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To my disappointment he didn’t press his lips to mine. Instead he kissed my forehead, but if a forehead kiss could be erotic, this one was. The slow brush of his lips against my skin, the faint scruff of his stubble, his musky smell that all men had, even the faint scent of detergent from his shirt overwhelmed my senses.
Oxygen rushed into my lungs as he drew back, an almost wild look in his eyes that froze me in place.
A predator stared down at me with a possessiveness I found both frightening and intriguing. What would it be like to have a man like this in my life? Someone I could trust, someone who thought I was a treasure? A man like Leo would guard me with his life. Well, that is if he didn’t accidentally play with me too rough and kill me first. I had no illusions that I was anywhere near this man’s league and even if he did want me, he wouldn’t want to keep me. No guy ever did.
I’m a clinger. Like being-threatened-with-a-restraining-order, girl-you-have-a-problem clinger. It’s a failing of mine and I’m aware of my problem, but I can’t stop myself. When you’re starving for affection, and someone finally gives it to you, you’ll always want more, leeching on to them until you drain them dry. Unfortunately for me, in my past relationships, that desperate need for attention scared guys off pretty quick. I was my own worst enemy when it came to men.
My injured arm brushed his and I hissed, jerking back.
Leo’s firm lips thinned and the lines around his eyes deepened. “You distract me. Come on, I’m failing in my duties.”
“What?”
He didn’t answer me, merely leading me through enormous spinning glass doors and into the cool interior of the office building. The entryway was flanked by large white marble desks on either side, each manned by four intimidating security guards who looked nothing like any security guards we had on campus. Those men were older, often with a gut and lazy eyes as they drove modified golf carts around the campus of Arizona State. The four guys flanking us were fit, in their prime, and they all stared at me like I was something interesting.
It had to be because I was with Leo. I wasn’t the kind of girl who attracted male attention of this caliber on my own. They were probably wondering what he was doing with a mousy little girl who smelled like French fries and coffee when he probably dated supermodels. I found the thought more depressing than I should and forced myself to pay attention to my surroundings, when all I wanted to do was snuggle into Leo’s side and hold his hand despite my self-doubt.
How peculiar.
When we reached the elevators, I examined the stone and polished-steel lobby, softened by an array of massive potted plants.
The doors to the elevator binged open and Leo followed me in. He tapped a code into the keypad then the buttons for the top four floors lit up. After selecting the twenty-first floor, Leo stepped back, ignoring both me and my curious looks. He didn’t say a word as he escorted me down a long hallway to what appeared to be a cross between a room in a hospital and a high-end hotel suite. It was windowless, but somehow managed to be bright and cheery with sunflower paintings on the walls and an enormous flat-screen TV that played some crazy-high-definition picture of a tropical sunset. The whole place screamed money and I wondered what it would be like to do post-surgery recovery in a room like this, rather than a regular hospital. Bet their food didn’t suck.
Turning, I found Leo studying me, his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants.
“Um—where are we?”
“This is one of two medical floors in this building. There’s also a lab, an executive floor, and a surgery suite.”
“Surgery? Why?”
“The corporation I work for has a vast number of holdings and investments, one of which is with a team of world-renowned plastic surgeons. There’s also a dental surgeon, an optometrist, and a gym. My employers believe in taking care of their people. It’s probably why the Cordova Group is one of the highest-rated corporations in Arizona for employee satisfaction.”
“So…you work here?”
He closed the door behind him and studied me intently, making my nipples peak again beneath the cheap fabric of my work shirt.
Suddenly reminded of the fact that I smelled like greasy food, and probably looked like blotchy shit warmed over from my crying, I turned away from Leo on the pretense of exploring the room. I could feel his presence behind me, an intangible caress that drew my attention like nectar to a bee.
“I do.”
“And what’s your job?”
“Everything security related.”
I snorted. “That’s helpful.”
“I’m one of the heads of security.”
