Page 1

Chapter

One

Margot Reid gazed out the windshield at the distance from between where she’d parked, and the door that would take her to the elevator which would whisk her up to her job for the start of the working week. It wasn’t far, a hundred feet at most, yet she remained frozen with her seatbelt still securely in place.

Mondays never bothered her. In fact, she was always excited to get a start on the working week.

This Monday was different though.

It came after a weekend she’d rather forget. A weekend where what she’d been hiding for the last few months refused to stay hidden. Humiliation burned her cheeks at the memory of how she’d sought safety in the shadows, while unexpected tremors had overtaken her at a major event where not only everyone she worked with was there, but every influential person who lived in Perth and across Australia was as well. The release of an exclusive jewelry collection by world famous designer, Jeffrey Courteux, ensured a crowded room. It had been too much for her.

She’d had to put her drink down because her hand was shaking so much and she didn’t want to spill it all over herself. She’d sought the shadows in the hopes that she could get through it by herself.

How wrong she’d been.

Of course, the one person she hadn’t wanted to ever see her so broken was the one who’d found her. And the one who’d held her. Talked to her soothingly until the tremors disappeared. Then he’d given her a look which had been long and intense before walking away as if they hadn’t shared a moment. Margot should’ve been glad he’d left… yet she wasn’t.

She closed her eyes and leaned back against the headrest as she slowly controlled her breathing, until it was even and deep.

After a few seconds, a sense of calmness filtered through her, and she opened her eyes to find luck wasn’t on her side again.

If only she’d gotten out of the car when she arrived.

If only she hadn’t allowed the memories of the weekend to engulf her.

If only Damon Pallin wasn’t about to knock on her window.

Perhaps if she acted like he hadn’t seen her at her lowest point, he wouldn’t make a fuss. The way he’d walked away from her suggested he wanted to forget about it too.

Summoning up a smile from the depths of her soul, she waved, grabbed her purse from the passenger seat, and reached for the handle, the door opening before he could even grasp it.

“Morning Damon, how are you?” Her perkiness was faked, but he wouldn’t know that. At least she didn’t think he would. Given what he did for a living, and the specialized training he’d had, the chances of him not noticing was slim, but she could only hope.

“Margot, everything okay?” He leaned down and studied her intently, his brown eyes so dark, they almost looked black.

He was dressed in a navy suit, his dark hair slicked back off his forehead. With the scruff on his chin, and the hint of a moustache, he was giving her Mafia boss vibes, as though he was a hero from one of her favorite Kylie Kent novels.

“Of course.” She got out and Damon took a step back, but still close enough for his alluring fresh pine scent to swirl temptingly around her. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Damon didn’t say anything, just continued to watch her with that intense gaze of his.

Why, after all the years she’d worked at Power Security, had he decided to take more than a passing interest in her now? He’d never ignored her, though. He’d been polite and professional, even friendly sometimes, and joking with her on the very rare occasion. The issue was, she’d had a crush on him since the first week of her employment and those interactions had always had her hoping for more.

She’d managed to keep her crush and that hope hidden, and had done her job, while admiring him from afar. At least she thought she had. The last thing she wanted was for him to know. How embarrassing would that be?

Even more embarrassing than what had happened on Saturday night.

“Are you going to let me pass?” She waved her hand around, but he refused to move. His stillness was unnerving. With a huff, she depressed the button on her key fob to lock her car, squeezed past him, and headed for the door, resisting the urge to look over her shoulder to see if he was following her.

The door to the elevator foyer closed behind her, and she was alone in the small space. If Damon wanted to stand in the middle of the parking garage, that was on him; it wasn’t her problem to deal with. Margot stabbed the up button, and the doors to the elevator opened immediately.

She blew out an annoyed breath and hit the disk for her floor. All the while, waiting to see if Damon would join her. The doors slid shut silently, and frustration billowed in her that she was alone. Which was ridiculous, because this was what she wanted. She didn’t want Damon around her. Not while the memory of Saturday night was fresh in her mind.

The journey to her floor was over quickly, and she reached into her bag for the keys to unlock the front door. A pointless action, because someone was always in the office before her. Whether it was Steve, her boss, or any of the other guys who worked there, she’d never had to unlock the door.

Until today.

The office was dark, and Margot glanced at her watch, wondering if all her clocks had changed time overnight and were now wrong.