A Soldier For Bella (Love Conquers Life #4) (17 page)

I don’t know why I’m entertaining this woman with conversation, but clearly she has something to say.

“Well, from what I’m told, you demanded your own room because you’re the centerfold model,” she adds.

“You can believe what you want, but that’s not how it went down, and to be honest I don’t care what you believe. I don’t have to answer to you or any of these other models that are here today. I’ve busted my tail to get that spot. I’ve earned it.”

“Didn’t say I believed it,” she says, rolling her eyes. “I was just filling you in on what the other models are saying.”

“How long have you been a model?” I ask her.

“This is my second year,” she says timidly.

“Let me give you a word of advice. If you want to get anywhere in this business, keep your nose clean. Don’t listen to other models, and do what you have to do to be the best you can. This business is cutthroat. They will try to tell you they’re helping you and they’ll set you up for failure because the only person they care about is themselves. In the end, it’s you or them. They’re going to do what they can to make sure it’s them.”

I take the last bite of my salad and stand up with my water bottle and a yogurt. As I start heading back to my room, I look over my shoulder to see her smiling as she watches me walk away. I really hope she takes my advice. She's a pretty girl, and if she listens to me she could go far in this industry.

Jordan and Jared step up alongside me. “I’m ready to go to my room.”

They both nod and then look around as we walk to my room.

Once I’m inside, I kick up my feet and relax on my bed while I wait for Sid to make his appearance. I decide to send a quick text to Derek, and then I’m going to rest my eyes.

Bella: I have my own room and I’m relaxing in it safely. See you soon. I love you.

Derek: So glad to hear from you. I miss you and love you too.

I must have dozed off because I jump when there’s a knock on the door. Jordan is already on his way to check the peephole. “Who is it?” he asks, and I chuckle when I hear Sid answer.

“It’s Sid. Will you open the door?” Jordan looks at me and I nod, letting him know that it is, in fact, Sid. Jordan opens the door and in struts my very handsome and very openly gay hairstylist.

He looks Jordan up and down and then says, “Oh, you can frisk me if you’d like.”

“Nah, you’re good,” Jordan says, shaking his head, and Sid bursts into laughter.

I jump up to give Sid a hug.

“Hey, love! How are you?” Sid asks.

“I’m good. A bit tired, but I’m well.”

“Well, when I’m done with you, your tiredness will be our little secret because no one will ever know from looking at you,” Sid says, wiggling his brows at me.

“And that is why I love you.”

He sets up his portable chair, and I take a seat so he can get to work. We have approximately one hour until I have to be out in the main lobby, and that’s cutting it a bit closer than I typically like. While he’s setting my hair in curlers, I ask Jordan to hand me my yogurt. I quickly eat it so I won’t interfere with Sid when he applies my makeup.

Forty-five minutes later, there’s another knock on the door. Jordan again checks, and this time it’s Madeline. He opens the door for her, and she pretty much barges through.

“How are you doing?” she asks.

“She’s almost ready,” Sid says.

“Good, because the magazine people are here and they’re anxious to see her.”

“I technically have fifteen more minutes with her. Do not rush me,” Sid says, dead serious. I chuckle because Sid doesn’t hold his tongue for anyone. If Derek thinks I’m a spitfire, he should see Sid in action. The guy cracks me up.

“Actually, she should be getting in her dress right now.”

Sid stands up tall and defiantly places his hands on his hips. “Do you want to delay me more by arguing with me? Or do you want to let me work so I can give you perfection?”

“Fine, hurry up.” She starts to storm off, but she suddenly stops and speaks over her shoulder, “I’ll be letting them know you’ll be out in about twenty minutes.”

Sid waves her away, and she huffs as she walks out the door, pissed that I’m not pacing my room, ready to go.

When Sid finally finishes, I step into the bathroom to slip on my dress. My hair is curled and pinned to perfection just the way Sid promised it would be. My makeup is amazing. He gave me a smoky eye with a hint of gold to match my dress. I unzip the back of my dress and step into it. After slipping it into place, I zip up the back. The zipper only goes to just above my bum, so it’s easy enough for me to do myself.

The dress is gold with thin straps and a completely open back. The front dips down just low enough to show some cleavage but not indecently low. There’s a slit up the front that reaches my thigh. Holding my dress so I’m not dragging it on the floor, I sit on the bed and slip on my gold Louboutin shoes and then stand to look in the full length mirror one last time. Sid is standing by with lip gloss to freshen me up as I leave the room.

