“They make a great couple.”

Ryan glanced over his shoulder and then back to me. “They have what we have.” He smirked.

I smiled. “I know.”

He tossed his chin. “It’s a much better fit for both of them.”

I was so damn happy seeing their love blossoming, it was hard to contain it. “I agree.”

Ryan’s smile fell. “Back to this Joe business. Taryn, I want to trim all the variables off. Things are finally getting back on track for us and I’m not looking to add any crazy onto the pile. You want to meet him, we’ll set it up, but not without me being there. First sign of potential bullshit, I’m pulling you out and we’re on a plane.”

“I want to meet him.”

Ryan chewed on his bottom lip. “Did he come clean with his wife?”

“Yes. He said she was understanding about it and she and the girls want to meet me.”

Ryan nodded before putting me back under his scrutinizing gaze. “This really a road you want to go down?”

I knew he was just trying to shield me from further hurt. “Yes. If I don’t, I’ll always wonder. I need to put that part of me to rest, Ryan.”

He reluctantly agreed. “Okay, if that’s what you need, I’ll get our flights booked.” I grinned at him. He didn’t need to utter the “I love you” words for me to know how much he did. “Thank you, babe.” He dropped his shades back down. “Pete going to be all right managing the bar while we’re gone?”

I reviewed my mental calendar. We had the Teen Choice Awards coming up, and then Ryan had to do some fittings in ll.A. for the third Seaside film.

I nodded, quite confident that I’d made the right decision. He’d lost all of the book-ings he had for the summer, having to sub out the work to another guy, so he was more than thankful for the job. “He’ll be just fine.

He’s been helping me for a long time, so he knows what needs to be done.”

“Tammy seems happier, too.”

I recalled the talk she and I had the other day, ironing out some of our issues. She and Marie were still walking wide circles around each other to avoid confrontations, but for the most part, Marie was over it. Having Mike tell her to get her ass in his bed every night, even though his bed was my guest bed, was helping to soften Tammy’s betrayal.

“We’re going to try serving a limited menu in the pub. See how that works out before we go further. Maybe she’ll name a sandwich after you.”

Ryan rolled his eyes.

I glanced at my cell to see the time. “We’ve got to get going. We meet the builder in two hours.”

Ryan stood, straightened his dog tag necklace—the one with my name written on it so he could “keep me close to his heart at all times”—and tried to see where Mike and Marie had gotten to. “You okay with the addition we talked about?”

I watched Mike whirl Marie around in the surf, and wished Gary could see how much happier she was. His callousness deserved a bit of retribution. “Is Mike?”

“My head of security needs a command center and I’m thinking I’d sleep better at night knowing your new guardian was conveniently located.”

As much as I loved that idea, he was presuming a lot. “She just took a course, Ryan.

Who knows where that will take her.” His wry grin told me he had info he wasn’t sharing.

“What do you know that I don’t?” I asked, grinning right back at him.

Ryan casually shrugged. “Let’s just say whatever it is we’ve got planned, you two ladies can’t do shit about it.” He held out his hand. “Come on. If you want to meet Joe, we’ve got to book a side trip to Lake Tahoe.”

Chapter 21

Unguarded “Stop fidgeting. You look official,” I teased Marie while she tugged at her coat sleeves.

Mike made her wear a plain black suit jacket and pants with a cream-colored blouse and sensible, low-heeled shoes for her first red carpet assignment in ll.A. Even though she was nervous as hell she at least looked the part.

Mike had been working with her since she’d returned from the intensive training program, going over everything from lim-ousine procedures to how to handle a physical altercation. He also schooled her on the different code words she’d need to use to communicate with him. It was actually quite interesting to learn all of the things Mike did behind the scenes to protect people.

He’d become such an integral part of our daily lives that sometimes it was hard to remember that he was “working” when he was with us. Half the time it felt as though he was hanging around because he and Ryan were best friends.

“I still think I could have been all kick-ass in a hot little dress,” Marie groaned. “You’re all gorgeous and I look like an uptight schoolteacher.”

“Remember the formation we practiced,” Mike muttered from the front seat of our chauffeured car, his subtle way of reminding her she was “working” and not here to be rocking hot with me. I knew he’d dressed her to blend in, not to stand out. Ryan and I had done quite a few “run-through” scenarios with them in my living room to the point where Mike had even shown us some self-defense techniques—should we ever need to protect ourselves. I could understand his reasoning that wearing a skirt would not be the smartest idea.

“You going to kneel on someone’s head?” I muttered to her, teasingly. Mike had shown her how to subdue someone to keep them immobile while we were being removed from a “threat.” Executed properly, an assailant might get a good crotch view or a “Vagina Crunch” as Marie and I called it.

Marie just rolled her eyes at me. “I’ve fired seven different guns over the last few weeks and I’ve got a pretty good aim. Watch it.” I sneered back. “Don’t be overwhelmed by the camera flashes. Try to keep from looking at them or else you’ll be seeing spots the rest of the night. It’s almost like you’re temporar-ily blinded.”

We waited in a long line of cars snaking along the road that led to where all the celebrities were arriving at the massive Gib-son Amphitheatre for the Nick Teen Choice Awards. It was Marie’s first assignment as my guard, working the detail under her new boss, Mike Murphy.

I had been wondering how the boss/boyfriend relationship would work, but so far things were going fairly smoothly. She was more than willing to take his orders, which I think just really turned him on. He’d bark a command and she’d immediately submit to his orders. Then he’d stand taller with that hint of secret smile lifting one corner of his mouth. He tried to be all badass but his little giveaway was just enough to be his downfall because Marie would play it for all it was worth.