Chapter 21
“Why don’t you drop me off, and I’ll call when I’m ready to be picked up?” Poppy said as they parked outside the hotel.
Nick was just about to say no when his brother spoke.
“Aww, come on, Poppy, have a heart. It’s rare I get to play bodyguard to a hot writer,” Sam said. “Let me come in, please.”
“I don’t need bodyguards,” she said, climbing out of the passenger’s seat. “But thank you for the hot writer comment.”
“Give me that.” Nick joined her and took the bag she’d slung over her shoulder. “What’s in here? It’s heavy.”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe books?” She gave him a sugary-sweet smile that was totally insincere and then walked toward the League Hotel.
“I wonder if all bodyguards get treated like this,” Nick said loud enough for her to hear. She raised a middle finger.
Sam whistled as they followed.
The League Hotel was one of the more high-end hotels in town and huge. It had views from the top floor that took in most of the city, plenty of glass and gardens, and big white columns at the entranceway.
“I forget how impressive this place is until I’m standing outside it,” Sam remarked.
Nick grunted, his eyes sweeping the area for danger.
Poppy walked just ahead, looking hot as fuck in a dress the color of mint ice cream that hugged her curves.
The hem stopped a few inches above her knees.
Her shoes were strappy with a mile-high heel.
She wore jangly bracelets and smelled of something soft and sexy that had him thinking about what he’d like to do to her when they got home.
She’d insisted they stop by her house on the way there. Nick had gone in first, and then Sam had walked Poppy inside. The place was clean now, but no way was she going back there until assface was arrested.
“So here are the rules,” he whispered in her ear when he reached her side. “No talking to strange men dressed like that.”
“What?” She frowned, almost like his words surprised her.
“You look hot. I don’t want any men hitting on you.”
She snorted. “Right, like that’s going to happen. Stop being a Neanderthal.”
Her eyes looked bigger from whatever she’d put around them, and her lips were fire engine red, which was not helping him with visions of her body spread out on the bed beneath him. Plus, all that hair was loose and hanging in soft curls.
“How is it you don’t know you’re hot?”
Ignoring him, she picked up the pace and walked in through the glass doors.
“Best behavior, bro,” he said to Sam as they followed. Both wore chinos, button-down shirts, and had even polished their boots.
“I’m not an animal, Nick. Mom taught us manners, remember?”
“Right. Let’s go, then.”
The inside of the hotel was as impressive as the outside.
“Poppy Sylvester!” The shriek came from a middle-aged woman who was now hurrying toward them.
His girl smiled politely and held out her hand. She then said, “Hello, it’s wonderful to meet you.”
As the woman pulled out her cell phone, two more people joined the group.
“Your girl is a big deal,” Sam said.
“Yeah. I went to that signing and saw her fans. I’ve read some articles about her, too, and knew she was the shit.” It made him proud to see what Poppy had achieved. The nerdy girl had blossomed into this kick-ass author that was known the world over, even if she’d been hiding from the fame.
“You’ve got it bad, bud,” Sam said under his breath. “I haven’t seen that look in a while.”
“Shut up.” Do I have it bad? Looking at Poppy smiling for the photos, he thought maybe his brother was right. He also knew that she wasn’t ready to hear what he felt for her, which was good, because he needed time to adjust to it.
Plus, there was assface to deal with.
Nick and Sam moved closer and watched Poppy in action. The line of people grew, and her smile never slipped.
“Your girl is impressive,” Sam said.
“Considering she’s not actually done a lot of this due to assface, she really is,” Nick agreed.
“One o’clock,” Sam said.
“My one o’clock?”
Sam jabbed a long finger in the direction. Nick looked that way and saw two hotel staff approaching with their eyes on Poppy.
“Maybe just say to look right.”
“I’ve always wondered what being a cop would be like. Now I know,” Sam said.
“I think there’s more to it, but if you talk to your cuff, we’re going to have problems.” Nick looked at his watch. Poppy was due to start in ten minutes. Moving closer, he bent to whisper in her ear, “Wrap it up, sweet cheeks. Ten minutes until go time.”
“Is that your partner?” The woman who’d spoken was about Em’s age, and the eyes she ran over him were X-rated. She was standing in front of Poppy now, cell phone ready to take a pic.
“Yes,” Nick said at the same time as Poppy said no. “We’re keeping our relationship a secret, or were.” He smiled. “Game’s up, sweetheart.” He kissed Poppy’s cheek.
“That’s exciting. Poppy Sylvester is such a mystery to all her fans. You can’t imagine how happy we are that you’re doing public appearances now. We’re coming upstairs to join your talk.” The woman then took a selfie with Nick and Poppy in the background.
“Say bye to your fans,” he whispered in her ear.
“See you all upstairs,” she said. As he nudged her toward the elevators,
the smile dropped. “What are you doing?” she whispered. “I don’t want people to see us together, Nick.”
“Too bad.” He was giving assface something to think about. If he saw Nick with Poppy in a picture or on social media, he may think twice about hassling her again.
“We’re ready for you upstairs now, Miss Sylvester.”
“Thank you.”
He could almost feel her vibrating with the need to tell him how pissed she was he’d said they were together.
They rode up with Sam and two others in silence. But Nick knew that wouldn’t last. When the doors opened, Sam stepped out first and looked around, taking his job as Poppy’s bodyguard seriously.
Nick missed what Poppy muttered, but he guessed it wasn’t complimentary.
He walked at her side down the long hall.
The hum of voices grew steadily louder as they approached a set of double doors.
Walking through, he scanned the guests. The amount of people in here would have given him hives if he knew he was about to speak in front of them.
She moved to one side, then held her hand out for the bag he carried.
“Need anything else?” Her reply was a shake of her head. “Let me know if you do.”
She turned to walk to the front of the room, where another woman, presumably Hillary Bailey, was standing. Poppy then turned back and glared at him.
“You shouldn’t have said you were my partner, Nick. That kind of information spreads when you have a public profile like I do.”
“I can handle it.”
The red lips pursed as she exhaled. Nick thought seriously about kissing her, but he’d annoyed her enough considering she was about to get up there and talk in front of all these people.
“Don’t say anything else. This is not a game,” she snapped.
“No, really? Because the mugging and house trashing all seemed like a lot of fun to me.”
The look she shot him should have reduced him to ash.
“Go do you, Poppy. We’re all good. Sam and I have your back.”
He watched her battle with the need to say something else.
“I am grateful,” she said. “Really, and I know I don’t sound it, but I’m not used to having minders and worrying about their safety, not mine.”
“Bodyguards,” Sam corrected her. “It has a better ring to it, and we can look after ourselves and you.”
“You go, and we’ll sit here and bask in your magnificence,” Nick added.
“You’re really annoying,” she said, but her words held no heat now.
“He has been my entire life,” Sam added.
Poppy turned and walked away with her bag, and he looked at the sway of her ass in that dress. He’d thought the room would be full of women, but there were men, too, and some of them noticed how hot she was.
“I don’t care if you are my brother. I’m dropping you if you don’t raise your eyes.”