Knock Out (A Reynolds Security Novel) Read online

  “She tends to talk for a while so I try to make sure I have time to talk when I call.”

  “Maybe if you called more often she wouldn’t talk so much.” He laughed at that.

  “She is a southern woman. They talk… a lot… about anything.”

  “I guess it runs in the family.” She smirked and he laughed.

  “I guess it does.” The truth was he really never talked as much to anyone else as he did to her. There was just something about her that made him want to keep talking. Or really keep her talking.

  “Tell me about her.” Nothing like talking about one’s mother to cool the libido, he thought but he did it anyway.

  “Have you ever seen Steel Magnolias?” She shook her head. “Fried Green Tomatoes?” Again she shook her head. “How ‘bout the Divine secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood?”

  “I may have see that one, it has Sandra Bullock in it right? You make a lot movie references.”

  “They are all set around southern women and well… surprisingly accurate.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. My mother and sisters are… nice and proper good southern God fearing women. When my mother calls she always asks me if I’ve been going to church. She knows I only go when I am home to visit her but she asks anyway. It is her duty to remind me that I should be there every Sunday.”

  “I see.”

  “Does it bother you?”

  “Not really, it’s not like I get a lecture or anything. I love my mother, she is great and she is a good listener. That is her job after all but sometimes I feel like I just can’t meet her standards for me.” The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their food and he was grateful. Somehow he had said a lot more than he intended. Lou was a good listener too. He watched as she slathered ketchup over her fries and smiled. Yeah he would be more than willing to stock ketchup in his fridge for her.

  “So what your partner said today was interesting.”

  “What’s that?”

  “He said something about the idea for the company.”

  “Oh that.” Jace hesitated, not sure how to tell the story not sure he really wanted to. In the end he just dove in.

  “We were in Iraq. Our mission was to escort some high level Iraqi security officials out of the city and back to the base. It was all a setup. The officials were part of the insurgency. We were ambushed as soon as we reached the rendezvous point.” His tone had gone cold as if he were relating something that had happened far away, not something that happened to him. She recognized the coping mechanism.

  “There was a fire fight. A couple guys were wounded. We hunkered down and waited for backup but it was a hot zone on a real bad day. Before help could get there they blew the building right down on top of us.” Lou gasped and reached across the table to squeeze his hand. She had done a rotation through Iraq but it hadn’t been like that.

  “How did you get out?”

  “By some miracle we were sitting against a supporting wall and it stayed partially standing. Several of us were trapped in this little pocket of space with a ton of rubble on top of us. It felt an awful lot like being buried alive.” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Ethan had been shot and was bleeding all over the place. Another guy had his leg pinned. A few were outside the pocket and we lost them.” Lou stayed silent rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand where it was clenched on the table. She could see the memories playing in his eyes. “It took them about eighteen hours to dig us out. If it wasn’t for the fact that our comm. equipment still worked they probably wouldn’t have got to us in time. Darren lost the lower half of his leg. Ethan lost his spleen. It was a bad day.” He smirked at the understatement. She smiled a soft smile.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was a bad story.”

  “It’s all right. I have told it enough times. My mother says repressing memories is what gives them power. Makes them mold, is what she says.” He chuckled. “She says ‘You gotta get them out in the sun where they can dry up’. She is a counselor, works with a lot of kids if you couldn’t have guessed.” He grinned and she smiled back.

  The rest of the meal passed in lighter conversation. At some point during the time she had become glad that he had insisted that they eat. She still wanted him but now the voice of reason had returned. She wasn’t ready and even if she wanted to be she didn’t want to lead him on. Neither did she want to potentially ruin the friendship growing between them. The fact was she was confused. She really didn’t know what she wanted and she couldn’t let her hormones make the decision for her.

  When they were leaving he stepped close to her and she knew he was going to kiss her. She really wanted him to and yet she knew he would decimate her resolve. She dodged him and pressed her cheek to his. He still smelled good.

  “Thank you.” She whispered assuming he would know she was talking about more than the meal. She pressed a kiss to his lightly stubbled cheek and backed away.

  “Sure.” He said and smiled down at her. “You know funny thing about magnets, you can keep them apart but it doesn’t stop the pull. Eventually they come together.” Her smile blossomed into a full grin and she turned and walked up the sidewalk.

  “Hey Lou,” he called, she turned around walking backward. “I like onions on my pizza.”

  “And pepperoni?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Great, let’s do that next time.”

  “We could do that for breakfast,” he called and she laughed.

  “You had your chance.” She laughed and kept walking.

  Chapter 7

  Lou stared at the credit card for a full minute before she picked up her cell phone.

  “Is it true what they say about gay guys having more style than straight guys?”

  “I would like to think that my sense of style is not related to my sexual preference.” Replied the sleepy voice on the other end.

  “Oh no did I wake you?”

  “Just a little bit,” he said and yawned. She heard a muffled voice and grimaced.

  “Oh God I woke you and you’re not alone. I am so sorry I’ll hang up now.”

