Protect Me - A Steamy Bodyguard Romance (You Can't Resist a Bad Boy Book 5)

by Layla Valentine

  It might seem crazy that neither of them know the full story of what happened that night, but with these two I can believe it. They’re both headstrong, not the kind of guys who easily admit to being wrong or weak. If someone were to shun either Ethan or Zach, I can confidently say they would respond with silence and distance.

  Inside, though? Inside, I bet they’re both still hurting, the reverberations from that night still thrumming against their souls.

  Harmony glances at her phone. “Is there anything else you need from me?”

  “No, I think that’s all. Thanks again. This really clears some things up.”

  She nods. “Of course. Do you think you can say hi to them for me? That is… If they don’t hate me for what happened.”

  I shake my head. “They can’t hold anything against you once they find out the truth.”

  Harmony’s lips purse. “I hope you’re right.” She grabs her purse and stands. “It was good to meet you, Noelle. Good luck with everything.”

  “You too.”

  I stay in my seat as she leaves the coffee shop, my mind spinning. So it really was all a misunderstanding, just as I guessed. Two headstrong men ripped apart by one sorority dare.

  I lick my lips, excitement building. There’s trepidation too, though. Now that I have all the information, the next thing I need to do is present it to Ethan and Zach. Since I have no idea how they’re going to react, that will be the hard part.

  Chapter 16

  Come over tonight, Zach’s text message reads. I’ve missed you.

  I’ll be back at the office in ten, Ethan’s text announces. Can’t wait to see you.

  Sitting in my cramped little cubicle, I read the messages over and over. They arrived within one minute of each other.

  The irony is too much. Zach and Ethan may not even talk anymore, but they sure seem to be on the same wavelength.

  I put my phone away and stare at the two open documents on my screen. One is the article I told Ethan I’m writing: a piece about Zach’s professional success. The other, much more intimate one, has a completely different tone…and is completely unfinished.

  I gnaw on the edge of my fingernail before I realize what I’m doing and drop my hand. I could show the new document to Ethan now.

  Or I could wait.

  The more I think about it, waiting seems better.

  My desk phone rings, making me jump.

  “Hello?” I answer.

  “Noelle, Mr. Ford would like to see you in his office.” The secretary hangs up before I can respond.

  Leaving my laptop in the cubicle, I head down the hallway. A good plan of action seems to be to talk to Ethan first. There’s no sense in springing the article on him. Still, I’m not so sure coming right out and telling him I met up with his ex-girlfriend yesterday is the best course either. I’m toeing the line here, desperately hoping I’ll be able to nudge Ethan toward his own realization of what happened.

  I knock on the door, and he answers with smoldering eyes. His voice is crisp, though, all professionalism.

  “Noelle. Good to see you. Come right on in.”

  He closes the door behind us then steps forward to pull me against him. The kiss, strong and quick, shakes me. It almost makes me forget what I came in here to do. Almost.

  “Come to dinner with me tonight,” Ethan says, stepping back and sitting in one of the plush chairs.

  “Tonight?”

  “Yes.”

  I press my hands together. “I can’t tonight. I’m busy. Sorry.”

  His eyebrows thread together. “Doing what?”

  “It’s… Just seeing a friend.”

  Wow. What a pathetic excuse. I’m no good at lying, though. And staring Ethan down, desperately trying to stop myself from looking away, doesn’t seem to be helping any.

  I switch gears fast. “How was your trip?”

  “It was fine.” He crosses his arms, his body stiffening. “I was really hoping to unwind by spending an evening with you. We’ll have to shoot for some other night this week.”

  “Yeah,” I agree. “That would be nice.”

  The space between us suddenly feels too much. I take a few steps toward him, hovering close. Ethan reaches out and pulls me into his lap, studying my face.

  “The article. Is it done yet?”

  I hesitate. “Yes…”

  “Great. Send it over to Graham. There should be just enough time for it to make the morning edition.”

