Blake
The smell of fresh paint and carpet wafted up to me and I inhaled deeply as I stepped into the brightly lit interior of the newly remodeled office. This place was lightyears away from what it’d looked like barely a month ago.
Relocking the door behind me, I shot a glance toward the reception desk to my right. A desktop computer sat on the Formica countertop, waiting to be hooked up, along with an array of wires and miscellaneous office supplies.
Con strode around the corner, his steps slowing as his eyes fell on me. “I thought I heard the door. Come on back.”
“Place looks great, it’s really coming along.”
“Still have to bring in all the furniture and get everything hooked up, but we should be up and running in another two weeks or so.”He strode into his office and gestured for me to follow. “Abby will be here next week, and two of the guys just flew in a couple days ago.”
I nodded absently and dropped into a seat. “How’d the meetings go?”
“Not bad. I was able to get our name out there, make a few contacts, so hopefully we’ll get some business here soon. In fact”—Con swiped a piece of paper off his desk—“I may have a new job for you if you’ve changed your mind about working at the healthplex.”
I tipped my chin. “What’s that?”
“Some local up-and-coming pop star needs security for an event—”
“Hard pass.”
Con stared at me. “Do you have something else lined up?”
“I’ve only got a couple weeks left with Victoria. I’ll just stay on.”
One dark brow lifted. “Victoria?”
“Dr. Carr,” I amended.
“Victoria.” The way Con said her name raised my hackles. “The same woman you couldn’t stand a week ago.”
Shoving down the irrational anger, I tried to roll the tension from my shoulders. “She’s not that bad.”
“Apparently.”
His sarcasm was not lost on me. “I made a promise and I’ll stick it out.”
“I have no doubts about that,” he muttered before turning away and striding behind his desk. He sank into the chair and pinned me with a look. “You’re like a brother to me.”
“I—”
“Which means I will fucking kill you if you shit where you eat.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be dramatic.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Con shot back. “If you want to fuck her, by all means, do it. Just wait ‘til the contract is up. But for God’s sake, don’t ruin a good thing for a piece of ass.”
Anger surged through me. “Watch your fucking mouth.”
“Is that how it’s going to be?”
My body literally quivered under the force of the fury rippling through my veins, and I crossed my arms over my chest in an effort to contain it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Con stared at me. “You want her.”
I couldn’t deny that. But I was a man of my word. I would stay on until I was done and keep my hands off… even if it physically hurt to even consider it. “I told you I won’t touch her.”
“Do you really think some piece of tail is worth—?”
“Enough.”
His mouth lifted in a smirk and too late, I realized the comment for what it was. He let out a sigh. “Look. I trust you, I just don’t trust her.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Con cut me off. “It’s not her personally, I just don’t trust anyone. I don’t want to end up with our asses in the wringer before we even get off the ground.”
I understood that, even though I disagreed with his assessment of her. “I know. She’s not like that, though. She’s… I don’t know.”
“You like her.”
It was more of a statement than a question, and I shrugged. I didn’t honestly know what I felt for her. Lust, definitely. There was something else, though, too. She intrigued me. “Like you said—she’s off limits so I’ll keep my distance from now on.”
I knew it was the right thing to do, but it was going to be hard as hell. That night in her office had broken down the barrier separating us. She’d felt so fucking good in my arms, and she’d opened up so much in that half hour we’d spent together in the dark, just the two of us.
Now, with her new clothes and come-hither attitude… Damn. I initially thought she might have a date last night, and I was loath to admit the little surge of jealousy I’d felt. But then she’d shown up this morning in an equally sexy new outfit and thrown a coy glance my way. If she was trying to get my attention, then mission accomplished. She had it.
Something must have shown on my face because Con’s eyes narrowed. “Something happen that I need to be aware of?”
I wiped my expression clean. “Nope.”
“Bullshit.”
“Fuck off, Con.”
“Goddamn it. I knew I should’ve taken over when you first came to me. Did you pull a disappearing act?”
The anger was back, simmering just below the surface. I curled my hands into fists by my side. “I didn’t sleep with her.”
Yet. The unspoken word hung in the air, and Con’s eyes narrowed.
“But you plan to.” He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together over his midsection.
“Is this a fucking interrogation now?” I glared back at him.
“Yes. This is business, not pleasure. All you have to do is keep your dick in your pants for a while.”
“Trust me, asshole, you don’t have to worry about that.”
A slow grin spread over his mouth. “So that’s the problem. Wondered why you were so bitchy.”
“Fuck off.”
“Sounds like that’s exactly what you need. Go get some, just not one of our clients.”
“I don’t want some random piece of ass.”
“She’s that good?”
“Con…” I swore to God, if he kept this shit up…
He laughed. “Wow. I never thought I’d see the day.”
I clenched my molars together, desperately trying to wrangle my patience. “What now?”
“The woman. You like her.”
“I already told you—”
“I heard what you said.” Con’s head tipped to the side, those dark eyes pinning me in place. “But I’m more interested in what you didn’t say.”
He wasn’t wrong. I hadn’t even slept with the woman and she already had me tied up in knots. Damn it. The sooner we figured out who’d called her and what the psychopath wanted, the sooner I could deal with this thing between Victoria and me—whatever the hell it was.
“I don’t know. Haven’t spent enough time with her to know for sure. But she’s not just some piece of ass, so don’t bring that shit up again.”
Con just raised a brow, and I rolled my eyes. “I won’t jeopardize the business. Promise.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
We stared at each other for a long minute before Con pursed his lips. “So… no on the diva, then?”
“That would be a ‘hell no.’ I’m not going to play babysitter for some bratty little girl.”
He made a face. “Well, I’ll be damned if I’m going to do it. The other guys better show up by this weekend so I can put one of them on detail.”
“It would serve your nosy ass right.” I smirked when he made a face. “Did you get those fucking horrible shirts replaced yet?”
“Being stateside has turned you into such a pussy.”
Despite his words, he reached below his desk and extracted something from a box, then tossed it my way. Holding the shirt up, I inspected the solid black polo with Quentin Security embroidered in white over the chest, the logo on the left sleeve. “At least I won’t get laughed at in this one.”
Con’s dark stare flicked back to me, and I wanted to recall my words. “She’s nice,” I admitted.
One dark brow lifted. “Nice?”
“Don’t make it sound so horrible. She’s had a streak of shit luck here recently. I feel bad for her.”
“Is that all it is?”
Was that it? I already knew the answer was no. I admired her, wanted to know more about her—what she liked, what made her tick. I’d left my number, but she hadn’t called, hadn’t said so much as a word to me since that night. Each time I saw her in the lobby, she’d duck her head and practically sprint to the safety of the elevator. But the look she shot me once she was inside… It spoke volumes.
“No.”
I couldn’t explain it myself, but I knew there was more to her—to us—than just mutual attraction. And I wanted to know just what it was.