Protecting Her Heart (Seals Security Book 3) (18 page)

Evie walked into the garage at six, her mind on the scene with Luke from earlier. She was in so much trouble with him. She needed to talk to Rory about what they should do because she wasn’t going to be able to stay here now that she knew she was in love with Luke. She wanted to but she couldn’t because she’d always have an ache in her heart every time she saw him. Not to mention if he moved on to another woman, it would tear her heart out.

Evie felt a tightness in her chest at that thought. Yep, better move on before that happened or she’d be a wreck. It was too bad Seals Security wasn’t a bigger building because if it was then maybe she could move to another department and still see him occasionally at least. It didn’t matter because it wasn’t bigger so she would just have to find another job and hope she didn’t spend the rest of her life aching for a man she could never have.

With a sigh she walked up beside her car still distracted. A hard male hand landed on her shoulder and attempted to spin her around. Evie gasped and Luke’s training kicked in. She slammed her elbow back towards the man hitting something solid and heard whoever it was grunt.

“Damn, that hurt. It’s me, Evie, don’t kill me,” Luke said, a slightly breathless chuckle escaping him. “I guess I should have thought that one through after spending the better part of three months training you for these types of situations, huh?” he asked.

Evie turned to face him and a worried expression spread over her face. “Are you okay?” she asked, her hands rubbing over his shoulders where he was bent slightly at the waist. He grinned and stood up, grabbing her around the waist.

“I’m fine, sweetheart.”

“Are you sure? I hit you really hard.” Evie was concerned because she’d put the full force of her body into that elbow. Then another thought occurred to her. “Wait, why are you lurking in the parking garage grabbing me anyway?” Evie asked frowning.

“Hmm, that is a good question, isn’t it,” Luke muttered as he backed her into the side of her little Pinto. Evie felt his body press into hers and almost moaned at the hard ridge that pushed into her stomach. She let her hands rest on his shoulders as he held her, her eyes wide and her breathing erratic. She felt desire storm through her leaving her lightheaded and horny.

“You’re so damned beautiful,” Luke murmured, his hand lifting to brush her hair from her face. He stared at her, his blue-green eyes heavy-lidded and his mouth moving closer to hers. She knew she should stop him because this was only going to lead to more hurt in the long run for her but she wasn’t able to deny herself the pleasure of his touch when she knew it might be the last time.

His lips landed on hers and she gasped as his tongue thrust inside. His hand was cupping her head to angle her mouth for his invasion. She moaned and pressed into him as he pulled back, taking little nipping kisses as he said each word to her. “Spend the weekend with me.”

Evie felt each word tingle in her spine as he kissed her lips over and over. She couldn’t help the moan that escaped her or the way her hands tightened and dug into his shirt. He kissed his way down the side of her neck finding a spot that made her eyes roll back.

Dear Lord, that felt good.

Evie wanted to say it wasn’t a good idea, that she shouldn’t go home with him, but she couldn’t find her voice and her brain was shutting down from the pleasure he was bestowing on her.

“Say you’ll stay with me. Please, I need to touch you so bad I’m aching. I want you in my bed all weekend. Stay with me,” Luke begged before his lips crashed onto hers again and he devoured her. She couldn’t find the strength to deny him anymore and she managed to nod a little but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Say yes, Evie,” he growled.

“Yes,” she managed to whisper.

Evie felt her feet being lifted off the ground and clutched at him, another gasp escaping her before she demanded, “What are you doing?”

“We’re taking my SUV because I want to make sure you don’t change your mind between here and our building,” Luke growled, a wicked grin on his face as he carried her towards his SUV.

Evie could have told him that she wouldn’t change her mind because in the few seconds she’d had a working brain, she’d realized with her quitting soon this may be the last time she got to feel his touch. If that was the case, then she wanted to grab onto every second with him that she could. One weekend with the man she loved would have to be enough for a lifetime and she wasn’t going to waste even a second of it.

Evie flicked more of the water off her fingers at Luke. He let out a little growl and came at her but she turned and ran towards the bedroom giggling. She could hear him behind her and glanced over her shoulder, letting out a little shriek.

“You wicked little brat. Come back here and clean this off my face!” Luke called out as he chased after her, a chuckle escaping him.

Evie tried to shut his bedroom door before he managed to get inside but she wasn’t fast enough and he shoved it open again stalking towards her slowly. Evie held up her hands trying to ward him off.

“Now, now, calm down. It’s just a little water,” she reasoned as she backed away.

“Oh, now you want me to calm down, huh? After you got me soaked,” Luke asked, his brow raised and his expression serious. She glanced down at his shirt. It was plastered to his muscular chest and she grinned.

