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“In this restaurant? Are you trying to taunt me, you fucker?” Graham’s eyes shoot daggers of fire at Mark’s head. “I can pay you back whatever you owe her and triple her wages in return. For someone lacking instincts in the business world, I would recommend you take the deal.” Graham talks to Mark as if he is a little boy—demeaning but casual. “Or do you need to consult your lawyer?”
“Hmm, let me think,” Mark goads.
“Excuse me,” I huff, trying to get in a word.
Graham growls, tightening his grip on me, protectively embracing me to his side. “Take the damn deal.”
“I am right here!” I snap. I shrug out of Graham’s hold, staying longer than I should have in the first place. I realize instantly that I am guilty of sending mixed messages. Both men stop the arguing and deal-making temporarily but never release any of the tension that fills the air.
Graham’s attentive eyes fluctuate between a persuading gaze at me and an I’m-going-to-rip-your-throat-out gaze at Mark. What business does he have interfering in my work? I am a grown woman and can make up my own mind. Besides, I have a job to do, one that pays rather well that I would prefer to keep. Being that girl—the one who everyone avoids due to unnecessary drama—is not what I want to achieve as my reputation.
Behind me, a familiar voice sounds as I pivot my body to see if my suspicions are correct. Dominic.
Lovely.
“Graham, why don’t you go back to the table before you do something you will regret?” he suggests, his laid-back demeanor never ruffled by the situation at hand. His black suit and lavender tie make him look simultaneously edgy and stunning. He is a great catch, although I have no idea of his attached or detached status. “Angie,” he acknowledges me with a warm smile and nod.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, air rushing out of my mouth in relief. “I mean, I—”
“Graham and I have business matters to discuss.”
I give him an incredulous look.
“See the bracelet you’re wearing?”
I look down at the beautiful piece of jewelry.
“Graham’s company designs and manufactures them,” he explains.
“Oh.” It is all starting to make sense. No wonder why I kept running into Graham at the Entice office.
Dominic nudges Graham in the shoulder, giving him a look that hints at a mix of respect and well-meaning advice. “I’ll see to it that Miss McFee is taken care of,” he offers, knowing that Graham’s current state of irrationality is in full testosterone bloom. So the two men are more than acquaintances? They are business associates.
Graham reluctantly nods to Dominic as he leans in to whisper his warm breath into my ear. “If he does anything remotely disrespectful to you—and I mean anything, Angie—I will destroy him. So if you don’t want another man’s life ruined, I would advise you to be a good girl.”
“Noted,” I huff. I am mortified that he is doing this in front of my boss.
“He has you wearing scraps of fabric. Lingerie covers more than this,” he snaps, his voice a harsh whisper.
Well, not exactly, but pretty close. I swallow hard as he continues his rant.
“If you change your mind and want a ride home, text me, come find me, or ask any staff member to locate me. Understand? I’ll be watching him. He fucking touches you, and you can guarantee he will never be able to do it again. Do you understand?”
I nod slowly, confusion sweeping through me at the old-fashioned change in his behavior. I shiver at the overprotectiveness that vibrates through him with every spoken word. If I said it is not sexy the way he wants to keep me safe, I would be lying to the world.
Graham gives me one last reluctant nod and a warning with his eyes before returning to a table on the outskirts of the room. Besides being completely thrown off-kilter by the turn of events, something deep inside me knows that Graham would never hurt me. Maybe it is my naive, trusting nature or my delusional assessment of the situation. Nonetheless, Graham scares the piss out of me. I do not know his motives for being drawn to me, and I do not know why the feeling is mutual. I do not know his past or even his present. Although part of me is curious about the future, I keep myself from even wondering past the next day—unable to think farther ahead than the next twenty-four hours. Everything is happening too fast. My life that was routinely boring is now becoming a series of moments that will change its course forever.
The fact that my emotions are getting involved makes it easier to detach myself from the man who elicits such rare feelings out of me. I need to keep saying “no.” Even a man with a sliver of dignity would eventually give up and find an easier prey. He cannot possibly have trouble finding women—whether they be free or agency-ordered—to occupy his attention. Why me? Apparently, I am not his type. Or am I? Baffling, exasperating, overbearing man.
Then there is always Sophia to keep him company. She is here somewhere eating dinner.
“Angie, I apologize for deserting you the other night on our trial.” Dominic’s words force me back into the situation in front of me.
“No need to keep apologizing, I understand.” I smile timidly at his impeccable manners. I can still see Graham in my periphery, stalking me with his eyes, chipping away at my wall.
“Are you alright with returning to your date? If not, I can figure things out with Mr. Tanner in regard to a partial refund. It is entirely up to you, Angie.”
I cringe inwardly over Dominic’s offer, praying that the thoughts about him being my pimp go away. “I’ll finish my date,” I say meekly, avoiding Graham’s piercing blue eyes like the plague.
