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“Well hello to you too, Ms. Wilder. It’s been way too long.”
eight
Liam
“Wellhellotoyoutoo, Ms. Wilder. It’s been way too long,” I say, putting an emphasis on the word Miss. I’m not sure why I’m acting playful. But it feels good to tease her like this. Natural even. Which isn’t good.
Her green- and gold-flecked eyes gaze at me with a mix of emotions, but the part that’s got me grinning is her pouty pink lips opening and closing like a fish on a hook. It’s kind of adorable. My body is in shock at seeing her in person again, but my adrenaline is allowing me to hide it and put up a fake bravado.
“What are you doing here?” she demands again, her face tight and fists clenched.
I put my hands in my pockets, ignoring the stares of people in the doorway. “I’m your bodyguard.”
“Like hell you’re my bodyguard.”
“Sorry Birdie, I’m afraid the paperwork has already been signed.”
The woman named Gia steps into the room; her little arms crossed over her chest. “Do you know Birdie?” Her voice is strained.
“Not really.” At my words, Birdie flinches. I fight the urge to apologize, but I have to act like I’m impartial. As if I don’t care that I know her, and that we don’t have a past. It’s the only way I’m going to get through this job.
The red-headed sprite turns to Birdie. “Do you know him?”
Birdie’s cute mouth opens and closes again. Then she looks back at me. I don’t know why I do it, but I give her a challenging stare. Almost daring her to tell Gia she knows me. To have them kick me to the curb. She places her long fingered hands on her rounded hips. Her high cheeks are pink with anger and embarrassment, and there’s a light sheen of sweat on her forehead from soundcheck.
The outfit she’s wearing, some worn black skinny jeans and a green V-neck t-shirt with a pair of classic Chucks makes me think back to the nights of listening to music in my bedroom till we could hardly keep our eyes open. Teenage Birdie was cute, but adult Birdie… I must admit she’s something else. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I’m kind of turned on.Fuck, I’m in trouble.
Birdie’s dark blonde eyebrows knit together, and her eyes burn a hole into mine. I can see her thinking a million things all at once, and it’s doing things to me that I don’t like.
“Birdie?” the Eric guy asks from the doorway.
His voice breaks her death glare, and a flash of jealousy runs through me with the way he looks at her. Damn it to hell. I need to work out, stat. This is not how I expected my first meeting with Birdie to go. I forgot what being in her presence is like. It’s hard to explain, but it's like someone lit something inside me.
Birdie swallows, and I can see the way she digs her plum-colored nails into her palms. “Can you guys leave us for a bit. I need to get to know my newbodyguard.”
The way she says bodyguard has my dick standing at attention. It makes me angry. Angry that a woman who basically told me to go fuck off ten years ago, is turning me on by not even doing anything.
“Are you sure?” Eric asks, his voice stern. He looks me up and down while he questions her, practically challenging me to a duel with his glare. This guy screams overprotective brother bear, and it’s annoying me.
“I’m sure. I’ll call you guys later,” Birdie answers.
Gia looks like she has something to say, but Birdie communicates words with her eyes, so she doesn’t. She leads Eric out with Shea who’s been lingering in the doorway. Once the crowd is gone and the door is closed, Birdie and I stand in silence.
We glare at each other, sizing each other up. I wonder what she’s thinking about me. Does she like what she sees as much as I do?
I try to discard those pesky thoughts, reminding myself that the woman before me is not someone I like. She is not someone I want to be friends with, and she is not someone who I should, nor can, have sex with. For all intents and purposes, she’s my employer. That’s all this can and should be. Hell, it’s all I want it to be.
“I’m going to ask you this one more time,” she finally says. Her voice is husky and mellow, a voice I’ve heard people refer to as a bedroom voice. God, I need ice water. I’m feeling hot.
“Ask me what?” I quip, walking over to a pitcher of water that is for her. I pour myself a glass, draining it in two gulps.
“You’re the bodyguard Ben suggested?” she asks instead, her voice tight.
I manage a grin. “And Wren.”
Betrayal and disappointment cross her features and it’s like she dumped the pitcher of water on my head. I straighten my back, my senses coming returning to me. Birdie doesn’t want me here, and I knew she wouldn’t. Just like I didn’t want to be here. The only reason I’m standing in this room is because of Ben and Wren, my pestering friends. Her friends.
“You can leave. I don’t need you here.”
