Her Billionaire Bodyguard (Her Billionaire CEO Book 1) Read online

“I’m just foolin’,” Al said. He turned to Madison. “I think what they’d really like in the world is to hear a song from you. What do you say, young man?”

  “Heck, yeah!” he shouted.

  Cheers from the crowd erupted.

  “Got a guitar I can borrow?” Madison asked Al.

  “Oh, I can probably wrastle up one for you around here.”

  A stage hand brought a beautiful mahogany guitar. Madison cradled, then plucked a few notes to hear its beautiful sound. Madison started the chords for “Back When.” Pretty soon, Madison was singing her song and everyone was swaying to the music.

  When the last note died, Al pointed at Madison. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Madison Kay.”

  Madison’s eyes shone as she stood up to a raucous applause. Her eyes searched the crowd for Luke. To her surprise, he wasn’t sitting in the seats. Where was he? She panicked for a moment until she saw him at the stage wing.

  Oh, right, he was doing his job.

  He slow-clapped and wolf whistled, his eyes shining. For all her previous success, seeing Luke respond to her music made her feel like she finally arrived.

  ***

  “Good night,” Sally told the two as they parted ways at the vacation house foyer.

  Madison and Luke walked nearly side by side up to their second floor bedrooms. The lights had been turned down for the night, and lamps cast yellowish circles in intervals. Their footsteps sounded muffled, matching the beating of her heart. She turned self- consciously towards him. His eyes no longer had his shades for cover and his eyes drank her in.

  “Good night,” she said, touching her door knob.

  “Good night,” he murmured, backing up. His eyes were hard to read in the darkened hallway.

  She bit her lip as she watched him walk away. A far cry from those nights that last summer in high school when he couldn’t bear to let her leave him. It was always one more goodbye, one more hug, one more kiss…

  Madison entered her bedroom and shut the door. She kicked off her boots and dug her toes into the carpet with a tired but contented sigh. It had been a fun day. Chan was a hoot and she looked forward to more of his “non-practiced” activities.

  The silence in her room felt like a balm. After the crush of crowds, it felt good to just be. The only thing that would have made the night perfect would have been…a good night kiss.

  Stop it, Madison.

  She changed into a shirt and shorts, but she wasn’t quite ready for bed yet. Eying her white guitar, she plucked it off its stand and headed out the balcony door.

  The night was lovely, with the moon hanging like a huge silver orb in the sky. The air had cooled off and even had a hint of rain. Crickets whirred and owls hooted. The full moonlight illuminated the fences and horses still grazing for the night.

  She sat on a patio chair and loosely held the guitar on her lap. Her shoulder muscles relaxed. It felt good to be in her shirt and shorts, sitting like a tomboy overlooking Nashville. She started out some chords and settled for a simple combination.

  ***

  The guitar music floated into Luke’s bedroom. He hadn’t bothered to turn on his light to change for bed, and just relied on the bright moonlight. Walking to his window, he looked out. On her balcony, Madison was sitting on a chair with her guitar, looking like a golden cowgirl.

  Like Juliet. Except Romeo couldn’t make an appearance.

  A dull ache spread in his chest. How many times had he seen her in that exact same pose when they were dating? Her expression was concentrated and thoughtful. He knew that by night’s end, she’d have a song, complete with a catchy melody.

  It was hard to deny that Madison had a lot of talent. At the grand Ole Opry, he had watched her with a plummeting feeling that even if things had turned out differently, he wouldn’t have had her completely because the world needed her. It needed her spunk, her talent, her music.

  Who was he to get in the way of all that?

  Her voice carried clearly in the night:

  You and I dreamed of things, we drew them on the clouds

  Simple times, filled with love, we thought that it would last

  Those days of flitting beauty, as we laid out on the grass

  But fate had plans and you and I grew apart so fast.

