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“So you admire the breed.” He crossed to the window, staring out for a second. “But doesn’t mean you’re comfortable with it on a personal level.”
“Are you comfortable with me being a showgirl?” she asked.
“Sure, if that’s what you want to do.” He gave her a confused look before he shrugged.
“A lot of guys wouldn’t be. You’ve said it yourself—I’m showing my all up on stage. I know what’s going through the minds of the guys watching. The message is sex and when I’m up there dancing I use my body to send it.”
He nodded, but still didn’t look as though he understood. Lara loved him so much for that.
“Some guys, they’d get all jealous or possessive. They think that if their girl is up there dancing, she’s as good as charging by the hour. Or they figure what she’s got is theirs and theirs alone.”
“Some guys are idiots.”
“Yeah.” She grinned, glad hers wasn’t. “But you don’t care. And now that I’m in security, if I take on a job that requires me to carry a gun, to maybe play bodyguard, would you be okay with it?”
He blinked at the sudden career shift, then gave it a second while he considered. Frowning, he asked, “Are you getting training before you go out? Not in the security stuff. I already know you’re aces there, because of all of Lucas’s praise. But you haven’t worked with guns or physical security before, have you?”
As much as an unconditional woo-hoo would have gratified her ego, Lara liked that he was being cautious, because that way she knew he really believed what he said.
“No,” she said, answering his question. “But I’m being trained by someone really good.”
“Who?” He lifted his hand. “Not saying I don’t trust your choices, I’d just like to know the person training you is solid.”
“Lucas.”
“Lucas? Castillo? My brother?” For a second he looked as though he’d just taken a fist to the gut. Then Dominic’s face shifted, a grin slowly emerging. “That’s why he’s been dodging me and wouldn’t help find you. He knew all along because he convinced you to come on board with Castillo Security, right?”
“Right,” Lara said slowly. She was cringing inside, not sure she could defend her decision if he got pissed. She still wasn’t sure she could defend it to herself. She’d tied herself and her career to the family of a man who might very well toss her out on her ass and hate her forever.
But this time she’d put everything on the line by choice. She shifted, lifting her chin and pulling back her shoulders. This time it was her decision. It wouldn’t suck any less if it blew up in her face. But at least she’d be the one calling her shots.
Maybe life, in its infinite wisdom, would kick down a reward for that. Or at least stop messing with her.
She tried to find comfort in her choice, but her stomach was threatening to rebel and her nerves were so tight she felt as though she was about to snap.
Especially when Dominic just stood there, staring.
“Well?” she finally prodded. “Say something.”
“I’m thinking.”
“Think faster.”
He grinned.
Then he stepped closer.
Not close enough to touch, thankfully, since Lara wasn’t sure she could resist. But close enough that she could smell his cologne, that she could remember the scent of it on her skin.
She slowly blew out a breath.
“You’re working with Lucas. That means you’re being trained by the best,” Dominic said slowly. His tone gave weight to his words, letting her know how sincere he was. “You gave up your internship for this?”
She couldn’t tell from his expression how he felt about that. So she answered the smartest way she knew how—she sidestepped.
“So you’re okay with my occasionally being in danger. With me having a career that I might be a little obsessed about.” She tilted her head toward her ever-present laptop. “I’ll have client confidentiality clauses, too. So I wouldn’t be able to talk about some cases.”
“That’s all a part of the job. I’ve seen it plenty of times with Lucas’s and the cousins’ work,” he said with a shrug.
Lara waited. The guy was crazy smart, so the fact that he didn’t see the correlation told her how worried he was about her accepting his career.
Finally, needing to touch him and knowing she couldn’t the way she wanted to until they’d settled this, Lara stepped close enough to poke him in the chest with her index finger.
“So you’d be fine with it?”
