“Great. I’m technically done setting up all the computers, but I don’t want to start setting up the networks until I know the servers are good to go.”
“Call it a night, then. Come back in the morning and get these fuckers banged out. The HR manager will be meeting with Macy and I in three days, and I want her software programs up and running.”
“Great. I’ll need to get licenses for the software you plan to use.”
“I brought the corporate card.” Macy handed me a credit card. “I had to order the break room furniture.”
“Thanks. Are you both not in tomorrow?”
“We’re going to have a late start. I have a doctor’s appointment.” I cocked my brow, but then smiled and walked back behind the lobby desk to get my things. They’d just found out Macy was pregnant.
“I’ll see you both tomorrow.” Walking out, I put on my sunglasses and headed to my truck in the heat. As I waited for traffic to pass, my head replayed my encounter with Blake. I’d never had that reaction to a woman so quickly before. I knew it was lust, but why did she have to work with me? Lust could lead to trouble—trouble neither of us needed. Although, for some reason, I had to learn more about this stalker of hers.
Needing a clear head to drive, I turned up the music. Every damn song reminded me of her in some way. First it was America’s Sister Golden Hair, and then it was ZZ Top’s Legs. I had to shut it off. My dick throbbed painfully in my pants, and the blood drained from my brain. The second I parked in my garage and lowered the fucking door, I turned off the engine and rushed into my empty house with a raging hard-on.
I hopped in the shower, taking care of my needs before my blue balls set in. Shit was going to get unbearable very soon.
Chapter 2
Blake
I could barely breathe as he stared at me with pure, visceral lust. He stood there with his broad chest in a plain white tee that clung to him from his sweat. His dark black hair matched his scruff, looking dirty and delectable, especially with the way his muscles bulged from his shirt. My reaction to him had been nearly the same as his to me. The room was burning hot, and it wasn’t from the lack of air conditioning. The way his eyes roamed over me or the way I stole a glance at his well-endowed package, we could have fucked right on that desk, That would have been a quick way to not land the job, which I needed, so I let the past rear its ugly head and I turned my attraction to ire.
Our short moment of tension didn’t last long because Sean Cavanaugh, the owner of the company, came in, helping me fight the attraction. I followed him into his office and avoided the hot tech guy, refusing to turn around even though I knew his eyes were on me. “Please take a seat, Ms. Avery. I have your file in front of me. You’re a model candidate, but at this point, I do have several who would fit the bill just as well. Can you give me a reason why you’re better than the others?”
“I don’t know the others or their qualifications; however, I know mine. If you’re looking for someone to maintain your payroll and HR with high standards, I’m more than qualified. My organizational skills are impeccable.”
“Good answer. If given the job, do you see yourself moving here as soon as possible?” he asked. My heart sped up a little quicker, thinking I might have gotten the job, but I remained calm and answered the question.
“Yes, I’m already packed and living with some family in Houston for now.” My aunt and uncle had been wonderful enough to let me live with them until I could find my way. With my parents long gone, I needed someone who lived far away to depend on, and I didn’t expect my stalker would have known them. Or at least that was my hope.
“I understand.” A knock on the door stopped our conversation briefly.
“Come in.” Ah fuck, it was him again. It’s as if my body knew it. Although considering I didn’t see anyone else in the building, maybe that was the reason I knew it was him. He came and went, but I didn’t hear a word of it. My mind focused on the movement of his throat column. The man turned me on more than I’d ever been aroused before.
Mr. Cavanaugh coughed, getting my attention. “Ms. Avery, I pulled your background, and everything comes back clean, almost empty…except that’s not the only one I ran. As a security company, I need to make sure every single one of my employees is an upstanding citizen.” He knew.
I’d let out a sigh, but he raised his hand to stop me from speaking and continued. “I understand why you’re here. The job is yours. I just ask that you let me handle any security matters for you if you should need it.”
“Well, I can’t afford that.” They were going to offer expensive services for their clients, so I knew I couldn’t pay for a bodyguard.
“I know, but it’s a part of the job. I wouldn’t let any of my employees suffer or risk the lives of the staff.”
“Thank you, Mr. Cavanaugh. Thank you so much.” I extended my hand, giddy with excitement.
“Thank you. Welcome aboard. Now, when will you be able to start?”
“Tomorrow if needed. I need to find an apartment, though. If not, I’ll have to commute for a few weeks.”
“Great. On Thursday is when you’ll start. My wife and I have some things to attend to before we set up the rest of the interviews, and I want your computer and programs running before we get you in here.”
“Thank you. I can’t thank you enough.” My grin was more than likely embarrassingly wide. I couldn’t believe my good luck after the past year.
“Just do your best, and that will be all I need.” He smiled at me and stuck out his hand. “Now, I know it’s painfully hot in here, so let me get you out of here before you pass out.”
“Sounds great.” He walked me to the front door and told me to be at work at eight. I tried to hold in my excitement, but it was the best news I’d had in a long time. I jumped into my car, turning on the AC as soon as the engine turned over. I lowered the windows until the air kicked in, driving off to look for an apartment in the area.