I take a deep breath and I turn to Jordan. “I’m ready.”

He nods and presses a button on his sleeve. “We’re leaving the room now.”

Jordan looks like quite the stud in his tux and to my surprise, when we open the door, Jared is fully dressed in a tuxedo as well. They are both wearing earwigs, and I’m not sure if it calms me or makes me more nervous.

We’re about to reach the lobby when I realize I look panicked. I take one last deep breath and plaster a smile on my face, making it look as real as I possibly can. Madeline spots me and says to someone she’s talking with, “Here she is.”

“Bella, you look stunning, darling,” Madeline says, air kissing my cheek, careful not to mess up my makeup.

“Thank you, Madeline.”

“Bella, I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Lewis. He is the owner of Maximum magazine.”

I put my hand out and he shakes it lightly. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” he says with a smile. I’m internally freaking out because I just shook hands with the owner of a huge magazine. I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous in all of my modeling career.

“The pleasure is all mine. I want to thank you for the opportunity you have afforded me.”

“Oh, but that pleasure is mine,” he says with a dirty grin. I bet the dirty bastard has been ogling over my photos. “There are many people excited to meet you tonight, so I’ll let you get to it. I hope you enjoy your evening.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lewis. I’m sure I’ll see you a bit later.” He walks away, and I’m disgusted at how his mouth was watering over me.

I turn to Jordan. “Is Derek here yet?” He nods and leads the way. As soon as I see Derek, my smile turns from fake and forced to genuine. “Hey, babe,” I say as I approach him.

“Baby, you look beautiful, as always.” He lightly kisses me on the cheek.

I hug each of his parents as they both tell me how lovely I look. His mom is looking quite stunning herself. She’s wearing a pretty floor length navy blue dress that is perfect for her.

A few minutes later, Carter and Patty walk in. I quickly say hi to them and then ask everyone if they will excuse Derek and me so we can do some mingling. I want people to get used to seeing me with Derek because he is my boyfriend and by my side is where he belongs.

“Baby, will you come greet some people with me?”

“Are you sure?” he asks, looking confused.

“Yes. People need to get used to the idea that I’m off the market.”

“You got that right.” I bite my lip at his playfulness.

Hand in hand, I introduce him to a couple of people. Wait staff walks around and hands out champagne and hot appetizers. I look behind me to find Jordan and Jared talking to another like they’re just guests, but they’re keeping an eye on us. Someone approaches Derek and me and asks me to make my way to the back for the show. Jordan and Jared quickly come to my side.

“I’ll see you after the show,” I say to Derek with a smile.

“Good luck,” Derek says, taking a seat toward the front of the small, set-up stage. Everyone begins to take their seats when they’re informed the introductions will be starting soon.

Back stage, I take deep breaths and pray that this goes smoothly because if Brian chooses now to do something, it could mean the end of my career. The show has started. I can hear the MC calling models out along with the month they will represent in the calendar. We’re not being announced in order of our months because they wanted me, the centerfold model, announced last. Jordan is backstage with me, and Jared is out front with Derek. I have no idea who else is security or police, but I know they’re everywhere.

“Bella, it’s almost time,” Jordan says. “Look at me. You will be fine. Brian doesn’t want to hurt you. He thinks he loves you.”

I nod, trying to hold on to that thought as I step up to the curtain. With one last deep breath, I plaster a smile on my face. Jordan smiles, and we hear, “Last but certainly not least we have the beautiful and very talented Bella Campbell. She is not only your Miss July, but she is also our centerfold model for the swimsuit edition of this year’s magazine. Please show her some love.”

With a huge smile on my face, I take the stage and walk down the center to the left side of the stage and then over to the right, giving everyone a chance to take their pictures. I give a few camera men a wink as they snap their photos. That’s when I spot him. He’s dressed as a waiter. I start to panic, but I remember I'm on stage and recover quickly. I continue my walk. This is my time to shine, and I don't want to give away that I saw him.

I’m standing center stage, smiling and waving as the other girls start making their way off the stage. I’m the last one off, but as soon as I get backstage, I turn to Jordan. “He’s a waiter. I saw him while I was out on stage. He was standing off to the side, drinking a glass of champagne.”

He presses the button on his sleeve. “Brian is a waiter. I repeat, Brian is a waiter.”

As we walk out from behind the stage, there’s a station where we’re supposed to stand to take pictures if people want them. I get in place in front of my station and instantly people are in line to take photos with me. Derek is on one side of me and Jordan is on the far side.

