And even if Sam was interested in a spoiled heiress like Bianca, she was far too young. A point made even more apparent by the bored look in the woman’s eyes as she focused on her drink, sucking up the remainder of the glass’s contents until loud, bubbling sounds echoed from it.
“While I can’t comment on the specifics of the situation,” Sam began, “your mother has reasons to believe that your family’s security may have been compromised recently.”
That was all she could say, both because Vivianne Black had explicitly requested that Rainier keep any details about the situation from her daughters and because it was all Sam knew. She’d only met with the woman once, when Vivianne hired Rainier. She’d had difficult meetings before, but that one topped them all.A middle-aged woman, makeup running down her face, begging Sam to take on her family’s plight.
Yet she’d been extremely tight-lipped about both her family and their plight.
Perhaps there were good reasons for Vivianne’s protectiveness toward her youngest, but they were none of Sam’s business. She offered protection services, not family counseling. It did make the job harder for Sam and her team, but they were professionals. They could deal with overly private clients.
“That said, I’m invested in finding a good match for you among my available roster. Did you have the chance to look at the suggestions I forwarded to your email address?”
Bianca stopped drinking her juice, but her focus was still on pushing her straw around the bottom of the glass. What is with her attitude? It was clear she thought Sam was barely worth her time. Was it generational? The wealth disparity? Sam’s success with her own company meant she had plenty of wealth of her own, but she was self-made, and a far cry from ‘Black Diamond rich.’ The type of people Rainier protected often lived in a different dimension than the common person. The Black family definitely fit that description.
Sam cleared her throat. “If you’d rather have a woman assigned to you, we can make that happen. I currently have two women on my roster. Here.”
She pulled her iPad out of her briefcase. It instantly woke up to her personal list of employees, displaying their availabilities. Sam had anticipated that Bianca might want a female entourage, so she’d already highlighted Jenna and Iris, two competent team members who had extensive experience protecting the likes of sports stars and Hollywood celebrities.
But Bianca barely glanced at the tablet. Instead, she set down her glass, her elbows on the table, and looked Sam in the eyes.
“Why not you?”
Sam blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“You,” Bianca repeated.
“What about me?” Sam suddenly found herself distracted by the stray blonde curl bouncing against Bianca’s cheek. Now, she looked less like a pouty princess and more like the kind of sweet, girl-next-door type that would have struck Sam in the heart when she was younger and still figuring out who she was and what she wanted.
A thought rose up in her mind, unbidden. Her. I want her.
Bianca folded her arms across her chest. “Isn’t this why we’re here? To discuss options? I looked at the options, and I’ve made my choice. I want you to be my bodyguard.”
Alarms began ringing in Sam’s mind. One thing about the sweet, girl-next-door types? They were always trouble. And Bianca Black, with those tempting blonde ringlets? Those coy brown eyes? She was trouble.
Trouble Sam didn’t need.
“There’s been some kind of misunderstanding,” Sam said. “I’m not available for this job.”
“Why not? I read all about you on your website. Your credentials, your experience. You’re the most competent person in your company. Your goons—Trevor and Brent—told me you’re the best there is. And I want the best.”
Sam pulled the tablet back to her and attempted to scroll up, but her fingers were so damp that they slipped uselessly down the screen. Right now, she was more incompetent than any of the CEOs or celebrities she had protected over the years. And much more incompetent than Airman Jones, the one person in her Air Force unit who was so inept at what he did that he almost got two pilots killed.
Feeling like Airman Jones was not a good thing. And all over a pretty face and the most delicious set of hips to have ever walked into her life?
Sam straightened up and fixed her eyes firmly on Bianca. “Ms. Black. I am the owner of Rainier Protection. While I am experienced in personal protection, nowadays I only work in the background. Liaising with clients, hiring and training the people on my team, making sure they’re assigned to appropriate jobs. Only occasionally do I go back out in the field, usually when leading teams for big events, like political rallies or large-scale charity events.”
Even then, the most Sam did was give orders from whatever room she commandeered as her command center. If an issue popped up, she attended to it personally, but for the most part, her people did the grunt work she paid them to do. Like the military. Only with better suits.
Sam set her hands on the table, palms down. “I don’t do solo work anymore.”
Bianca’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I see.”
Silence hung between them. Sam could feel the young woman’s disappointment radiating across the table. But she ignored it. She didn’t do solo work anymore for a good reason. In order to do her job properly, she needed to keep a distance from her clients, and she couldn’t do that while working with them one-on-one. She’d learned that the hard way. It had almost cost someone she cared about their life.
It was for her clients’ own good. She couldn’t risk breaking that rule. Not for anyone. And especially not for a demanding princess like Bianca Black.
No matter how much those doe eyes and those plump pink lips asked her to…
But as she stole a glance at the woman across from her, she found Bianca’s face slightly pale, a glazed look in her eyes.