Read Just Another Pretty Face (HT 459) for Free Online Page A

weights. Then a round or two with the bags. There's a small gym in the cabana."
    "You box?" Nikki asked, surprised into displaying her interest.
    "Only with the bags."
    Well, that explains the shoulders, Nikki thought, covertly admiring them out of the corner of her eye.
    "Have you ever tried it?"
    "What?"
    "The bags."
    Nikki shook her head.
    "You ought to. Lots of women do, these days. It's a great workout."
    "I can tell," she said, her gaze flitting over the width of his shoulders beneath the black silk before she could think to stop herself.
    Pierce's eyes took on a predatory gleam. "You noticed, huh?"
    Too late, Nikki realized what she'd revealed. "Different workouts develop different muscle groups," she said, trying to cover her lapse with a veneer of brisk professionalism. "You've obviously done a lot of work on your pecs and deltoids and..." Her voice trailed off at the heated look in his eyes.
    "I like the muscle groups your workout has developed, too," he said teasingly, and lifted his hand to touch her.
    Nikki stiffened and leveled a killing glance at him, the one she'd learned early stopped most men from going any further.
    But Pierce Kingston wasn't most men. He'd been spoiled and indulged by women from the cradle, given what he wanted without ever having to ask for it, sure of his welcome. And, besides, he didn't intend to do anything more than test the strength of her biceps.
    "Impressive," he said, squeezing it lightly through the sleeve of her jacket, letting her go before she could object. "But tense." His blue eyes flashed teasingly, imbuing his next words with a wealth of innuendo. "You ought to learn to relax."
    Nikki's green eyes turned frosty. "And you've got just the thing for that, I suppose," she said, knowing what was coming next.
    She was wrong.
    "A few rounds with the body bag would loosen you right up," Pierce said. He knew what she'd been expecting him to say; he could see it in her eyes. He also knew a man never got anywhere with a woman by doing what she expected him to. Disarm and conquer, that was his motto. He gave her a friendly smile. "Why don't we go downstairs and you can meet the staff?"
    * * *
    S HE MET THE GARDENER first, digging in a flower bed on the far side of the cabana. She was in her mid-thirties and California-girl pretty, with a wide smile and a trim figure encased in faded jeans and a light blue T-shirt with the words flower power emblazoned across the chest. She was also divorced, Nikki learned. And she looked at Pierce—when he wasn't looking at her—as if she'd like to nibble him to death. Nikki made a mental note that the gardener came in once a week and took care of all the houseplants, as well as the gardens, giving her free access to the entire estate.
    She met his secretary in her well-appointed first floor office. "Nikki, this is Kathy Frye," Pierce said, his smile all careless charm and flattery as he made the introduction. "The best secretary a man ever had. Kathy, I'd like you to meet Nikki Martinelli, my new bodyguard."
    Nikki reached across the desk to shake hands with the secretary. She was an attractive woman in her mid-to-late forties, with gleaming auburn hair, dark expressive eyes and the figure of a woman who took pains to keep herself in shape. She was meticulously groomed, Nikki noted, her nails short but beautifully manicured, her makeup skillfully applied to conceal all evidence of crow's-feet or laugh lines. Her teal suit was businesslike but feminine, and the scent of some expensive, exotic perfume lingered in the air around her.
    "Bodyguard?" Kathy said, looking at Pierce.
    He made a face. "The baby-blue letters," he explained. "Claire thinks I need protection."
    Kathy Frye's forehead wrinkled. "You have that interview with People at three o'clock this afternoon," she warned him. "A writer and a photographer."
    "Not to worry." Pierce dropped a brawny silk-clad arm around Nikki's shoulders and hugged her against his side. She fit him perfectly, he