Sure, her spending the day with him wouldn’t reflect badly on her, but who knew what she’d get sucked into if she entertained the idea of a relationship with him? Not that he’d asked for a relationship. Hell, he hadn’t even tried to kiss her or anything. Maybe he was just naturally flirty. And then there was the other option of why he was being so nice... She knew for certain that he wanted something from her. He’d even admitted that part of the reason he was being so nice was so she would think better of him.
Was he just gritting his teeth and trying to get through the day? Maybe this was torture for him... pretending to like her to make sure she stayed quiet.
“Whoa, what’s going on?” Michael came around to stand in front of her. “You went from looking like a kid in a candy store to a kicked puppy.”
“I suppose I need to work on my poker face.”
“Or you can work on getting back to the candy store. What happened? Did you see something that upset you?” He glanced to the display plaque next to the lifelike diorama in front of them. “Did the Green Bubble Algae piss you off? Because I think I can take them in a fight. I’m bigger.”
She set her palms on his hard chest and tried to push him away, attempting to hide the laughter that bubbled up. “You’re ridiculous.”
He didn’t budge. “Hey, I promised you a good time. And when you make promises in business, you deliver. So tell me what bothered you.”
It bothered her that this wasn’t a real date. It bothered her that, aside from an attraction that may or may not be mutual, they had nothing in common. It bothered her that he wanted something from her and she couldn’t tell how much was an act. It bothered her that she was absolutely dreading the idea of going home and having this wonderful day be over. And most of all, it bothered her how great it felt to have her hands on his warm chest... “My feet hurt. I’m normally here in sneakers, not heels.”
“Do you want to sit down?”
“I think maybe you should call your driver back,” she admitted. She took a step back and let her hands fall away.
He clenched his jaw and she half expected him to argue. But instead he ended up nodding. “Sure.” He pulled out his phone and his fingers moved over the screen before he slid it back into his pocket. Then he reached over and grabbed Lori’s hand, entwining his fingers with hers as he led her to the exit of the museum.
She couldn’t help but stare at where their hands were joined. This was bad. This was the opposite of the distance she was looking for when she said they should leave. This...felt amazing. Good grief, was she really that starved for human contact?
“What are you doing?” she asked as she kept up with his pace.
“What I want to.” He squeezed her hand a bit tighter. “It’s not like you’ll agree to go out with me again, so I might as well take advantage while I can.”
She tightened her lips. “This isn’t a date.”
“It feels like a date.”
“I don’t think—”
Without warning, Michael ducked into a small hallway off the main route and pulled her in with him. She stumbled in and slammed into his front before he twisted with her in his arms until her back was to the wall.
“We need to set something straight,” he said, his mouth just inches from hers.
Lori struggled to catch her breath. He was too close and way too much of him touched her and really this was highly inappropriate. What if someone saw them? And why wasn’t she pushing him away? “Are we going to clarify the employer-employee touching boundaries? Because I think those have been crossed.”
He tilted his head as he considered her. “Do you want me to let you go?”
She opened her mouth to say no, but for some stupid reason, nothing came out.
“So I’m going to take you home. I’m going to walk you up to your apartment. And somehow, someway, I’m going to convince myself not to follow you inside and take you on the nearest surface we can find. But please don’t say this isn’t a date. For the rest of your life, if you are ever out with a man and don’t feel this way, you can rest assured that is not a date.” As he talked, he leaned in even closer until she could feel every inch of him in one particular area. This was so not appropriate for her to be doing with her boss.... And yet all she wanted to do was rub up against him and demand even more.
She forced herself out of his spell and pushed him away. Sure, he was big enough to have held his ground, but he stepped aside for her. “Don’t give me that,” she bit out. “This is all your fault.” Without waiting for him to respond, she left the hallway and kept going toward the exit.
But he was never too far away. She could hear his steps behind her and he caught the door as she opened it to hold it for her. “Did you ever consider that we could have something?”
“Oh yeah.” She gazed over the street to see where his car was. “And then I immediately disregarded the idea of sleeping with a criminal.”
“I’m not a—”
“Please don’t lie to me. I made a choice years ago to never get involved in all that. You know why I didn’t take that job your friends offered, right?”
“Because you’re more morally upstanding than me?”
“Because if I wanted that kind of money, I could get it myself. If I’m not going to put my ethics in question to better my own life, I’m sure as hell not going to bend them for a relationship, or whatever the hell it is you want from me, with you.” She finally spotted the familiar shiny black sedan and rushed toward it. How had everything gone downhill so quickly? Actually, the problem was that everything was too nice. He was too pretty and too funny and too damn big. Seriously, how often did he go to the gym?
The driver already had the back door open for her as she approached, and this time she climbed in without hesitation. The sooner she got home and pretended she’d never embarrassed herself so much in front of Michael, the better. She rolled her eyes as she randomly thought about her weekly phone call with her mother. She’d always ask whether Lori had met any nice boys and Lori would always say no and change the subject. What would she say this week? I met a great guy, Mom! He’s totally into me and disgustingly rich, but I shot him down and basically told him he was scum. But I have my morals. Aren’t you proud?
