Protecting Lulu

By J.M. Jeffries

Lulu Bennington, a tall, curvy plus-sized woman has it all—brains, beauty, billions and the latest celebrity accessory—her own celebrity stalker. When her brother hires a security firm, Noah Callahan comes into her life.

Noah Callahan is a dangerous man, exactly the kind of man Lulu avoids.

Noah accepts the job of keeping Lulu Bennington alive, thinking it’s just a job. But Lulu isn’t a job, she’s a force of nature who pops his safe little bubble and completely turns his world upside down.

As the two dance around their attraction to each other, the threats escalate. More than her life is at stake as she find the dangerous Noah barging into her heart.

Noah has never met a woman like Lulu. As his investigation leads him through the complexities of her life, he discovers that love is finally within his grasp.

Noah and Lulu will rock each other’s world as they fall deeper in love and realize life is precious and meant to be lived.

Protecting Luly by the award-winning duo
J.M. Jeffries

• Language: English
• Publisher: Parker Publishing
• Release date: May 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781619796898

J.M. Jeffries

J.M. Jeffries is the collaboration between two women who are lifelong romance-aholics. Jacqueline Hamilton grew up believing that life should always have a happy ending. An almost lawyer, Jackie decided to chuck it all, live her dream and become a writer. Miriam Pace grew up believing in fairy tales and happy endings. With her Prince Charming, she had two amazing children and is now reading fairy tales to her grandchildren.

Book preview

Protecting Lulu

By

J.M. Jeffries

Smashwords edition

Silver Stiletto Books

Copyright © 2013 by Miriam Pace and Jacqueline Hamilton

All rights reserved. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, locations, events and incidents (in either a contemporary and/or historical setting) are products of the author’s imagination and are being used in an imaginative manner as a part of this work of fiction.  Any resemblance to actual events, locations, settings, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ISBN:  978-1-61979-689-8 (ebook)

Smashwords Edition

Manufactured in the United States of America

Cover Design by Miriam Pace

Chapter One

Noah Callahan could barely keep his eyes open . He’d spent the last week in Mexico extracting a witness who had the spine to testify against a Mexican drug cartel. After a nearly sleepless week and twelve hours on a plane he was beat. Back in the day, he’d have hopped off the plane, found a cold beer, a hot blonde and called himself done. Not anymore. Even though he was only thirty-six, at the moment he felt ninety-six. He wanted nothing more than to sink into the comfortable black leather sofa against the wall and sleep for twenty-four hours, except Harrison had dragged him out of the terminal and into this meeting with a possible client before Noah had a chance to blink.

Wilder Bennington was a tall, lean, dark haired man wearing a slate gray ten thousand dollar suit that fit him to perfection, like the old world elegance of his office. Dark wood paneling covered the walls. A carpet deep enough to mask any sound stretched from wall to wall. The mahogany desk sat perpendicular to the windows so Bennington could enjoy the view. A sitting area at the other end of the large office contained large over-stuffed chairs in cream leather and two sofas in black leather. This was the room of a powerful man. A man who was comfortable with his power

The view out the window was prime Times Square real estate. Wilder Bennington had money and influence to go with his power. The background check Harrison had compiled and Noah had read in the car on the way here had done nothing to prepare him for the man in person. Even though he knew as much as Harrison could find out about Bennington and his sister, Lulu, Noah was still impressed.

I thought there would be more of you. Bennington frowned.

I asked your assistant to put our team in the conference room while Harrison and I talked to you first.

To decide if you wanted to take the job or not?

This guy didn’t pull his punches. Noah respected that. Something along those lines.

Bennington tilted his head to the side.  I’m not here to audition for you.

We understand that, Mr. Bennington. Harrison’s eyebrows rose. Why hire us? You have your own security team.

Bennington pinched the bridge of his nose. My sister is not taking the threats seriously. Every suggestion from my security team has been turned aside or simply ignored.

Being ex-Delta Force had taught Noah to read people quickly, a man’s survival depended on it. Bennington was a man used to getting his way. The fact that he wanted to hire Global Protective Agency meant things were going sideways in a way Bennington couldn’t control. How so?

The man’s jaw clenched. Lulu refuses to believe anyone would dislike her enough to want to kill her.

