Page 10 of Last First Kiss
She fell back into the sofa. “What?”
“He wants someone who could blend in. Fit into his lifestyle.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, give him space to fuck half of Miami. I got that, Joe.” She’d been there when he’d said he needed space to “entertain” and she hated that he’d said it. He was the hottest thing in Hollywood, and it was a no-brainer he had a very active sex life. But still, she’d felt oddly disappointed to hear it coming out of his mouth so casually.
Joey reached forward and pulled her ponytail like he used to do when they were kids and wanted to get her attention. “Come on. You’re smarter than that. You were there. Read between the lines, Annie” He ran his palm down his face. “He feels emasculated for needing a bodyguard and he just wants to appease the studio. So . . .”
Her heart beat, wildly. There was a catch coming, she could feel it. “What? Just spit it out already.”
“You get to play Mr. Monroe’s girlfriend for the next four months.”
Her approach had backfired in a big fucking way. She glared at her brother as she tried to process exactly what that meant.
Pretend to be his girlfriend? Did they have to kiss? Hold hands? Definitely she wouldn’t sleep with him, but did he understand that? What about her job protecting him?
“He says you’re perfect. You can blend in.”
She stood up, feeling conflicted. “I’m a professional. Does he understand I’m not some sort of bumbling Barbie doll?”
“Oh, I think he got that the moment he was airborne and then again when you slammed him against the cement floor.”
Annie downed her orange juice and paced around the room. Of course, her big break was because of her assets, not because she was an asset. This asshole was no better than her brother. All he wanted was eye candy. He didn’t want her for her skill, to protect him. She should have kneed him in the balls after she flipped him on his ass. “How does that work for me?”
With a smirk, Joey answered, “You wanted the job, you got it.” She wanted to punch the smug smirk off his dickhead face. Obviously, this was amusing her brother. Of course it was. It proved that the only way a woman could do the job was because she could bat her eyelashes, push up her tits, and pretend she was dating the client. Her skills hadn’t landed her the job, her vagina had.
And that was not the way she was going to get what she wanted. “I wanted. Past tense. And that’s not how I wanted the job. I want to be a valued member of ICS, not just some airheaded idiot standing next to a movie star. It’s one thing for a jerkwad of a client to ask me to look pretty, but I’m not coming back just so ICS can use me as window dressing for a big client and then bench me back to IT for the next fifty years.”
“For lots of money,” Joey added.
“So a whore? Makes me feel a lot better, Joe.” She shook her head angrily—no, not angry, hurt. So hurt she felt the telltale lump in her throat and knew that her eyes would soon fill with tears. But, no—no way would she cry. It was why Joey, and men in general, didn’t think women could do the same jobs as men. She swallowed the lump down and inhaled deeply. This was her chance to get what she really wanted.
“I’m not going to do this job unless you agree that from now on I get to go after the same jobs as the rest of the team.” Ultimately, she didn’t give a shit what Rocco thought, she was used to sexism. Her looks had got her foot in the door and now she would have to prove to him that she was a lot more than a pretty face. It was that her brother—her flesh and blood—couldn’t see past her gender that really bothered her.
“You’re my sister. Don’t call yourself a whore. I don’t like it. If something happens, we expect you to do your job. And for the record, I don’t think you’re an airhead idiot and neither does anyone at ICS.” For the first time since walking into her apartment he looked serious.
“You don’t think I can handle myself. Otherwise you’d have given me the job from the beginning. I bet you’re only here because Jax made you come and beg me to take it.”
“No one begged me to do anything, Annie.” He exhaled loudly. “I was being an ass, okay? I acknowledge it. It’s just . . . you’re my baby sister and I don’t like the way he looks at you, and also I don’t want you out there where there’s crazy people who could hurt you.” Again, his face was serious, and she could see how much he struggled with letting go on that hold he thought he had on her. Without a father around, Joey had pretty much taken on that role. “But this is a good job. Jax helped me see that. For this job, this is what you get to do. You get to pretend to be his girl and keep your eyes and ears open. I’m not totally cool with this, but I can live with it.”
She shook her head. “You can live with it? How about me? What do I have to live with? What happens after these four months?”
“Let’s see how this job goes and then we’ll talk, okay?”
“Talk? And you promise to give me a real chance at some real fieldwork?”
“Yes, kid. I promise, okay?” She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face.
“Thank you, Joey!” She clapped excitedly.
“And do not sleep with him! He’s the client and he’s also a womanizing playboy, understand?”
“I would never. He’s the job and it’s all pretend. Don’t worry.”
“Good.” He stood up and playfully rubbed the top of her head like he used to do when they were kids. She swatted his hand away and then stood up to walk him out.
He winked and smiled. “Jesus, that was like pulling fucking teeth. How do you stand living with her?” he asked Xander.
Xander shrugged. “She’s good at taking out the trash.”
