Lori Foster - Bodyguard

Frog was standing at the pool table with his mouth hanging open, and Judd had to remind him it was his shot.

“No more for me,” Frog said. “I’m done.”

And in the next instant, Clayton was there, slapping Frog on the back and smiling. “So, what do you have for me, Frog?”

Frog pulled money out of his pocket, looking decidedly uncomfortable, and handed the bills to Clayton. As he counted, Clayton continued to smile, and then he asked, “That’s it?”

Frog shifted his feet, glancing up at Judd and then away again. “I lost some of it.”

“Is that so?”

Judd carefully laid his pool cue on the table then faced Clayton with a smile. He couldn’t have asked for a better setup. “It seems I was having a lucky morning.” His smile turned deliberately mocking, and he flicked his own stack of bills.

Again, Mick started forward, clearly unwilling to overlook such an insult to Clayton, and this time Jonesie was with him. But again, Clayton raised a hand. “Let’s not be hasty.” And to Judd, he said, “I’d like to meet the man who just took two hundred dollars of my money.”

Judd heard Emily gasp, but he ignored her surprise. “Your money? Now, how can that be, when Frog told me he’d won that money last night shooting pool? And now that I’ve won it, I’d say it’s my money.”

Clayton lost his smile. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

Mick blurted out, “He’s one of them strippers. I seen him at the bar the other night.”

“Ah, that’s right. I remember now. You’ve been something of a sensation, haven’t you?”

Judd shrugged. “Hey, I make a buck wherever I can. A man can’t be overly choosy.”

“Obviously.” Clayton looked down a moment, then his smile reappeared. “Maybe we can do business together sometime. I have several different ventures that might interest you. Especially since you’re not choosy.”

Again, Judd shrugged, careful not to show his savage satisfaction. Then he took Emily by the arm. “Maybe.” He deliberately dismissed Clayton once more, knowing it would infuriate him, but probably intrigue him, as well. As he started out the door, he said, “You can look me up if anything really…interesting comes along.”

They were barely out the door, when Emily started to speak. Judd squeezed her arm. “Not a word, Em. Not one single word.”

The tension was still rushing through him, and he knew Clayton was watching them through the large front glass of the pool hall. Playing it cool had never been so difficult; no other assignment had been so personal. Playing up to Donner turned his stomach and filled him with rage. He wanted to hit something. He wanted to shout.

He wanted to make love to Emily.

But, he couldn’t do any of those things, so he had to content himself with the knowledge he’d set Clayton up good. Not only had he more or less managed to steal two hundred dollars Clayton had earmarked as his own, but he knew damn well Clayton didn’t consider their business finished. Not by a long shot. He’d hear from Donner again, and soon.

He only hoped he could manage to keep Emily out of the way.

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