A lot of people find it hard to believe someone wants to kill them. Noah didn’t want to look a gift paycheck in the mouth but did he want to take a puff job? He didn’t need a New York society babe conjuring up fake threats just so she could run around New York with a gang of bodyguards in tow like little purse dogs. But then again, as a fairly new company Noah needed the money and doing a job for media tycoon Bennington would go a long way toward cementing his company’s reputation. Except if they were just spinning their wheels babysitting for some poor, little rich girl.

Dave Larkins recommended you. Bennington flexed his hands at his side.

I’ve met Dave Larkins. He’s good at what he does. Larkins, Bennington’s head of security, was a hard ass, ex-army ranger Noah had run into a couple of times in the Sandbox. The man had a rep for handling his business.

He is, or he wouldn’t be working for me.

This guy was wound really tight. I see.

Bennington’s eyes narrowed betraying a deeper level of tension. Dave’s a good man, but Lulu introduced him to his wife and is also his son’s godmother. She can get him to do whatever she wants. I need someone who won’t cave in to my sister’s ability to wrap people around her little finger.

She sounds stubborn. The background check had given Noah facts about these people, but not who they really were. His sense of caution deepened. He wanted to say not interested, but instead folded his arms over his chest and studied Bennington waiting. Why not let the police handle this situation?

Noah doubted the police would do much of anything except take a report. The department was under-staffed and over-worked and the current political climate was determined to down-size them even more.

Bennington let out a long breath. You don’t read my newspaper do you?

I don’t. Noah was a Times man. Not that there was anything wrong with Bennington Media’s many newspapers, Noah just liked the predictability of the Times.

Bennington stole a glance at his watch. I’m not a fan of the new Police Commissioner. I’ve been very vocal about it.

As far as Noah was concerned, a guy who owned one of the biggest media corporations could talk all the shit he wanted about whoever he wanted.  From what he heard from his contacts in the NYPD, not many of the rank and file cops were fans either.

Bennington closed his eyes. I’m not risking my sister’s life on the personal vendetta of an idiot.

Hell, Noah didn’t trust that man to find his shoes much less stop a crime.

Noah considered all his options one more time. When do we meet your sister? That should give him more of a clue as to whether he’d accept the assignment or not.

Bennington checked his gold Patek Philippe watch again. She should be here any time now.

Translation, the princess is taking her sweet time, Noah thought. He’d bet the twenties in his wallet, the sister would be at least another half an hour.

Bennington glanced at the open double doors into the reception area beyond. His face suddenly looked pinched and worried. While we’re waiting for her, I’d like to meet the rest of your team.

I’ll get them, Harrison said and walked out of the office.

Fratricide. Lulu Bennington pushed open the double doors of the studio where her talk show was filmed. She marched across the marble foyer to the elevator. She tapped manicured nails on her silk clad thigh as the elevator doors opened in front of her and she stepped inside with Aiden Montez, her personal assistant. How could her brother do this to her? Treat her as though…as though…. She was going to murder him. She didn’t want a bodyguard. She didn’t need a bodyguard.  She could take care of herself.

Aiden slid his key card through the security channel that would take them directly to the penthouse floor where her brother’s office was located. The elevator doors closed with a whisper and it automatically began to rise. The digital numbers on the panel flashed as she counted her way upward. I’m going to kill him.  She looked up at the security camera, the one anomaly in the elegant, old world styled elevator. I’m going to kill you, Wilder. No answer. She didn’t expect one, she just needed to vent before she faced her brother. I don’t need protection.

Aiden gave a dramatic sigh. Diva, rein it in. You’re giving me a headache.

Lulu gave a heavy sigh. In the brass paneling she could see her face taut with tension, her shoulders stiff with irritation. Though she did take a moment to assess the way her peacock blue, silk skirt and matching blouse clung to her curves. Lanvin always treated her right. Well dressed and ready for combat, she lifted her chin and dared her reflection to look like anything other than the person she already was—a woman in charge of her life. Kill him, kill him, kill him, she thought in a cyclic mantra as she tucked a wayward strand of black hair behind one ear.

She gazed at herself dispassionately wondering if she did give in to her desires how she’d keep the blood off her dress. Dry cleaning was expensive. She’d brought Aiden along, just in case she really lost her mind and hit her brother over the head with one of the statues in his office. He stop her or least help her hide the body. He ordered me to his office as if I were his minion.