  “Ah no worries hun, I am awake. What do you need my sense of style for?” She sighed resigned to feel bad for waking him.

  “I need help. I have nothing that this party is going to require. I am not even sure I know what this party is going to require.”

  “Shopping on the corporate credit card. I am so there!” He laughed. “I’ll pick you up in twenty.”

  True to his word Colby was there in less than twenty minutes. He had driven her home once so she didn’t have to bother with directions.

  “I have to get a tux. That will be quick and easy so we’ll do that first.”

  The tailor they had been referred to was right on Second Street and really easy to find. The man measured Colby then fitted him and marked the tux. He promised to have the alterations done in two hours so they left and headed up the road.

  “I am nervous,” she said as they approached a very intimidating looking boutique.

  “Why?”

  “Because I have never done this before, and I am having Pretty Woman flash backs where they are so mean to her.”

  “Just show them the credit card. That worked for Julia Roberts.” Lou had to laugh at that.

  She was thankful to have Colby with her in the store as she browsed it made her feel less conspicuous.

  “What about this?” She held up a pale yellow sun dress. She told herself it was not because yellow was Jace’s favorite color.

  “That is a sun dress.”

  “So.”

  “So, what you need is an evening gown.”

  “All right, where are the evening gowns?”

  “Follow me.” He led her through the store to a display of glamorous dresses that she would have thought were prom dresses. She giggled and Colby cast her a look.

  “What?”

  “They look like prom dresses.”


  “Did you go to prom?”

  “No.” Lou frowned. Juan thought it was lame he didn’t understand why she wanted to go. They had fought and ultimately broken up over it. Someone else had asked her but she didn’t feel right about going with anyone else so she stayed home, alone.

  “The bastard?” Colby asked catching the look.

  “Yes.”

  “Well my dear, tonight shall be your official prom and I will be your prom date. So I expect you to put out after.” If it were anyone else she might have been offended but it was Colby so she just laughed.

  “I will if you will.” He grinned and started flipping through the gowns.

  “This one.” He held up a red gown that was so short it looked like a shirt.

  “No, too short.”

  “Come on, you’ve got great legs I can tell.” He looked at her legs as if he could see them through her jeans and she rolled her eyes. “Fine.” He sighed and kept looking. After a few minutes he ushered her into a fitting room and followed her in. She looked at him and put her hands on her hips.

  “I don’t care what your sexual preference is. You are not helping me dress.” Again he sighed but he left the fitting room.

  “The blue one first.” He called from outside. She squirmed and shimmied trying to get the thing on until she heard another voice outside the curtain.

  “Can I help?”

  She pulled back the curtain just enough to see the store clerk. She was an older woman with laugh lines around her eyes. Lou sighed and let the woman in so that she could help her with the gown. Once she had the gown on she grimaced at the mirror. The gown was strapless and the bra was not. She could tell it was the first thing Colby noticed as well. He smirked.

  “I know,” She crossed her arms. “If I get this one I will wear a strapless bra.”

  “What size are you?”

  “You do not need to pick out my underwear.”

  “Apparently I do. What is that cotton? You show that to Mr. X?”

  “Who?”

  “You know the guy you’re hot for.” Lou didn’t bother arguing that she wasn’t hot for him. “I didn’t see you after class yesterday. Did you have a date?”

  “I told you we’re just friends.”

  “Did you get lucky?”

  “No that was you!” She laughed.

  “Why are you blushing Loulabelle?”

  “Loulabelle?” She laughed

  “Come on spill.”

  “All right, we kissed.”

  “Kissed?”

  “Yes, one earth shaking, toe curling, panty soaking kiss. Are you happy now?”

  “Thrilled,” he grinned. “Are you going to sleep with him?”

  “No! Now can we please talk about something else?”

  “Bra size?”

  “34 C.” She sighed deciding that was the less embarrassing question.

  She tried on several more gowns. Colby brought her underwear to try on as well. She hated to admit it, and never would to Colby, but the silk stockings and garters and black lace underwear made her feel sexy. Finally she found a gown that gained Colby’s immediate approval. It was a black sheath floor length gown with a low back and a split up to the thigh.

  “That’s it. It’s perfect, you are gorgeous.”

  Colby went on to completely outfit her. He found shoes. He even took her to a friend of his at a salon that did her hair and makeup.

  “I feel like I am your Barbie doll.” Colby laughed at that.

  “My father wasn’t progressive enough to let me have a Barbie. Maybe that was the problem.” Colby laughed.

  “You know my father never gave me a Barbie either.” Lou laughed with him.

  Chapter 8

  The Radisson was the nicest and therefore most expensive hotel in town. It was also the only hotel with a ballroom big enough for an event like this. There was a line of cars and valet parking. Lou had seen events like this on TV but this was the first time she had ever attended one. She was thankful for Colby’s reassuring presence at her side.

