Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
V iper sighed in annoyance. Trust her to barge in like she owned the place without so much as a knock. That woman gave no thought to anyone else's privacy but her own. Well, after today, she might think twice about doing that again. She'd certainly flushed redder than a lobster when she'd seen him standing in his boxers. Served her right. Women like Izzy thought the world revolved around them.
But damn if she didn’t look good in that swimsuit. More than good. Fucking phenomenal. Those breasts! Full and womanly, spilling over the top of her swimsuit. Jesus, he had to fight not to stare at them. It was all he could do to keep it in his goddamn pants. Thank goodness he'd managed to keep his cool.
He quickly pulled on jeans and a white T-shirt, it would be cooler in the harsh Californian sun. Now that they were at their destination and not in transit, he didn’t bother with the vest, or the suit. That would just attract attention. It was unlikely anything would happen here, under the hotel’s top-notch security cameras, but you couldn't be too sure. It seemed everyone knew Izzy’s itinerary in advance, which meant the threatening letter writer could also be aware of her movements.
When he was ready, he knocked on the connecting door. "Miss Beaumont?"
She opened it, those gorgeous breasts within touching distance, a thin cream-colored sarong tied around her waist.
"I'm ready." She strode past him toward the door. He could see the perfectly rounded globes of her butt through the sheer fabric.
"Wait."
She stopped.
"Stay behind me."
She remained silent as he opened the door and checked the corridor, although he sensed the daggers she was glaring at his back. Tough, there was nothing he could do about that. His job was to keep her safe, and he was following protocol. "Okay."
He gestured for her to follow him.
They walked down the hallway and got into the elevator. She didn't say a word on the way down, simply stared ahead at the steel doors as if praying they would open. When they did, he put out an arm. "Let me go first."
This time she sighed but obliged. Miss Beaumont obviously wasn’t used to being told what to do.
Viper surveyed the lobby, the balcony, and the door to the stairwell. As a trained sniper, he knew where to find the vantage points, but they were all clear. He clocked visitors, guests, and staff. Nothing out of the ordinary. He gave a curt nod.
They walked through the lobby, Izzy staying close to him, and out onto the terrace and to the swimming pool. Again, he scanned the guests. It was fairly crowded, but nothing struck him as odd. People were laughing and enjoying themselves or sunning on loungers.
He scanned the brush around the edge of the pool, the palm trees, and glanced up at the hotel balconies overlooking the courtyard. Clear.
"Darling, over here!" Emily beckoned from a lounge chair. She’d reserved the one beside her for Izzy, while the enormous red, white, and blue sun umbrella in between provided some much-needed shade. "I'm sorry, Viper. I didn't book one for you. Should I have?"
"No, ma'am," he replied. "I'll be standing back here." He took a few steps back.
"Always on guard," Emily mused, turning to Izzy. "So sexy." Izzy's reply was lost as someone dived into the pool with a splash.
He pulled out his sunglasses and slipped them on. It was very bright out here. Light reflected off the swimming pool into his eyes, making him squint. A shooter would use that to his advantage, masking the glint of the rifle scope. He couldn’t afford to miss anything.
Izzy unwrapped her sarong and dived into the water. With a laugh, Emily joined her. They swum a few laps, then floated on their backs and chatted. They seemed closer than employer-employee. More like friends.
For all her glamorous ways, Izzy hadn't thought twice about her hair or makeup as she'd dived into the water. It now splayed out around her as she floated, like a dark halo. He tried not to look at the way her skin shimmered beneath the water, at her endless legs, and cinched in waist. The two friends stood in the middle of the pool talking and laughing, and Viper knew he wasn’t the only man gawking at her creamy shoulders and bobbing breasts. At least, she couldn't see his eyes.
He was just admiring the way her long dark hair clung slickly to her back, when somebody shouted, grabbing his attention. He took a step forward, his hand flying to the gun tucked in the back of his jeans, but it was only a boisterous college kid pushing his buddy into the pool.
Shit, his concentration had lapsed for a moment because his focus had been solely on her. Like every other red-blooded man in the place.
"I needed that," Izzy said, emerging dripping from the pool. Christ, did she have any idea what she was doing to him? Idly, she stretched out on the lounge chair. A cat basking in the sun.
"I'm so glad you didn't cancel this trip because of those threats," her assistant said. "It would have been a real shame."
"I'm not going to let some whack-job scare me out of running my business. Besides, I've got Viper now. He'll protect me."
