“Can I help you, sir?” the security guard asked. Egan flashed his clearance badge and the guard’s expression filled with respect. “Mr. Banks, please go right on up. Mr. Langley is expecting you.”
Giving the other man a courteous nod, Egan stepped over to the glass elevator and waited for the polished doors to open. Inside, he stabbed the button to the top floor and he saw a reflection of himself in the gleam of the metal. A suit wasn’t his usual attire, and certainly not something he enjoyed wearing, but he realized for some cases he had to fit in.
The doors swished open and he strode out into the lavish lobby, drawing the attention of the brunette sitting behind a tall desk. She stood and gave him a lovely smile as he approached. “Mr. Banks, please have a seat and I’ll let Mr. Langley know you’re here.”
“Thank you.” He took a seat on the sleek green sofa, but he didn’t have a chance to get comfortable because a door to his right opened and a tall, gangly man in a designer pinstriped suit stepped out to welcome Egan with a starched grin.
“Mr. Banks, nice to meet you. I’m Byron Stark, Mr. Langley’s manager. If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you to his office.”
He followed the curt man to the end of the hall to a set of heavy wooden doors. Stark opened one, stuck his head inside to say something, then stepped aside for Egan to enter. Mr. Langley strolled across the room to welcome him and they exchanged some pleasantries about the weather. Egan, who was usually calm and collected in any situation, no matter how dire, felt his chest tighten as he glimpsed the beautiful woman across the room. What the hell was she doing here at Langley Industries? How did he not know?
This put a wrench in the entire case…
~~~~~
The phone rang and Novah picked up the receiver. “Mr. Langley’s office.” Immediately, she cringed at ShyAnne Langley’s voice. She only called when she was angry at her husband and Novah always got the brunt of the woman’s attitude.
“I need to speak with my husband. Now!”
“Mrs. Langley, he’s not available at the moment.”
“He doesn’t pay you enough to lie for him, honey. Did you give him my other messages?”
“Yes, I gave him all your messages. He’s been in meetings all day.” The excuse seemed to come out on its own. It was true, she didn’t get paid enough to lie, but she loved her job and wanted—needed—to keep it.
“He hasn’t called so apparently you didn’t.” A raspy sigh rattled the phone. “Just tell him it’s important.”
“Yes, I will be sure to pass the message on to him.” The words were barely out before there was a loud click signaling that Mrs. Langley had hung up. Laying the receiver back in the cradle, Novah grabbed the pile of messages along with her notepad and stepped down the hall and into the office. “Mr. Langley?”
He brought his head up from where he was studying a document and removed his reading glasses. “Yes, Novah?”
“Your wife has called again. She wanted me to tell you that it’s important.” She didn’t much like Mrs. Langley, but Novah wished her boss would handle his own personal affairs instead of making her the go-between.
His color drained. “I’ll call her back at the first opportunity.” Nothing in his behavior proved that the return call would be anytime soon.
“I wanted to give you your other messages.” She strolled across the plush carpet and set the notes on his desk. “Is there anything else you need before I leave for the evening, sir?”
“Have a seat for a moment, please.”
Sitting in one of the cushioned chairs, she looked at her boss across the expanse of the massive mahogany desk, waiting while he skimmed through the messages.
Peter Langley was a distinguished man with slick silver-black hair and pensive aquamarine eyes. He’d hired her as his assistant six months ago and he’d always been professional and kind—always appeared stylish and put together in expensive, tailored suits although he seemed agitated this evening. He tugged at his red silk tie, exhaling as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Novah had heard the rumors swirling about him and his wife. Apparently he’d caught her in bed with another man and they were now living separate lives, but because he was running for governor, the estranged couple put on a good show for voters and supporters at the many social gatherings they attended. It really wasn’t any of Novah’s business, but his recent distracted behavior made her wonder if his head was in the political campaign or somewhere else.
He leaned forward, steepling his long, manicured fingers. His gold cuff links glistened in the last rays of the sunlight flowing through the large windows of the top floor office of the Langley building. “There is something more.” He stood and strolled over to the mini bar to pour himself some of the expensive scotch. “Care for one?”
“No, thank you.” She crossed her legs and tugged the hem of her skirt further down her knee.
“I first want to say how much I appreciate all your help. I’ve never had an assistant as diligent as you.” He looked at her over the rim of the glass. “I knew we could put your creativity to good use.”
“I’m glad you feel that way.” After the school had let her and a handful of other teachers go because they had lost their federal funding, she’d been worried that she would be unemployed for a long time. And asking Egan for more help wasn’t an option. So when a friend who worked with Langley Industries told Novah about the assistant’s job, she’d applied immediately and was thankful she was hired although she lacked skill as an office worker. Mr. Langley had told her he wanted a fresh view.
His smile showed off an even row of white teeth against the backdrop of bronzed skin. His poll numbers were up because of his charm. Voters not only liked his tough stance against crime and support of the military, but also his way of making people feel valued.
He took a seat on the corner of the desk, balancing his glass on his thigh. “How are things at home?”
