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Sweetie? Brandon finally pulled his eyes away from her lips, annoyed at himself for getting caught up in them. She was probably used to having guys like Antonio and all the other saps she worked with wrapped around her finger. Years of having Daddy wrapped made for good practice, no doubt. Any guy who’d never been around her type didn’t stand a chance.
He noticed her putting her phone away, and he turned back to her. “Did he say how long it would be?”
“Few minutes,” she said without looking up at him, but he did notice the bright smile had gone flat.
With the sun shining in the crack a little brighter now, he could even see her delicate eyebrow arch significantly as she sipped her coffee, scrolling through her phone, very noticeably avoiding eye contact. This time he did fight the urge to smile. Was the princess still pissed he hadn’t fallen for that smile last night and given into her as she’d likely been certain he would?
The lights went on and the doors opened. Brandon was tempted for a weak moment to tell Ms. Brady to have a good day. Then he thought better of it. She might actually be that full of herself to think the only reason he’d not given into her last night was because he’d assumed she was married. Happy that he caught the almost slip-up, he walked out of the elevator, saying nothing more to her or even looking her way as he began down the hall.
He heard her step out behind him, and if he weren’t mistaken, the tapping of her heels against the floor was a little louder than normal.
“Sergeant Billings?”
Curious and mildly pleased to hear her say his name, he stopped and turned to look at her. Seeing her once again in the light, he ignored the fact that she looked better every goddamned time he saw her. “Yeah?”
She took a few steps toward him. “Aside from the airport in Washington D.C., have we met before?” Her expression was visibly annoyed. “Or do you think you know me from somewhere else?”
Letting out a dry chuckle, Brandon shook his head. He’d hit it right on the nose. She really was struggling to figure out why he hadn’t fallen all over himself to charm her from the moment he first laid eyes on her. Obviously, it’s what she was used to. What a piece of work!
He was grateful for this added confirmation that she was a self-entitled little princess, because he needed it now that his eyes locked onto hers and they were even bigger and darker than he remembered. As she took a few steps closer and he got an even longer look at the fine details of those big brown inquisitive eyes, he had to focus on what he’d just confirmed. He suddenly needed the knowledge that he’d been right about her all along as a safeguard. It helped with the dislike he knew he needed to continue feeling for her. “No, Ms. Brady, fortunately, we’ve never met.”
Her eyebrows spiked. Just like last night when he first ran into her and the hurt in her tearful eyes was so palpable, there was no hiding what she was feeling now. Utter annoyance. This time he pressed his lips together to refrain from smiling. Why the f**k did her annoyance with him amuse him so much?
“What exactly does that mean? Fortunately? You’ve obviously made some kind of assessment about me, yet you know nothing about me.”
“That’s right. I don’t. And I’m sorry that my lack of desire to know more upsets you.”
It pissed him off that even with his years of training in discipline he was incapable of keeping his eyes off those lips, especially when her mouth fell open as it did just then. Glancing back up at her eyes instead, he saw that little eyebrow lift again. “It doesn’t upset me,” she said. “It’s just that. . .” She glanced around flustered. “I’ve just never—”
“I know you’ve never, Ms. Brady.” He walked away, thinking he should be feeling smugger that she may as well have admitted she wasn’t used to men not being interested. Instead, he felt somewhat disappointed he’d been spot on about her.
The sound of her heels clicking once again quickly and with conviction against the floor made him smile. But he wiped the smile the moment she came around him and stood in front of him, forcing him to stop. She stood so close that the subtle scent he’d picked up in the elevator overwhelmed his senses now. Whatever she used to wash those thick tresses was distracting as hell. “You don’t know anything about me, Mr. Billings—”
“Sergeant Billings,” he corrected her immediately rewarded with a very annoyed pucker of her lips.
Refraining from smiling, he considered for a moment that pissing her off might be a new amusing pastime. It’d certainly keep things safe if she disliked him as much as he wanted to dislike her. Unfortunately, it amused him a bit too much, so it was dangerous. He stared at her straight-faced as she took a deep breath.
“You don’t know anything about me, Sergeant Billings. So whatever preconceived notion you think you’ve figured out about me is completely unfair, but you know what? I don’t give a shit. As a matter of a fact—”
The lights went out again, and she glanced around for a second. Then their eyes locked once again in the dim hallway. Shaking her head, she didn’t finish what she was going to say and started around him, but he moved in front of her, stopping her. It took her by such surprise her hand lifted, pressing against his chest. “As a matter of fact, what?” he asked, gulping as he stared in those startled brown eyes.
She held his gaze for a moment as her hand stayed put against his chest. Infuriating images of having her hands in other places assaulted him, and as much as he knew he should move aside and let her through, he couldn’t bring himself to move away.