  Jace was watching for her but when she arrived on the arm of one of her classmates his heart stopped. She was breathtaking. He literally couldn’t breathe and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her long shiny black hair was left loose for once. It cascaded down her back in big bouncy curls. He’d never seen her wear any makeup and she wasn’t wearing much tonight, her eyes were outlined making them appear even bigger. She looked older, which in this case was a good thing because she finally looked older than jail bait. His mouth was dry and he realized it had dropped open. He quickly closed it and looked around making sure no one else had seen the reaction. He watched as she and the other new recruit, what was his name? Something with a K, Kyle or Clint, worked their way into the room.”

  “I sure hope she works out.”

  “What?” He looked up at Ethan wondering if his friend had seen his reaction to the woman.

  “Let’s face it, it’s not exactly easy to find a female bodyguard. If she works out it will be good for business.”

  “Oh, yeah it will.”

  “She cleans up good too. She’ll blend in at any A-lister’s party. No way they would peg her as hired help.”

  “Nope.” Jace was much too distracted by his own rambling thoughts to really hear what Ethan was saying. He was watching as one shapely leg appeared and disappeared through the slit up the side of her gown as she moved. Those legs were the perfect length to wrap around his waist. He already knew how strong they were. She was small but she curved in all the right ways and places. She turned and he saw that the gown exposed most of her back. He nearly groaned aloud. Barely bit it back in fact. The man she was with Kyle, Clint, whatever, led her out onto the floor. He placed his hand in the middle of her bare back and Jace wanted to cross the room and jerk it off. He had never been jealous of anyone or anything in his life. But right now he wanted to murder one of his employees for touching another. He had to get a hold of himself. He grabbed a flute of champagne off the tray of a passing waiter and downed it in one solid gulp. When he looked back Ethan was staring at him like he had grown a second head.

  “What is wrong?”

  “Nothing. Just trying to calm the nerves is all.” Ethan didn’t look like he believed a single word and Jace didn’t blame him.

  “I feel like everyone is staring at me.” Lou whispered as Colby danced her around the room.

  “Not everyone, just the men,” he smirked.

  “Thanks that makes me feel a lot better.”

  “Relax no one is looking at you. Take a deep breath and remember we’re working.” Colby was right. The reminder helped her to focus. She started scanning the room for anyone who looked suspicious. Instead she spotted Jace. He looked positively sinful. A blond James Bond but not in the weird Daniel Craig way. No in a hot James Bond is now an American Surfer kind of way.

  “Which one is he?”

  “What?”

  “The designer, which one do you think he is?”

  “Oh.” Lou quickly continued scanning the room, thankful that Colby had not been inside her head as the hot Bond girl fantasy was unfolding. “I don’t see him anywhere.” Colby led her off the floor and they began to mingle with the rapidly expanding crowd. There were several displays around the room holding glittering jewels in glass cases. She separated from Colby under the guise of checking out the displayed jewels. They agreed to meet back at the bar in thirty minutes.

  The displayed jewelry, while beautiful in its own sparkling way was also comically ostentatious. There was a necklace with multiple strands of diamonds each a different color, six in all. Another display held a tiara, an actual diamond tiara as if there would be any call for that in real life. In addition to the large items there were smaller creations, rings, earrings, bracelets. Not your average diamond tennis bracelet of course.

  After she had looked over the displays she made her way back to the bar. Colby handed her a glass with clear liquid, ice and a straw. She took a hesi
tant sip and discovered it was club soda.

  “It’s all about appearances.” Colby smiled. “Ready?” She nodded and reached up to her pearl earring and twisted it slightly. To anyone watching she was simply playing with her earring. Before the party the team had met to go over their game plan. All of them being ‘the new guys’ they felt they had something to prove. They were all determined to prove they could get the job done. When she twisted her erring she opened the two way communication with the team.

  “There are thousands of dollars in diamonds on display but all those cases are locked and alarmed. No one is going to slip one out without anyone noticing.”

  “No way, this is going to be more subtle.” She recognized the voice of Sam Cavanaugh in her ear. “He wants to show up the security team. He doesn’t want to make himself look like an easy target.”

  “All right let’s stick to the original plan and look for anyone suspicious in the crowd.” Colby said. Lou turned off the mic but left the sound open in case anyone saw anything. Colby straightened slightly looking over her shoulder causing her to turn. Jace was approaching them and her heart picked up its pace.

  “Good evening, are you enjoying the party?” He asked them both. Not displaying recognition of either of them.

  “It’s a great party. Open bar is always a plus.” Colby grinned. Jace smiled a tight smile. Lou could tell he didn’t think Colby was joking. He turned to her and again offered a tight smile. "Would you care to dance?"

  “I’d love to.” He led her out onto the floor and her heart raced as he pulled her close. “You know he was kidding about the bar right?”

  “If you say so.”

  “We were drinking club soda, just to keep up appearances.” He didn’t respond and she fought the urge to fidget. She wondered if she had done something to annoy him and immediately hated that she even cared.

  “I didn’t think you would approach any of us, given that we are incognito and all.”

  “Sometimes it is more conspicuous to avoid.”

  “That is true I guess.” Again he was quiet and she decided to just take the plunge. “You look good in your tux, very James Bond.” He actually smiled at that.