Forbidden Protector (Forbidden Small Town Bad Boys Book 4) Read online

  Forbidden Protector

  Holly Jaymes

  Introduction

  Snowed in with my boss’ supermodel daughter.

  Sounds great unless your boss is an armed Sherrif who made it very clear that she is “off limits”.

  Babysitting a spoiled, entitled supermodel and media influencer is not my idea of fun.

  I’m all about law and order and I never break the rules.

  But Lily is different. She’s smart, daring, and kicks my ass at poker.

  I do my damnedest to follow the rules…and fail.

  I fail at not touching. I fail even worse at not falling for her.

  I’m busting my butt to keep her father from knowing all the forbidden things I’ve done with her so he doesn’t lock me up and throw away the key.

  Then she tells me she’s having my baby.

  And, I’m left wondering if a family is in the cards for me or if I should have folded a long time ago?

  Contents

  1. Run Out of Town

  2. A New Assignment

  3. Purgatory

  4. The Babysitting Job

  5. Stir Crazy

  6. Bittersweet

  7. The Escape

  8. Shelter In Place

  9. Freedom

  10. Having What I Shouldn’t

  11. Feeling Free to Be Me

  12. Living Life

  13. Here and Now

  14. Back to Reality

  15. Girls’ Night

  16. Return to Normal

  17. Us for Now

  18. Just an Affair

  19. More Complications

  20. Not Mine

  21. On My Own

  22. Deadbeat

  23. Moving On

  24. Going For Broke

  25. Arrested

  26. My Life Begins

  27. Heaven On Earth

  Author’s Note

  About Holly Jaymes

  Also by Holly Jaymes

  1

  Run Out of Town

  Lily

  Every little girl wants to be a famous actress or model or rock star. Me? I wanted to be a model like my mother. My mother was very successful, and even in her mid-forties, she traveled the world as a top model.

  I had the advantage of social media, which my mother didn’t have when she was starting up in the business. Whereas she had to rely on her agent to get her work, I used Instagram and other social media to promote myself. So along with modeling, I did pretty well as an influencer too.

  Did…as in the past tense, I thought as I drove east out of Los Angeles. All that was gone now. With a single snap of a picture, my life was up in smoke. I was no longer seeking the limelight, I was running from it. I was going to hide until people forgot about my scandal. Of course, even when they did, I wouldn’t have the life I’d once had.

  I wiped a tear away and then cursed. How could I still have tears? Certainly, I cried them all out over the last two days since the picture came out. I knew I sounded like a six-year-old, but the entire situation was so unfair. I didn’t do anything wrong.

  They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but all of the words being said about the picture of me with actor Trask Holloway were untrue. What was worse was that I was being made the bad guy, while Trask was being given a pass. He wasn’t being touted as cheating on his wife, popular actress Aria King. No. I was being depicted as a homewrecker, while he was seen as a victim just like her.

  “Ugh!” What was it about society that always blamed women for men’s misdeeds? Men always touted how strong they were until boobs were involved. Then they were unable to help themselves apparently, and society seemed to agree. What man could retain his character and values with a beautiful woman around? Misogynistic jerks!

  The worst part was that it wasn’t true. Oh, Trask Holloway would have slept with me if he had the chance. But I never gave him the chance despite what people thought the picture showed. He’s made his attempt. Now, with a compromising photo out in the world, he was off in Mexico with his wife for a short second honeymoon between their movie shoots. He was living the high life while I was running away and hiding, knowing I wouldn’t work again. I had to delete all my social media because of the hate and death threats, which meant my sponsor income was gone. Of course, with the scandal, it was gone anyway.

  The only thing that kept me from feeling doomed about my fall from grace was that modeling had stopped being my passion almost as soon as I’d gotten my foot in the door with my first shoot. Sure, the clothes and travel were great. But the tedium of standing and waiting to be photographed and the constant makeup touch-ups drove me bonkers.

  The ongoing self-starvation was probably the worst. I liked to eat—a lot. My only saving grace in that area was that I also liked to workout. But I was always lambasted for being a few pounds “overweight” when most health charts would have listed me as underweight. I was also too short, at 5’ 7”, but was able to squeak in because I was a teenager when I started and I was Madeline LaCoeur’s daughter. That wasn’t her real name. Her real name was Mary Lang. Apparently, she was prettier as Madeline. Fortunately, she named me with the idea that I might grow up to follow in her footsteps.

  I drove by a sign saying Eden Lake eight miles. It wasn’t the ideal place to go and hide while the scandal blew up my life. It was a mountain town away from the glitz and glitter of Hollywood, but since it was less than two hours away by car, it was a frequent playground for the rich and famous. It was sort of like Vegas only without the gambling. I made the trek there for two reasons. One, it was easy for me to get to on such short notice, and two, my father lived there.