  My star has since soared in the sky

  My dreams grew real from a lullaby

  I wish that I could go back

  to that sweet sweet ol’ time

  when…

  the boy was mine

  I moved away, cut my teeth on things I thought I loved

  Grew my star, went so far, as high as eagles fly

  Life’s not that simple and I send my pray’rs above

  That fate will bring us closer, you and I.

  Why can’t I go back in time?

  Why can’t the boy be mine?

  Truth is, we belong to other skies

  Our stars have since soared in the sky

  Our dreams grew real from a lullaby

  I know that I ne’er can go back

  To that sweet sweet ol’ time

  when…

  the boy was mine.

  In the darkness of his bedroom, Luke swallowed painfully. Madison. I’m still yours.

  ***

  Madison strummed the final chord, and sadness washed over her. The song summed up how she felt about Luke. She turned her face to the moon and implored it to shine some light in the darkness she felt in her heart. As though in answer to her prayer, a shooting star streaked across the darkness.

  It was a sign. She may never go back again to the past, but she could still be happy.

  Her heart lightened with hope.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Madison adjusted the strap of her canvas bag and walked out to where Luke was leaning against his Corvette. For a change, he was wearing a pair of cargo shorts and a plain white tee. She couldn’t see his eyes past his shades and felt like she was at a disadvantage.

  “You got your swimsuit and a change of clothes?” he asked.

  She patted her canvas bag.

  “Want to drive?” Luke jangled the car keys in his hand.

  Madison gaped. “Really?”

  “Sure, why not?” He grinned.

  “I don’t know where anything is around here.” But she was already checking out the car, this high-octane, red speed machine.

  “Doesn’t matter.” He shrugged. “Just stick to the highway. I’ll tell you where to go.”

  “I bet you would.” She stuck a tongue out at him. He swallowed visibly. She’d be a liar to deny that she felt it, too. A little tug of desire between them.

  “Keys are in the ignition,” he said, his voice husky.

  Madison turned away with a little nod and shook her head to clear it. She slipped into the driver’s seat, excitement running through her veins. She had to adjust the seat and the mirror, and get used to the feel of being behind the wheel.

  “I don’t get to drive much, so this is fun,” she told him.

  “I figured.” He slipped his shades on and smiled.

  With a grin, Madison turned the ignition over with the key. The sports car roared to life, and off they went, the engine bumping the hood of the car, it seemed, every time she goosed the gas pedal. “This is a car, all right,” she said, laughing.

  Madison started out conservative. There weren’t very many other cars on the road, so she added a bit more gas to it. Soon, she was skirting 80s, and the car didn’t let up one bit.

  Luke pushed a button on the dashboard and the sunroof opened up. Madison grinned at him as her hair started whirling around to follow the path of the wind.

  “This is a blast,” she shouted over the rushing noise.

  “Wanna go faster?”

  “I dunno,” she said, “do I dare?”

  For answer, Luke leaned his seat back and put his arms behind his head.

  Madison felt impish. She would show him. She eased into the 90s, watching as the dial went up by in
crements. Finally, she was hitting 100s, and the car hugged the road flawlessly.

  At the turn, she slowed just for a bit, and then realized that someone up ahead was in her lane. Their lights flashed on and off, frantic.

  For a split second, she saw the car, the brush, the slope of the mountain. There was nowhere for her to go but off-road. She turned the wheel and prayed.

  We’re dead we’re dead we’re dead

  When the car stopped just shy of a fence post, her seat belt kept Madison from bouncing right out of the car through the windshield. Dust swirled around and into the sunroof. Coughing, Madison opened one eye, and the other. Luke, she was sure, would be mad at her.

  “There was a car…in the other lane…and it was passing.” She finished lamely then snuck a glance at Luke. To her surprise, he was shaking with laughter.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “You didn’t scare me. Much.”

  “How could you stay calm in times like this?” she asked, amazed.

  “I’m used to all sorts of mayhem. This is nothing compared to what you have to deal with in the combat zone.”