I take a picture with a gentleman who expresses that he’s a huge fan. He hands me a photo of me and asks if I'll autograph it. Of course, I accept. After handing the man his autographed picture, he thanks me and walks away.

Suddenly, a waiter approaches and offers me a glass of champagne. I catch a glare from a shiny object. I’m about to yell knife when Brian shouts, “She’s mine and you can’t have her.” Jordan acts quickly. He jumps in front of both Derek and I and tackles Brian to the ground.

We’re surrounded by security and cops in an instant. The cops handcuff Brian, but not quickly enough. Jordan took the knife in his side. There’s blood everywhere.

“Someone call 911!” I shout as I drop to his side. “Jordan, look at me.”

He looks up at me and winks in true Jordan fashion. “I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you guys.”

A sob escapes me. “Yeah, well, I didn’t want you to get hurt either.”

I look up to see my family surrounding me, happy to see I’m not hurt.

I feel like it’s taking forever for the ambulance to show, but they finally do. The EMTs quickly load Jordan onto the stretcher. As they do, he looks at me and says, “Don’t you worry about me. You can finally enjoy your night.” The EMTs run him out of there so he can be treated for his wound.

I turn to Derek. “We need to get to the hospital.”

This puts an abrupt close to the night because now the police are considering this a crime scene. I’m rushing to my room to get my stuff when Madeline stops me.

“Where are you going?”

“To the hospital to check on my security guard,” I say, totally frustrated. Where the hell does she think I’m going?

“You can’t just leave,” she says.

I smile at her. “Watch me. This place is now a crime scene. They are not going to allow the event to carry on, and the night was almost over anyway. I’m leaving.”

“Bella, if you leave, the magazine will replace you. They won't care that your photos have already been taken. They can easily do another shoot with someone else.”

“Let them, and I will put out a press release explaining their lack of sympathy for a model’s security guard who was injured protecting her at their event.” I step closer to her. “I’m leaving, and if my concern for my security guard ruins my career, so be it.”

I turn and walk toward my room with Derek and Jared in tow.

As soon as we’re in the room, Derek bursts into laughter. “Baby that was amazing. My little spitfire is back, and I love it.”

Chapter 16

Derek

It’s been two weeks since the meet and greet event that Bella took part in. Tonight we’re throwing a party at my house with all of our friends to celebrate Jordan and his dedication to keeping Bella and I safe. My parents were disappointed we had to wait so long for the party because they’d made plans to go back home last week since they’d only intended to stay as long as they had to in order to support Bella. They did go to the hospital to thank him for all he did for us. They brought him flowers and a gift certificate as a thank you gift.

Bella walks into the room and interrupts my thoughts. “What are you up to?” she asks as she wraps her arms around me from behind, pressing her cheek to the center of my back.

“I’m just getting things ready for this afternoon.” I try to look over my shoulder at her but she’s shorter than me so I can’t see her too well.

“What do we have left to do?”

“Not much. The turkey burgers are in the fridge all set to go, along with the chicken and the beef kabobs. I just finished the potato salad. We just need our friends to show.” The doorbell rings, and I add, “On that note, it would appear our first guests are here.”

She lets go of my waist and walks to the door. She opens it to find Jordan, Patty, and Carter all standing there. They all happened to arrive at the same time.

“Hey guys, come on in,” she says as I join her to greet our friends.

“How are you feeling, Jordan?” I ask him as I give him a man hug.

“Good. I can go back to the gym next week,” he says, looking excited.

“That’s awesome,” Derek says

“Yeah, I miss it,” Jordan responds.

“Jordan, I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for us,” Bella tells him as she looks down at the ground.

“Bella, you need to stop. I told you one of toughest things about being a security guard is trying to not get hurt. You guys are good people, and when you’re protecting good people you care even more,” Jordan says with a slight blush.

As we’re walking toward the back of the house to enjoy the beautiful weather, the doorbell rings again. I tell Bella I'll get it while she takes Jordan, Carter, and Patty out back. I open the door to find Richard and Sandra. I hug her and shake Richard’s hand. Before walking them to the back, I notice that Bella has gotten our guests drinks, so I offer to get Sandra and Richard one as well.

We have a huge, brand new patio table set up that’s big enough to seat ten, and there are a few other smaller matching tables spread out around the yard.

I start the grill to warm it up while we wait for our last few guests to arrive. As I’m putting the food on the grill, Bella runs in to put the food containers in the kitchen and answer the door. She walks back out with Sid, Matthew, Kelly, and Kelly’s boyfriend, Todd. Matthew and Sid are now officially in a relationship, and they seem to be getting along quite well. I’m happy for Sid because he seems to have bad luck with relationships.