  “Actually…” I gulp down my fear. It pops right back up.

  Ethan cocks his head. “What?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about that. Well, about something in relation to that.”

  A long silence.

  “Okay,” he slowly says. “Is this about Zach?”

  “Yes.”

  His jaw tightens. “How close have you two been getting?”

  “We… We’ve been hanging out. We went on a trip this weekend.”

  He nods and looks at the floor, his emotions obscured. I’m still sitting on his lap, and it seems such a weird location for me to be right now.

  “This isn’t about me and him,” I quickly say. “It’s your relationship with Zach that I wanted to talk about.”

  He stiffens under me. “There is no relationship.”

  “But you must still think of him some. You told me I could write this article any way I wanted. Does that mean you’re not going to write a tell-all book on him now? It does, right?”

  Ethan says nothing. He’s shutting down, pushing me away with silence. I hate it. It’s a cruel act, and it only makes me talk more.

  “You have to still care about him, Ethan.”

  “I appreciate your concern, Noelle,” he tensely says. “But there’s a lot that you don’t understand.”

  “Really? Is there? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like your friendship ended over a simple misunderstanding.”

  On the armrest, his hand curls into a fist. I’m afraid I’ve gone too far, but it doesn’t matter. It’s too late now.

  “Noelle, I’m going to say this one more time, and I really do hope you heed my advice. Stay out of mine and Zach’s situation. I like you, and if you insist on butting in, it is only going to hurt our own relationship.”

  My throat tightens. “I’m doing this because I care about you, Ethan.”

  “Really?” His eyes flash. “Or is this about Zach? Because it sounds like you two have been getting awfully cozy.”

  Tears fill my eyes. This was exactly what I was afraid of. Instead of my discovery bringing Ethan and Zach together, it’s only tearing us all further apart.

  I don’t know why I thought I had to do this, why I got it in my head that all three of us could be… What? Some kind of unconventional, happy family? One girl, two boyfriends? Neither of them has even asked me to get serious with them. Neither of them has shown that I mean more to them than a casual fling.

  But I just had to stick my nose where it didn’t belong. I had to get attached to both of these guys. Now I get to pay the consequences.

  I stand up, wiping tears from my eyes, and turn away from Ethan. I can’t stand for him to see me cry right now.

  Light flashes on the windows across the street. I envy anyone who might be in the building over there working, keeping their head down and just doing their job. Why can’t I be more like them?

  Ethan sighs heavily, and the chair creaks as he stands.

  “Noelle.”

  I wait for more, but if it exists, Ethan doesn’t say it.

  “I talked to Harmony,” I say, still facing the window.

  The silence is oppressive. I close my eyes, wanting to shut off the pain. So much time is passing, so much silence… I can’t bear it any longer.

  Just as I turn to face Ethan, he takes a careful step toward me. “Harmony Greggor?”

  I nod pathetically. “She told me what really happened that night. She said—”

  Ethan puts a hand up, stopping me. His eyes are closed,
his nostrils flaring.

  “I don’t want to hear any more.”

  “But, Ethan, it was a misunderstanding. It was—”

  “Leave.” His eyes pop open, but he turns away from me, hiding himself. “Just go, Noelle.”

  He walks over to his desk, keeping his back to me as he busies himself with some papers.

  “You really don’t want to hear about what happened?”

  Ethan stops pretending to be busy and grabs hold of the edge of his desk. His shoulders slump over, his head dropping.

  “I have a lot to deal with right now, and this is the last thing I need. Don’t make me tell you to leave again.”

  The disgust in his words make me shake. I take a trembling step, then another. I thought Ethan might be angry over what I’d done, but I didn’t think he would push me away like this.

  I keep my face turned down as I pass the secretary. The bathroom halfway down the hall is a welcome respite, and I dart in to take a moment to calm down.

  Leaning against the sink, I stare at my reflection. Ethan might hate me for what I did, but I can’t. I was trying to help.