  “Do you still want me to drive?”

  “Sure, if you want.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “On second thought, you drive. I’m good.”

  ***

  Luke smiled to himself. Madison had looked so cute and sheepish. Thankfully, nothing happened to the other car and his. Before getting in the car, he inspected the Corvette. Except for a few scratches from rocks on the undercarriage, it was fine.

  Relaxed back in the passenger seat, she asked, “Where are you taking me this time?”

  “Fall Creek Falls,” he said.

  “That’s a funny name.” She smiled.

  “It’s cool. You’ll see.”

  An hour later, they arrived at a trail head packed with cars and people. “It’s a popular place,” Luke said.

  “No kidding.”

  “This will take us to a bridge, then a waterfall.”

  Her eyes widened with pleasure. “That sounds cool.”

  They started hiking, with a few people doing a double-take when they saw Madison. Once a couple started asking her for autographs, others did, too.

  Luke caught Madison’s helpless expression as she politely posed and signed.

  “Excuse us,” he told everyone, maneuvering Madison ahead of him. “She needs to move on.” But still, some people lingered. He steered her to a souvenir shop and bought a baseball cap. Her eyes lit up in understanding.

  She tucked her long hair in a ponytail, and pulled down her baseball cap to hide most of her face. “Better?” she said.

  A long moment passed before he could reply. She looked so cute, spunky.

  So kissable.

  He cleared his throat. “Yup,” he said. “Much better.”

  ***

  Madison’s spine tingled at Luke’s touch. He still had his hand on the small of her back, guiding her away from the crowds and to the trail. Back at the shop, when she put on the baseball cap, she was sure he was going to kiss her.

  But of course he did no such thing. That was the deal, right?

  The sun bore down hot on them. She wished they had bought a lighter-colored hat, but at least her dress was cool and comfortable.

  “You’re the best-dressed hiker in these parts,” Luke said.

  She smiled. “I love skirts and dresses. I live for the summer.”

  “I remember.”

  She tried to ignore the fluttering in her tummy at the way his voice lowered. “You told me I was obsessed with skirts, when I wore one to help build that Habitat for Humanity house.”

  “I wasn’t complaining.”

  Was Luke Parker flirting with her? She couldn’t see past his shades. “Yes you did. You said why did I want to show off—how did you put it—my magnificent legs for all to see? I was wearing shorts under the skirt.”

  “I didn’t know that. And well…many of the guys were staring at your legs.”

  “Speak for yourself.”

  He smiled a slow smile that made her weak at the knees. “I was.”

  They came to a point where they had to go single-file. For one crazy moment, she wondered if he was staring at her legs.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Madison stole glimpses of Luke as they walked side by side on the trail. His body was taut, like a well-oiled machine, power rippling through his biceps and leg muscles.

  “What?” he said when he caught her looking.

  “I was just thinking how different you are from your dad,” she said in a quick-save.

  He winced. “Thank heavens, huh?” He kicked a pebble and watched it bounce off. “He just didn’t know how to live a better life.”

  “Funny how he outlived my dad,” she said. “Dad tried to eat right and exercise.”

  “Yeah, pretty ironic. Still better than being a drunk though.”

  They hiked in silence for the next half hour. Once in a while, Madison stopped to take a photo. It was a pretty time of year to go hiking. There were wildflowers at the edges of streams and butterflies flitting about them in dozens. Madison stopped often to pick up a stone or to smell a flower.

  A bridge loomed. It was a long suspension bridge, with railings that didn’t seem intent on keeping anyone from falling, if they really wanted to.

  Luke paid for the fee—eighteen bucks for each of them—and turned to Madison, who balked. She wasn’t a scaredy cat, but she didn’t like heights. She looked over to the side, at the gorge where the bridge hung over, and already, her vision seemed to swim.

  “Hey,” Luke said. “You okay?”

  “I’m trying to psych myself into crossing it,” she admitted.

