Book in the Making...unedited

page. 4

“I watch the news too, you know. And I don’t need some bodyguard around screwing up my weekend.”

“Look, the head of Sysco Security isn’t just a bodyguard, Marissa. He owns–“

“I don’t care who or what he is. I don’t need some big, Texas cowboy in dusty boots, and a cheek full of tobacco following me around like a puppy dog.” She took in a breath. Unless it’s Beau. Marissa thought with a warm feeling. Damn him, why did he show up now?

“Not everyone in Texas is a cowboy.”

Is that all he could say? Marissa could hear the exasperation in Kirk’s tone. It made her smile.

“If you think I need a bodyguard, why don’t you come here and do the job? What am I paying you for, anyway?” That would get his goat. She could just see his eyebrows lifting with her suggestion.

“You don’t pay me to protect you, you pay me to book your events. And you know I’m afraid of my own shadow.” There was humor in his tone.

In spite of the situation Marissa chuckled. There wasn’t a violent bone or thought in Kirk’s body. “Well, I would think you’d want to protect your interest.”

There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. She’d hit a nerve.

“I am, why do you think I hired a bodyguard? He isn’t cheap, believe me.”

“Well, if you hired him with my money, you can fire him. I’ve got a nice quiet weekend planned at my apartment. Even if there is a serial killer out there who’s targeting chunky models, how hurt do you think I’ll get if I fall from one story?”

“That’s not funny, Marissa.”

“I’m sorry.” Kirk was right, it wasn’t funny. There was nothing humorous about the unexplained deaths of two up and coming models.

Marissa wasn’t usually so argumentative or insensitive, but she’d been up for twenty hours straight and she was running on empty. She’d just finished a grueling two day photo shoot and her last walk down the runway.

“Look, I’m a big girl,” Marissa heard Kirk snicker on the other end. “Don’t get cute. You know what I mean. You call Sysco Security and cancel that bodyguard or I will. I can take care of myself.”

“Is that so?”

Before Marissa could take another breath she was grabbed from behind. A large hand covered her mouth. Her eyes rounded and she dropped the phone to claw it away. Then a solid arm slid around her waist and she was hauled back against a hard body.

“Think again, darlin.” A warm Texas drawl said into her ear.

Once her initial surprise was over Marissa struggled. An elbow in his ribs didn’t faze him. She dug in her heels and pushed her body back into his, but she might as well have been up against a solid brick wall. 

page 5