The Mogul and the Muscle (Bluewater Billionaires)

by Claire Kingsley

Not that I wanted to beat the shit out of a twenty-two-year-old kid, but… Actually, yes I did.

Son of a bitch. I’d just scared the shit out of her with my rundown on how to handle an armed-robbery-turned-hostage situation. It was no surprise that Karen picked at her meal for another few minutes, then thanked me and made an excuse about needing to feed her cat.

when my date had asked me about places I’d traveled, and I’d casually mentioned there were four or five countries where I was no longer welcome.

My favorite sassy red lipstick. Check. Gin martini. Double check. My dignity? That one was debatable.

“That’s not really the point. I already told her I don’t need a bodyguard. And if you say, Cameron, you were attacked in our own parking garage, I swear to god, you’re fired.” “Cameron, you were attacked in our own parking garage.” I flicked my wrist, like I was shooing her out. “Pack your shit and go home.” “Fine, but if you don’t hire me back by morning, I’ll sell all your secrets to the competition.” “Traitor.” She shrugged. “You fired me.” “That’s true. I have only myself to blame.”

Luna: That doesn’t make any sense. Me: It doesn’t need to. I’m closed for business. Only the battery-powered may enter my lady temple. Luna: Approve of calling it your lady temple! Me: I thought you’d like that.

“I don’t carry a gun,” he said. “Not unless it’s absolutely necessary.” “How would you know if it’s going to be necessary?” He was quiet for a beat before answering. “I always know.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about that answer.

“Now I have to coordinate my schedule with his.” “I’m sure that’s very challenging when he has full access to your calendar.” “Do I need to fire you again?” “Now would be a good time,” she said, “since I’m on my way home anyway. You know, if I were you, I’d just move him in with me. You have plenty of space. Can you imagine coming downstairs in the morning and finding him in nothing but pajama pants making coffee?” “That’s very specific. And you’re very married.” “That’s why I said if I were you. Besides, I’m married, not dead. I can still enjoy the view.” “I take it you’ve been enjoying the view all week.” “Job perks,” she said, her voice cheerful.

It was right about then that my ovaries exploded.

He’d been adorable with those kids, revealing a side I wouldn’t have guessed existed. It made me want to dig deeper—get to know him better. And it was that very impulse that stilled me into silence. That and the fact that I had an insane urge to offer to have his babies.

“There’s only one way to solve this.” “What’s that?” “I need to see your dick.” Right as those words left her mouth, Nicholas opened the door from the terrace. Without missing a beat he said, “I’ll come back,” and left again.

Was he picturing me naked? I was picturing him naked. This was ridiculous.

“Why didn’t I see it?” She started pacing around the loft. “I should have known he was evil. He waxes his chest, Jude. He’s neither a model nor a swimmer. Why would he wax his chest?” “I’m not sure what that has to do with anything, but it is weird.”

He was about to melt my La Perla thong right off me.

I looked at Inda and I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Held captive by the Russian mafia in a dilapidated hotel and Bobby Spencer—the dumbass who’d orchestrated the whole thing—was our best hope of rescue? Yeah, we were fucked.

“You bugged the shoes you’d thought she’d wear if she was mad or trying to ditch you?” “Exactly,” I said over the roar of the engine. “And I was right.”

The more I struggled against the ropes, the more it hurt. But I couldn’t just sit here doing nothing. I twisted my wrists, wincing as the ropes rubbed against my raw skin. “Don’t you know some secret Israeli escape technique?” I whispered. “No,” she whispered back. “I don’t think that’s a thing.” “Damn. Inda, I have a confession.” She raised her eyebrows. “You want to confess something to me?” I nodded. “Okay, what?” “Sometimes I talk Nicholas into secretly making me food that’s not in your meal plan,” I said. “Especially key lime tarts. And then I lie to you about it when you ask me if I’m sneaking sugar.” She looked at me like I was crazy and laughed softly. “You know how weird it is for you to say that right now, don’t you?” “Yeah, I do.”

“I knew you’d come.” He cut through the rope binding my left ankle and looked up, meeting my eyes. “I’ll always come for you.” That was the second time he’d quoted The Princess Bride perfectly in conversation—this time in the middle of a crisis—and a voice in my head screamed, Marry him and have all his babies! Oh hell yes. I was going to.

“I went to school with Bobby and he bullied me for being tall and for having red hair.” Jude glanced over his shoulder at Bobby and growled. “I was messing with you because I liked you,” Bobby said. “You were a dick,” I said over my shoulder. “He stopped in eighth grade when I grabbed his nuts in front of his friends and squeezed until he apologized.” “God, you’re amazing,” Jude said, opening the door to a stairwell.

“You guys obviously have this covered,” Bobby said. “I can take my own car and head home.” Jude leveled him with a glare. He swallowed hard and nodded. “Right. I go with you.”

Jude pulled us up short as a group of armed men ran in from both sides, forming a line in front of us, blocking our way out. “Oh god,” Bobby whimpered. “Don’t piss yourself,” Nicholas said.

“But how does this not-exactly-legal program know what devices to attack?” He looked me in the eye. “I made Aldrich tell me.” “Do I want to know how you did that?” “Probably not.” “Jude.” He casually gestured back to where Aldrich had been standing. “He’s fine. You saw him.” I raised an eyebrow. “I held him by the shirt and leaned him over the edge of a ten-story building,” he deadpanned. I blinked at him.