Page 24 of Wrecked (McIntyre Security Bodyguard #16)

Right before the penthouse elevator doors slide open, I remind myself to remain aloof and treat Cooper like I would any other co-worker, and not let on to Beth that Cooper spent last night in my bed.

I walk into the kitchen to see Beth and Shane both seated at the breakfast bar, finishing up their breakfast.

“Good morning!” Beth says to me as she gulps down the last of her coffee and wipes her mouth on a napkin. She hops off her stool. “I just need to brush my teeth, and we can go.”

“Take your time,” I tell her as I step back as she rushes past me to the suite she shares with Shane.

Shane glances at me with a knowing smirk on his face. “Good morning, Sam. I hope you slept well.”

My face turns three shades of pink, and Cooper nearly chokes on a mouthful of coffee.

“Cut it out,” Cooper growls at Shane.

Shane shrugs innocently. “What? I was just being polite.” He gets off his stool and winks at me before he disappears down the hall after Beth.

The moment we’re alone, Cooper backs me into the wall and kisses me. After he manages to steal all the air from my lungs, he dips down and presses his mouth to my throat and starts sucking my skin right over my pulse point.

“I told you not to give me a hickey where everyone can see,” I mutter, shoving him away.

Cooper grins at me. “All right, no more hickeys. At least not where they’re visible.” He brushes his thumb over one of my nipple piercings, making me shiver. Then his palm slides down to my dick. “Maybe one here? Tonight.”

Before I can respond, we hear Beth and Shane’s voices as they head our way. Cooper steps away from me and busies himself with the kitchen cleanup.

“I’m ready,” Beth says, smiling at me as she comes around the corner.

“All right. Let’s go.” With a parting glance at Cooper, I head for the foyer to call the elevator.

Shane rides down with us. When the elevator stops at the ground floor, the doors open. I hold them while Beth and Shane share a goodbye kiss. Envy rears its ugly head because I’d give anything for Cooper to be openly affectionate with me.

As Shane continues on down to the parking garage to his car, Beth and I step out onto the main floor. We grab the next taxi in the queue lined up outside the building.

The ride to Clancy’s is a short one. We walk inside and begin our day.

Setting aside my problems with Cooper, I’m feeling pretty lucky these days.

This has got to be the easiest job in the world.

I get paid a ridiculously good salary for hanging out at a bookstore with my two newest best girlfriends.

The three of us—Beth, Erin, and me—have way too much fun here to call it work.

As we approach the stairs, Beth turns to me. “Would you mind grabbing us some coffees from the café?”

Clancy’s has its own little café that serves specialty coffees, soft drinks, sandwiches, soups, and tons of desserts.

“Of course not. I’ll be right up.”

I watch as Beth climbs the stairs and disappears down the hallway that leads to the administrative offices before I duck into the line at the café. I order Beth’s beverage of choice—a chocolate peppermint latte with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. For myself, I get a caramel iced coffee.

I carry the drinks upstairs, and as I near Beth’s new corner office, I hear Erin say, “We are so screwed!” She goes on to mutter about some author’s books not arriving on time.

“It’s not funny, Beth!” Erin cries, sounding truly distressed.

“We have four book clubs—count them, four!—coming in Wednesday to pick up their copies, and we have nothing to give them.”

“Why all the drama, sweetie?” I ask Erin as I walk through the open doorway. I hand Beth her chocolate latte.

“Thank you,” she says. She closes her eyes and takes her first sip, moaning in appreciation.

Erin’s now seated on the sofa beneath a long window with an awesome view of N. Michigan Avenue. I join her and lay my arm across her shoulders. “What’s wrong, cupcake? Tell Sammy all about it.”

I just love watching Erin get worked up about the smallest thing.

She lays her head on my shoulder and says, “Our new Nora Roberts books weren’t on the truck this morning. We’re doomed.”

“Don’t worry, cupcake.” I give Erin a squeeze. “The boss will figure something out.”

Beth is amazingly resourceful, and she never takes no for an answer. And she puts people over profits every time. I’m sure she’ll figure out a solution to this dilemma.

Beth takes a quick call from Shane, who tells her he’s taking her out for lunch. Good grief! The man saw her just an hour ago.

After the call ends, she says, “Erin, call the distributor and have them overnight the books to us. We’ll have them here first thing in the morning. Is that suitable?”

Erin practically leaps off the sofa. “Oh, my God, you realize that will cost a fortune, right?”

Smiling, Beth nods. “Yes, I do. Don’t worry about it.”

Erin rushes over to hug Beth. “Oh, thank you!”

When Erin walks out of the office with her head held high, I prop my boots on the coffee table in front of the sofa. “Well, you made her day. Good job, boss.”

Even though this fix is going to cost Beth the profit on those books, she doesn’t care. She just wants to make her friend happy.

“A depressed Erin O’Connor is a sad thing to behold,” I say.

Now that the book club crisis is averted, Beth and I go downstairs and make our rounds through the store.

I follow Beth, and as we turn the corner into the stationery and journals department, Beth stops dead in her tracks so fast I actually bump into her.