. “Things are good.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. Novah had a date that evening, thanks to her mother who’d set it up. Looking back, Novah wasn’t sure why she had agreed to the blind date in the first place. Now she regretted saying ‘yes’ and wished she had a good enough reason to cancel.
Since the divorce, she’d been on a few dates, but none had made it to a second one. Most of the available men were either too confident, not confident enough, or didn’t seem like the type to make a particularly good stepfather. That might be a bit premature, but she couldn’t bring any man into her daughter’s life unless there was a chance they would be a good fit.
Egan was spending more time with Finley since he’d retired from the Special Forces, but Novah had made it a habit to never see him. Normally, he picked up Finley for his weekends when Novah wasn’t home. When he dropped her off, he never came in. Any communication between them happened via texts, which worked for her.
“Good, good.” Mr. Langley jerked her attention back on track.
“Is there something I can help with, sir?” She paused with her pen poised above her notebook, ready to make any additional notes to the list of things she needed to finish before she wrapped up for the evening.
“I know you said you couldn’t do this weekend at Lake Jade, but I was hoping you would have changed your mind.”
Lifting her gaze and lowering her pen, she cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, but—”
“I really need you there, Novah.” His tone changed and new wrinkles appeared around his brooding eyes. “I’d like to hit some balls while I’m there, always puts the mind right, but this will be a working vacation for me, and no one stays on task like you do. Things have gotten busier around here since I started my campaign, but you did say you were on board with the workload.” He stood, rounded the desk and eased into the executive chair.
Up until now, whenever he’d asked, she’d found a way to get out of business trips that would take her away from home. He was right, she had told him she could handle the workload and she could. She
not only needed the job, but she enjoyed the challenge.
“It’s only for the weekend. Three days.” He offered her a smile that he’d certainly perfected in his tenure in the corporate world and now the political arena
Uncomfortable with being put on the spot, she uncrossed her legs and tapped the pen against the notebook. What could she say? If she said ‘no’, would he fire her? Demote her? Make her office girl? She’d made trips to the corner cafe for lattes and iced coffees for meetings, stayed late to make hundreds of copies, took speeches home to proofread, and deflected angry calls from his wife. Yet, if she said ‘yes’ that meant she’d miss Finley’s soccer game. She hadn’t missed any. Feeling like she’d been cornered with no right answer, she shifted in restless energy.
“Look. If it’s too much—”
“No, it’s not.” A piece of hair had fallen from her chignon and she pushed it off her cheek. “I can do it. I’ll just need to work a few things out in my schedule.” She’d caved.
That governor-elect smile reappeared with satisfaction. “Excellent. I’ll have a driver pick you up tomorrow morning and take you to the resort.”
And just like that, she’d found herself caught in a career spiral. From this point on he’d expect her to travel.
Most assistants would be excited to spend the weekend at an extravagant resort, so she felt a bit guilty that she couldn’t muster up any joy.
Lake Jade was an historical landmark in Wyoming built by Peter’s great-grandmother, heiress and socialite Jade Langley-Wright in nineteen-thirty. The elite resort had been handed down from generation to generation until it landed in Peter’s lap then he quickly closed the doors to the public, making it available to his richest friends only who needed a place to gather and play golf during business getaways. Novah had never visited, but workers in the office said the resort was a “paradise” and very seldom were employees invited to come along for ‘work’ vacations.
Peter stood again and stepped over to refill his glass. Quiet stretched between them as he seemed to gather his thoughts. “You know what’s terrible about being rich, Novah?” His broad shoulders slumped some.
“No, sir. I don’t.” She hid her smile behind a nibble of her bottom lip. She’d never had the unfortunate circumstance of having a fortune.
“The lack of trust.” He met her gaze, holding it in a cool embrace. “It comes down to always wondering who wants me for my billion-dollar bank account,” he said without a blink of an eye. He strolled to the window and looked out onto the sunset feathering the buildings of downtown Cheyenne. “I’ve learned how important trust is the hard way.”
“Sir, I’m not sure I follow.” Had she done something that made him question her loyalty?
“I’ve let Drake go from the security team.”
Drake, a man with droopy, pockmarked skin, who never looked anyone in the eye had been Langley’s right-hand man. If you saw one you most likely saw the other. She couldn’t say she was disappointed in the revelation considering the forty-something man gave her chills when he was in the office. “Maybe that’s for the best.” Once the words were out, she wanted to pull them back in. It was best she didn’t get involved.
Peter swiveled on his polished loafers and looked at her with hooded eyes. He finally smiled and she felt relief. “I’m glad you think so. You know the saying, one door closes, and a window opens.” He emptied his second scotch and swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “I’ve hired someone to take Drake’s place.” He pressed a button on his desk phone. “Stark, is my man here yet?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll bring him in.”
“I want you to meet him, Novah, after all I’ll rely on you getting him up to speed.”
The polished walnut doors came open and Byron Starks poked his head in.
“There’s the man of the hour now,” Mr. Langley said in a booming voice.