We shake hands and I offer the guys a beer from the cooler, which they happily accept as they stroll off to take their seats. Everyone is hanging around the table, chatting with Jordan and asking him how he’s doing and how everything went down.

Bella tells the girls that she finally heard back from her agent and the magazine loved the shots they took from the shoot. Although they still won't show her which one they're using, they are happy with what they got. She says, “And get this, we all took extra photos. One of us will be on the cover of the magazine but again they're not telling us who it is yet.”

Patty says, “I can't believe you're just hearing now.”

Bella says, “Are you kidding? It takes a long time for them to go through that many images. It's really a killer wait for the models.”

Troy and Claire finally arrive, making our little party complete. The food is just about done so I run into the house to get what we need. When Bella sees what I’m doing, she jumps up to help me. We set our little buffet table up, and I announce the food is ready. Gradually everyone comes up to make a plate.

Everyone is squeezing in around the one table and it’s a tight fit, but no one minds. Many people praise the food as they dig in and start to eat. It makes Bella and I really happy to see our friends enjoying themselves. Sid and Kelly discuss shoots with Matthew and Todd. Jordan discusses as much as he can about his next assignment with Richard and Sandra while the rest of us discuss the fundraiser coming up.

I have an announcement so I lift my beer and stand next to Bella. “Jordan, I know you’re sick of hearing this, but we want to thank you for all you have done for us. You truly went above and beyond to ensure we were safe, so here’s to you.”

Everyone says, “Hear, hear.”

I continue. “I received word that Brian has pleaded guilty to the charges and will be out of our hair for quite a while. Jordan, you worked extremely hard and I’m sure I can speak for the entire family when I say thank you. If it weren’t for you, I may not be around to do this.”

I get down on one knee and pull the ring I bought for Bella from my back pocket.

“Bella, I know we only just moved in together a short time ago, but I mean it when I say there is no other girl for me. You’re it. Please tell me you will do me the honor of being my wife, making me the happiest man alive?”

She’s sobbing as she stares down at me from her chair. I’m nervous, so my hands are shaking and it feels like I’ve been down on my knee waiting for an answer for forever. She’s staring at me in complete shock.

Patty finally says, “Are you going to answer the man or leave him hanging?”

She gasps as she jumps up. “I’m so sorry, I am just a bit shocked. Yes, of course I will marry you. I’ve loved you for so long, and now I will spend the rest of my life showing you just how much you mean to me.”

Everyone is cheering and clapping as I stand up and slip the ring on her finger. “Baby, it didn’t take you telling me you loved me for me to know how you felt.” I smile at her as I slip my hand into her hair. “You show me every day in the things you do, and I’m sorry if you ever doubted that.” She wraps her arms around me in a huge hug.

We take our seats and the guys finish eating while the girls go crazy over her engagement ring. “It’s beautiful,” Patty gushes.

“Look at the size of that rock,” Kelly shouts.

I give her a look and say, “It’s a little over a one carat diamond and it’s set in a platinum setting.”

Bella turns to me and says, “I love the smaller stones going around the band. It’s beautiful, thank you so much.”

“Thank you for agreeing to marry me.” I lean in to kiss her on the cheek.

We’re all finished with dinner, but we’re still sitting around a dirty table when the questions start to flow about what Bella wants for a wedding. Richard and Troy harp on me about treating Bella like the queen she is. I’m not surprised because Carter went through the same thing, so of course he’s enjoying that I’m going through it as well.

The girls finally begin the process of cleaning up, simultaneously discussing the wedding. When they're finally done, they join us at the table, and Bella asks Patty to be her matron of honor. Since she’s brought it up, I ask Carter to be my best man since if it weren’t for him, I would have never met Bella. Of course they both happily accept.

It’s starting to get late, and we’ve been sitting outside talking for hours. It’s been a blast but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was happy when our friends and family started calling it a night. It’s time to celebrate my engagement with my fiancée, and that is a party for two.

We finally shut and lock the door. The house is clean and empty, so I slowly walk over to Bella with a look that tells her she’s my prey. Her smile grows because she knows what I want, and thankfully we’re on the same page. She runs up the stairs and I chase after her. As soon as we hit the top of the stairs I scoop her up, startling her. She screams.

Gently placing her on the bed, I climb on top of her and look deep into her eyes. “Bella Campbell, I love you so much and can’t wait to make you my wife.”