Aiden shrugged. That’s his style. Aiden studied his own reflection in the brass panels. He leaned forward and fluffed his hair. Bless his heart, he gave her a run for her money. Next to her, Aiden was the vainest person she knew. She loved him for it.

Wilder is being dramatic. I can’t think of a single soul in my life that I’ve angered to the point where they want to harm me. She didn’t think the driver of the car that almost ran her down even saw her.  The letters, though, were a different story. There had been something so personal in the threats that Lulu almost shivered at the memory of reading them. But then again she got crazy letters all the time. It was the price of being in the public eye.

Aiden stroked the pencil thin mustache adorning his upper lip. "Since Luscious became the number one fashion magazine on the planet, I suspect every fashion editor in Paris, London, Tokyo, Milan and New York is on the list of people who want to kill you."

Luscious was Lulu’s fashion magazine. Since Lulu had spent seven years prowling the catwalks, she knew how bitter fashion girls could get. She might understand the ire of the fashion industry if Luscious were like most other fashion magazines, but it wasn’t since it catered to plus size women like she was now. Models for her magazine had to be at least a size twelve to get on the pages.

Luscious sold glamour and style to the average sized woman. Lulu wrote many of the articles herself telling women to love themselves and not be what the fashion industry thought they should be. Women needed to be happy about who they were. The fashion industry spent a lot of money selling unattainable fantasies and telling women they couldn’t be anything unless they were skin and bones.

If all those fashion people wanted to get rid of me, they should poison my cheesecake and not try to run me over. Or send her ridiculously silly letters with the words cut out from magazine letters spelling out her demise. How childish was that?

I’d rather be run over. Aiden snickered.

Lulu grinned. Nobody messed with her cheesecake. I’m trying to find my inner calm here. I don’t need some big, burly, knuckle-dragging Neanderthal bodyguard following me around, prying into my life and judging me.

Speak for yourself, Aiden quipped. My end of the dating pool has been dry lately.

Lulu giggled. Aiden always knew how to cheer her up. I’m glad you came. You keep me sane.

You brought me to keep you out of jail, Aiden said with a matching giggle. Just play along and make Wilder happy.

Lulu closed her eyes. Aiden was right. She would do what Wilder asked, because life was easier when he was happy. Normally her brother was an enlightened despot who had her best interests at heart, but since the car incident, he’d gone into tyrannical dictator mode.

She knew why Wilder was frantic to keep her safe. Twenty-two years ago their parents had been murdered at their family estate in France in what everyone assumed was a botched kidnap attempt. Lulu and Wilder had barely escaped. The assailants had never been found or brought to justice and a part of Wilder still lived in the fear they would return to finish the job.

A second before they reached the penthouse floor, Lulu pushed the stop button the elevator. How do I look?

Aiden took off his glasses, twirling them around as he studied her. What are you going for?

What did she need to be in order to get through this meeting as quickly and as painlessly as possible? Cooperative comes to mind.

Aiden laughed. So not happening.

Lulu closed her eyes and tried to think of something pleasant like beautiful Dutch men running naked through the garden or a new pair of Brian Atwood shoes.

Wipe the look of disdain off your face, Aiden waved his finger over his forehead. You’re doing that crinkle thing with your eyebrows.

I’m trying.

Aiden cringed. You look like you’re having a fit. Careful or you’ll get a wrinkle.

God forbid. Lulu took a moment to focus. She took several deep breaths and relaxed her facial muscles. How do I look now?

Aiden squinted at her. Hair magnificent. Make-up flawless. He reached up and unbuttoned the top two buttons of her blouse. As always the girls are at their awe-inspiring best.  

The type of men Wilder hired are trained not to be inspired. He would only get the best and that probably meant they were all ex-FBI or CIA or some other alphabet agency with absolutely no sense of humor.

Aiden put his glasses back on. I’m a gay man and the girls inspire me.

You just want them for yourself. She started to button her blouse back up. Today she wanted to ooze self-confidence, not sell sex.

Aiden pulled her fingers away from her dress. Oh darling, it is a universal truth that all men, be they gay or straight, love boobs. Straight boys think of sex and gay boys think about food, or what blouse would make them look their best.

Lulu laughed. I’m giving you that one.  Her hand strayed back to her buttons, but Aiden slapped it away. She pressed the elevator button and they finished their journey to the top floor. Seconds later the doors opened to a reception area decorated in muted grays with a gold sofa and matching chairs. Sylvia, Wilder’s assistant was sitting at her round desk gazing at the computer screen to the other side.