  If ever there was a time a girl needed her dad, it was now. My parents divorced when my twin brother and I were babies, and with my mother’s work taking her around the world, we didn’t see him much. But he was always there when we really needed him. He never missed a birthday or Christmas unless my mother was in Japan or someplace he couldn’t get to. Even then, we received presents and a call.

  As an adult, I could spend more time with him, but my own career kept me busy, and as I neared the little town, I felt guilty about that. I didn’t see him a lot now that I was grown up, but his presence was always there, and I hadn’t done enough to reach out to him. Not until now, when my life was going up in smoke.

  If I was lucky, the paparazzi thought I was on a private plane to New York, and not in a car on my way to Eden Lake. It all felt very cloak and dagger as my mother helped me plan my escape that included driving to L.A.X. and leaving my car. Then I was to be seen going to the charter flights, and then I would be hidden away in a car driven by my mother’s new boyfriend out of the city. My mother arranged for me to have another car that I was now driving to Eden Lake.

  It was late in the afternoon as I entered the city limits, and my first thought was how quaint the town looked. While the rich liked to come and play, there was a sense that it was a small, typical community. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground, which was weird since two hours ago, it was in the high sixties when I left Los Angeles.

  My phone rang, startling me because it was a new phone. I’d tossed the old one to stop the constant barrage of calls for interviews or threats. The only people with the number were my mother and my father. Not even my agent had the number. I didn’t expect to ever hear from her again, but if she needed me, she could reach me through my mother.

  I poked the button on the steering wheel to pick up the line. “Hello?”

  “Are you there yet, baby?” my mother’s voice came through the car’s speakers.

  “I’m
just entering the town.”

  “I’m sorry you have to be in such a secluded place. I’d have rather sent you to Paris—”

  “This is going to be good, mom,” I said. “It’s pretty and away from all of that. It will give me time to figure things out.”

  “I have half a mind to rip Trask Halloway’s throat out.”

  I smiled, loving that my mother was on my side. Unfortunately, her getting involved wouldn’t help. She was a well-known and respected model, but Trask was a big-time actor married to America’s sweetheart, Aria King. No one would listen to a mother trying to protect her daughter from a power couple like that, especially if Aria was standing by her man.

  “If you do that, you’ll have to come hide with me. I’m not sure if dad will protect you if you commit a crime, though.”

  “He wouldn’t. One thing about your father, he’s by the book all the way.”

  It would be interesting to see him for once in his own element. Before, he always came to see us, and he always seemed a little out of place in our fast-paced world. But here in Eden Lake, where he was the duly elected Sheriff, he’d be at home. I’d be able to see him and get to know him in his own world.

  “So you probably shouldn’t touch Trask. I’d hate for dad to have to put you in jail.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’d always enjoyed being handcuffed by him—”

  “Mom!” I shook my head. I didn’t need to know about her and my father’s sex life. I liked that they both seemed to still like each other, and in hindsight, I suspect on his visits to see my brother and me over the years, they probably slept together. But their lives and goals were so different that they hadn’t been able to make it work.

  “Sorry, honey. Tell your dad hello for me. If we’re lucky, the paparazzi are looking for you in New York and aren’t hunting you down there.”

  That was the plan. I’d hide away with my father as I figured out my next step. I was considering eventually going to New York, but now I was leaning toward going to Europe, where my twin brother lived. He got tired of moving around with mom, and when we turned eighteen, he simply stayed where we were at the time, which was London. Of course, he had his own share of paparazzi since he went from busking on the streets of London to having a huge record deal five years ago. With that said, most people didn’t know that my brother, Paxton Ryder Maddox, was actually rockstar Pax Ryder.

  “Mom, I need to pull up the G.P.S. to figure out where I’m going.” The last thing I needed was to get lost in the mountains.

  “Yes, of course. I love you, baby. It’s going to be okay. In a few weeks, when Trask Halloway tries to seduce the next model, you’ll be old news.”

  She could be right, but my career was already in tatters. That one photo had irrevocably changed my life. Now it was time to look forward and chart a new path. I psyched myself up to be excited about it. I had some money saved, and of course, my mother would always help if needed. I was in a situation that many people didn’t have in terms of time and space to figure out a dream and pursue it. With my eyes on the road ahead, I made my way through town to meet my father and set a new course for my life.

  2

  A New Assignment

  Wyatt

  I stepped out onto my porch, taking in the cold mountain air. Many of the kids from Eden Lake were eager to get away from the small town, often congested with tourists in summer and winter. Me? I never wanted to leave this place. I loved the fresh, clean smell in the winter with the hint of woodburning from fireplaces and stoves. I loved the summer, with the warmth of the sun heating the lake. And I liked all the seasons in between them. I was as rooted here as trees that made up the forest.