It took the rest of the day to find a place. I’m so grateful someone was there to show me the small, clean apartment. We went through the paperwork, and thankfully the background check wasn’t as deep as Mr. Cavanaugh’s.
I pulled up to my aunt’s home and saw my cousin and uncle’s cars in the driveway. I parked on the street and then used the key they gave me to go inside. “Ah, Blake. We’re so glad you’re home. We were worried about you. How did it go?”
I looked down, my lip quivering, then I raised my eyes, slowly revealing a smile. “Wonderful. I got the job and an apartment,” I squealed.
“Congratulations,” my cousin, Kayleigh, cheered, standing up and hugging me. We had grown close after everything that happened with my move down here. She was only nineteen and in her second year at Texas A&M, but we were almost like sisters.
“Thank you.”
“Where is the apartment?” my aunt, Heather, asked.
“In Weston near the job at the security company.”
“That’s wonderful. We are so happy for you,” she responded with her brows knitted and a slight frown on her face. Wow, she didn’t sound happy at all.
“What’s wrong? What’s going on?” I tilted my head with a questioning glare.
“Nothing. I’m just worried about that bastard getting out of jail.” That worried me too, but what could I do? He’d still get out eventually, so getting out and starting new was the best thing I could do for myself.
“Well, let’s not worry about it anymore. I’m happy for you, sweet girl. When do you need help moving?” Uncle Jacob questioned with a big grin.
“Can’t wait to get me out of your study?” I teased him, giving him my best pout before poking his stomach.
“No, I’m just pleased that you’re moving on. I think we need to celebrate. How about I take my favorite ladies out to dinner?”
“I always love free food,” Kayleigh piped in, rubbing her hands together greedily. My stomach took that moment to concur, rumbling loudly.
“I guess that’
s a yes.” She threw her arm over my shoulder as we marched out the front door, not waiting for her parents.
* * *
The next morning, I woke up and started packing. When I’d come down, I hadn’t brought much, just bits and pieces from my past life in Ohio. Whatever I could fit in my car was what I took, so boxing it all back up wasn’t so bad.
“Knock, knock,” my uncle said with his hand on the open door frame. He had a warm, loving heart.
“Come in.”
“How are you doing?”
“I’m nearly done packing. Crazy, right?”
“Nah. You’ve always been organized and ready to go since you stepped through the door. I’m glad you’re feeling strong enough to move on, but I just wanted you to know that you’ll always have a home here.” He pulled me in for a quick hug, then let go. “Enough with the mushy stuff. Your aunt has breakfast for you before you try to run out on an empty stomach.”
“Thanks,” I chuckled and followed him out to get a bite to eat.
“Good morning, beautiful,” my aunt said, setting a stack of pancakes on the table.
“Thank you, dear.” He kissed her cheek.
“I wasn’t talking to you, big lug. Are you excited, Blake?”
“I am. A nervous kind of excited. I get my own place again. Not that you all haven’t been wonderful to me, but there’s something wonderful about being able to live on your own.”
“I know. I’ve been trying to get rid of this guy for years.” He reached over and tickled her for it, growling in her ear before they kissed like two newlyweds.
“Dang, you can’t stay off her for a minute. It’s a wonder I don’t have a whole house of siblings.”
“Sometimes I’m grateful for it. More than one of you is too unbearable for anyone’s sanity.” They’d had trouble conceiving and got lucky to get Kayleigh, so they decided one was enough. I’m starting to think it’s a family inheritance since I’m an only child too.
“Whatever. That’s because I’m too much fabulousness for you to take in.”
“That you are. Now, come sit down and eat, the both of you. I didn’t slave over this kitchen for two hours in this heat for nothing.”
“Mom, it’s seventy degrees in this house. It’s so cold I could use a sweater. Besides, you cook like you work in a fast food restaurant, but with a lot better quality.”
“So true. I want to cook that fast and that good.” Working full time left me too tired to cook real meals during the workweek. My cooking skills were mediocre, but I loved a good home-cooked meal.
“It’s about multitasking. While I’m mixing the batter, I have the sausages cooking and then preheat the griddle and make three pancakes at once. Everything timed perfectly.” She winked while Kayleigh set out the plates for us. I grabbed the orange juice and milk, while my uncle nabbed the silverware.
These were the moments I’d miss, but I knew we’d have more over the years. It wasn’t like I was moving across the country. Hopefully I’d never have to move again. I sprinkled on my salt and pepper onto my delicious hash browns and then dug in. “These are fabulous. You have to give me the recipe.”
“Only if you promise to visit when you can.”
“Of course. I don’t want to miss out on your fabulous company.”
“And her cooking,” my uncle said, nudging me with his elbow.
“Well, that goes without question. Who doesn’t love her meals?” My aunt blushed and took a bite of her food to avoid the constant praise.
After our meal, they helped me finish packing and loading it in my vehicle. Waving goodbye, I drove into Weston and to my apartment. I had to go to the store as soon as I put everything in my apartment.
The two days went by in a flash as I ran around to the store to make my apartment feel homey. I dressed for the office, giving a little extra care since it was my first day. Or that was what I told myself. The thought of seeing the asshat Tate again sent butterflies dancing in my stomach. “Ugh, get over it, girl,” I grumbled, leaving my apartment and heading to the office.
