Read Online Beck: Hollywood Hitman by Maggie Marr - Free Book Online Page B

margarita at four o’clock? You feeling okay? Taking a little vacation from your workaholic ways?”
    Behind her Wayfarer shades, Natalie’s eyes fluttered open. Hand on hip, Stacia stood beside the poolside lounge chair in a white sundress that clung to her curves.
    Natalie cleared her throat. “Hey, no,” her voice raspy, “just fell asleep.”
    “Not a good sign for that script you’re reading.” Stacia flopped onto the lounger next to Natalie.
    The last two weeks, Natalie’s dreams had been filled with an X-rated movie reel of her and Beck together.
    “Drinking too? Damn girl, what is going on?”
    “You’ll see.” There was a reason Natalie chose this spot to read scripts. This was her third day in a lounger by the pool. She nodded toward the far end of the backyard.
    She’d discovered this show entirely by accident two days before, but ever since that afternoon she’d planned her day around this forty-five-minute paradise.
    “Best view ever.” She picked up the pitcher and poured a margy for Stacia.
    “What are we watching?” Stacia lifted her sunglasses and her gaze trailed across the swimming pool and around the yard.
    “Look to your left, but don’t be obvious.” Natalie handed the glass of booze to her friend.
    Stacia lowered her shades over her eyes, leaned back, sipped her margy, and then turned her head just a hint to the left.
    A quick gasp. “Mother of God,” Stacia breathed, her voice dripping appreciation. “Sex on a stick.”
    Beck, shirtless and sweaty, sprinted from the house to the far end of the yard, where he immediately started doing jumping jacks. His golden, sun-kissed skin gleamed in the afternoon light.
    “You’re living with that?” Stacia swallowed. “I mean, I knew the man was good-looking, but day-um.”
    “Mm-hmm.”
    He dropped to the ground and began doing push-ups. The muscles in his arms tightening and flexing with every lift.
    “It gets better.” Natalie took a long sip of her drink. “Next are the wind sprints.”
    “Girl, how have you not tapped that?”
    “He’s my bodyguard . Don’t think it’s advisable to sleep with the guy who’s meant to protect you.”
    “Not my bodyguard, you think maybe I could borrow him for a couple nights?” Natalie lifted her eyebrow and shot Stacia a look. “No harm in asking. And besides, since when do you do what’s advisable where men are concerned?”
    Good point. Natalie sighed. Her head hadn’t been in charge much where lovers were concerned. Sometimes her heart, often her libido, but logic was usually left out of the equation. Not now. She was attracted to the gorgeous man across the yard. Sweat, like liquid sugar, dripped down his hard-carved pecs, but she doubted Beck would appreciate her jumping him. He’d already rejected her once at Villa Blanco.
    “Sleeping with Beck would be inappropriate.”
    “And this is appropriate?” Stacia nodded toward Beck, now running in place. “Sitting in your yard pretending to read and ogling this man? I mean, I get it, I’m happy to sit here with you and enjoy this—my God, look at the muscles on his back.”
    Natalie inhaled. The problem was she didn’t want to simply look at Beck, she wanted to touch and feel and grab and rake her nails down that long, well-muscled body until he called her name.
    “You know what’s better than wind sprints?” Stacia asked.
    Natalie tilted her head.
    “Pull-ups. You need to get that man a pull-up bar. Put it by the pool house.”
    Natalie nodded. So inappropriate and yet so satisfying, sitting here, drinking a margarita, and staring at the man who was protecting her. That beautiful, well-muscled machine of a man, who was protecting her.
    Her belly wobbled and her toes curled. Had anyone ever protected her? Didn’t feel like it. Most her life she’d mainly felt like she was protecting herself.
    “He knows we’re here.”
    “Doesn’t mean he knows we’re watching him.”
    “Oh, he knows.” Stacia sipped her margy.