for allowing my eyes to look at another man. I had to get him out of my apartment – fast.

Several female fans were already waiting outside on my sidewalk, but I wasn’t going to open until Cory and his roommate, Trevor showed up. I

introduced the guys to my new bodyguard and filled them in on why Kyle was hired. Cory looked at me oddly and then shook his head. I wondered if

he was worried about our stalker, but soon the meaning behind his attitude became more evident when he hand-carried three new cases of beer

out to the bar, flexing his arm muscles along the way.

Trevor took a seat at the front door to ID everyone who came into the pub. Sure enough, half a dozen girls walked into the bar. It upset me to see

that Ryan’s fans just didn’t know when to quit.

Marie stopped abruptly and gasped when she saw my new bodyguard for the first time. “You are so screwed,” she whispered at me in passing.

Her eyes flickered over at Kyle, who was sitting at the edge of the bar, keeping watch like a hawk.

“I know. Ryan is not going to be happy when he sees him,” I whispered.

“How old is he?” Marie asked.

“He told me he’s twenty nine,” I muttered privately.

“Married?”

I shook my head no.

It was a few minutes after nine when my cell phone played Ryan’s ringtone in my pocket. “He’s home now,” I said to Marie.

Ryan, of course, wanted to meet my new protector. We all met downstairs in the pub kitchen. Just as I had suspected, Ryan morphed from being

happy to be home to jealous and pissed in an instant.

I hugged and kissed Ryan quickly when he came through the door. I purposely did this in front of Kyle with the intent to send a message to both

men exactly where my loyalties lie. I tucked my fingers into Ryan’s back pocket and held on to him the whole time that we talked to Kyle.

After our meeting, I took Ryan by the hand and we went upstairs to have dinner together in our apartment. He was quiet… too quiet, and I knew

him well enough to know why. I stood up and repositioned myself on his lap, straddling him to get his full attention. That made a smile appear on his

lips.I took his face in my hands and kissed him sensually on his cheek. “How was your day?”

“It was all right,” he muttered.

I knew he was lying. I gave him a smirk to let him know I wasn’t buying it.

He pursed his lips. “I kept messing up my lines. I had a hard time concentrating today.” He shook his head in disgust.

My hands massaged his shoulders. “Today is over. Put it behind you. Things will be better tomorrow, you’ll see,” I whispered in his ear.

He gave me a brief smile, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He ran his warm hands over my back.

I found myself getting aroused by trying to get him in a better mood. I nibbled his ear. He let out a pleasurable moan.

His hands slid forward over my ribs; his thumbs rubbed over my breasts. My body instantly tingled from his touch.

“Mr. Christensen,” I murmured on his lips, “your presence is requested in the bedroom.”

He smiled before locking his lips to mine.

Twenty minutes later I resumed my position behind the bar with a smug smile on my face. When I left Ryan, he still had his jeans wrapped

around his left ankle and he was lying flat on his back on the bed.

I was pleasantly surprised when Ryan came down to the pub a little while later. He was wearing my tattered Mitchell’s Pub baseball hat and a

satisfied grin. It pleased me to see him wearing another one of my possessions.

He took a seat next to Kyle and never took his eyes off of me for the rest of the night. Kyle stopped every girl that stepped up to Ryan and

politely asked them to leave Mr. Christensen alone. Kyle also shooed away every girl that was brave enough to approach him as well. I had a new

appreciation for my bodyguard. So did Ryan.

The next morning, Kyle arrived exactly as scheduled to drive me to the lawyer. He placed the box of evidence Ryan and I had gathered from our

stalker in the trunk of the car before escorting me out of the pub safely. I felt his hand press in my lower back as he held the car door open for me.

His cologne was soft and masculine and wrapped my head in confusing thoughts. The paparazzi thoroughly loved the new image in their lenses.

Once I was finished meeting with our new lawyer, Kyle drove me back to the pub and escorted me into the building. The paparazzi were

relentless with their aggravating questions, although I think it was apparent to them that Kyle was a bodyguard by the way he shielded me.

Kyle did a safety sweep of the pub, the bathrooms, and my apartment before leaving me alone for the afternoon. He would return before four

o’clock when I opened to the public.

After Ryan came home and we had dinner together, I resumed my spot behind the bar. Ryan eventually came downstairs into the pub and sat

next to Kyle. My bodyguard was excellent at keeping the unwanted women at bay. Finally Ryan was able to just hang out and drink a beer while

watching sports on the big screen… just like a normal person. That still didn’t stop women from taking pictures of him with their camera phones.

Ryan was in mid sentence, telling me a funny story about what Kat did on set this morning, when I noticed a group of women walk into the bar.

One particular woman stood out – the one with kinky-curly hair and eyes like the devil.

“Oh my God, Ryan!” I gasped. “She just walked in! Run!” I ordered.

“Kyle! That’s her!” Ryan breathed out as he stood up; his haste caused his barstool to tip back and tangle in his legs. Ryan’s body stumbled

backwards into mine. I caught him ineptly in my arms as his off-balance body weight pushed me back into the wall. We both looked on in terror as

Angelica made her approach.

She was heading straight for Ryan and me; her eyes never left us. Her skin was sallow and the dark circles under her eyes made her look even

more menacing in the dimmed pub lighting. She was on a mission and nothing was going to stop her.

Kyle moved so fast that it was hard to discern his actions. With one precise strike, he placed her in an arm and headlock; a split second later

she was face down on the ground. With expert movements, he had her hands restrained behind her back.

“Ryan! Why are you doing this to me?” Angelica cried and screamed. “I love you!” she yelled. “That bitch has brainwashed you! I’m gonna kill

her!” My fingers trembled as I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed 911.

Ryan was granted the morning off from filming on the day of the court hearing. He put on his suit jacket and I wore my nice dress pants and a cream

colored sweater underneath my black suede coat. I knew we’d be photographed and filmed relentlessly. Ryan’s manager arranged to have a

security team escort us in and out of the courthouse.

Ryan and I scurried into the large, black SUV that waited for us in the alleyway. Kyle and Mike, our bodyguards, shielded us as we climbed into

the vehicle. Directly behind our car was another black SUV with additional security guards. Ryan’s Publicist, Marla, was already seated in the other

car.

Reporters, photographers, and fans were lined up outside the courthouse when we arrived. People were shouting and screaming at our car. It

was pure chaos.

“Once Team two is in place we will exit,” Mike informed from the front seat. He pushed his communication earpiece deeper into his ear.

I was sandwiched in the back seat between Ryan and Kyle. Despite how safe I should have felt sitting between these two men, I couldn’t stop

myself from trembling.

Kyle sighed then patted and rubbed my forearm to reassure me.

Ryan glared at Kyle’s gesture. He gathered one of my shaking hands in his and raised it to his lips.