Protecting Lulu (Global Protection Agency) (5 page)

She
shrugged. “I just like to know these things. Beside I have to reveal all my
secrets. I think it’s only fair I know a bit about you.”

Noah
shook his head marveling at her persistence. “Knowing your story means I keep
you alive. You knowing my story is a waste of time.”

She
put her cup down with barely a sound. “Then tell me why you don’t like me? Have
I done something to offend you?”

For
a second he was stunned at her bluntness. “I don’t know you.”

“Nor
do you really want to know me.”

She’d
hit that nail on the head. He didn’t want to like her. He wanted to see her as
a job and nothing else. Keeping things on a business level made everything
simple. Once the job was over, they’d go their separate ways. When they found
the person stalking her, they’d catch him, and be gone the next hour, never to
see each other again. “This is business, Ms. Bennington. I like keeping things
simple and easy.”

“You
are not eating your peach.” She raised her cup and took a sip of tea.

Even
her scolding him sounded like an invitation to …
stop going there.
He
picked up a slice and shoved it into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. He
barely tasted it, but it did earn him an indulgent smile and for a moment he
felt as if he’d slain a dragon for her.

“Why?”
she asked, her head tilted at him, a query in her sable eyes.

More
questions. “Why do you want to know?”

She
shrugged. “Occupational hazard. Wilder always tells me I’m nosy.”

On
one level he was flattered by her interest. Women like her didn’t even know men
like him existed. “No comment.”

“Just
so you know answering a question with a question isn’t going to stop me. I’ve
cracked my share of tough nuts.”

She’d
won. “Remaining detached allows me and my people to keep the focus on the job
which is keeping you safe.”

Now
she raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. “That precludes us from being on
friendly terms?”

“Are
you friends with everyone who works for you?” Noah shot back.

She
gave him a little laugh. “If I don’t like you, you don’t work for me.”

He
considered her words and realized the same was true for him. This was the first
time in his entire working life that everyone he worked with he considered a
friend. In the military a person got stuck with whoever they got stuck with. “That
works for you?”

“Yes
it does. My job is about intimacy. If I were making missile guidance systems, I’d
want the best people possible, regardless of whether I liked them or not. Making
bombs is not a chatty, friendly business. Enticing a woman to read your
magazine, watch your show, or reveal their secrets requires a certain level of
trust that is based on emotions and intimacy.”

He
ate another slice of peach and took the time to taste it. Damn if it wasn’t the
best peach he’d ever eaten. Who knew a peach this sweet could be found in the
middle of January in New York. Wealthy people even got better fruit. “I can see
that.”

“So
you need to tell me your story.” She smiled, resting her chin on her fist, and leaned
forward, a gleam of excitement in her eyes.

This
woman just didn’t quit and he didn’t know whether to be scared shitless or
admire her. “How about we trade?”

She
narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m sure you already have a big juicy file on
everything that is Lulu Bennington.”

“Most
of it,” he conceded. Now he just had to make time to read it. “Did your parents
really name you Lulu?”

“Actually
it’s Lucinda.”

Now
that was a classy, elegant name. He’d never met a Lucinda before. Not that he’d
ever met a Lulu either. “How did you get the name Lulu?”

“Wilder
stuttered as a child. He couldn’t say Lucinda. He eventually overcame his stutter,
but Lulu sort of stuck. Besides, I like it.”

He
liked Lucinda better.

“Why
do you insist on calling me Ms. Bennington?”

“That’s
how I need to think of you. Besides you call me Mr. Callahan.”

“I
get the feeling you don’t want me calling you Noah, although it’s a very good
name. Strong, honorable, noble. I think it suits you.”

He’d
never thought about his name in those terms. “Thank you.”

“I’ve
embarrassed you. Forgive me.” She reached over and covered his hand with hers,
her thumb making a little gliding gesture along the edge of his.

