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“No winking at my girlfriend,” Ike barked.
“Oh, right. Right. Apologies.” There was still laughter in Beau’s voice. This guy took nothing serious.
Myra was walking through a mine field. Ike shouldn’t have let her win, but she shouldn’t have challenged him in front of a client. Why had Ike let her win? To prove that Beau shouldn’t mess with her?
She wanted to keep Beau in line more than anybody. He was too flirtatious. If he tried to kiss her, she’d hurt him a lot worse than knocking him to the tile floor.
Would Ike try to kiss her? He’d said he would rather kiss her than fight her. Her face got hot, and she couldn’t meet either man’s gaze. What had happened to her professionalism and proving she was level with any man? She was annoyed with Ike for letting her win, but she wanted to kiss him at the same time.
Beau gestured into a large office to their left. They walked that direction.
“Is your back all right?” Myra asked Beau.
“Sure. I get knocked down by linemen all the time.” He smirked at her. “They don’t look or smell as good as you, though.”
“Really?” Ike asked.
Myra hid a smile as Beau blanched.
“Sorry,” the quarterback said, smiling as if that would smooth it over.
Ike took her hand as they walked into the office. Contentment and peace swept over her. Ike was here for her. She wasn’t certain how to reconcile the way he made her feel with her need to prove herself. He made her want to be a loving girlfriend, but that had never been her role and she had no experience in it.
What was happening with her and Ike? Should she let it happen or figure out how to distance herself from both fake relationships? Beau shouldn’t be a problem, but the way she felt around Ike made emotional distance seem impossible.
Chapter
Six
Ike was impressed with Myra and annoyed with Beau. The man couldn’t seem to help himself checking out Myra and making stupid little quips to her. Not enough to get her to flatten him to the marble floor again, but enough to tick Ike off. Myra laughed and smiled at Beau; she seemed to think he was funny. Shoot. What was Ike going to do when they were in public and he had to pretend to be this guy’s friend while Beau pawed Myra? Every muscle in his body tightened at the very thought.
Myra touching and smiling at him often helped him make it through the talk in Beau’s office about the notes from the Star Stabber, all of which Ike had already read. They were your standard, ‘I’m going to kill you because you’re famous and rich and I’m much smarter than the police’ kind of jargon.
Her hand in his and the soothing yet thrilling movement of her thumb across the back of his hand as they toured the huge mansion made being around Beau much more bearable.
Ike was glad she’d helped him get accustomed to her touch in the car. He didn’t flinch or flip out when they held hands. He was getting comfortable holding her hand and he thought they acted like a couple. At least she teased him with silly pet names, he didn’t want her away from his side, and she smiled at him a lot.
The mansion was impressive—pale blue paint, white trim and cabinetry, but mostly the focus was glass. Loads of glass. Three stories with a myriad of windows showcasing the beach and ocean to the west. The rear of the house was a huge open living area that went up the three stories. The front of the main level was the office, a formal living area, and an open three-story staircase you could see straight through. Beau called them ‘floating stairs.’ The second and third stories were situated over the massive garage and front part of the house. The second story had six guest suites and the third story had Beau’s sprawling master suite and a great home gym he said they could use anytime.
He took them through each level and then back down the stairs, out back, and through the patio and pool area that overlooked the beach and ocean fifty feet below the bluff the house was set on. There was a set of stairs to the ocean off the patio, a locked gate at the top.
They walked around front and met all eight of the security guys. Beau had asked them all to come in this morning. Jacob, Trace, Harrison, Brad, Riley, Leland, Dustin, and Parks. They all seemed competent and devoted to Beau. Tippin’s background checks on them had turned up clean.
Jacob was the head guard; he coordinated schedules with Beau’s assistant Katie. He explained there were two guards on duty when Beau was at home. If Beau left the house, at least two guards went with him, more if the event dictated, and another guard came to the house to monitor the cameras and do perimeter checks every hour.
They showed Ike and Myra their security cameras and perimeter sensors and sent access to both of their phones. They talked through the notes from the Star Stabber in more depth. Ike had read the police reports but listened to the security guards’ take. His impression was that these guards cared for Beau and were trustworthy. Beau was as easygoing with his guards as he’d been with Ike and Myra.
They walked around front to move the Navigator into the eight-car garage. Beau stood too close to Myra while Ike parked the vehicle, flirting with her and making her smile. He was starting to wonder if Beau was as friendly with everyone as the media made him out to be. Regardless, the handsome superstar being ultra friendly with Myra made Ike’s gut churn. He’d never seen anyone flirt with Sadie and wondered how he would’ve reacted. The feelings inside him right now were intense.
Grabbing their suitcases and bags out of the back, Ike grunted his appreciation to Beau as the other man took half the load. Myra tried to help, but they both waved her off. Ike could tell it irked her. He wasn’t quite sure how to be a gentleman, a fake boyfriend, and also treat her like any other bodyguard he was partnering with. He prayed they’d never have to fight side by side. He always took control of the battle and jumped in front of others on his team. The only exceptions were his brother Aiden and his Ranger unit once he’d learned to trust them explicitly. He didn’t think Myra would appreciate him not trusting her in battle.
She walked in front of both of them, so he didn’t get the chance to hold her hand or put his hand on her back. It was interesting how off-balance that made him feel. He was getting far too comfortable with her too quick, but he found himself more concerned that Beau was closer to her as they walked through the garage entrance into the great room.
They hit the stairs, and Beau hefted his load in one hand and lifted his free hand toward Myra’s lower back as if to escort her up the stairs.
“Beau,” Ike growled. A warning.
The famous athlete shot him a guilty look and held his hand up. “Sorry. Instinct.”
