“What the fuck—”
“You know, this really isn’t a great way to start off a new partnership.”
“Really? I see it as illuminating.”
There’s some more muttering I can’t make out.
“Satisfied?”
“If you want to call it that, we can. But you’ll be hearing from me if the weapons aren’t as exactly as you promised.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Another beat of silence.
The man has balls. He’s not intimidated at all. Then I hear someone open a door. I jump away from the wall and return to what I was doing before the bits and pieces of conversation made its way to me. Of course, now I can’t get it out of my head.
Money. Weapons. Warehouse.
I take a seat on the padded stool in front of my vanity. A weapons deal is going down on the other side of that wall. If I’ve learned anything from my family, I need to forget what I just heard. If I stay off their radar, I’ll be fine. I’m definitely not getting involved in this mess. There’s nothing to do, not even to reach out to my father. With a decided nod, I pick up the towel and throw it in the laundry hamper. Snatching up my other shoe, I slip my foot in, and find my clutch purse. I have other priorities and commitments to worry about. I pick up the fallen necklace, slide it into my clutch, and grab my wrap off the back of the chair.
The conversation is still on instant replay in the back of my mind, but I’m determined to act like it never happened. Deniability is the best policy when so much is already at stake. I’ve been dragged down by too much in my life. I won’t flick the next domino of another unwanted chain of events and screw up my life that much more. After I grab my car keys and shut the front door, I keep my eyes on the carpet as I lock up. It takes effort not to look around, almost as much as it takes to walk down the hallway and act normal while also maintaining a speed to get me the hell out of there.
Halfway down the corridor, my left heel catches on the carpet. I avoid a full stumble by bracing myself against the wallpapered wall. But my keys slip from my nervous fingers, hitting the plush floor with a reasonably quiet jangle. I scoop them up just seconds before a door creaks open in the hallway behind me. I don’t dare look back because I’m already in too deep with the man next door. Getting mixed up in any more of whatever shady dealings are going on, well it’s not a good idea.
“Shit.” I feel a random itch running down my leg from a spot at the back of my left hip. Instinctively, I start reaching down toward my backside without looking, then I think better of scratching it. My pantyhose must have just ripped, but I don’t have time to go back and change it. Especially with whatever’s going on back there.
After walking for what feels like an hour, I arrive at the elevator and repeatedly press the call button, my heart racing as I wait. Jesus, are those men coming closer? Fear and paranoia start to paralyze me. I don’t want to be trapped on an elevator with anyone, so I whirl around to take the stairs instead. Except, I end up colliding into a solid, broad, well-developed, muscular chest.
My pink manicured fingers spread across the dizzying expanse of the man’s black t-shirt and leather vest.
“Oh, Christ! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—” I sputter, backing away.
He catches my arm and steadies me, and the world starts to swirl. Bright sparks of light flash ahead of my eyes. “It’s okay. Take it easy.”
His fingers burned into my forearm where he was holding me with a solid grip, but not too tightly, because I feel like my body swaying a few inches in one direction, then again in the other direction. I look up at the man, way up, past the expanse of black muscle shirt, and crane my neck to take in gorgeous cerulean blue eyes, a slight cupid-bow mouth, and thick eyebrows, which at the moment nearly reaches up to the hairline of his full head of black smoothed-back hair.
“Uh,” I utter under my breath, holding back all the different sounds I really want to make after seeing this sexy God of a man.
“Are you okay, miss?”
His concern seems genuine. I struggle to shake off whatever dizziness is clouding my vision from looking up too fast into the stunningly handsome stranger’s face.
Wait. Is he really that tall? So tall that I’m getting dizzy looking up at his face?
Or am I just plain dizzy?
My wobbly gaze trips back over him.
“Do you need a doctor, honey?”
I grit my teeth against the question. Maybe I don’t like the term ‘honey’ either. I summon the strength to pull away, ignoring every molecule in my body that’s itching to keep holding onto his chest. With a few shaky steps backward, I’m pressed up against the wall beside the elevator.
“I’m fine, thanks. Really,” I insist, and the elevator dings, thank God.
“Okay. If you say so.” The gorgeous man smirks and motions for me to step in the elevator. “After you.”
Suddenly the large elevator is a whole lot smaller with the two of us in it. The doors slide shut, and I think I manage to hit the button for the residents’ underground parking level, grasping the gold bar that circles all along the car at about waist height. What the hell is going on with my balance? It feels like I’m underwater. The world around me is ducking and weaving, bright colors shimmering and then becoming so clear it hurt my head.
