Protecting Her Heart (Seals Security Book 3) (13 page)

She murmured and settled and he pulled his arm from beneath her and slid out of the bed. His cock throbbed when he glanced back to see Evie’s bare breasts as she lay with her hand curled under her cheek. He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes devouring the sight, before he forced himself to look away

He needed to get his shit together before he had to deal with Evie’s reaction to the night before.
Why had he done such an idiotic thing? And why was he still so damned attracted to her?
Shaking off those thoughts, he moved into the bathroom, shutting the door gently trying not to wake her. He didn’t know what was going on with him but whatever it was, he needed to purge it from his system.

Evie peeked at the bathroom door as it closed and released a huge sigh when she heard the lock snick into place. What had she allowed to happen last night? Evie rolled onto her back throwing her arm over her eyes.
Oh God.
She’d slept with her boss.

Of all the stupid things she’d done this was the worst. It was a disaster
.

It was complicated enough that she’d been attracted to him but now she had slept with him and she wasn’t sure how to act or behave around him. Should she just pretend it hadn’t happened or tell him it couldn’t happen again?
Yeah, that was a good idea actually.
She’d just tell him it couldn’t happen again, that it was a huge mistake and they should forget that it had happened.

She turned to stare at the door. Maybe in the morning she would tell him. Her face was red and she couldn’t seem to stop the racing of her mind. It was still repeating the
what have I done
question. Sitting up with her hand holding the covers to her chest, she steeled her back. Today she would just get up, go shower, and pretend that everything was normal even when it wasn’t. That way tomorrow in a less explosive setting she could tell him this could never
ever
happen again.
Yep, that’s what she’d do,
Evie thought as she got up from the bed, grabbing her clothes on the way to her room.

It didn’t take her long to shower and dress but she decided to stay locked in her room until the car came in a half hour to pick them up for the plane ride home. Her stomach rumbled letting her know that she hadn’t eaten but she wasn’t about to go out there with Luke to order room service so it would have to keep rumbling.

She ran a hand through her freshly washed hair and sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh. Turning on the TV, she tried to distract her stomach with a cop show while her mind twisted and turned over the thoughts that ran around in her head. Damn, she really wished she hadn’t allowed him to make love to her.

Evie felt a tingle between her thighs that she tried to ignore. She didn’t want to think about last night being the best sex she’d ever had because that would make her think of doing it again and that could not happen again,
ever
.

Luke sat at his desk and stared at Evie’s profile as she focused on her computer. She’d stayed locked in her room until the car had arrived to get them three days ago. Luke had expected to face a pissed off woman when she did finally leave the room but she’d acted as if nothing had happened at all. It quite frankly had pissed him off. The little scene the next morning when she arrived at the office had invoked his anger.

Evie had stood in his office with a hand on the doorknob as if she needed to have her escape route ready. He’d thought she was about to yell or accuse him of taking advantage of the situation. Only she hadn’t. No, she’d basically given the same speech he’d given to countless women over the years. Luke figured out that he didn’t like that little speech any more than the women he’d given it to in the past had.

“I want to clear the air about yesterday,” Evie had said, her face slightly red, and he’d thought she was going to let him have it. Luke was surprised when she’d continued in a calm steady voice. “What happened last night was great but it can’t happen again. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you and I to be involved in that type of relationship. You and I just aren’t right for each other.” She’d paused, biting her lip, and Luke had glared at her from narrowed eyes. This was what
he
was supposed to be saying to her, not the other way around. “We’re from different worlds and we just aren’t meant to do…
that
. It just isn’t something that needs to happen ever again. I’m sure you will agree,” she’d finished, her hand waving in the air to indicate her dismissal of their night together.

Luke had wanted to stand up and grab her to jerk her into his arms and show her just how much he didn’t agree but he’d stayed seated. His hands had curled into the arms of his desk chair and he’d felt his teeth ache from the tight clench of his jaw but he hadn’t compounded his mistake by doing something else stupid.

Days later, he was still pissed off over what she’d said before leaving his office with a little nod. Evie acted like nothing had happened since then and it was making him insane. Even more insane than he’d been before they’d slept together. He watched her like a fucking stalker and he was starting to become a little obsessed with who she was with and where she was going. He’d actually put a tracker on her car last night.

Luke ran a hand down his face and leaned forward to bang his head against the desk. Letting out a loud groan of frustration, he glared at her again through the slight opening in the blinds. He’d paid a fortune to have them coated on one side with a film that allowed him to look out but anyone looking in would only see frosted glass. He never planned for its use to be him spying on his assistant because he was a creepy pervert though.
Fuck.

He’d reasoned with himself while placing the tracker that it was for her protection, so that if something happened he would know where she was, but even he knew that was bullshit. He just wanted to know where she was and that was just fucked up. Luke watched her lean forward to grab a stack of reports off the edge of her desk. Seeing her breasts lift and bounce in the top she’d worn today, his mouth watered and he wanted to strip her naked and take her across her desk and damn the consequences.

Luke stood and walked to the blinds, jerking the cord to shut her out because he wasn’t going to be able to concentrate on work unless he did. Heading back to his desk, he sat down and tried to focus on anything except his thoughts of Evie. He managed to actually get some work done with the blinds closed and his pointed reminders to stay focused. He was just starting to go over some numbers that Tina had sent him when he heard loud voices in his outer office. He stood, wondering what the hell was going on as he strode toward the door.