  With steaming hot coffee in my travel mug, I headed to my Sheriff’s Deputy S.U.V. noting the small dusting of snow on the ground. Soon the area would be covered with snow, and the winter season would begin. The two heights of the season were always the busiest in Eden Lake. Tourists could sure be boneheads sometimes, not that the locals couldn’t be as well. But percentage-wise, there were more issues with tourists, including car accidents, hiking and lake accidents in summer, and skiing and ice accidents in winter. Often alcohol was involved.

  Instead of heading straight to the Sheriff’s station, I headed to Sheriff Maddox’s house. He’d asked me to stop by this morning, which was strange, but he was my boss. We were friendly, although not necessarily friends. I liked him much better than the last Sheriff we’d had, who’d gotten too old for the job. Maddox was an outsider from San Diego appointed as Chief Deputy Sheriff in an effort to push the then-Sheriff into modernizing the department. When the Sheriff retired, Maddox won the position despite being from out of town because in the few months he’d been there, he’d busted his butt to become a part of the town. The people of Eden Lake appreciated the effort, and I have to say they made a good choice in electing him. He was fair, firm, and by the book, which I liked, so he and I got along well.

  While I knew his leadership style and that he enjoyed a good game of poker, I didn’t know much about his personal life. He’d been married a long time ago, and rumor was that she was an actress or model or something. He had two adult children, but I’d never seen or met them. To me, that was a shame. I saw my parents regularly. My brother, Josh, and I had dinner with them at least once a week. Now that Josh was married, his wife joined us.

  I pulled into the driveway of the Sheriff’s house. I took a sip of my coffee and left my mug there as I got out of the truck and headed up steps to the craftsman style home.

  The door opened before I could knock. “Right on time, Deputy Dalton.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He opened the door for me. I wiped my boots on the mat and stepped inside. The home was clean and cozy, although a bit tired. I suspected his recliner was as old as I was.

  “Coffee?” he asked as he motioned for me to follow him to the kitchen.

  “Yes, please.” I never turned down coffee unless I knew it would be bad.

  “Have a seat,” he said as he got a mug and poured me a cup of the hot brew.

  I sat at the old yellow Formica table that reminded me of the one my grandparents had.

  “I appreciate you coming over. I know this is a bit out of the norm.”

  “Is everything alright?” I asked, taking the mug he offered.

  He pulled out the chair across from me and sat. “Well, it’s not life and death, but I have a favor. And it is a favor. You can say no, and it won’t hurt your job.”

  I squinted my eyes, wondering what the hell he was going to ask.

  He traced a scratch on the table with his finger. “I’m not sure if you know that I have a daughter.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Well, she’s gotten herself into a bit of a pickle and is coming here to stay for a while until things die down.”

  I wondered what sort of “pickle” he was referring to. Since he was a lawman, it was hard to think she was in legal trouble, but then again, a man would do a lot for his daughter, wouldn’t he?

  “Okay.”

  “I’ve rented her place out at Pine Rest. She’ll have privacy and space. The Minors and the McLean boys have fixed that place up nice. I think she’ll like it there.”

  I nodded. “Yes, sir.” How did I fit into all of this?

  “She’s a good person, Wyatt, and doesn’t deserve what’s happened, but not everyone agrees. Some people might come looking for her or harass her.”

  I sipped my coffee as I tried to figure out what he was talking about. “There are laws for stalking.”

  “The paparazzi are an exception apparently,” he said with venom.

  “Paparazzi?” Was she famous?

  He nodded. “She’s a model, like her mother. What I want to ask of you is a lot, Deputy Dalton. You can say no, and it won’t hurt your standing at the department. You can trust me on that.”

  I wasn’t sure I had much choice but to trust him.

  The Sheriff looked me square in the eyes. “I need a
man I can trust to watch over her.”

  I sat back as I realized what he was asking. “You want me to babysit her?”

  “She’s a grown woman, Deputy.”

  “Bodyguard?” If she was famous, wouldn’t she have that already?

  “I need help in keeping any riff-raff and paparazzi away from her.”

  I sat back and watched my hand as I turned my mug around on the table. I was good at my job, and being asked to babysit an entitled model who got caught up in some scandal somehow felt beneath me.

  “Again, I know what I’m asking is a lot. I shouldn’t be using my position or this agency to protect my daughter. I’m telling myself that if anyone in her situation planned to come here, that we’d protect them too.”

  I supposed that was true. I looked out for Emma when she got caught up in a scandal involving hometown hero and Superbowl quarterback, Tucker McLean.

  “And maybe it feels demeaning to you, but let me assure you that I’m asking you because you’re the only one I can trust. I can always count on you to follow the law. And despite some old stories about you and your brother’s wild youth, I know you’re not a man to take advantage of a woman.”

  I never took advantage of a woman in my wild days either, I thought. Just because I had a time in my life that I enjoyed the bounty of women that would come to Eden Lake for vacation, didn’t mean I was taking advantage. Every woman I was with was equally interested in being with me.