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And she was now walking toward him. He flexed his hands as he struggled to remain still. If she knew he couldn’t stop looking at her, that he was powerless to her feminine charms, nothing would stop her.
Eric kept his stony expression as desire licked through his veins. She graced him with a sunny smile and strode past him.
He was at her side before he even realized it.
“Was that guy bothering you?” he asked, looking over his shoulder and glaring at the security guard who was still watching her ass.
“Who, Snake? No, not at all.”
“Snake?” Eric raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “The guy’s name is Snake?”
“It’s a nickname because of his tattoo.”
“Sure it is,” he muttered. “I didn’t see a tattoo.”
“He just offered to show it to me, but I declined.”
Eric placed a proprietary hand on Julie’s back. He knew he shouldn’t feel territorial. Julie was not his, but he didn’t want any other guy where he couldn’t go.
“Anyway, he didn’t recognize me in this alias,” she said with a chuckle. “He asked what happened to the old uniform girl.”
“The outfits you’re wearing are not appropriate.” Great. Now he sounded like an old, conservative man.
“I know,” Julie said with a nod, surprising him. “Perry understands that we are crunched for time and I’m using office hours to try on different aliases. He doesn’t mind.”
I mind. “I meant it wasn’t appropriate for decoying.”
That made her stop. She looked at Eric as if he’d said something crazy, and glanced down at her dress. “I disagree. It’s perfect.”
The dress was perfect for Julie. As if it had been made especially for her. She exuded an innate sensuality that made heads turn. “Think of it from a security point of view,” he suggested. “How are you going to protect yourself? Your hair can be used against you.”
She rolled her eyes. “You also said that when I had my hair back in a ponytail. I’m not cutting my hair.”
Good. He didn’t want that, either. He liked the feel of her hair in his hands. Enjoyed tangling it between his fingers. “And your legs are completely bare,” he added gruffly.
“That’s the idea.”
“You should wear jeans for protection.” His eyes drifted to her light pink toenails. Her feet looked soft and delicate. “And I forbid you to wear those shoes.”
“Forbid?” She drew the word out, shook her head and started walking.
He was right at her side. “If you have to defend yourself, you can’t use them as a weapon. Kick a guy and you’ll break your toes.”
“Eric,” she said with a long-suffering sigh. “When I put together this alias, I wasn’t thinking about defensive maneuvers. I was thinking about sex.”
His entire body clenched. “So is everyone else,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Like I said, the dress is perfect.”
“I would say reckless.” Which was why it suited Julie so well. “You’re not taking the potential threats seriously.”
“Oh, I think you’re taking it seriously enough for the both of us.”
* * *
ERIC CIRCLED HIS HAND around her upper arm and pulled her out of the hallway. He quickly escorted her through a doorway into a dark room.
Julie felt the door close behind her. She inhaled the scent of paper and knew she was in the supply closet before he flipped on the light switch. The light revealed a cramped storage room filled with shelves and boxes.
Julie leaned against the closed door. She wanted to appear nonchalant, but if Eric looked closely, he would see the pulse point at the base of her neck was jumping wildly. She had longed to be alone with him, but Eric had kept a safe distance.
Until now. And she wasn’t going to waste this opportunity.
“Is this going to be another self-defense class?” she asked, adding in a small yawn and stretch.
“You need it.” He placed his hands on the door, effectively trapping her.
Did he realize what he was doing? She bit her lip to prevent a smile. Didn’t he know that she had no urge to escape?
“You can’t rely solely on your colleagues,” he said. “I just pulled you aside and no one noticed.”
“Don’t worry about them.” She tilted her head up and her face was close to his, almost touching. “They’ll watch like hawks when I’m a decoy.”
