of Neil-the-driver; huge, muscular, bleached blonde, spiked-haired with very dark eyes.

“You!” I said, completely shocked. It was the guy with the Jimi Hendrix tat from today.

“Yes, ma’am.” He held open the passenger door for me, his expression giving away nothing.

“You were following me around today!” It was no question as I am sure Neil realized. I dropped my bag to the ground, folded my arms beneath my breasts and went for a Mexican stand-off instead. “Give me one good reason why I should get in that car with you, Neil.”

Neil smiled briefly and looked down to my bag on the sidewalk. “I work for Mr. Blackstone?”

I gave Neil my best stone face.

He tried again. “He will fire my ass if I don’t get you delivered to his apartment per his instructions?” He looked back up at me, his black eyes sincere. “I very much like my job, ma’am.”

My head started spinning with more wild thoughts of what I was doing, what Ethan was up to, how many people were involved in my business, and my list could have gone on and on. Man, oh man, did we need to have a discussion or what! Still, it wasn’t fair to take out my frustrations on Neil, who for all appearances was just doing his job.

“Fair enough, Neil.” I picked up my bag and got in the back seat. “But the deal’s off if you keep calling me ma’am, got it? My name is Brynne. And if Mr. Blackstone doesn’t like it you can tell him that he can kiss my informal Yankee ass. He should know that American girls despise being called ma’am!”

Neil tilted his head at me and cracked a grin as he shut my door.

He started driving as I seethed in the back seat. The silence just irritated me so I figured I might as well get it all out in the open. “So Ethan hired you to stalk me around London, huh?”

“Protection, ma’am…ahhh…Brynne. Not stalking you,” Neil answered.

“Protection from what?” I demanded. “Are you watching when I go for my runs in the mornings too?”

Neil looked up at me through the rearview mirror. “The city can be a dangerous place.” His eyes went back to the road. It had started to rain and the buzz of the windshield wipers dragged rhythmically back and forth. “He’s just very watchful is all,” Neil said quietly.

“Yeah, I know.” Ethan is watchful and controlling and more than a little high on the arrogant scale for my tastes much of the time. He was so in trouble with me. “So how long have you worked for him, Neil? Ethan tells me absolutely nothing, so I figure you can enlighten me.” I smirked into the rearview for his benefit.

“Six years now. We met in the SF.”

“That’s Special Forces right? So are you guys some kind of James Bond for the British government?”

Neil actually laughed and shook his head. “I can see why Mr. Blackstone keeps a watchful eye over you, Brynne. You have quite the imagination.”

“Yeah, Ethan’s told me that one too,” I said dryly.

As annoyed as I was with Ethan’s presumptions—which were well beyond out of line—I couldn’t really take it out on Neil. He seemed like a decent guy, and he had great taste in music. I liked him. Neil was simply doing his job. Whatever that was in regards to me.

Neil got the car parked and us into the elevator through the garage entrance. Before I knew, I was inside Ethan’s gorgeous home again, just this time, without Ethan.

Neil had me put his number into my cell and said he would be close if I needed anything. “How close is close? Am I private here? You can’t watch me in his house can you?” I checked his eyes for telltale signs of subterfuge. “Do not even think about lying to me, Neil. I will be out that door so fast Ethan will feel the wind ruffle his hair all the way from here to wherever the hell he is at the moment.”

Neil actually winced. “In here you are totally private. There are no cameras in the apartment, but out in the hall there are. So if you were to leave, I will see you. I’m in another flat across the way. Not far. Mr. Blackstone really just wants you to make yourself at home.” He put his phone up to his ear and jogged it. “Call me if you need anything, Brynne.”