“Soaked is a bit of an overstatement, don’t you think?” she asked.

“No, I don’t. You dumped a whole glass of water down my shirt before you flicked it into my face, you little minx,” he growled, still stalking toward her slowly. Evie felt the bed hit the back of her knees and realized he’d backed her into the bed.

Well shit.

“I was only helping you with the dishes,” Evie tried again, laughter bubbling up as she was tackled back onto the bed. Luke’s heavy weight pressed her into the fluffy mattress and his arms supported him as he hovered over her. Evie could feel his hard cock pressing into her belly and she wiggled a little.

“I bring you home with me, cook you dinner and this is the thanks I get?” Luke asked with a little tsking sound escaping him. Coming here this weekend had been the best decision she’d made all year but tomorrow was Monday and she’d have to go back to reality. Evie wished that she could have him like this all the time but Luke wasn’t the commitment type. He wanted to have fun and the second it got serious he was out the door and on to the next woman.

“I was helping!”

“No, you weren’t. You were trying to get me naked. Admit it,” Luke said, his lips pushing into hers. Evie couldn’t deny his words because when she’d wet his shirt she’d been thinking of what his muscles would look like in wet cotton. Now she knew.

“Maybe,” she agreed in a slightly breathless voice. He shook his head and she smiled.

“Hmm, you know all you had to do was ask,” Luke whispered, a wicked grin spreading across his handsome face. His lips lowered towards hers and she felt her breath catch at the dark desire that filled his eyes.

“Yes, but it was so much more fun to pour water on you,” Evie told him saucily.

“You’re going to pay for that, sweetheart,” he said against her ear as he kissed his way along it to nip at her shoulder. “Because I’m not going to let you come until you beg now.”

Evie gasped as his lips moved up to take hers and she let out a long loud moan as he began teasing her. She was positive she wasn’t going to regret it but she was certainly going to enjoy it.

Evie was grinning so wide she thought her face was going to crack as she exited the elevator on her floor later that night. A hard male arm snaked out and pulled her back into a warm male body. She leaned into Luke, turning to wrap her arms around his neck.

“I don’t want to let you go yet. Are you sure you need to go home?” he grunted, his forehead pressed against hers. She looked up at him, her heart aching a little because she knew that this would likely be the last time she ever got to spend time with him like this and it had been perfect. She wanted to tell him no and go back to his apartment to pretend that she could keep him but she knew better. 

“Yes, I do. If I stay we won’t get any sleep and we’d be useless tomorrow.”

“I’m okay with that,” Luke said, his arms tightening.

“Ha, well I’m not,” Evie said as his lips brushed against hers.

“Fine but I still think you should have stayed with me,” Luke muttered before he kissed her breathless. He released her and stepped back into the elevator, pressing the button to close the doors.

Evie watched him standing in the empty compartment with a dazed expression and a feeling of regret. Luke grinned at her as the doors closed and waved a little. Evie stood staring at the closed doors for a long moment before she let out a loud sigh and headed to her apartment.

She dug out her keys and opened the door before calling out, “Rory, are you here?”

“Yes! Where have you been, young lady? I know you texted that you weren’t coming home this weekend but there weren’t any details. Now spill!” Rory commanded as she came out of the kitchen. She was wearing a fluffy pair of slippers and yoga pants with her Walking Dead tee shirt. Evie still felt desire thrumming through her as she moved into the living room, sitting down on the couch.

“We have to move,” Evie suddenly uttered, a huge sigh escaping her.

Rory looked confused as she watched her with her brow raised in question. “What the heck are you talking about? And what does us moving have to do with you not being home all weekend? Now are you going to tell me where you were?”

Evie couldn’t help the sad little huff that she made as she grabbed a pillow from the couch beside, her burying her face into it.
Why oh why had she fallen in love with Luke?
She never did things the easy way. Nope, that wasn’t for her, she was always making things as hard as possible for herself. It was a pain really.

“I was with Luke.”

“Shut up! Your boss the hottie?” Rory asked, her mouth hanging open when Evie peeked at her.

“Yes,” Evie muttered before smacking herself in the face with the pillow repeatedly. “I’m an idiot.”

“Umm, if the look you were wearing when you walked in was any indication then no, you aren’t,” Rory said, a wicked grin on her face. “I’ve been telling you for the better part of a year that you needed to get laid.” Rory watched her for a second before adding, “Okay, maybe your boss wasn’t the best candidate for that but he sure is sexy. And if the look you were sporting was any indication, then he’s also dynamite in bed.”

“He is.”

