What sort of business meeting takes place at two in the morning?”
“One that can’t be put off. And you should know this city never sleeps.”
“Why do you want me with you? I can’t help you yet.”
“And I can’t concentrate if I think you’re back here planning your escape.”
“I won’t go anywhere. I told you I’d work for you.”
He studied her again until she had to stop herself from squirming under his intense gaze. “Do you find it easy to lie?” he asked.
This time she didn’t bother to attempt a lie, just lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. “Yes.”
Anyway, the truth was, she was pretty sure she wouldn’t sleep, thoughts of Justin and Torr would ensure that. And she didn’t actually want to try. She could sense the nightmare hovering on the edge of her consciousness. She’d rather keep busy, and she had an idea that any business meeting of Torr’s would be far from boring. “I’ll come to your meeting.” She glanced down at herself. “You’ll have to give me five minutes to get ready.”
“Five minutes?” His gaze ran over her figure. “Impressive.”
“This isn’t exactly a date,” she snapped.
She didn’t wait for him to say anything further. Instead, she whirled around and stalked into the bedroom.
She pulled out clean clothes, jeans and a T-shirt, and dragged them on. Her hair was still damp, and she ran her fingers through it. In the mirror, she appeared pale, and the mark on her neck still showed clearly, though it was fading faster than she would have believed possible. She looked about twelve. What did he see in her?
She ran back to the wardrobe, found a pair of black pants and a burnt orange, strappy top that clashed with her hair and clung to her small breasts. They were ‘work’ clothes, worn when she wanted to look like someone else, but she made a conscious decision not to analyze why she was changing. She pulled on three inch heeled, knee high boots over the pants, ran back to the mirror, added a bit of eyeliner, mascara and some lip-gloss. She felt like an idiot, but a fast idiot. Four minutes thirty seconds.
Skip was whining at the door. She nudged him out of the way, opened it, and slipped out. The room was full of men. Huge men. The three-inch heels wouldn’t even make a dent in the height difference. They all swiveled and stared at her so she had to fight the urge to back into the bedroom and slam the door. Hide under the bed with Skip. In addition to Torr, she recognized Cade and Finn, and there was another man. Tall with black hair cut military short, olive skin, and eyes so dark they could have been black.
Bella took a step further into the room and tried not to stare. She didn’t want to admit it, even to herself, but she felt intimidated. There was something about these guys; they were so intense and so big. She inched closer to Torrin.
His gaze wandered over her in a leisurely perusal. “Bella,” he murmured, “you look beautiful.”
She was momentarily distracted. “I do?”
He gave a slow curl of his lips and nodded. “Come and meet my…” he hesitated over the word and she wondered what he normally called them. “Business partners,” he finally concluded. “This is Finn—”
“We’ve already met.”
“And this is Killian.”
The dark haired man stepped forward. He held out his hand and when Bella placed hers in his larger one, he bent his head and kissed the back of it. It was a strangely old-fashioned gesture, but seemed right.
“Very nice,” she said. “But why are they here?”
“They’re your new bodyguards.”
“My what?”
“Your bodyguards. After what happened last night with your friend, I don’t want you going anywhere alone. I’ll stay with you when I can; but if not, either Finn or Kill will accompany you.”
What the hell was going on? She hadn’t needed anyone to look after her since she could walk and she wasn’t about to start now. It wouldn’t do to become dependent on other people,
“One that can’t be put off. And you should know this city never sleeps.”
“Why do you want me with you? I can’t help you yet.”
“And I can’t concentrate if I think you’re back here planning your escape.”
“I won’t go anywhere. I told you I’d work for you.”
He studied her again until she had to stop herself from squirming under his intense gaze. “Do you find it easy to lie?” he asked.
This time she didn’t bother to attempt a lie, just lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. “Yes.”
Anyway, the truth was, she was pretty sure she wouldn’t sleep, thoughts of Justin and Torr would ensure that. And she didn’t actually want to try. She could sense the nightmare hovering on the edge of her consciousness. She’d rather keep busy, and she had an idea that any business meeting of Torr’s would be far from boring. “I’ll come to your meeting.” She glanced down at herself. “You’ll have to give me five minutes to get ready.”
“Five minutes?” His gaze ran over her figure. “Impressive.”
“This isn’t exactly a date,” she snapped.
She didn’t wait for him to say anything further. Instead, she whirled around and stalked into the bedroom.
She pulled out clean clothes, jeans and a T-shirt, and dragged them on. Her hair was still damp, and she ran her fingers through it. In the mirror, she appeared pale, and the mark on her neck still showed clearly, though it was fading faster than she would have believed possible. She looked about twelve. What did he see in her?
She ran back to the wardrobe, found a pair of black pants and a burnt orange, strappy top that clashed with her hair and clung to her small breasts. They were ‘work’ clothes, worn when she wanted to look like someone else, but she made a conscious decision not to analyze why she was changing. She pulled on three inch heeled, knee high boots over the pants, ran back to the mirror, added a bit of eyeliner, mascara and some lip-gloss. She felt like an idiot, but a fast idiot. Four minutes thirty seconds.
Skip was whining at the door. She nudged him out of the way, opened it, and slipped out. The room was full of men. Huge men. The three-inch heels wouldn’t even make a dent in the height difference. They all swiveled and stared at her so she had to fight the urge to back into the bedroom and slam the door. Hide under the bed with Skip. In addition to Torr, she recognized Cade and Finn, and there was another man. Tall with black hair cut military short, olive skin, and eyes so dark they could have been black.
Bella took a step further into the room and tried not to stare. She didn’t want to admit it, even to herself, but she felt intimidated. There was something about these guys; they were so intense and so big. She inched closer to Torrin.
His gaze wandered over her in a leisurely perusal. “Bella,” he murmured, “you look beautiful.”
She was momentarily distracted. “I do?”
He gave a slow curl of his lips and nodded. “Come and meet my…” he hesitated over the word and she wondered what he normally called them. “Business partners,” he finally concluded. “This is Finn—”
“We’ve already met.”
“And this is Killian.”
The dark haired man stepped forward. He held out his hand and when Bella placed hers in his larger one, he bent his head and kissed the back of it. It was a strangely old-fashioned gesture, but seemed right.
“Very nice,” she said. “But why are they here?”
“They’re your new bodyguards.”
“My what?”
“Your bodyguards. After what happened last night with your friend, I don’t want you going anywhere alone. I’ll stay with you when I can; but if not, either Finn or Kill will accompany you.”
What the hell was going on? She hadn’t needed anyone to look after her since she could walk and she wasn’t about to start now. It wouldn’t do to become dependent on other people,
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