The Mogul and the Muscle - Claire Kingsley Page 0,19

me dinner, he’d thrown me off. I hadn’t been expecting that. So I’d dragged it out a little longer, too curious to see what he’d do next to tell him he was hired and I’d see him in the morning.

My phone buzzed against the glass tabletop. The girls were still waiting for me to tell them what had happened with Jude. So far, I’d mostly texted them with how mad I was that they’d done this behind my back. I didn’t care that it had been primarily Emily. I was holding all three of them responsible. I knew them. They’d all been in on it.

Daisy: I know you’re awake. Answer us or I’m coming over there.

Me: No you’re not.

Daisy: How do you know?

Me: Because you’re already in bed.

Daisy: You can’t see into my bedroom, you creeper.

Emily: Maybe she can. Cam, did you set up cameras in Daisy’s house?

Luna: She would never do that.

Me: Um, no. Daisy’s bedroom? Unsubscribe.

Daisy: Hey. A lot of good stuff goes on in my bedroom. You should be so lucky.

Emily: Can we focus?

Luna: How’s your new bodyguard, Cam? I feel so much better knowing you have a professional watching out for you.

Me: I’m still mad at Emily for hiring him behind my back.

Emily: You didn’t fire him already, did you?

Me: No.

Daisy: Where’s he sleeping? Is he going to be in the room next to yours?

Daisy: Do you think he’ll sneak in and peek at you while you sleep?

Me: Now who’s being creepy? He’s not sleeping here.

Luna: Why not?

Me: He declared my home security adequate.

Emily: So what does that mean?

Me: It means I have a bodyguard when I’m not in Bluewater.

Luna: What’s he like?

Me: Enormous.

Daisy: OH SNAP. I bet he has major Big Dick Energy.

I rolled my eyes, but mostly because she was right. Not that I was going to admit it to them.

Me: He’s tall and huge and looks like he could snap a guy in half. But he dresses nice.

Me: Also, he can cook. Don’t ask me how I know.

Me: But it involves walking in on Nicholas and Inda fucking in my kitchen.

Emily: NO

Luna: That’s not sanitary, but wow.

Daisy: Go big chef man!

Me: I can’t even be mad. At least someone in this house is getting laid.

Emily: Aw, sweetie.

Me: I’m glad I’ve already decided I’m never dating again. Because I’m pretty sure Jude would be the world’s biggest cockblocker.

Daisy: I’m calling it right now. You’re definitely boinking your bodyguard.

Me: I’m definitely not.

Daisy: I don’t mean now, but eventually you will. When it happens, you have to tell me so I can gloat.

Me: How about no.

Luna: No you won’t boink him, or no you won’t tell Daisy?

Me: Both.

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 paused and looked out over the water as it sparkled in the moonlight. I wasn’t good at admitting when I was wrong. It felt like weakness. But maybe—just maybe—Emily had a teeny tiny point about needing personal security. At least until we were sure I wasn’t being targeted.

Me: Thanks for having my back, jerks. I love you guys.

Despite my insistence that it hadn’t been a big deal, I’d been acutely aware of my surroundings in the parking garage ever since the attempted-mugging-or-possibly-worse. My designated spot was near the elevator, so I didn’t have far to walk. But I’d started waiting to get out of my car until I was certain no one was lurking around a corner.

Brandy had suggested having my driver, Joe, start taking me to and from the office. She managed his schedule, making sure he was available to me during the day for my many offsite meetings and trips to our manufacturing or testing facilities. He wasn’t exactly security, but it would mean I’d never be alone in the parking garage. But I’d deemed that unnecessary.

I turned off the engine and checked around me. There weren’t many cars here yet. I was always among the first to arrive in the morning and last to leave at night.

It was possible I worked too much.

But I didn’t have much else going on in my life, so putting in fourteen-hour workdays didn’t feel like a hardship. I loved my job. I loved this company and the direction I was taking it. I loved that I was in a position to guide Spencer into a new era.

I was making a difference in people’s lives. When Milton