Page 8 of Reid

“Nice to meet you too, Mitch.” Her smile felt genuine in the wake of his easy manner.

Mitch turned to the other man. “This is Liam. He’ll try and flirt with you. Please ignore him or spray him with water if he tries anything, we’re still trying to house train him.”

Callie laughed and took his hand, which he flipped and kissed her knuckles. “Wonderful to meet you, Calista.”

“Please call me, Callie.” She looked around at Reid and almost blushed at the heated look in his eyes.

“Let me get some real clothes on and I’ll brew some coffee and tell you everything. I know this is a favour for Clay, so I won’t waste too much of your time.”

“Miss Lundholm, we’re all finished here.” Detective Brant handed her a card. “If you need anything, please call. Although I expect you’ll be in safe hands with these three,” he said waving his hand at the three men now heading toward her roof terrace.

“Thank you.”

The detective nodded. “Don’t be a stranger, Mitch,” he called, and Mitch saluted him.

Slipping into her bedroom downstairs, Callie quickly pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a simple vee-neck white tee before scrunching her hair into a sloppy bun on her head. She looked down at Bono at her feet. “So, what do we think of the hot guys in the living room, boy?”

The question obviously went unanswered and she shrugged. She was usually immune to hot guys, but the three men in her living room couldn’t be described as guys. Oh no, they were all man, especially the tattooed one with the sexy Southern drawl and eyes she wanted to drown in. Unfortunately, he was her brother’s oldest and most trusted friend so that wasn’t going to happen.

The thought made her suddenly sad, which was crazy. She didn’t even know him; he could have a girlfriend, or be an asshole who cheated, or have some strange venereal disease with a super long name.

Callie took one last look in the mirror and decided lazy Sunday chic was going to have to do because she didn’t have it in her for anything else. Which reminded her, she needed to call Sophia and tell her what happened. She had a six-thirty call for make-up in the morning and the make-up artist would throw a fit when he saw the bags under her eyes.

She would cancel if she could, but she hated to let anyone down. Gaining a reputation as a diva or as an unreliable booking could kill a career in the industry, and she’d worked too hard to fuck it all up because of some asshole who wanted to scare her.

Still, a shiver raced up her spine as she thought of the eyes that had seemed to penetrate her. With any luck, all of this would soon be sorted.

Chapter Three

Reid moved to the edge of the terrace and looked over the side, quickly identifying where the intruder had come in. The walled area seemed secure, but with the ledge from the wall, it was only a jump of a couple of metres to the roof of the next building. From there, it would be easy grab on and haul yourself up and over.

He would see about getting some razor wire on the top of there to stop that happening and close the hole in her security. He wasn’t sure who was handling her protection, but they needed a kick in the ass. The fact that he, Liam, and Mitch had been able to walk past the front desk and up the stairs without being stopped was a joke.

The only thing that had stopped whatever this sick weirdo had planned for the very delectable Calista Lundholm was the Rottweiler who’d been sitting on her knee like an oversized lap dog.

Reid moved to inspect the locks on her patio doors and twisted to Liam. “We need to do a full rundown on her security.”

Liam nodded. “Agreed.”

Reid watched the woman in question walk back into the kitchen, which was off the large open plan living room. She had changed into yoga pants and a white top, her hair piled on top of her head. She at once looked young and innocent and incredibly sexy.

Seeing her had been a punch to the gut he hadn’t expected. The tears and vulnerability she’d shown him unexpected. He hadn’t been able to stop his reaction to her as he folded her in his arms and comforted her as he hoped someone would do for his sisters in a similar situation. What he wouldn’t want was the instant surge of desire that had shot to his dick as she burrowed in close to his body, her tits soft against his chest.

It had taken every ounce of control he had not to lay her back on the sofa and kiss the tears from her lips. Picturing her brother was the only thing that kept him from acting on his thoughts. If Clay knew he was thinking that way, he’d string him up by his balls.

“She’s beautiful all right,” Liam said from beside him.

Reid turned to his friend and glared. “Yes, she is, and she’s also off limits so keep your fucking dick in your pants.”

Liam held up his hands in surrender. “Not me, brother. I have enough trouble of my own to deal with, but I saw the way she looked at you like you were an ice-cream she wanted to lick.”

“Liam, you’re depraved if all you can think about is some model licking me.” Reid knew he was deflecting and didn’t care.

Liam chuckled. “Maybe, my friend, but it doesn’t change the fact that the sexual tension in that room was instant, and it wasn’t me she was looking at.” With that, he clapped Reid on the shoulder and went back inside to Callie and the coffee she offered.

Jesus Christ, why him? The only reason he was here was to make sure his friend’s baby sister was safe and do a run down on her security. That was a mantra that was going to become all too familiar in the coming days.

With a silent groan, he followed a quiet Mitch inside and closed the door behind him.