  “Come on, it’s really cool. Don’t look down.” He gave her an encouraging smile.

  Madison took one step, then the next. It wasn’t too bad, unless she looked down, reminding her that a fall was a long ways down. Her canvas bag felt vulnerable as she hefted it over her shoulder. It seemed like its contents could spill over the bridge any moment.

  “Good job,” Luke said. “Keep going.”

  She watched his back most of the time, so she didn’t have to look down. That, or she watched the clouds scuttling across the sky.

  Suddenly, the bridge started shaking.

  Madison swayed along with it. She clutched the railing, wondering what was happening. The bridge was falling; she was going to fall into the gorge.

  The bridge attendant yelled something behind her. Clinging to the handrail with everything she had, Madison glanced over her shoulder. A group of teens was swaying the bridge. The bridge kept moving, even after the kids scuttled off it.

  Luke made his way back to her and touched her arm. He looked into her eyes. “Are you okay?”

  The sensation of swaying intensified. But it wasn’t the bridge or even the brats causing this; the tumult was happening in her heart. He had such a concerned expression on his face, and she felt like she belonged in his arms. She was suspended someplace high up, and she was falling hard for him.

  “Yes, I’m good,” she said.

  Did he feel what she felt, too? Was the tremor in his hand because he could feel this powerful emotion that could be both dangerous and exhilarating all at once?

  He pulled away, back to bodyguard mode.

  ***

  They reached a spot on the trail where Madison could hear a huge body of water rushing. At the bend, she paused, her breath catching in her throat.

  “Beautiful,” she whispered.

  The falls toppled from hundreds of feet above, into a blue-green paradise of water and rock. The water was so clear she could see the boulders that were on the creek floor. Dozens of people were swimming in the water and jumping in from ledges.

  “We’ll find a spot on the rocks for our stuff,” he said. “Then we can swim.”

  Madison picked her way gingerly down rocks hot from the sun and left her belongings just a few feet away from the water. She shed her clothes down to h
er swimsuit.

  As Luke took off his shirt, she caught a glimpse of him, her breath stilling. For one long second, she let her gaze roam over his sculpted torso, dark chest hairs, his flat stomach. A heat spread through her body and she tore her gaze away.

  Boy, was it hot, or what?

  He jumped in the water and beckoned for her to join. As her body sliced the water, she squealed at the frigid temperature, sputtering to the surface.

  “It’s c-o-o-o-l-d,” she said, her teeth chattering.

  She dove and swam close to the falls, where she and Luke huddled under its spray.

  “How about another fifteen minutes?” Luke asked. “Make it out of here in time for dinner.”

  “Okay.”

  As Madison half-swam, half-walked in the crystal clear water, the shelf she was on suddenly dropped off. Madison could swim, but the water was deep and she couldn’t feel the bottom. She panicked, her hands flailing for anything to grip.

  “Help!” she sputtered, before her head sunk back into the water. Powerful arms scooped her up, propelling her to the surface. Her nose and mouth were clogged with water but at least she was able to breathe again.

  As Luke held her to his chest, her heart slowed down, but not by much. He held her at the waist, the length of his body flush against hers. A languorous sensation pulsated through her veins. Water droplets hung from his lashes, screening his eyes that were transfixed on her mouth. Her eyes fluttered shut. Their breaths mingled, his lips grazed hers and she wanted nothing more than for him to kiss her.

  Someone cannonballed into the water, splashing the two.

  Madison gasped, while Luke recoiled. He wiped his face with his hand and gave her a crooked smile. “Careful there,” he said, letting her go and turning towards the rocks.

  She wasn’t sure if he meant the cannonballer, Madison, or themselves.

  ***

  After swimming, they sat on the rocks, dripping on their towels. She turned her face to the sun, the column of her neck lovely and graceful in the summer light. He tried to not stare at those amazing legs that always looked good regardless of what she wore. She thought he was staring at her legs, but he averted his glance.