As soon as I stepped in the building. Mr. Cavanaugh and his wife were there. I hadn’t met the woman, but the way he had her pinned to the very desk I dreamed Tate and I were on gave it away.
“Sorry about that, Blake,” he said. “This is my lovely wife, Macy. Macy, this is Blake.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Cavanaugh.”
“Oh please, call me, Macy.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. I immediately sensed a hint of territoriality. I hoped we wouldn’t have a problem because I was not interested in him one bit, and I’d hate to work under those kind of conditions. “We’re sharing an office because in case of an emergency, it locks down tight. Let me show you where you’ll be set up.” She led the way with a pep in her step, but Mr. Cavanaugh pulled her close like he was afraid she’d hurt herself.
When she opened the door with a key card, I couldn’t believe how expansive the room was. Although our desks were facing each other and fairly close to each other, we had room for a small round conference table and a long sofa as well as two walls of filing cabinets and one large bookshelf near the sofa.
“Wow. This is almost as large as the lobby.”
“Well, this gives us room to have meetings in here or take a much-needed nap.”
“That’s right, sweetheart. You need a nap, I expect you to take one,” he growled in her ear.
“He’s protective of me.”
“From the day I first met you.”
“That’s sweet.” A pang in my chest made me hate the fear I lived in because I could never have that. Strickland would hunt the man down and kill him.
“I’m a lucky woman.”
“That you are.”
“Let me give you a tour of the building, and then we can get down to business,” Mr. Cavanaugh said.
“Sounds good, Mr. Cavanaugh.”
“It’s Sean.”
“Okay, Sean.” I followed them out and around. Sean had a need to touch her almost every single second. We passed the IT room, and he informed me that Tate would be stopping by my office once he finished up in another office. Goodness, my stomach rolled while I thought about him being there. This was going to be a long first day.
Chapter 3
Tate
I took a deep breath in and out, thinking about the next room I had to go into. The gorgeous Blake’s office. I’d been hiding, ducked down behind a row of servers when they briefly entered my office looking for me. They wouldn’t have seen me unless they went into the server room and walked around.
Grabbing what I needed, I left my office and braced myself. Maybe I’d hyped up this attraction so much that it wasn’t as strong as I believed. My knuckles rapped on the open doorway. She nervously looked up from her desk.
“Oh, hi. Sean said you’d be coming to see me.” She paused. “I mean, coming to give me a rundown of the software.”
“Yep. Just came to give you this.” I handed her the paper with all the information she needed to get into the systems. “This is everything you need.”
“Thanks.”
“All your software should be ready for you to access. Here are all of your passwords. If you have any questions, my extension is at the top, and I’m in the office next to the server room.” I rushed all that out in one stream of consciousness as I did my best not to look at her. This was the first time that I truly saw her since our totally fucked-up first meeting.
Luckily I remembered my manners today, although just barely. I did steal a glance at her today. She styled her long blonde hair in a tight bun with two small strands framing her perfectly smooth face. I couldn’t look further, or she’d have my ass fired if I got caught. Every nerve in my body zinged with an intensity too strong to even comprehend.
Blake and I were coworkers now, and more than before, she was unavailable to me. Sean didn’t have that in the employee handbook, but then again there wasn’t a handbook yet. Blake would have to work with him to de
velop a strong one to keep me from taking my woman. She dominated my every available thought. Had it only been three days ago? The hours felt like days, as if time had slowed to a halt.
My cock didn’t know how to stay down around her, so I needed to get away from her before I frightened her or got charged with sexual harassment. From what I’d learned, she’d been through a lot, and all I would do is bring her more trouble with my own baggage.
“Okay, thank you, Mr. Masters.” Her firm, warm voice hitting my ears was more than I could handle. I nodded and practically sprinted from her office before she could tell how hard she made me by saying my last name. How was that even possible? If I was a dog, I’d be at her feet wagging my damn tail waiting for her to stroke me. How could I lust so insanely for a woman who I’d only spent a few minutes around?
This day seemed to take forever to come, and now I couldn’t get away from her fast enough. I didn’t even make sense to myself anymore. From Monday to Thursday, I’d gone completely insane. Now I understood why she had a crazy stalker because I’d already created a fantasy of us together.
“Fuck,” I grumbled to myself as I took a deep breath on the way to my office, pausing in the middle of the hallway. I needed to get ahold of the fire burning inside me.
“Something wrong?” she asked, coming up behind me.
I almost jumped out of my skin. Turning around, I controlled my voice and said, “No, just thinking of something I forgot about.” Damn, she was beautiful. “Did you need something?” I questioned since she was inches from me out of nowhere.
“Yes. Coffee.” She waved her mug in front of me and added, “You’re blocking the way to the kitchen.”
“Oh, sorry,” I muttered, feeling sheepish. I stepped out of her way. This had to be the one hallway that was a little too narrow for my present predicament.
“No, that’s fine.” She moved past me, but luckily she didn’t bother to look down. Sexual harassment charges were all I needed to deal with.
Securing Blake: Cavanaugh Security Series Page 2
