Authors: Jecca Bartlett
Forbidden Knight
Your dedication here.
CHAPTER ONE
Chapter
Life as a celebrity minder had its perks, but damn few of them. Mostly it was a grind. Babysitting for grown-ups, men and women who should know better than to -- whatever their poison was-- drinking, drugging, staying up all night, missing meetings, and generally behaving like four-year-olds after too much red cough syrup.
In fact, some of them actually were on too much cough syrup. It had been another long day trailing the lead singer in a teenage boy band, but that gig was over as of today, his concert tour was over and she could move on.
Not before she talked to Greg, she missed her fiancé so much.
Clicking around on her desktop Eva opened the video chat app. She missed Greg so much, but she hated to bother him. It had been most of a week since they had spoken, though. This long distance relationship stuff was for the birds. She had never believed in it anyway, but Greg insisted they give it a try. She was almost always on the road, and so was he, which sucked.
Weird how she wasn't hearing from him, although she knew he did get pretty wrapped up in his work.
She dithered for a few minutes before clicking on Greg's number. If he was busy he wouldn't answer, she thought as she slipped the earpiece in and adjusted her mic. And who could fault her for wanting to say 'hi'? He was weird about work, sometimes he would get super annoyed when she reached out and he thought she was being clingy so...oh what the hell.
As the app connected she watched the screen flicker and then suddenly the display opened and there he was. But she wasn't looking at his face. What was that...? His butt? It was out of focus because he, or well, his butt, was so close to the camera. She could hear shuffling and muted sounds in the background as the screen came to life.
Yeah, totally his butt. It was bigger than she remembered. Had he been chowing at McDonald's again? Of course this wasn't an angle that she was used to, so maybe it looked better when it wasn't so close? Yeah, definitely not the close-up anyone wanted.
And he needed to get back to the waxer. She grinned to herself thinking he didn't know his butt was being broadcast.
"Hello?" she said into her microphone. "Hello?"
It was obvious he couldn't hear her and since his back, er, butt was to the screen her face on the computer wouldn't be getting his attention. She was just about to click away when he shifted and the camera focused on something several feet away. Something blond. And curvy. And naked.
Whatever the hell? Eva peered intently at the screen as her heart sped up, then dropped straight into her stomach. It was Greg alright, and his assistant, Nancy. Eva had her own pet name for her,
she called her Trampy Nancy. Nancy's favorite color was anything tight. The woman didn't own a single piece of clothing that failed to reveal every curve and her ample cleavage. And look! Here she was living up to her nickname.
Sometimes it was hell to be right. Jesus Christ, how trite. Fucking his secretary while he's out of town. It would have been less insulting if he'd used some imagination at least. Hired an escort maybe? Taken the bartender to his room after closing, screwed the maid? But his secretary? No imagination at all.
Greg must have thought he was dismissing the call since he was, uh, busy, but he had answered it instead. Great, just what Eva needed to hear. And see.
Eva watched in horror as her fiancé crawled up the mattress and began kissing his way up Trampy Nancy's body. Her mind began to race trying to make sense out of what she was seeing. Every thought she had started with the words, 'but what if...'and ended with the certain knowledge that he was a cheating pig.
"Greg!! Hello?! Hello?" she called into the mic, but he was apparently deafened by lust as he kept at his task, ending at his assistant's face and kissing her dramatically. Nancy giggled and reached her hand around to smooth it on his ass, and when she did she froze as she peeked over his shoulder.
"Greg!" she hissed. "It's on!"
"You bet it's on baby, ready for round three?"
Round three, Eva thought, holy shit! No wonder he's always so tired. She tried to recall if there had ever been a round three with Greg. Nope, she could only ever think of two rounds, or more like one and a half.
"No, Greg, the computer camera, it's on!"
Greg turned and looked in horror at the little blinking computer camera, and just as he did Eva came to her senses and snapped a series of stills. She kept snapping as he lunged for the computer and his face appeared huge on the screen. He fumbled with the microphone.
"Eva, Eva, are you there? I can exp..." She clicked on the chat app and her screen went dark.
**************************************************************
Eva entered the brightly lit arena and showed an usher her ticket. Stepping carefully he led her down toward the ice to a seat right by the Plexiglas. It was cooler down there and she drew her down coat tighter around her shoulders. The icy air was sharp in her nostrils, and the distinct smell of the arena reminded her of her childhood time spent in the rink at home.
Strobes and spotlights were swirling overhead and the seats were filling up. Tonight's game was an exhibition game, to keep the teams sharp as they headed into the playoffs. Right now the CoyWolves were first in the league. The energy of the crowd was barely contained, charging the arena with an electric current that was palpable.
Removing her gloves Eva took out a notebook and pen, prepared to take notes on the game and the one player she was there to see.
Suddenly the arena went dark and the lights played on the surface of the ice. A booming voice welcomed them to the game and thanked the sponsors. Then all the lights went out. A single spotlight focused on the doorway where the players would enter the rink. Emerging from the shadows, in full gear, minus his helmet, a lone player approached the ice then stroked powerfully to the center.
The light played on him, catching his golden blond hair; he was easily 6 and a half feet tall, quite tall for hockey. Broad shouldered and muscular, Eva could see, even with his gear on just how powerful he was. Raising an arm to the crowd as the announcer said, Justuuuuuus Kniiiight...he smiled and the crowd went wild, stomping their feet, clapping, whistling, cheering. Eva's worst fears were realized when she saw for sure that she knew him from another life. There had been the smallest chance, she had convinced herself that it wasn't the same Justus Knight the hockey player, but it was. Of course.