"I'm sure he will," Emily replied, casting a glance over her shoulder at him. Viper didn't mind the assistant's flirtations. He could tell she wasn't serious. It was just a bit of fun. Besides, it helped lighten the mood, which had become very intense on the airplane.
He'd sensed Izzy's stiffness but couldn't work out if it was his presence that bothered her, or the fact that he was invading her space. Either way, he'd been relieved when they'd landed in San Diego.
Izzy was hard to read. She switched between being annoyed with him and sending him intense glances that penetrated like a laser. Having a bodyguard was an inconvenience to her, he got that, but at the same time, he could tell she was anxious about the threats. Whenever someone mentioned them, like now, she coiled up, stiffened her shoulders and jutted out her chin. Classic defense stance.
Oh, yeah. She felt the pressure, even if she tried not to show it.
"Robert’s going to fly out too," Izzy said.
"Why don't you sound overjoyed at the prospect?" Emily began applying sunscreen to her fair legs. She didn’t have that same olive complexion that Izzy had.
"I was hoping to have a few days to myself."
"Robert's a catch, Izzy," said Emily. "And he adores you. You could do far worse than him."
"What if I don’t feel the same way," she murmured, lowering her voice. Viper stared unflinchingly ahead, pretending he couldn’t hear. "Robert's a sweetheart, don’t get me wrong, but he doesn't stir my blood, you know?"
"You want someone to stir your blood?" Emily stopped what she was doing and looked over at Izzy, who laughed.
"You know what I mean. There's no passion. I don't want to rip his clothes off."
Viper held back a smile.
"You know I'm a great advocate of clothes-ripping passion," Emily told her, grinning. "But, if we're talking life partners, there's a lot more to it than sex. You want someone who'll look after you and treat you right. A friend to take life's journey with."
"I've got enough friends," she remarked.
Emily chortled. "Maybe you'll feel differently when it's just the two of you. This is a very romantic hotel."
"The three of us, you mean." She gave a backward nod.
Emily half-turned. "Oh, yeah. I forgot."
They began talking about the photo shoot after that, so Viper zoned out. An hour later, Izzy went for another swim, while Emily chatted up a group of Spanish-speaking guys who, judging by their bags stuffed with clubs, were on a golfing vacation.
He watched while Izzy frolicked in the water. After a while, she swam to the side and rested her arms on the edge, kicking breaststroke underwater with her legs. The swimsuit had ridden up and her smooth butt cheeks wavered in the water.
He had a fleeting visual of her lying on top of him, his hands clutching those butt cheeks, squeezing them as she slid up and down his… Jesus Christ. Where was his head? He swallowed and forced himself to relax. This was worse than hours of waiting for a target to appear, keeping his breathing even, his arms relaxed, ready to react when the time was right.
"You want to come in?" she called.
"Not while I'm on duty," he replied. What he would give to be able to get in there with her.
Easy, soldier. Breathe. Clear your mind. Relax.
He had to keep his head free of erotic thoughts, otherwise he was doomed. This was an ongoing position, there was no telling when it might end, and he couldn't be lusting after the principal the whole time. It would drive him crazy. It was driving him crazy.
"Maybe later, then?" she said. "When you're off duty. You deserve a break."
He was surprised. She'd actually thought of someone else besides herself.
"Thank you, ma'am."
She sighed. "I thought I told you not to call me that."
"Apologies, Miss Beaumont."
She rolled her eyes and pushed away from the side. He watched as she swam a few more leisurely lengths before getting out. Once again, she had a captive audience. Viper resisted the urge to rush over with her sarong to prevent the other men ogling her. The rush of possessiveness surprised him. What did he care if she flaunted her body? She had every right. He was just there to protect it, nothing else.
She lifted a hand, and a hovering waiter came scuttling over. After ordering something, he couldn’t hear what, she walked back to her lounge chair, shot him a languid smile, and lay down. Emily had scooted over to where the golfing boys sat and was perched on the end of one of their lounge chairs.
Izzy glanced over at her assistant, then pick up her phone. "You can join them if you like, Miss Beaumont.”
"That's okay," she replied. "I'm not in the mood for socializing."
Fair enough.
A moment later, the waiter appeared with three mojitos on a tray. She turned around, peering over the lounge chair at him. "I got you a drink.”
"I can't while I'm on duty, ma'am, er, Miss Beaumont. But thanks anyway."
She lifted her sunglasses so he could see the mocking look in her eyes. "It's a virgin, Viper. Surely you've had one of those before?"
Boy, did she like to get the upper hand.