Behind the woman, the double doors to Wilder’s office stood open and Lulu could see her brother speaking to a man who just about took Lulu’s breath away. He was tall, taller than Wilder who stood an even six foot three.

Your brother is waiting, Lulu, Sylvia said. Go right on in.

Lulu swallowed another spurt of irritation. Thank you, sweetie.

As she and Aiden stepped into the large office, she stopped short. A number of very impressive examples of manhood stood around the office. She bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering. Oh my.

Aiden leaned toward her. Lulu, your brother is having a man buffet, he whispered

Lulu couldn’t agree more. She tried not to sigh at the sight of so many men and the one lone woman who stood off a little by herself.

If I knew the boy candy was going to show up, Aiden continued. I’d have tried to kill you myself.

I think I would have let you. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all. The day was looking brighter and if it continued to improve, she might let Wilder off the hook for his arrogant summoning. After she made a trip to Cartier on his dime, of course.

Noah turned at the sound of voices in the doorway and found a beautiful, dark-haired woman standing in the doorway with a sly do me smile on her lips. Noah’s mouth fell open as he gazed at her. She was six feet of curves, elegance, and the kind of beauty that sank ships. He closed his mouth with a snap and glanced at Harrison to see if he’d noticed Noah’s lapse. Harrison hadn’t. In fact, he was staring glassy-eyed at the gorgeous woman entering the office with the same awed intensity as Noah.

Hello boys, she said in a low seductive, smoky voice that reminded Noah of aged malt whiskey and sent hot shivers down his spine.

She was curvy in all the right places and the blue skirt and blouse she wore accentuated every one of those stunning curves. Long black hair with was piled on top of her head and wispy tendrils framed her face. She looked like she just rolled out of bed and not alone. Startling sable brown eyes seemed to stare right into Noah’s soul.

She grinned revealing the sexiest, whitest teeth Noah had ever seen. She walked toward him, hips swaying to some hot little beat. Hi, I’m Lulu.

With those three words, Noah’s resolve to turn the job down crashed and burned. He glanced at Wilder and saw the man cough to cover a look of amusement in his bland eyes.

Noah liked his women blonde and athletic, but Lulu with her seductive lips and sexy walk brought a whole new kind of want to Noah’s suddenly stretched nerves. Tall, with killer curves wrapped in flawless ivory skin, she was the kind of woman who adorned pin-up posters in the 1940s and 50s. Those pouty ruby red lips looked like they were made for all kinds of sin. Angelina Jolie eat your heart out.

Noah’s palms started to sweat.

She walked passed Noah to her brother and kissed him on the cheek. Sorry I’m late, the show ran a bit over.

Show, Noah thought. He ran through what he knew about her. She was a mogul in her own right with a magazine and a talk show. The facts kept jumbling in his mind, his thoughts kept skittering away while he studied her. Focus, man, focus.

Bennington gave his sister an indulgent smile. For you, this is early.

Noah observed the interaction between the two. Even he could see they were tight. That worked to his team’s advantage. They looked a lot alike with their dark hair and dark eyes. They carried themselves well. She was breathtaking in soft seductive way that screamed all woman while the brother was stiff and uptight.

Introduce me, sweetie. Lulu twined her arm around her brother’s. She glanced around the room, her gaze lingering for a moment on Noah. I’m assuming I will be spending a lot of time with these people.

Noah’s mind went blank. While he groped for a comment to make, Harrison took the initiative and stuck out his hand. Harrison Bain, ma’am.

Lulu. She smiled at Harrison, her eyes moving from his brown skinned face, down his toned body and then back up again.

Noah felt as though he were melting. He wanted to touch her; he wanted to thread his fingers through her hair. He wanted…he wanted … oh hell no, don’t go there.

How do you do? Harrison gazed down at Lulu with her hand clenched in his.

Very well, thank you. She studied him. Are you by any chance related to Debra Bain at the district attorney’s office?

Harrison grinned happily. She’s my wife.

Lulu smiled widened. I adore her. We’ve done several fund raisers together. Please, tell her I said hello.

Of course.

Dante held out his hand. Dante Jimenez.

She shook his hand and gave him her dazzling smile. Texas?