  But where has my desire to help gotten me? Is he going to end our relationship now? Fire me?

  I shake my head against the thought. I need this job. An opportunity like this doesn’t come along every day for someone who’s fresh out of college.

  What’s more, I can’t stand the thought of never seeing Ethan again. I like him. A whole lot. Actually, what I feel for him is closer to love. It’s not the giddy, sweep-me-off-my-feet love, but more the tender, sweet kind. Regardless, it’s big. I care for Ethan.

  Dabbing mascara away from under my eyes, I go back to my desk. It’s a lonely place to be. Graham’s arrival a few minutes later doesn’t make it better.

  “Got a new assignment for you,” he says. “Check your email.”

  “Thanks.” I give him a quick smile before turning to my computer and loading my email. He’s still here, though. I can feel him staring me down.

  A moment later and he’s taking the hard chair next to me. The one that no one else has sat in since I started here.

  “Hey, so I heard something interesting.” He drops his voice on the end of the sentence.

  “Uh-huh?”

  Graham glances over his shoulder, but no one is paying us any mind. “It seems Mr. Ford has taken quite an interest in you.”

  My heart pounds. “What do you mean?”

  He waggles his eyebrows. “Oh, I think you know what I’m getting at.”

  He’s baiting me, waiting for me to say something incriminating. I just shrug.

  “He hasn’t been inappropriate with me or anything, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Hm.” Graham leans back, still studying me.

  “Well, I should check out this new assignment. When is it due?”

  “Day after tomorrow.” His raps his knuckles on my desk. “Hey, Noelle… You know we’re friends, right? You can share anything you want to with me.”

  Us being friends is news to me.

  Graham goes on. “Honestly, if it was me, I wouldn’t mind a little attention from Ethan Ford Jr. The man is a Greek statue come to life.”

  “He is pretty cute,” I agree, simply in an attempt to keep my cover going.

  “Hmm. Just imagine what he’s got swinging from that tool belt.”

  I have the assignment email pulled up now, and I quickly scan it. “What’s the word count for this?”

  “Eight hundred.”

  “Okay.” I jot that down.

  Graham scoots his chair closer. Now I have no choice but to look at him.

  “Tell me the truth, Noelle,” he whispers. “Is something going on between you and Ford Jr?”

  I swallow hard, but I swear, if anyone can smell fear, it’s Graham. One of his brows rises just the slightest bit, daring me to lie.

  “Nothing is going on,” I say. “He keeps calling me into his office because he wants to check my progress on the Zach Garner piece. It’s super important to him, for some reason.”

  “Okay.” Graham’s tone of voice makes it clear he’s not satisfied. He leaves, though, finally giving me some peace and quiet.

  I want to run and hide in the bathroom again, but I’ve already done that once today. And doing that would solve nothing.

  For now, there’s nothing to do but keep pushing forward and hope this whole situation I’ve created isn’t the ticking time bomb I’m terrified it is.

  Chapter 17

  I peruse what feels like an endless shelf of reds. The bottles all blur together, none of them jumping out at me.

  I don’t know why I’m picking up a bottle of wine. Zach probably has a whole secret room in his penthouse full of wine. Still, I just felt like I couldn’t show up empty-handed. Even if my offering is a twenty-dollar Merlot from the sale rack, it’s something.

  Paying for the wine, I trudge out into the dark street and to my car. Ten minutes later and I’m in front of Zach’s building, handing my keys over to the building’s valet, who promises to park it in the underground lot. As I step into the lobby, the knot in my stomach tightens.

  The ride in the elevator doesn’t help. Each floor climbed creates another twist in my gut. This is it. I’m going to tell Zach the truth.

  And maybe lose him.

  I haven’t heard from Ethan since he kicked me out of his office earlier today, and I don’t know if I ever will again. Everything is so uncertain now. My job. My relationships. The rest of the work day was spent on pins and needles, with me expecting to receive word of my dismissal.