He
forced himself not to pull away from her. He loved the way her soft skin felt
on him. He liked the contrast of her ivory pale skin on his suntanned arm. She
unnerved him on an emotional level as well as a sexual one.

He’d
been around beautiful women before. A month ago he’d worked for some supermodel
who like to parade half nude for her workouts. She hadn’t made him twitch the
way Lulu did. Lulu Bennington was giving him an all over body ache and he
didn’t understand why. Nor did he like it. Her softness made him nervous,
unsure, and he couldn’t afford to be any of those things around her while on
the job. Otherwise she might end up dead. Noah steeled himself and willed her
to remove her hand from his. “I’m not embarrassed.”

She
smiled and stood, her hand sliding away from his. Then she grabbed the dishes and
took them to the sink. She rinsed them off and Noah kept telling himself to get
the hell out of there, but his legs just didn’t seem to be listening to his
orders. When she turned back to him and sauntered over, she bent down, her
breath caressing his ear.

“Try
as hard as you like, Noah Callahan, but I’m going to make you like me.”

Noah
turned his head and stared straight into the sweetest cleavage he’d ever had
the pleasure of seeing. His heart raced and his dick grew so hard he thought
he’d burst. He refused to let her get the better of him despite the seductive
challenge he’d been issued.

What
man in the world wouldn’t like her? Wouldn’t want her? Hell, he was hers for
the taking five seconds after she walked in her brother’s office and smiled at
him. She’d beat him already, the only challenge there might be in this little
game they’d engaged in was whether he’d let her know it or not. “You think so?”

She
gave him a husky chuckle that sent shivers down his spine. “I do.”

“Give
it your best shot, lady.” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded unsure. What
the hell was she doing to him? He hadn’t been this unnerved.

“I’m
Lulu Bennington and I always get what I want.” She sashayed to the door. She
paused, turned, and blew him a sweet little kiss.

Noah’s
hands curled into fists to stop him from leaping up, grabbing her and kissing
her. She had the kind of mouth that begged to be kissed and he wanted to do
exactly that. “We’ll see.”

“I’m
sure we will. Good night, Noah.” She sauntered out of the kitchen with a little
wave, her red silk robe swishing around her long legs.

Noah
didn’t remember to breathe until after the door closed. “Good night, Lucinda.”

He
sat for a long time before he was able to get up and leave the kitchen. This
job was going to be hell.

Lulu
thought Aiden was going to start crying. “I’m not replacing you.” She stood in
front of her desk trying not to cry herself. She didn’t know how she’d manage
without Aiden, he was her right hand man, her left hand man and every man in
between.

“But-
˗
,” Aiden wailed.

Lulu
glanced at Noah praying he’d step in to help her. His face was a mask, though
his eyes glittered with amusement. “She’s only pretending to be my personal
assistant.” Lulu kept her tone calm. “I just have to have her with me at all
times during the day. That’s her cover story. This is just temporary.”

“The
ginger,” Aiden said in reference to her red hair and fair skin, “can’t do my
job.” He turned to E.J. and said, “No offense.”

E.J.
raised a hand. “None taken. I’ve been called worse.”

Aiden
folded his arms over his narrow chest. “You can’t find ‘the Birkin’ without
me.”

He
was so right, she relied on him for so much, especially his supernatural
ability to keep track of her purse. But she needed him to be safe. “Of course
E. J. can’t do your job. You’re irreplaceable.” When all else failed with Aiden,
she went straight to flattery. He was helpless in the face of a genuine
compliment. Lulu heard Noah chuckle. “Ian is going to pose as my new boy toy
during my evenings out, so I’m protected then.”

Aiden
turned to glare at Noah. “Are you sure you can keep her safe, because I can be
very vindictive if anything happens to my Lulu.”

Noah
raised an eyebrow. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”

Aiden
raised his index finger. “See that you don’t, or you’ll have to deal with me
and it won’t be pretty.”

At
least Noah didn’t laugh. “I’m shaking in my shoes.”

