He crossed his arms and watched as she circulated the room. She stopped on the other side and pointed at the wall.
“Here.”
Tuck went to her side. “Here what?”
“I’d say this is a panic room. It opens here.”
“How do you know this?” He worked construction for Christ’s sake and he couldn’t tell.
“I’ve done this for a while. It’s the best place in the room to have one. Look at the ceiling—that little divot in there is a sensor. I’d bet dollars to doughnuts there’s another one up on the second floor.” She cleared her throat. “And in the basement.”
“Who the fuck’s been messing with my construction site?” He was furious. “Let’s go check upstairs.”
“Sure.”
“Wait. Can you open this?”
“I could. Did you want me to?”
“Not yet. Let’s go see if there’s one upstairs as well.”
She shrugged easily. “Your call.”
It might be but he was getting pissed. They headed for the stairs and Tuck tried to figure out what the hell was going on.
* * * *
“Care to tell me why there are panic rooms in the museum?”
Richard blinked slowly at him from where he sat behind the large teak desk. “What are you talking about?”
“You had to know, Richard,” he said unwilling to play the game where one person pretends not to know what another is talking about. Tuck especially wasn’t willing to do it with this man. “You’ve had other people there at night. Is that when it was put in?” He pursed his lips. “They, they were put in?”
Once Ariel had left, Tuck had come to Richard’s office.
“How did you figure it out?”
Guess that was confirmation, somehow. “Blueprints.” He stepped closer to the desk and sat in the chair after dragging it up. “I know this is your company, but it’s partly my name as the foreman on the project. Why wasn’t this on the original blueprint?”
“Hear me out, Pierce. Will you tell me how you figured it out? What prompted you to go back to the blueprints?”
“Why wouldn’t I go to them? I want everything to be perfect. The size of the room appeared off to me so I went to check. Then I called Prometheus Protections and had Ms Greene come meet me. While she was there I asked her if her men could have stored some equipment there. She looked around the room and found the entrance then told me there were probably ones on the other floors as well. We looked and discovered she was right. So she opened them.”
Richard sat forward. “She opened them?”
“I told her to, it wasn’t her idea.” Immediately the need to protect Ariel hit him.
“I thought you were kidding when you said she’d found the entrance.”
“Why would I joke about that? This is serious, Richard.”
“Listen to me, son. The owner, Gerald, came to me after the plans had been agreed upon. He asked me if they could be added in. He’s paying good money to do it and didn’t want the rooms a matter of public record.
Tuck scowled. “So you had other workers go in after we finished the rooms and change them.
“Yes.”
There was so much he could say but he kept it contained. It wasn’t his company so he truly had no say in the matter. “Whatever. What did you need to see me about?”
“Your architectural firm.”
“I’m not sure I’m starting one.” Tuck rose. “Besides why would you help me? It’s obvious you don’t trust me since you kept me out of the loop on that whole panic room thing.” Yes, he knew he sounded bitter but damn it all, he was. “You’ve known me for a long time, Richard, and I thought you trusted me. Guess I was wrong.”
Tuck left, ignoring the man’s calls to come back in. He slammed his hands on the steering wheel before he drove home.
Chapter Nine
Ariel stared at the phone she’d just hung up. It seemed odd to have heard the words she had just been told. Pushing to her feet, she looked around her living room. “Not really sure why I’m paying for a place when it seems like I’m never here to enjoy it.”
She went to her bedroom and sat on the edge of the mattress before flopping back. Eyes closed, she tried to imagine this working. She heard the click of her front door and knew within moments she’d have company, yet remained where she was.
“Babe?”
“Back here.”
Tuck sat beside her. She cursed her body’s immediate and apparent instinctive response to his scent. One powerful thigh pressed up against her and she cracked open her eyes.
“Get it all figured out with your boss?” she asked.
“Oh yeah. He had some other men go in and add the rooms. They didn’t want them on the blueprints.” He scoffed. “I don’t know why I feel betrayed.”
Tuck dropped back to lie beside her and she lowered her lids again.
“Sorry.”
“Shit happens. How was your day?”