She stayed as far away from Michael in the backseat that the car would allow, and he didn’t seem to be interested in pushing her buttons any further. Maybe she’d finally gotten through to him that this wasn’t happening. Or maybe he’d never really been that into her and was enjoying the game.
The ride back to her place was quiet. Lori felt mentally and physically drained from the entire day, and she hoped like hell that Quinn wasn’t home yet. She didn’t want to have to deal with an interrogation about her date/not a date, and considering she couldn’t tell anyone her true reasons for not wanting to be with Michael, she would come off sounding insane.
Knowing Quinn, she’d probably think Lori was insane even if she knew the truth. “I have a friend in prison,” she blurted out.
Michael skeptically eyed her. “Oh yeah?”
She nodded. “Terrorism. He was hired to find some information. Didn’t know the guy who hired him, but the money was good enough that he didn’t ask questions. The feds didn’t care. Ignorance wasn’t a defense. Top-level MIT student one minute, convict the next. All it takes is one mistake for even the brightest to fall.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s a warning.” The car came to a stop in front of her building and she met Michael’s gaze. “I don’t enjoy seeing people I like fall.”
He didn’t say anything. Just opened his door and climbed out, because he was on the side closer to the sidewalk.
Lori slid over and climbed out, but he caught her wrist in his hand.
He leaned in close and whispered, “I know what I’m doing.”
“I completely believe you think that,” she admitted. “But you’re not as in control as you think you are.”
“What makes you say that?”<
br />
“Well, unless this is all part of your grand plan, I’m assuming you didn’t know that Hunter would be sitting outside my apartment right now.”
Michael saw red as he abruptly dropped Lori’s wrist and stormed over to where Hunter stood nonchalantly against the wall. “What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded as soon as he was in hearing range. Hunter raised a brow but didn’t look all that concerned. Michael had to clench his fists to keep from hitting that smug gaze right off his face.
“I was just in the neighborhood. I didn’t realize you and Lori had such a...close relationship.”
“Oh, we’re not together,” said Lori from behind him. “Like, at all. This isn’t what it looks like.”
He glared at her over his shoulder. Now wasn’t the time to remind him just how uninterested she was in him.
“Relax,” said Hunter. “Your girlfriend is safe. I just wanted to stop by and see if she’d had a chance to look over Ken’s offer. From what I could tell, it was very generous.”
“She already has a job, and even if she didn’t, that doesn’t give you the right to loiter outside her apartment half the day.”
Hunter pushed away from the wall and narrowed his eyes. Michael had a good three inches on the man and could more than handle himself in a fight, but something about the way Hunter moved set him on edge.
“I simply wanted to give the girl a better life. Have you seen her apartment? Your bathroom is probably bigger than that entire hole, and you obviously don’t pay her enough to get what she deserves.”
Michael stepped forward, but Lori’s hand on his arm stopped him.
“I happen to like my apartment, okay? And if I was interested in your offer, I would’ve called. Until that happens, though, I would appreciate it if you’d go away.” Her voice was firm and steady, which was a pleasant surprise considering how freaked she’d been when she called Michael the night before.
Hunter looked past Michael and focused on Lori instead. “Well, when you want someone to treat you the way you deserve to be treated, you just give us a call, okay, Lori?”
Michael had to clench his fists. For some reason, just hearing Hunter say her name sent his rage spiraling.
But then Lori set a hand on his arm as she slid between Hunter and him. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Hunter nodded at her and shot Michael one more threatening glance before he turned to walk down the street.
“What the hell was that?” asked Michael as soon as the other man was gone.
Lori twisted to face him. “That is what you got me into. I told you they offered me a job. I just don’t know why they’re so insistent about it. I know I’m good at what I do, but not that good.”
“It’s because he wants you,” muttered Michael. And who could blame Hunter? Michael was half obsessed with her by this point too. Hell, he’d be throwing job offers her way if she didn’t already work for him.
She scoffed and stepped away. “Is that what you think? No. It’s because you offered me up to them. Even if they did want me as their whore, they wouldn’t offer me that much money.”
She headed into her building and Michael followed after her. “Lori, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Yes you did. It’s not like you know anything about my abilities as a worker anyway. You didn’t even know I existed until yesterday.”
Well, that was true. But he also didn’t think the only reason anyone would be throwing job offers her way was because of one good performance at the office or because of her looks. This whole damn thing smelled fishy. “Is there anything you aren’t telling me?”
She pulled the door open and turned to glare at him, making it clear he wasn’t invited inside. “There’s plenty I’m not telling you. I only met you yesterday.”
“Is there something they know that I don’t?”