She giggles. “That’s good because I’m excited to become Bella Campbell-Thompson.”

My brows shoot up. “Hyphenating, are we?”

“Is that okay?”

“Baby, as long as you say, ‘I do,’ and have my last name in there, I’m fine with whatever you want.”

She bites her lip as I lower mine to hers. I kiss her slowly and softly, licking her lips as a way of asking for her to open to me. She doesn’t disappoint. Our tongues collide as she pulls at my hair. She’s trying to rush this because she wants me, but I want to take it slow. There’s nothing rushing us, and I want her to really feel me tonight.

I break our kiss. “Slow down, my love. I promise to take care of you, but I want to kiss and touch every inch of this fantastic body tonight.”

She licks her lips as I lower my lips to hers again. This time she slows it down as our tongues rub and dance with one another’s. I kiss down her jaw to her ear and then rub my tongue down the vein in her neck. Wrapping her hair around my hand, I gently pull her head to the side to give myself better access to her neck. I’m devouring her, licking her, kissing her, and nibbling on her, and she loves it. She whimpers and moans as I continue tasting her delicious skin. I lick back up her neck to her lips, where I again begin kissing her.

I pull away to sit up, pulling on her arms to take her with me. Pulling her shirt over her head, I continue kissing and nibbling at her neck while I remove her bra and toss it to the side. As soon as she lies back down I lower my mouth straight to her beautiful breasts. I take one nipple in my mouth while I play with the other, rolling it between my finger and thumb. She arches her back as she moans.

I kiss my way to her other breast and, between kisses, I tell her, “I’m. Claiming. This. Ass. Tonight.”

She’s about to say something when I bite down on her nipple. Her words become a strangled moan. I have worked my fingers into her shorts and panties, where I slip them through her folds and discover she is so damn wet already. I roll my fingers over her clit and her hips instantly start to move in rhythm with my movements.

I kiss my way down her stomach until I reach the top of her shorts. I make quick work of the button, disposing of them as quickly as I can. Wasting no time, I bury my face in her beautifully bare pussy, licking and devouring her clit. I’m hungry for her, and I want her come all over me. As I lick her clit, I take one arm and I press her legs into her chest so I have better access to her sweet pussy and tight ass. I stick two fingers deep inside her pussy to finger fuck her while I continue licking her.

She’s moaning and whimpering as she presses her legs against my arm.

I look up at her. “If you don’t stop fighting me, I’ll be forced to tie you down, baby.”

She bites her lip and nods. Now that we understand each other, I suck her clit back into my mouth but pull my finger from her pussy and slowly work them into her ass, using her own juices as lube. She’s trying hard not to fight me but she’s losing control. She’s about to explode, so I continue to work her clit, sucking on it and rolling my tongue over it. As soon as she explodes I shove both fingers deep into her ass, stretching her and working her as she explodes on my tongue.

“Fuck, Derek,” she screams out.

“Trust me, baby. Soon enough.” My fingers are still working her ass. “Relax for me.”

I blow on her clit as I lick her from her ass to her clit. She flinches, and I love it. I do it again, but this time I continue licking her clit, demanding another orgasm from her. My fingers are working in a scissor motion. I want to stretch her good because she’s getting it in both holes tonight. We’ve been working up to this for a while, and she’s ready.

“Yes, Derek,” she moans. Each time I’ve worked her ass she’s had some killer orgasms. I know she’s going to love feeling my cock buried inside her.

She’s already on the verge of another orgasm, so I let go of her legs, but like a good girl she holds them in place. My thumb goes to her clit, and I bury my tongue deep inside her hole. She’s on sensory overload when suddenly she screams my name as another orgasm rips through her body.

She’s panting when I finally pull away from her pussy with her juices glistening my lips and chin.

“Are you ready?” I ask her as I pull my fingers from her beautiful ass.

She nods at me, so I quickly flip her over, grab her hips, and pull her up so her ass is in the air. I take the lube from the nightstand and rub it all over my cock with one hand and her ass with the other. Placing the tip of my cock at her puckering hole, I slowly push my way through her tight ring.

“Give it to me, Derek,” she yells at me.

I slap her on the ass. “Calm down, I don’t want to hurt you,” I growl.

“You won’t. Please, just give it to me.” She’s panting as I push myself deeper inside of her, working her clit with my finger. “Yes, babe, give me more,” she says, so I slam my full length deep inside her ass and pause for a moment so she can adjust to my size.