Oh well, she shook her head, she had to do this job. Needed to work, needed the money, needed to keep her head on straight. This would be a challenge. He would be a challenge. He always had been.
She glanced at him again on the ice, surrounded now by his teammates.
He was a born leader, and people were magnetically drawn to him, just as they had always been. As she had always been.
Eva took notes the entire time she watched him play, she knew that she would not ever see him relatively unguarded ever again, for after tomorrow, she would be his fiancée, and he, her reluctant groom.
**************************************************************
His fake fiancée, her boss, Colette, amended. She was explaining the latest gig to her. Eva didn't want a gig. She wanted, no needed, a vacation. A long one. Alone, in her RV, just her and the open road. Far away from Greg and anyone who knew him, or anyone who knew them together. Couple friends were the worst.
And far away from Justus Knight too. But instead she felt like she was streaking toward him, like a comet. And the crash could prove to be a catastrophe. She was going to have to make sure that it wasn't. She would be professional, aloof even. That was it. Aloof.
She ignored the little voice in her head that told her there was no way she could be aloof where he was concerned. No way.
Eva knew this gig would be particularly complicated. Not that she was willing to share that with her boss right now. But things definitely had the potential to spin apart like a cyclone.
Her boss, however, had big plans.
"How much money do you need to take 6 months off?" Colette asked.
Eva blinked, "Six months? Um, a lot of money?" She did some quick calculations, well, maybe not that much, if she lived in the RV. "Actually, maybe not all that much, I mean, it's doable. What are you thinking?"
"I think we can come to an agreement then. This job will be worth every penny you'll earn in the next 4 weeks, and then you can take your extended road trip. I'll even have my brother rehab that damn RV for you while you're traveling with your new beau. My brother owes me a favor. "
Eva wanted to say no, wished she could say no. She knew that Colette, kind of had her. Since she had walked out on Greg, it was his house after all, she had been staying with her mom. And that... wouldn't last. She needed the RV rehabbed sooner rather than later so she could move out and move on.
Colette slid a sheet of paper with a number written on it toward her, and smiled. Half a year on the road would be amazing, and this would definitely cover it. Just last night Eva had revised her list of places she wanted to see and friends she wanted to visit.
They had been going to do this together, she and Greg, but now she was glad she hadn't been able to rehab the RV yet. He would have put his imprint on it for sure, and now it could be her refuge, cozy and warm and as retro as she damn well pleased.
In spite of the lure of six months off, and her RV being rehabbed, she wasn't sure she could stand one more assignment, with, of all things, a hockey player. Especially this hockey player.
Sports made her eyes glaze over. Justus, however, did not. He was a problem in too many ways to count.
"Look Colette, I really don't want this job. You promised something slower, and low key, until my vacation. Then I'll be back refreshed, and, you know, maybe even cheerful!"
Colette glanced at Eva over the rims of her granny glasses and squinted at her, barking in her gravelly voice, "You? Cheerful? After just two weeks? I don't think so doll."
Colette continued, "You and I both know that you aren't going to be cheerful until you get a lot longer than
two lousy weeks off. I'm giving you the chance of a lifetime here."
"We'll fix the RV, have it ready and waiting, and when your 4 weeks is up, you'll get 6 months, paid, on me! You can stay at the beach, or in the mountains, or hide in some downtown parking lot and mingle with the street urchins. I don't care," she said as she waved her hands theatrically, her bracelets clanking.
Eva sighed and ran her hands through her hair. Colette had her, and she knew it. Even if she worked a straight job instead of Mr. Hot and Sexy hockey, who was sure to be a challenge, she would only get two weeks off. Fixing up her RV for her was a huge bonus, because getting repairs and retrofits done was a headache, and time consuming. With this job though, she'd be on the road with Justus as his newly minted fiancée, and would travel and stay with him. Problem solved! Except she really didn't want this damn job.
"I don't want it. He's going to be a headache, I can feel it." And all the baggage that comes with it, she thought but didn't say. She knew she wasn't being 100% honest, but this wasn't the time. Eva couldn't admit she knew him. And knew him well.
"No, no, he's fine. I mean, he parties hard, yeah, but he always shows up for work. It's the insurance company, not the team who wants us on the job." She peered over her glasses again, "Wants you on the job."
"They asked for me?"
"Yeah, they did. Trailing that starlet all over Europe pretending to be her bestie and keeping her from violating her parole has made you a bit of a superstar among agents and managers, kid!"
Eva rolled her eyes, "Yeah, that's what I need to be famous for. Keeping bratty rich kids from behaving like...bratty rich kids."
"Everyone gets their 15 minutes, and I can think of worse things to get famous for. Believe me."
"Ok, say I accept your terms, which I totally haven't yet," she said giving Colette her best side eye. "What's the deal?"
Colette paced as she talked, her wild red hair bouncing as if for emphasis. "Like I said, he is a party boy, but on the ice he's all hockey all the time. Serious, insightful, a master of the game." She whirled to face Eva,
"But, playoffs are looming, the team is getting antsy and a lot is riding on his shoulders. The insurance company is worried the pressure will get to him. And if the stress shows in the form of drinking and clubbing and random women with stories to tell to the tabloids, well, then the team risks losing and that, my dear, would be a very expensive problem."