the
empty cup at his head.
Alex caught it one-handed and laughed. "She told me she
likes that."
She'd come harder than I'd ever felt when I put my hand on
her throat. "Mistreating her emotions."
He walked behind his desk and jammed the cup in the trash.
"She's done the same damn thing to me."
"This isn't about you!" I slammed my fists down on
his desk. "Stop being so fucking selfish and give her what she
needs."
He lunged forward, fists clenching as if he wanted to hit
me. "And just what the hell is that?"
I stepped back and plopped down in a chair. "Beats the
hell out of me, but when she figures that out, you'll be the first to
know."
"I will?" He walked around his desk and sat on the
edge, leaning over me like he couldn't wait to hear more.
"She wants you. Last night with me... that was
goodbye."
"Did she say that?"
"She didn't have to." I'd purposely left without
saying it, before she had a chance to say it to me. As long as neither one of
us said it was over, maybe....
"But she said she wants me ." Hope lit his
eyes.
"Yeah." Admitting that required more coffee.
"But if you don't make her happy, I'll kick your ass over the
Rockies." I swung my foot up between his legs, stopping short of his
crotch when he flinched. He got the idea.
"I'll let you do it. She deserves better than me."
"Goddamn right." Better than us. She'd said
she wanted me, too, but I kept that detail for myself. "So you need to be
the best man for her."
He propped his chin up with his fist and rubbed his jaw.
"Without letting her get bored."
I laughed and stood up. "Good luck."
Alex stood with me and shook my hand. "When are you
leaving?"
"Tomorrow."
"Got time for a beer?" He opened the door and we
walked out to the lobby.
"Sure."
"Court will be done by five. Meet me back here and
we'll go grab a cold one."
"Sounds good." I turned to Claire, about to ask
for another cup of coffee, but the question caught in my throat when I spotted
her companion.
Talia stood beside Claire's desk, her lips pressed into a
hard line. "I thought you were leaving this morning."
"Flight got delayed. I'm stuck here tonight."
Her eyes narrowed. "Where are you staying?"
"I have a room."
"I see." She grabbed her laptop case and walked
into the conference room.
I couldn't help grinning at Alex. "She's all
yours."
"Thanks." He rolled his eyes and followed her.
Claire slid her chair back. "So you and Talia know each
other?"
Not answering that question . "Great coffee. Can
I get another one for the road?"
"Sure." She disappeared again. She'd kicked off
her heels, revealing cherry-red painted toenails in silky stockings. Her
footsteps fell softly on the hard floor. "Where are you headed?"
"No idea. What do you recommend?"
She sat behind her desk and rested her chin in her hands. A
wistful sigh escaped her. "If I had a day to myself, I'd take a drive to
the mountains."
"Want to play tour guide?"
Claire smiled and glanced at the closed conference room
door. "I'd love to get away, but Alex wouldn't be too pleased about
that."
"I doubt he'd even notice. She'll have him wrapped up
all day."
She shook her head. "I have too much work." And
with that, her phone rang. She picked up the receiver and immediately punched
the hold button. A sweet tempting smile danced in her eyes. "But if you
come back, let me know in advance."
"I'll remember that." I walked through the door
and looked out the window at the mountains. Most of the snowcap had melted, but
the highest peaks still bore patches of white. The clear blue sky stretched for
miles in every direction. Beautiful country. A man could be tempted to
stay here... if she did.
But Talia would come to me when Alex screwed up again. I was
her security. She couldn't let me go for long.
Playing Nice
He'd follow me into the conference room. He had to or I'd go
back out there and kill him. Alex walked in and closed the door while I booted
up my laptop and waited for him to make a move. Would he grab my hair?
empty cup at his head.
Alex caught it one-handed and laughed. "She told me she
likes that."
She'd come harder than I'd ever felt when I put my hand on
her throat. "Mistreating her emotions."
He walked behind his desk and jammed the cup in the trash.
"She's done the same damn thing to me."
"This isn't about you!" I slammed my fists down on
his desk. "Stop being so fucking selfish and give her what she
needs."
He lunged forward, fists clenching as if he wanted to hit
me. "And just what the hell is that?"
I stepped back and plopped down in a chair. "Beats the
hell out of me, but when she figures that out, you'll be the first to
know."
"I will?" He walked around his desk and sat on the
edge, leaning over me like he couldn't wait to hear more.
"She wants you. Last night with me... that was
goodbye."
"Did she say that?"
"She didn't have to." I'd purposely left without
saying it, before she had a chance to say it to me. As long as neither one of
us said it was over, maybe....
"But she said she wants me ." Hope lit his
eyes.
"Yeah." Admitting that required more coffee.
"But if you don't make her happy, I'll kick your ass over the
Rockies." I swung my foot up between his legs, stopping short of his
crotch when he flinched. He got the idea.
"I'll let you do it. She deserves better than me."
"Goddamn right." Better than us. She'd said
she wanted me, too, but I kept that detail for myself. "So you need to be
the best man for her."
He propped his chin up with his fist and rubbed his jaw.
"Without letting her get bored."
I laughed and stood up. "Good luck."
Alex stood with me and shook my hand. "When are you
leaving?"
"Tomorrow."
"Got time for a beer?" He opened the door and we
walked out to the lobby.
"Sure."
"Court will be done by five. Meet me back here and
we'll go grab a cold one."
"Sounds good." I turned to Claire, about to ask
for another cup of coffee, but the question caught in my throat when I spotted
her companion.
Talia stood beside Claire's desk, her lips pressed into a
hard line. "I thought you were leaving this morning."
"Flight got delayed. I'm stuck here tonight."
Her eyes narrowed. "Where are you staying?"
"I have a room."
"I see." She grabbed her laptop case and walked
into the conference room.
I couldn't help grinning at Alex. "She's all
yours."
"Thanks." He rolled his eyes and followed her.
Claire slid her chair back. "So you and Talia know each
other?"
Not answering that question . "Great coffee. Can
I get another one for the road?"
"Sure." She disappeared again. She'd kicked off
her heels, revealing cherry-red painted toenails in silky stockings. Her
footsteps fell softly on the hard floor. "Where are you headed?"
"No idea. What do you recommend?"
She sat behind her desk and rested her chin in her hands. A
wistful sigh escaped her. "If I had a day to myself, I'd take a drive to
the mountains."
"Want to play tour guide?"
Claire smiled and glanced at the closed conference room
door. "I'd love to get away, but Alex wouldn't be too pleased about
that."
"I doubt he'd even notice. She'll have him wrapped up
all day."
She shook her head. "I have too much work." And
with that, her phone rang. She picked up the receiver and immediately punched
the hold button. A sweet tempting smile danced in her eyes. "But if you
come back, let me know in advance."
"I'll remember that." I walked through the door
and looked out the window at the mountains. Most of the snowcap had melted, but
the highest peaks still bore patches of white. The clear blue sky stretched for
miles in every direction. Beautiful country. A man could be tempted to
stay here... if she did.
But Talia would come to me when Alex screwed up again. I was
her security. She couldn't let me go for long.
Playing Nice
He'd follow me into the conference room. He had to or I'd go
back out there and kill him. Alex walked in and closed the door while I booted
up my laptop and waited for him to make a move. Would he grab my hair?
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