I look to see what the problem is and spot that woman from the club the other night—that Morelli woman—standing ten feet from us, looking at freaking day planners. Give me a break.

I squeeze Beth’s shoulders. “Beth?”

She takes a few steps back. Just as we’re nearly out of sight, that Morelli woman turns and glares at Beth.

Damn!

If looks could kill, Beth would surely be a goner.

“I heard you work here,” the woman says as she walks toward us.

She’s wearing another form-fitting dress—this one emerald green—and sharp stilettos.

Her outfit looks like something you’d find at a swanky formal event, not a bookstore.

“Frankly, I found it hard to believe, so I thought I’d come see for myself. ”

“What are you doing here?” Beth asks. She’s clearly shaken, and that pisses me off.

“Excuse me, ma’am ,” I say, letting my tone show my disdain for this female peacock. “Can I help you?”

She gives me the once-over. “I might be tempted to let you try, stud .”

Eww, gross. Even if I were into women, I wouldn’t touch this one with a ten-foot pole.

“He’ll tire of you soon enough, you know,” the woman says to Beth.

She’s talking about Shane.

Poor Beth turns about ten shades paler than normal.

“It’s his pattern,” the woman continues. “When he tires of his current plaything, he moves on. Every. Single. Time.”

Beth straightens, not revealing any of the myriad emotions I’m sure she’s feeling. “If you’ll excuse me,” she says in a cool, professional voice, “I have to get back to work.”

Damn! My girl is no shrinking violet.

“What the fuck was that all about,” I ask Beth as I follow her. “Why would she come here?”

“To cause trouble, no doubt,” Beth says.

Beth is on edge the rest of the morning, nervously flitting about. Straightening shelves that don’t need to be straightened. She keeps glancing over her shoulder as if she feels she’s being watched.

Mack joins me. “Is there something wrong? Beth looks a bit anxious.”

I tell him about Luciana Morelli showing up here to talk shit to Beth.

When Beth looks my way, I give her the ‘ are you okay?’ face. She responds by giving me a thumbs-up sign.

When it’s close to lunch time, I follow Beth upstairs so she can grab her purse.

On our way back to the stairs, she pauses at the wrought iron railing and looks over onto the first floor.

Shane has arrived, looking like a million bucks in his charcoal gray suit and white dress shirt.

For a moment, Beth gazes down at him with a smitten expression.

“Are you just going to stand here ogling him?” I nudge her gently with my elbow. “Prince Charming has arrived. What are you waiting for?”

When Shane spots Beth at the railing, he smiles at her—it’s clearly the smile of a lovesick fool. He’s devastatingly handsome, and for a moment I feel a pang of envy. Why can’t Cooper look at me like that in public? Just one time!

As we’re walking down the staircase, Beth says, “Don’t mention Luciana, okay?”

“Why?”

“There’s no point in upsetting him.”

“He’d be mad that she was here?” I’m pretty sure I already know what her answer will be.

Beth nods. “Definitely. The last time she harassed me, he threatened her.”

“That’s all the more reason why I have to tell him. Sorry, Princess.”

After Shane greets Beth like a good boyfriend should, I give him the bad news about Luciana showing up here.

Shane stills, and his jaw tightens. He proceeds to grill Beth on the particulars, wanting to know what the woman said to her. Then he tells me and Mack to call the police and charge her with trespassing if she shows up here again.

I stand at the doors and watch as Shane escorts Beth out to his car, which is parked in front. Just before I turn, I catch a glimpse of Luciana standing in a crowd across the street, watching the entrance to Clancy’s. She’s clearly furious.

A cold chill runs down my spine when I realize this woman is a bigger threat to Beth than I first thought.

A few minutes later, Shane texts me to let me know Beth will be late getting back to the bookstore. He’s taking her shopping for a wedding band after they have lunch at his office.

I grab some lunch in the café and kill time reading until Shane and Beth return to Clancy’s about two hours later. We all gather in the café to celebrate the purchase of their wedding bands.

“So, when are you two typing the knot?” I ask.

“Whenever Beth says we are,” Shane replies. “Hopefully in a couple of weeks.”

“ Where are you getting married?” Erin asks.

“At the house in Kenilworth,” Beth says.

When Shane is ready to head back to his office, he asks me to walk him to the door.

“Keep a close eye out for Luciana,” he tells me when we’re out of hearing. “I don’t like this fixation she has with Beth. And I don’t think we’ve seen the last of her.”

I nod. “When you two left for lunch, I spotted her across the street. She watched you leave.”

Shane nods. “I noticed that.” He squeezes my shoulder. “If you see her here again, call the police. I’ll have her charged with stalking and harassment.”

“Will do.”

Shane leaves then, and I return to the impromptu party in the café.

“What was that all about?” Beth asks me.

I shrug. “It was nothing. Just guy talk.”

Both girls roll their eyes at me, clearly not believing a word I said.

“Fine, don’t tell us,” Erin says. “Traitor.”

Beth rises from her seat, gives me another eye roll, and walks away with Erin.

I chase after them. “Don’t gang up on me, girls. It’s not fair.”