He could make out a distressed sounding Evie talking to a man who was yelling rather loudly and he felt a blistering force of protectiveness rising inside him. Whoever was talking to Evie in that tone was going to find himself thrown out of the building because Luke wouldn’t stand for anyone treating her that way. Not just because he’d slept with her either. She was his employee and that meant she would not be abused while in his office.

Luke opened the door to find John Kirkland, his new client who was supposed to be here at one o’clock, standing before a distressed Evie, who had her back to him as she spoke to the man in a calm but shaky voice that set his teeth on edge. Neither of them seemed to notice he’d stepped from his office and he watched their interaction for a moment wondering what the issue was.

“I’m very sorry that you feel that way but I am still not allowing you to barge into Mr. Stewart’s office without permission,” Evie explained, her hands gesturing toward the couches. “If you’ll have a seat I will buzz him to let him know that you’re here,” she finished. 

“I don’t need you to tell me to sit down. You’re a criminal and I will not be doing business with any company who employs someone like you. I’m quite sure that you lied on your application in order to get hired. I would expect a security company to follow up on that with a background check but apparently you either found a way to make that look real or they didn’t do one. It won’t matter once I inform your boss of the fact that you are a crook,” John snidely informed Evie, looking down his nose at her.

Luke could almost feel the rage flowing through his veins in that moment as he stood watching the scene unfolding before him. John may be a potential client but Luke would not allow him to judge Evie so harshly no matter who he was. She had been cleared of all charges and after four months of working for him, he knew she wasn’t the type to ever do anything illegal. John had no right to treat her so poorly and he would be setting the man straight about that immediately.

“I can’t allow you to just walk into his office, sir. Now please have a seat and I will—” John interrupted her, taking a threatening step closer to her, and Luke’s fists clenched. Evie stood her ground but he watched her back stiffen.

“I’m not sitting out here with you—” John began but Luke had had enough and interrupted him.

“John, would you step into my office please,” Luke snapped rudely but he wanted to get him away from Evie, who turned toward him with a slightly flushed face. She grimaced when she took in the look on his face. John nodded, a grin that set Luke’s teeth on edge splitting his face as he stepped around Evie with a disdainful look and strode into Luke’s office. It was all he could do not to grab the man by his collar and toss him out on his ass in that moment. Especially when Evie’s look went from upset to teary-eyed. His jaw hardened and he couldn’t help the slight growl that escaped him. That son-of-a-bitch thought that he was getting his way but Luke had news for him, that was for damned sure.

“Sorry, Mr. Stewart—” Evie began but Luke held up his hand waving her off.

“Evie, you didn’t do anything wrong. We will discuss this when I’m through talking to John,” he rumbled, not allowing her to finish her apology. Evie wasn’t the one at fault and he was going to be sure she knew that the next time something like this happened, she was to remove whoever was giving her a hard time from the office. No one would treat her or any of his employees this way.

With a clipped nod to her, he stepped into his office shutting the door behind him. John was sitting in one of the chairs before his desk looking smug. Luke wanted to knock that smile off his face but managed to hold in the urge. He moved to where he was standing in front of John, his hands balled at his sides and his jaw hardened. He counted to ten mentally before he spoke, trying to maintain a level tone.

“I don’t know how a security firm with such a good reputation missed this but that girl out there—” John began, but Luke had had enough of the man’s bigotry in regards to Evie.

“Stop talking before you say something that you will regret,” Luke barked, his eyes narrowed on the other man. “You have no damned idea what the hell you’re talking about.”

“I just wanted to inform you that your employee out there is a crimi—” John was looking down his nose at Luke with his shoulders back and his look indignant.

“I am well aware that her
father
is a criminal. Evie, however, is not and if the FBI and I are satisfied with that fact then you should be as well,” Luke told him coldly.

“I can’t believe you fell for that act. It makes me wonder if you are as good as everyone says. My company can’t work with an incompetent security firm and I will have to take my business elsewhere if you’re fooled by a pretty face and nice tits.”

John wore a smug smile. He apparently thought his money would get him whatever he wanted and it made Luke even angrier than he’d been a moment ago. It took everything inside him not to deck the man. He stood gripping the edge of his desk hard enough to break it if it wasn’t made of sturdy wood. Luke wanted to beat John until he apologized to Evie for being a bastard but he knew that wouldn’t make Laney very happy with him. Giving him a set down and explaining the error of his views was going to be a big enough issue but Laney wouldn’t care as long as he didn’t assault the man like he wanted to. In fact, as protective as she was of Evie since getting to know her she’d be just as likely to verbally set the man straight.

“I will pretend that you didn’t just say that to me because I know that you wouldn’t insult me in my own office. I would also like to apologize that my company will be unable to assist you with your security needs. We have a policy that prevents us from working with people who don’t know their asses from their elbows,” Luke managed to say between his tightly clenched teeth.

John’s face turned a livid purple and his mouth dropped open as he stared at Luke in surprise. Luke didn’t give a damn. They didn’t need this asshole’s business despite the fact that he had four offices and it was a half million dollar contract. Luke refused to work with any man who was a bully. He’d started his company to protect people from them and there was no way in hell he was going to allow one to badger his employees or use his name to continue to do so to their own.

“You’re seriously saying that little—” John began getting to his feet but Luke sliced his hand through the air stopping the flow of words before John said something he couldn’t ignore, because if he called Evie anything derogatory he wasn’t sure he would be able to hold onto his temper.