“Then I don’t see the issue. So you spent the weekend with him. Big deal. It’s not like you’re not both adults. It’s fine. We don’t have to move,” Rory told her, making her realize she wasn’t understanding Evie’s predicament.

“No, you don’t understand. It’s not just sleeping with him, Rory, it’s the fact that I fell in love with him,” Evie cried, tossing the pillow aside.

“Well shit,” Rory said, her face falling. “I guess that’s going to make things difficult at work.”

“No, it’s not because I’m quitting. I can’t handle seeing him with another woman, it would rip me apart.” Evie kicked off her shoes and pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them. She didn’t want to quit because she loved her job but what other choice did she have? She knew herself and she knew what she was able to handle and what she wasn’t.

“Evie, you love that job.” Rory looked sympathetic.

“I do but I can’t watch him move on when I’m head over heals for him, Rory. I just can’t,” Evie told her, rocking back and forth as she spoke.

“I get it. So we really have to move then, huh,” Rory said mournfully.

“Yes, otherwise I would feel uncomfortable with living here.” Evie grimaced.

“Damn, well at least with the money we’ve both saved we won’t have an issue getting another place,” Rory said, surprising Evie.

“You have money saved too?” she asked because she knew that Rory’s job didn’t pay her much.

“Oh hell, that’s right, I didn’t tell you, did I?”

“Tell me what?” Evie asked, her brow raised as she watched Rory.

“I sold six of my paintings to a gallery on Thursday. They gave me six thousand dollars for them.” Rory grinned and she wore a dumb-struck expression.

“Holy crap, Rory! I can’t believe you didn’t call me,” Evie exclaimed, a little mad that Rory hadn’t told her so they could celebrate.

“I was going to surprise you with the news Friday but someone didn’t come home that night,” Rory muttered.

Evie felt guilty and she frowned. “I’m sorry.”

“For what? I wasn’t upset but I did wonder what the heck you were up to. But now I know it was the horizontal mambo.” Rory wiggled her brows and laughed when Evie smacked her in the face with a pillow. “What, too soon?” Rory asked.

“I hate you sometimes,” Evie muttered, a little snicker escaping her.

“Nope, you love me. Now let’s go search the internet for places to live, even though I will miss this place terribly. And who’s going to help us move this time?”

“You’re a pain in the ass, you know that, right?” Evie told her, rolling her eyes.

“Yep,” Rory replied with a little grin and Evie couldn’t help but feel a little depressed as she thought about leaving Seals Security and Luke behind.

Evie walked into Eric’s office eight days later with a heavy heart. She didn’t want to resign but she knew for her own sanity she needed to. Over the past week Luke was attentive and he’d taken her back to his place three nights but it wouldn’t last and she knew it. Evie was sad that she had to leave him and Seals Security but she couldn’t wait until he moved on. It was going to be hard enough to leave him, much less waiting until he was tired of her.

Eric looked up and smiled at her as she walked towards his desk with the envelope she’d put her typed resignation letter into. She was bringing it to Eric because she didn’t think she would be able to give it to either Laney or Luke without being convinced to stay and she knew that wasn’t a good idea.

“Evie, what’s brought you to my office?” he asked, pushing his chair back slightly, a huge grin on his face.

“I-umm, well I am resigning. Luke is gone for the day and Laney was busy,” she rushed to add when he frowned.

“Why?” he asked after a long pause.

Evie stood before him holding out the letter she’d typed up an hour ago and printed. She felt her insides tremble and she didn’t know what to say. How did you tell someone you were quitting because you were in love with your boss?
You didn’t, that’s how.
She was glad when he reached out and took the envelope from her because she could see her hands shaking.

“I’ve decided to get a job doing what I was trained to do,” Evie finally answered, dropping down into the chair across from him.

Now that she’d said it, she realized that was exactly what she intended to do. It shocked her to discover that this job had done more for her confidence and backbone than she’d ever realized. When she first started here, she would never have been sure that she could find a job doing what she was trained for. Now after being here for ten months she knew without a doubt that she would be able to. A small smile touched her lips as she looked over at Eric, who was sitting forward in his chair eyeing her carefully.

“I see. You know we have an accounting department, right?” he asked, his eyes tracking her as she shifted in the chair. She pushed her hands beneath her legs to hide their shakiness. Evie knew she wasn’t fooling Eric by doing so but it made her feel less exposed.

“Yes,” Evie replied quietly. “Luke didn’t want me to work there.”

She didn’t know why he’d been so adamant about her not working in Tina’s department that day but she was now sure it wasn’t because he didn’t trust her. Eric was watching her through narrowed eyes.