Hot and Bothered Read Free Page B

is telling me that Cherry’s literally an angel in heaven. Maybe they’re upset that I wrote she didn’t die in the way local lore says she did.”
    â€œIn a fire.”
    â€œThere was never any solid proof that she did.”
    Gideon kept hold of the phone. He didn’t care so much about some minor starlet whose biggest claim to fame was as an extra in
Viva Las Vegas
in the sixties and partied with the mob boys. “This creeper’s on your case because they’re upset with the ending of your book?”
    â€œI know, right?” There she was—Rochelle, the spunky girl again. It was nice to see her take over from the designer woman. “It’s fictionalized history—operative word being
fictionalized
! Also, artistic license?” She calmed down, going back to the woman wearing a cool white spring suit, the woman he didn’t know anymore. “In any case, this is the first I’ve heard from Superfan, and we suspect they’re someone local. I’ll be doing a lot of promo here during the next week and continuing a book tour out of state after that, so I have to agree with my cousins—I’m better off safe than sorry with some protection.” She paused and then said, “With a bodyguard who’s better suited for me, that is.”
    He ignored the comment. “Why not cancel the events in this area and play it
real
safe?”
    He hadn’t meant to sound so harsh, but just the thought of her in danger prodded him. After all this time and he still cared beyond what a professional would. Go figure that, too.
    She looked him straight in the eye without even flinching. “I’m not running away from anything, Gideon.”
    Like you ran away after that night?
    He didn’t say it, because saying it would mean it mattered.
    Also, he had the feeling that she might karate chop him if he dared. She seemed like the type of affluent woman who took classes at the gym in her spare time.
    She was obviously ready to wrap this up. “So that’s why I’m here. I had a good idea of where you might be. The boys mentioned you like it at the saloon.”
    â€œYou’re dismissing me then?”
    â€œFor a job, yes.”
    Was he really going to hand this over to another BG, though? If Gideon said so himself, he was the best in the area, and to give her over to someone else . . . Damn, if anything happened to her, he’d never forget
that
. He’d also never forgive himself, because long ago, the Burtons had been like family. Rochelle’s uncle Dennis, rest his soul, had taken Gideon under his wing whenever his idiot parents were fighting and throwing shit at each other. What would he say to Gideon now?
    Why’re you even hesitating, kid?
    â€œListen,” Rochelle said, “if you’d just recommend some other bodyguards, I’ll contact them. I only wanted to give you a heads-up because the boys have no idea about . . .”
    â€œUs. I figured. And they’d thrash me good, even retroactively, if they knew.”
    â€œThis way, they won’t ever have to know.”
    As she looked at him with those green eyes and long lashes, his cock pulsed. Damn cock.
    She was getting to him, all right, and in more than one way. It didn’t seem right that someone else would watch over a woman—a girl—he’d done so much watching over during those summers long ago.
    If he could get her to hire Boomer, his private investigator buddy, they could easily access security footage from the mall and hopefully track down this creep right away. Meanwhile, all Gideon would have to do was keep Rochelle safe until she left town. Hell, he didn’t have any gigs until late next week anyway.
    Besides, no matter how drawn he was to Rochelle, good BGs didn’t get involved with their clients.
    It wouldn’t even be a factor.
    She was so close that he could smell what was most likely an expensive