She made a face. “Well, I’m going to leave for a while.”
He shifted on the mattress. “What?” There was disbelief in his tone.
“I have been assigned a personal protection gig.”
“Could you look at me, please.” His voice was all deep and terse.
She turned her head and opened her eyes. “Better?”
He drew a breath and expelled it heavily. “Not really. What is this about a personal protection thing? I thought you didn’t do that.”
She read the frustration in him, exceptionally visible with his clenched jaw.
“
Normally
I don’t. I prefer to be elsewhere in the company but I can do it and I’m damn good at it if I do. Slater thought I would be perfect for the job and apparently the client agreed.” She stared at the ceiling. “I leave in two days.”
“For how long?”
“I don’t know.” She shifted and brought her feet up to rest on the bed as well.
“Where?” It was as if she could hear the frown in his voice even though she’d since stopped looking at him.
“Can’t say.”
“Who are you guarding?”
She didn’t so much as move. “Can’t tell you that either.”
“Damn it, Ariel. What
can
you tell me?” He pounded a fist on the bed.
She tensed. “That I leave in two days and don’t raise your voice at me.”
“I’m not.” He cleared his throat and began again in a lower, more even tone. “I’m not.”
“I just got the call literally three minutes before you came in the door, Tuck. I’m still trying to digest this myself.”
“What did Slater tell you?”
She propped herself up on her elbows and turned her watchful stare to him. He’d sat up and was staring down at her, anger and uncertainty in his gaze. “I told you what I could of what he said to me.”
“Bullshit.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
“You can tell me more.”
“No I can’t. Personal protection isn’t something you go blabbing about, Tuck. Surely you know that.” She made a face. “Or can at least understand if not appreciate it.”
“Who am I going to tell? I’m your boyfriend, for fuck’s sake. Why can’t you tell me?”
“Aside from the fact I’m not supposed to?”
“Yes!”
She stood and put fisted hands on her hips. “I was trying to spare your feelings.”
His brown eyes grew wide. “My feelings? Why would you need to spare them?”
“Because I’m going in as someone’s fiancée.”
Every inch of him went rigid. Tuck swallowed and said in a voice that, in her opinion, was
way
too controlled, “What did you say?”
“You heard me. I’m going in as the man’s bride-to-be.”
“What man?” Irritation laced his tone.
She shook her head. “Tuck, you know I—”
“What man, Ariel? What? Man?” His question was more an animalistic growl than actual words.
“Congressman Dovers’ son. He’s coming back home and they want him to have some protection.”
When Tuck pushed to his feet and moved towards her, every step screamed predatory and dangerous. “So you’re going to be kissing him and sleeping with him.”
“I’m
going
to be doing my job.”
His smile wasn’t pleasant. “I’m sure.”
Anger sparked within her as well. “Listen to me, I wasn’t looking to do this. I didn’t go ask to be slated as his fiancée. It was assigned to me because they thought I was the best fit. I may have to kiss him, yes. But I won’t be sleeping with him.”
I’ve never met the man before.
“Yet you weren’t going to tell me that.”
“I was trying to protect you!” she hollered.
“Moving up in the world, aren’t you?” he sneered. “Going from dating some no-name construction worker to being engaged to a congressman’s son.” He shook his head. “I didn’t need your protection, Ariel. I just needed you to think me worthy of telling me the truth.” He walked to her bedroom door. “Have fun.”
“Tuck!” she called out.
He stiffened but didn’t stop, just continued on his way.
“Damn it!” she cried out after the door to her apartment shut. She warred with the notion of going after him and not.
It took her no more than a minute to make up her mind and she stomped to the door before going across the hall and letting herself in. Tuck stood in the kitchen, popping the top off a beer. His gaze was cold when he looked at her.
She kicked the door shut behind her and made a beeline to the man who was driving her absolutely crazy, in both a good way and a bad. Keeping the counter between them—she wasn’t sure her hands wouldn’t be around his neck otherwise—she glared up at him, matching him glower for glower.
He still clenched his jaw, as he’d been doing at her place, and she watched the play of muscles in his arm.