Her gaze darted to the ground but just as quick, it was back to his. “I don’t know. They’re your friends. Why don’t you ask them? Now, if you’re done with me for the day, I’m going to go back to my reclusive life. I really think it works best for me.”
He clenched his jaw and stepped closer. “Lori, I think we need to figure this out.”
“I think the two of us don’t mix...and the less time I spend with you, the better.”
She couldn’t leave him like this. They needed to talk. They needed to make sure she was safe. But instead of saying any of that, Michael did the only thing he could think of. He closed the distance between them, rested his palms on either side of her face and kissed her.
She immediately tensed in his arms, but she didn’t push him away, and that was the only encouragement he needed.
He let his hands slide down to lightly cup her neck as he angled his mouth for better access, just teasing the seam of her lips with his tongue. She let out a small, worried moan right before she opened for him, and he growled his victory.
And then her fingers twisted in the fabric of his shirt and pulled him closer as she kissed him back. Damn, she felt good against him. She didn’t kiss as if she knew exactly what she wanted and was doing her best to get it. She kissed as if she needed to. As if she was just as perplexed at their strange connection as he was.
“Ahem,” said someone from behind them.
Michael forced himself to pull away from Lori and glared at the stranger behind them.
“You mind moving that somewhere else so I can get into my building?” said the guy with an annoyed expression.
Yes. Michael minded more than this stranger would ever know.
“I’m so sorry,” blurted Lori as she pushed Michael away from the door to let the man through. Her face was a bright shade of red and he wished like hell he knew how much of the bright shade was due to embarrassment and what was attributable to her desire. Namely her desire for him to carry her up to her apartment and fuck her against the nearest wall, counter, couch or, hell, floor they could find.
“That did not happen.”
Immediately, all his fantasies were crushed.
“That did happen.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up against him. “In fact, it should happen more. Like right now. And then continue for much longer.”
She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms. For a split second, he even thought she was going to lean in and kiss him again. But she just sighed and leaned away. “Nope. I’m going home. Alone.”
“You don’t want to,” he insisted as he bent down for another kiss.
She ducked away and he let her go. Damn it. As long as she thought he was really in business with the Thirteen Stars, he would never stand a chance. And considering he’d only just met her, that shouldn’t bother him as much as it did.
“I’m going home,” she repeated, and he wasn’t sure whether she was saying it more to him or to herself. As she reached the door, she paused again. “Tell you what. If you break all your, um, questionable ties, you call me, okay?”
“I’m going to remember you said that,” he called, but she didn’t say anything else as she crossed into the building and the door shut behind her. He fell back against the cool brick and tried to find his normal calm, but he just couldn’t settle the disquiet that swirled within him. He was frustrated. Horny. And most of all, he was confused, and that sure as hell wasn’t a feeling he was used to.
He forced himself to cross the street and head back to his car. If he stayed out there much longer, he’d be no better than the creepy Hunter. He climbed into the backseat before the driver could get the door for him and told the driver to take him home. As the car pulled away from the curb, he pulled out his phone and dialed Evelyn’s number.
As always, she answered on the first ring. “Evelyn here.”
“I think it’s time you tell me exactly what you know about Lori Briggs and spill the real reason you handpicked her.”
Lori looked over her shoulder for the sixteen-thousandth time that day. Even though she hadn’t had any indication that Michael would come back down
to her floor, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he could pop up at any minute.
She’d spent all of Sunday peeking out of her windows, half expecting to see Hunter or Michael in front of her building, staring up at her all broodingly. To think, just a few days ago she’d been all alone and wishing there was a guy in her life. Now she had two. Both had asked her out and both wanted things from her. Not that she was into Hunter at all, but it was strange to think of all he had in common with Michael.
Maybe she should just go to the police anyway. Sure, she didn’t have much in the way of evidence, but it would be better than sitting around and waiting, which was all she did on Sunday. After she sent her resume out to ten different promising companies, she’d done everything possible to distract herself. The apartment was spotless, the pantry was stocked, laundry was done, and she’d even worked out for the first time in forever.
But somehow everything led back to Michael. What would happen when he got caught? Would anything circle back to her somehow? She’d used her own computer to hack into the FBI one Hunter and Ken had brought to the meeting, but it was doubtful that anything else would lead back to her. She was probably safe from legal scrutiny, but Michael was already in much too deep.
A knock sounded from behind her. Lori twirled around in her chair to see Cali with her knuckles against the metal of the cube. “Good morning,” she said cheerfully.
Lori eyed the blonde skeptically. She couldn’t recall even one time that the assistant who sort of ran the company had come down to her level. Michael one day, Cali the next...her cubicle was becoming the place to be.
“Morning to you too. Computer trouble?” Please let it just be a virus that Lori could fix and nothing to do with whatever the hell happened over the weekend.
“I actually had a few computer-related questions to ask. It shouldn’t take long. Want to grab a coffee from downstairs and talk it over?”
Devereaux Billionaires Complete Series: Books 1-4 Page 23