Aiden
lifted his chin and puffed up. “You can probably slice me in half with a glint
of your steely blue eyes, but I’m short, Latino, and gay. That is a rage you
haven’t been taught to deal with.”

Poor
Noah looked stunned. Lulu bit back a laugh. Score one for Aiden.

 “Gay
rage may work at a shoe sale at Barney’s, but I don’t think it will stop a
bullet or scare Mr. Callahan.”

Aiden
raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

Oh,
the drama
.
Lulu went to her desk and grabbed her black crocodile bag. She opened her purse
and took out her wallet. She fished out her black American Express card and
held it out toward Aiden. “You take this and go to Bergdorf’s. When you feel
appeased, I want you to go to the cash register and use it.”

Aiden
snatched the card and tucked it in his shirt pocket. “Well, just so you know, I
can’t be bought.”

The
notion never entered her head. Really. “Of course not, sweetie.”

Aiden
smiled. “B.T.W, you’re looking stunning today, girlfriend.”

Lulu
smiled. Everything was right with Aiden’s world. Lulu posed, running a hand
over her black wool pencil dress that hugged her curves. “Thank you. Alexander
McQueen. What the fashionably stalked are wearing.”

“I
picked it out. You can’t live without me.” Aiden pouted prettily.

Her
Aiden was such a tricksy one. “Nor would I want to.” Her voice soothed him.

“I
have an idea,” E.J. spoke up. “Why don’t we say I’m Aiden’s new assistant? He
can still be around to keep you organized and no one will question me being in
the mix.”

Perfect
solution
.
Lulu smiled. She owed the ginger a debt of gratitude for figuring a way out of the
dilemma. “Fabulous, I like it. Are you alright with that, Mr. Callahan?”

He
held up his hand. “Would it matter if I wasn’t?”

“Of
course it matters.” Not really, but it sounded nice. Lulu tilted her head and
smiled. “Aiden?”

“I’m
still going to Bergdorf’s.” Aiden patted the pocket with the credit card in it.

“I
wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m going to be in the office all day so take E.J.
with you so you two can bond. Give her a few pointers.” Turning to E.J. Lulu
took in her plain, navy business suit, which was functional, but did absolutely
nothing to capture her Titianesque beauty. “While you’re at it, turn her out a
little, too.”

Aiden
clapped his hands. Give him a pretty girl to play dress up with and he was in
gay heaven.

Aiden
stroked his chin. “The Ginger in slinky black Gucci.” Aiden slipped his arm
through E.J’s. and led her to the door. “I like it.”

E.J.
stopped and glanced back at Lulu. “I’m not missing dinner with Bono?”

The
woman was a little star stuck. “Sweetie, I’ll let you sit next to him.” She
watched the two of them leave the room. Then she swiped her hand across her
forehead. “Crisis averted.”

“I
could have taken him,” Noah said, a slightly upward tilt to his lips.

“Don’t
be so sure.” Lulu raised an eyebrow. “He looks fragile, but he used to work for
Naomi Campbell.”

“So
what?” Noah grinned.

The
manly men, Lulu thought. They just didn’t get it. “That’s about the equivalent
to storming Normandy on D-Day every day of the week.” There she’d found a good
man analogy.

“She’s
a model. How tough can she be?”

“She
is as pretty as the day is long, but she’s a mixed bag of nuts. She threw a
vintage Yves St. Laurent platform shoe at Aiden in a fit of rage.”

“She
hit him?”

“He
caught the shoe, gave his notice, and stormed out of there. The next day he sold
it on EBay for five thousand dollars and came to work for me.”

“Impressive.
He’s probably going to charge several times that amount on your credit card today.
Not a very wise boss thing to do.”

Lulu
sighed. “I was worried I’d have to throw in a trip to St. Bart’s along with a
new set of luggage I’ve been saving for his birthday. Trust me I’m getting away
cheap.”