  But it never came. Unfortunately, neither did a personal message from Ethan.

  I hang my head as the elevator opens. I would take anything from him right now—an angry letter, a belittling rant. Just to know what he’s feeling and thinking would be a gift. But instead he’s given me only silence. It’s the worst kind of punishment.

  Zach’s place is open, and I go right in. It’s strange to be in his foyer again. The last time I was here, I was reeling from the shock of finding out he wasn’t the person he said he was.

  “Hey.” He appears in the doorway to the kitchen, looking fresh in a tight white T-shirt. His whole vibe right now says more ‘Star Quarterback’ than ‘Reclusive Billionaire’.

  He’s so perfect I think my heart is about to break in two.

  I can’t lose him as well.

  “I was just prepping the fish.” He steps forward and gives me a quick kiss on the lips. “Wine?”

  “Yeah, it’s probably not that great. Sorry. I don’t know much about wine.”

  He inspects the label. I’m sure now that I got the wrong bottle. Isn’t it white that’s supposed to be drunk with fish?

  “Come on.” He takes my hand and we go into the kitchen, where there’s a full spread of uncooked fish and chopped vegetables laid out.

  “Want me to open this now?”

  I set my purse on one of the stools but don’t take my own seat. It doesn’t seem right; I don’t feel at home here. Not with what might be going down soon.

  “Noelle?”

  “Oh. Um. Sure. I mean, only if you want some.”

  He sets the bottle on the counter near the stove and eyes me. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yeah.” I smile. “Do you need any help with anything?”

  “No, just have a seat. Everything is about ready to be cooked.”

  With no other choice, I do as he says. I can’t stop my hands from twisting around each other, though. In my purse, my phone buzzes.

  Ethan?

  Telling me that everything is cool between us? Telling me that I’m fired and he never wants to see me again?

  “How was your day?” I ask, my own voice sounding incredibly far away.

  Zach uses a little brush to coat the fish with some kind of seasoning mix. “Good. I couldn’t wait for it to end, though.” His hand stills. “I kept thinking of you.”

  “Me too,” I breathe. “I kep
t thinking of you.”

  He looks at me across the island, hazel eyes on fire. “The other night at the cabin was…” He blows out a harsh breath. “Amazing.”

  “It was,” I gush, a mixed bag of emotions rising in me.

  “I can’t wait to take you there again. I have some clients coming into town this weekend, but if you’re free the one after that maybe we can head out then.” He gets busy once more, talking as his hands fly. “We could head out on Friday. There’ll be traffic, but at least we’ll get to the cabin with a head start.”

  Oh, Zach. Passionate, romantic, intense Zach. I have to tell him the truth now. If I don’t, I’ll chicken out and maybe never do it.

  Sitting up straight, I go for it.

  “I want to tell you something about the article.”

  He briefly glances my way. “How is that going?”

  “It’s written, but…it kind of led me down another road.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I asked Ethan about what happened between you guys years ago. He said that you stole his girlfriend, but I couldn’t believe that. So I did some digging and I found her. I found Harmony. She… She told me about what happened graduation night.”

  Zach stares at me, eyes wide, face frozen.

  “I know you’re probably angry at me,” I quickly say, “but I wasn’t trying to infringe on your personal life. I just needed to know.”

  The excuse is so pathetic. Of course I was trying to ‘infringe’ upon his personal life. That was the whole point of this. I wanted to know what had happened years ago, wanted to know what kind of person Zach was, what he was capable of. And I wanted to find confirmation that he and Ethan still had a chance of making up. I couldn’t have gotten more into his business if I had tried.

  “Needed to know what?” he flatly asks. His voice is emotionless—not cold, but not full of the life it usually contains.

  “If it was true.”

  “You think I stole Ethan’s girlfriend?”

  “No! I… I didn’t know what to think.”