Director Frank Reed the morning of his death in Reed’s office. All of those meetings are monitored and recorded. I’m trying to get access to the video.”
Cal rubbed his eyes and then ran a hand through his hair. The urge to walk over and straddle his lap was huge, and she deliberately moved behind the island to give herself some more space. Her brain and her body were going to have to have a serious conversation soon.
“I could use the help, Evie. This would go a lot faster if we were each working on it.”
The laugh that escaped her throat was brittle with emotion. “You know, Cal, through all the years we’ve known each other, I never realized you have that kind of cruelty in you. So what? I sit down at the computer to help and then all of a sudden you decide to turn me in for what happened a decade ago. I don’t trust you.”
“Says the woman who was writhing beneath me only a few hours ago.”
“Trusting and fucking are two very different things. You don’t have to have one to get the other. And there’s nothing wrong with me wanting to sleep with you. It’s just pleasure. And we might as well do something if we’re going to be stuck here together.”
He looked at her like she’d grown a second head. “Jesus, Evie. That may be one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard. You’re not really that hard. Why are you trying to pretend you are?”
“My feelings are my own. I don’t owe you anything else. But my future—what there is or isn’t of it—is in your hands. So you can see why I’d pass on your very tempting offer to entrap myself.”
“You really think I’d do that to you?” She was surprised by the current of anger in his voice and the hardness that came into his eyes.
“I wouldn’t trust you to do any differently. Better to be safe than sorry.”
He stood up abruptly, the chair skidding back across the floor, and he came toward her slowly, stalking her like a cat would its prey. He stopped several feet in front of her and she wanted to flinch at the hurt and anger in his face. But that’s what he wanted her to see. Cal had spent too long in covert ops. He was a consummate actor.
“Are you afraid of me?” he asked.
She wasn’t. Had never been afraid of him. And that put her at ease. She hadn’t realized how stiff she was.
“I’m not afraid of you. I’ve been taking care of myself a long time. But I don’t know what your game is either. You’ve never been one to show your hand.”
“What good would that do? You might as well wave a white flag in defeat.”
“True. And yet here we stand. Knowing an opponents strengths and weaknesses is essential.”
“Is that what we are, Evangeline? Opponents?” he asked.
She didn’t realize how different her full name sounded coming from his lips. He’d always called her Evie. “Being opponents would mean that I care one way or the other. You’re just a guy here to protect me on my father’s orders. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
“A guy you can’t trust but want to fuck? Just so we’re being clear.”
Her heart flipped in her chest at the look he gave her. Violence practically shimmered around the outline of his body, and his eyes—normally a clear blue—were so dark they were almost black.
He was asking her for permission. Giving her a chance to back down from her earlier statement. But that had always been part of her problem. Pride. She never backed down from anything. Even when it was the smart thing to do.
“Pretty much,” she said. If her body wasn’t so tense she’d be shaking.
“Good to know. Take off your clothes.”
Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth went bone dry. “I beg your pardon.”
“You want to play, let’s play. Take them off. Now.”
He stripped his white t-shirt off over his head and she felt her pussy dampen. Jesus, the sight of him without a shirt should be illegal. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. Anywhere. Tattoos covered both shoulders and his chest—an intricate
Cal rubbed his eyes and then ran a hand through his hair. The urge to walk over and straddle his lap was huge, and she deliberately moved behind the island to give herself some more space. Her brain and her body were going to have to have a serious conversation soon.
“I could use the help, Evie. This would go a lot faster if we were each working on it.”
The laugh that escaped her throat was brittle with emotion. “You know, Cal, through all the years we’ve known each other, I never realized you have that kind of cruelty in you. So what? I sit down at the computer to help and then all of a sudden you decide to turn me in for what happened a decade ago. I don’t trust you.”
“Says the woman who was writhing beneath me only a few hours ago.”
“Trusting and fucking are two very different things. You don’t have to have one to get the other. And there’s nothing wrong with me wanting to sleep with you. It’s just pleasure. And we might as well do something if we’re going to be stuck here together.”
He looked at her like she’d grown a second head. “Jesus, Evie. That may be one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard. You’re not really that hard. Why are you trying to pretend you are?”
“My feelings are my own. I don’t owe you anything else. But my future—what there is or isn’t of it—is in your hands. So you can see why I’d pass on your very tempting offer to entrap myself.”
“You really think I’d do that to you?” She was surprised by the current of anger in his voice and the hardness that came into his eyes.
“I wouldn’t trust you to do any differently. Better to be safe than sorry.”
He stood up abruptly, the chair skidding back across the floor, and he came toward her slowly, stalking her like a cat would its prey. He stopped several feet in front of her and she wanted to flinch at the hurt and anger in his face. But that’s what he wanted her to see. Cal had spent too long in covert ops. He was a consummate actor.
“Are you afraid of me?” he asked.
She wasn’t. Had never been afraid of him. And that put her at ease. She hadn’t realized how stiff she was.
“I’m not afraid of you. I’ve been taking care of myself a long time. But I don’t know what your game is either. You’ve never been one to show your hand.”
“What good would that do? You might as well wave a white flag in defeat.”
“True. And yet here we stand. Knowing an opponents strengths and weaknesses is essential.”
“Is that what we are, Evangeline? Opponents?” he asked.
She didn’t realize how different her full name sounded coming from his lips. He’d always called her Evie. “Being opponents would mean that I care one way or the other. You’re just a guy here to protect me on my father’s orders. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
“A guy you can’t trust but want to fuck? Just so we’re being clear.”
Her heart flipped in her chest at the look he gave her. Violence practically shimmered around the outline of his body, and his eyes—normally a clear blue—were so dark they were almost black.
He was asking her for permission. Giving her a chance to back down from her earlier statement. But that had always been part of her problem. Pride. She never backed down from anything. Even when it was the smart thing to do.
“Pretty much,” she said. If her body wasn’t so tense she’d be shaking.
“Good to know. Take off your clothes.”
Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth went bone dry. “I beg your pardon.”
“You want to play, let’s play. Take them off. Now.”
He stripped his white t-shirt off over his head and she felt her pussy dampen. Jesus, the sight of him without a shirt should be illegal. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. Anywhere. Tattoos covered both shoulders and his chest—an intricate
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