I wave her concern away. “Bella, you’ll meet your guy one day. You’re beautiful and smart so I know you will.” I glance over at Grainger again. “As for that handsome man, I’m not quite sure what to do with him.”
“If you’re not sure what to do with him, I can suggest a few things,” Kate says with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
I throw my head back and laugh at her ridiculousness. “No, I mean I know what todo, as far as that goes.” I lean forward and throw them both a wicked look. “In fact,thatis incredible.” I close my eyes, thinking of last night. “Not to kiss and tell, but the things that man can do…”
Bella lets out a long breath. “And here I spent last night trying to make sure my client didn’t look like they have a unibrow in her pictures.” She takes a long sip of her mimosa. “Sometimes life isn’t fair.”
“So, what’s the problem, Lana? I mean, besides the obvious stalker issues you have right now…” Kate adds that last sentence in a somber tone and I feel my spine stiffen.
That’s the problem. Things with Grainger are so damn good they’re making me forget that someone is hunting me down out there. That someone wants to harm me simply because I exist.
“What happens once this is over? Once the threat of danger has subsided? Do I try to make something last that maybe wasn’t meant to be? He’s got other people to protect. I have jobs all over the world once this series is on hiatus. Where do we go from here?” Anxiety creeps into my voice. “I’m no damn good at making people stay.”
And I’m not.My mom and dad never truly wanted me around. I grew up poor as a church mouse. If we’re being completely honest, I think my mom looked at me more as another mouth to feed and another thing to get in the way of her drug habit.
I feel Bella’s hand on mine. I turn to look at her and see sympathy in her green eyes. “If it’s meant to be, it will, Lana. And maybe he cares enough about you to stay. Or to go with you if need be.” She cuts her eyes to where he still stands with the man he calls O’ Roarke. “I’ve never had a man look at me that way. This could be something worth holding onto.”
I glance over at Grainger. His dark eyes are filled with heat and possession. I send him a flirty wink and watch as a blush spreads across his cheeks. He tosses a grin my way and I feel satisfaction flow through me.
Maybe, just maybe, this is something worth holding onto.
Chapter Twelve
Grainger
If I lose her, I lose everything. -Grainger
I hold Lana in my arms, trying to block everything around us out. People scurry around us like bees in a hive, but I pay them no mind. I only care about the woman that’s currently trying to burrow her way into my chest.
“I don’t want to work. I want to go back to my place and make love again and again and forget about all this.”
I kiss the top of her head. “I know, baby, I know. But you have work and I have more details to look into. This latest note sounded like this guy is closer than ever.” Or woman I remind myself.
Yesterday, after lunch, Lana received another note. This one was a little less garbled than the last and a lot clearer on intentions. It implied that the stalker had been watching her. It even mentioned me.
“Tell the bodyguard he’s next on my list. That’s what he gets for loving you.” It went on to describe Lana in explicit terms using language about her being a whore and needing to rid the world of her influence.
She finally pulls away. “You’ll be here all morning though, right? You’ll stay nearby?” The anxiety in her tone saddens me. This woman should never have to worry about her own well-being. She shouldn’t be terrorized by this crazed person.
“Of course, I’ll be here. I’m going to wait right here until O’Rourke comes to take my place. And then I’ll be back this afternoon.”
“You ready, Lana? These lines won’t practice themselves, girlie girl. Let’s get to rockin’.” Fiona’s dry voice comes from behind us.
Lana slowly backs away from me and gives Fiona a half grin. “Of course, Fi. I know we have that big scene coming up.” She squares her shoulders and then glances at me. “We’re going to have a whole screaming match where my character finally confronts her mother about the neglect she experienced growing up. It’s going to be super emotional.”
Fiona sighs. “Yep, I gotta start the waterworks. I like it better when my character just acts like a wiseass.” She looks back and forth between the two of us. “Now, if you two can be separated for a little bit, I think we should probably practice this alone, in my trailer. It’s not the kind of scene that needs to be worked out in front of others. It requires a lot of attention to detail from both of us.”
I glance down at Lana. “I’m not sure how I feel about that. Do y’all really need to be alone? I like being able to see you, sweetheart.”
Fiona lets out a snort. “She’ll be fine in my trailer, Grainger. I’ll even let you check it out before we go in there. Do a sweep?Isn’t that what you professionals call it? Besides, I’m too old and ornery for anyone to attack me.”
Lana squeezes my hand. “She’s right. It’s an emotional scene. We should probably practice alone.”
Fuck. I don’t like letting her out of my sight even for a second.
She squeezes my hand again and I gaze into her brown eyes. I finally let out a long sigh. “Okay, you win. Let me look her trailer over and then you guys can get started. I need to call my tech guy back anyway.”
She pats me on the arm and sends me a blinding grin. “Thanks, big guy.” She winks. “I promise I’ll make it up to you later.”
