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Julia jerked at the voice, but kept her focus firmly on the iPad in her lap. Joe might think she couldn’t avoid him forever, but she was happy to prove him wrong.
They were in the sitting room of the suite. Julia wasn’t dumb enough to wander off to work on her own, taking the chance Joe would corner her again. She honestly didn’t know what she would do if he did. The temptation to touch the man was so strong it actually made her fingertips ache. But there was no way she could do it, not when he was the embodiment of everything that terrified her.
He crouched down beside her chair, but thankfully he didn’t touch her. She’d spent most of the night awake thinking about his last touch. Her system couldn’t handle anymore.
“I know I came on a little strong.” Joe kept his voice low, just for the two of them. The intimacy of it sent shivers up her spine. “I didn’t want to scare you. I just wanted to make my intentions clear.”
He’d terrified her, but not for the reasons he thought. “We can’t…date.” Was that even the right word for the things she thought when it came to Joe?
A heavy pause. “Why not?” There was no censure in the question. No anger.
Julia fought not to panic. She glanced around the room. Elle was sitting at her computers, tapping away. Ryan was poring over security plans for the office. Rachel was on her phone, but no doubt aware of everything going on around her. The rest of the team were off doing who knew what, but at least she wasn’t alone with Joe. She didn’t think she could handle that at all.
“I deserve to know why, Jules, don’t you think?” It was a soft question. Gentle, the way only Joe could be.
She nodded, but the words wouldn’t come. Not yet. Her cheeks heated. She hated this about herself. Hated that her shyness paralysed her sometimes. Hated that she was so easily intimidated when it came to personal things.
“Who are you contracting for a panic room?” Joe’s question surprised her. Her eyes flicked to his beautiful face. She saw his movie star smile before her eyes flew back to her iPad. “Please tell me you aren’t letting the Granger brothers build a secure shed in the basement.”
Her lips quirked at the thought. It was almost a smile. “No,” she said softly. “I have a number of companies who specialise in panic rooms shortlisted.” This she could talk about. Work was a safe topic. It wasn’t personal. It was outside of herself and based in facts and figures. It wasn’t emotional and it didn’t reveal the gaping holes in her personality.
“The boys are going to be disappointed,” Joe said. “Although, I hear tell that they want a room like the one Jodie Foster had in the movie.”
Julia nodded. “They watched the film on a date night with their wives.” She smiled at the reminder of that conversation.
“Ryan pointed out that by the time the panic room is up and running the boys won’t be working in the office anymore. They were insulted.” She could hear the grin in Joe’s voice. “I think they’re planning to hang around indefinitely.”
Yeah, she’d gotten that impression too. “They think Benson Security is more fun than retirement.” She thought about it. “Or hanging out with their wives.”
Joe’s chuckle was deep and sensual. The sound translated into a taste sensation on her tongue. He was melted chocolate. Delicious, dark, sensual. A temptation for every woman.
“You trust me, don’t you Julia?” His tone changed. Intimate. Earnest.
She nodded. She did trust him. Who wouldn’t? The man was a born protector with a core of honour so bright it was almost a beacon. When it came to work, to safety, she trusted him with her life.
“Could you trust me with you?”
She gasped at the low question, astonished he’d know there was a difference for her. A huge difference between trusting him professionally and trusting him personally. He waited, a font of endless patience beside her. It was soothing, the lack of judgment she picked up from his quiet presence.
“I don’t know.” Honesty was the least she could give him.
He shifted slightly before she felt his fingers brush a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. She stiffened, alert, focused, waiting. To her relief, and dismay, he backed off. Confused, he confused her so much. Just being around him filled her to overflowing with longing and fear. The constant pull in two directions was exhausting.
“Here’s t
he thing,” Joe said. “I think you’re special, Jules. You think no one can see you, that you slip in under the radar, but you’re wrong. I see you. I see your strength, the way you take care of the people around you, the genius ability you have to organise even the most complicated scenario. I see the wicked sense of humour that bursts out every so often. I see the core of strength inside of you.”
His fingertip caressed the back of her hand. A touch so soft and fleeting most people wouldn’t even have felt it. Julia did. She felt it reverberate throughout her body. The touch made her lightheaded. Because it wasn’t just a touch. It was Joe. His hand retreated and she caught herself before she swayed towards him.
“I know,” he said, “that whoever gets inside that wall you’ve built will be a lucky man. That guy will get to experience the whole package that is you, without you holding back from fear or worry.”
She stilled, his words piercing her defences.
“I want to be that man. I want to be the only man in the world who knows the real Julia. The only man who gets to experience all of you. The only man you trust with everything. I want to be that man so badly, I can taste it.”
She heard it, the conviction. The need, but she couldn’t prevent the question that slipped from her lips. “Why?” She was under no delusions—she was no prize. Most men would be put off with how much work getting to know her took. Yanking her courage firmly around her, she looked into his beautiful eyes. “Why, Joe?” she whispered.
His jaw firmed, his determination clear. “Because, I see you and I know the prize you hide. The you underneath all of this is worth possessing.”