Damn, can I not think about sex around him?
Apparently not even anger could stop her desire for this man. But it was something she could control.
“How dare you!” she seethed.
He raised a brow and drank from his beer. “Problem?” His word was crisp and bitten off.
“Yes. I told you what I could. I shouldn’t have told you what I did and I broke that rule. Then you dare to try and be righteous about what I may or may not have to do.” She dragged her fingertips across the smooth countertop as if she had claws and could tear through the material.
“So I’m supposed to be okay with my girlfriend kissing, or fucking, another man?” His grin was tight and definitely didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t think so, babe. I’m not that kind of man.” He drank some more. “I never will be.”
“I do what’s necessary for the job.”
“Must be nice to have a built-in excuse for cheating.”
She went ramrod straight, eyes narrowing. “Excuse me? A built-in excuse for cheating?”
“That’s what it is when you’re in a committed relationship and sleep with another.”
She longed to punch him. “Don’t worry, it’s not a concern any longer.”
It was his eyes that narrowed this time. “How so?” He crossed his powerful arms, beer dangling from one hand.
“Because”—she whirled around to head for the door and jerked it open—“I no longer have a boyfriend.” She exited and slammed the door behind her. “Arrogant bastard.”
Back in her apartment, she went to her closet and withdrew a suitcase. Flopping it on her bed, she stared at her dresser and thought about the clothing she needed to pack. She shook she was so furious.
How dare he!
How fucking dare he.
It’s not like I asked for this and I never said I would be sleeping with anyone.
She’d never met the man before—it wasn’t like she was about to fall into bed with him.
* * * *
She didn’t see Tuck again until the day of her departure. She’d set it up with Steve to get her mail and water the few plants she had. Tuck was leaving his apartment at the same time. His gaze singed as she stood there, hand on her suitcase handle.
With a blink, she started to walk towards the stairs, ignoring both her desire to talk and kiss him.
“Not even going to say goodbye?”
“Hello, Tuck.” She started down the stairs. “Goodbye, Tuck.”
Of course he wouldn’t leave her alone. Instead of taking the elevator, he began down with her. When he reached for the handle she glanced at him.
“What are you doing?”
His gaze didn’t give anything away. “Trying to carry your bag, if you’d release your hold on it.”
She stopped on the landing, released the bag and tapped her foot. After rubbing her forehead, she turned her left earring.
“What possible reason—”
His mouth landed on hers with a ferocity that stunned her. Backed into the corner, she could only hold on as he dominated her. He swept through her mouth with angry strokes. Her pussy creamed and she held onto him as if it were the only thing ensuring she wouldn’t crumble boneless to the ground. And it very well may have been the only thing holding her up.
It seemed the kiss ended before it had even truly begun. He stepped away from her and hefted her suitcase as if it weighed nothing—for him, it probably didn’t—and continued down the steps.
He was out of sight by the time she regrouped and she hastened after him.
Damn!
Tuck walked right out to her vehicle then gave her a look she understood to mean
unlock the SUV
. So she did.
He placed her items in the back then went to hold the driver’s door for her. Thoughts completely jumbled, she allowed him to assist her into the vehicle.
“Stay safe,” he murmured, brushing the back of his hand along her cheek.
He desired to kiss her—she could read it in his gaze—and part of her willed him to follow through. Unfortunately, he didn’t. Instead he backed away and closed the door on her.
“I have no idea what just happened there,” she said with a huff of air.
She could see him striding away in her rear-view. There were no look-backs nor any hesitation from him. However, she didn’t leave her parking spot until that fine denim-swathed ass disappeared from sight.
* * * *
Tuck sat at a conference table waiting to be joined by Richard, who had requested his presence. Helen, his secretary, had told Tuck to sit tight here. So here he waited, taking in the opulence of the conference room. From the sleek mahogany table, zero gravity chairs and the artwork on the walls that cost more than a month’s rent for him, the room screamed wealth.
The door opened and in came Richard, a file in one hand and his cane in the other. He slid it along the gleaming top. Tuck stopped it with his fingers.