Yes ma’am.

Noah could see the big Latino was already smitten with her and generally Dante was immune to charm. The former West Point grad was folding like an old lawn chair.

Lulu shook her finger at him. You’re not a Cowboy’s fan are you?

Dante shook his dark head. Never heard of them.

Good answer, she said with a throaty laugh. You Texas boys are always so polite.

She was flirting with them. In two seconds, she’d charmed them all and would be leading them around by their noses. Noah was going to have nip this shit in the bud real quick, or they’d have a client who’d be dead in a week. That was not good for business.

Roman Baptiste, Roman said quietly as she shook his hand. His blond hair flopped over his forehead as he looked down. Lulu was tall, but Roman was six five in his bare feet with muscles on his muscles. He could bench press an elephant.

Lulu rattled off something in French too fast for Noah to catch it. His French was adequate enough to get around, but he wasn’t fluent. Roman smiled. In all the years since Noah had met him on a joint French-American exercise in Iraq, Roman had rarely smiled. Noah wasn’t sure who was more shocked, him or Roman.

Lulu winked at Roman with a saucy tilt to her head and the former French commando actually blushed like an adolescent school boy. They were in trouble.

E. J., the lone woman in Noah’s employ, stepped forward with a grin.  E. J. Wexler. I’m pleased to meet you.

E. J. was nice to look at. She cleaned up pretty good too, from her deep red hair to her pale baby face.

Lulu’s eyebrows rose. How did you .get into the boy’s club?

E.J. being the straight shooter she was, told the truth. They needed a thief. E. J. slanted a glance at Noah with a hint of pride in her eyes.

E. J. used to be one of the best in the business. They didn’t call her The Snake for nothing. She could get in and out of spaces that made Noah cringe.

Impressive. Lulu leaned forward. We’re going to have some serious girl talk.

E. J. nodded. I’d be happy to have some serious girl talk with you. I don’t get that chance too often.

Noah couldn’t help but admire Lulu. She flirted with women just as easily as men. Shit, Lulu Bennington was lethal. Who could dislike her enough to want her dead?

Gideon Lazlo. Gideon stepped forward. Built like a soccer player, he was slim and lithe; the dark haired, retired CIA mechanic was the perfect edition to the team.

Noah had met Gideon in Afghanistan while both had been hunting terrorists and he had seemed a logical addition to Noah’s staff besides bringing some valuable training to the table.

What do you do? Lulu asked.

I can neither confirm nor deny what I do, he grinned.  It’s not like he could bring up ‘I was a hired gun on the government payroll’. That didn’t make for polite chit chat.

She giggled in the most charming manner. This is rather exciting.

Gideon shook his head. Ms. Bennington, we don’t like excitement.

She gave him a small pout. I’ll see what I can do about that. She turned to Ian Richardson. We’ve met.  Ian Richardson, or should I say Lord Chattsworth? She held out her hand.

Ian bent over and kissed her fingertips. I’m in America now; titles are for when I’m back in England playing the Earl. Who could forget you? Ten years ago, wasn’t it?

Suave English bastard, Noah thought, a spurt of envy hitting him. Ian was one of best agents MI-6 ever produced, because no one would think a titled English playboy had what it took to be a spy. Ian could have shown James Bond a thing or two. Never at a loss for words, always polite, and the kind of man ladies fought over.

Lulu’s eyes lit up. London at the Vivienne Westwood fall show.

I remember as though it were yesterday, Ian half purred. You wore the black wedding gown at the end of the show and brought down the house. I’m honored you remember me.

Lulu laughed. I never forget tall, blond, and titled. What are you doing here?

Aiding a damsel in distress, he said.

Oh for Christ’s sake, Noah almost grabbed Ian to pull him away from Lulu. Ian could turn on the bullshit and now everyone was knee deep in it. All they needed was for these two to be swapping crap for the next couple of weeks or however long it took to catch her stalker.

Noah closed his eyes, working to contain his irritation.

Lulu turned to Noah and he felt the urge to flee. Already he could tell this woman was a force to be reckoned with and Bennington was afraid that one minute with this over-powering woman would send Noah running for the hills. Noah was made of sterner stuff than that, but still he’d felt the urge to get away from her as much as he wanted to kiss her. What the hell was wrong with him?

Noah forced himself not to walk out the room.  All