Good. She had some work left to do, and a call to her mother asking if she’d keep Finley for the weekend and then a long explanation why Novah wouldn’t be at the game. Standing, she ran her hand down her simple white blouse just as she heard, “Come meet my new head of security, Novah. Egan Banks.”
Egan Banks?
What?
Her knees wobbled and her stomach tightened. She grabbed the back of the chair and stabilized her weakness as she stretched her gaze to her ex-husband who was closing the door behind him. He stepped into the suddenly too small space, sucking up all the available oxygen. Mr. Langley greeted Egan with a handshake and a bit of small talk that Novah couldn’t quite follow through the foggy paths of her brain. Egan then saw her, appearing as staggered as she felt. He wasn’t wearing his usual attire of t-shirt and jeans, but instead a flattering suit that accentuated his broad shoulders, long torso and toned legs. He looked polished, poised, confident in the suit, but when had he ever lacked confidence. He recovered faster than she did, and a grin spread across his lips, reminding her of the heated night they’d shared the last time she saw him.
She felt like she’d been struck by a lightning bolt. He looked better than ever.
“Come on over and say hello to the best assistant a businessman could ask for. Egan Banks meet Novah Coffman. He will be at Lake Jade this weekend. Novah, you’ll be relaying important information about the campaign to our new guy here.” Langley patted Egan’s back as if they’d been friends forever.
“Good afternoon, Miss Coffman.” He held out his large hand and she stared at the offering, wanting to ignore it, but she felt Langley’s expectant gaze on her. She had no choice but to lay her palm against Egan’s. An exchange of indescribable warmth and energy rocketed up her arm and settled in her breasts. Damn the betrayal of her body.
“Good afternoon,” she forced through quivering lips. Apparently, Langley’s security team hadn’t done a proper background check on Egan otherwise they would have learned that he and Novah already knew each other quite well. Would he have still been hired? Probably not.
What if she told her boss the truth? Should she? Was this a test? No, that didn’t make sense.
She opened her mouth to confess, but her chance was lost because the door opened and Starks interrupted. “Sir, the reporter is here for your interview.”
“Great.” He rubbed his hands together in enthusiasm. Novah had never met a man who loved being in the spotlight more. “Egan, I’ll see you later. Novah, if he has any questions fill him in.” He winked and excused himself.
The second the door closed, Novah, who had been squeezing the notebook and pen so tight that she got a paper cut, released her hold, and forced through clenched teeth, “What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?”
Exasperated, she took a much-needed step back and tried gathering her thoughts. “I work here!”
“And so do I, now.” He seemed amused with the whole situation and it infuriated her.
“You can’t work here.”
“Why?”
“Because I do.” She brought the notebook against her chest where her heart beat a hundred miles a minute.
“You’re a teacher. Not a secretary,” he fumed.
“I was a teacher until the school lost its funding and now I’m an assistant.” She put great emphasis on the last word. “I was here first so you need to leave. This can’t happen. Won’t happen.”
“Although you think everything revolves around you, I didn’t take this job because you work here. I didn’t even have a clue this is where you work which is quite odd considering we have a child together.” His smile faded in exchange for a sour expression.
“And what about you? You didn’t think you should tell me that you’re a bodyguard?”
He chuckled. His hair was a bit longer and the five o’clock shadow was gone, making him look younger. “I’m not a bodyguard. I’m part of Valor Knights, an elite team that provides security needs, among many other things.”
“You need to tell Mr. Langley that you can’t do this!” She kept her voice low,
afraid that someone outside of the office would overhear the conversation.
“And why would I do that? This is my job.”
“Then tell him you can’t do this weekend.” A scorching heat rolled down her spine. The mere thought of being on a private resort with her ex made her heart drop into her heels. It couldn’t happen—shouldn’t happen.
“Why would I do that?” His thick brows arched.
“Because it’s your weekend with Finley.”
“Nice try, sweetheart, but it’s your weekend. We traded a while back, remember? Why do you care what I’m doing this weekend anyway?”
Heaving in a lungful of oxygen, she dropped her arms to her sides. “I’m working at the resort this weekend too.”
Something flashed across his expression that she didn’t have time to read.
“Great. It’ll be like old times.” The flirtatious tone tingeing his deep voice didn’t go unnoticed to the most intimate parts of her. This was exactly why they couldn’t be near one another. He was a force of nature.
“I refuse to go there if you’ll be there too.” She rubbed her temples, feeling like the walls were caving in.
“Then you tell Langley that you’re not going.”
“I can’t.”
He half-shrugged. “And neither can I. So, it looks like we’re going to Lake Jade together.” The way he said the word “together” set butterflies free inside her stomach. Get ahold of yourself! She deserved to find happiness—deserved to be free of all those erratic emotions. “By the way, since this is your weekend then who’s taking care of Fin?”
“Mom.” She paced the floor, hoping to ease the irritation in her body. She couldn’t get out of the weekend. Coming to stand in front of him, she said, “I can tell him you’re my ex and he’d have no choice but to fire you.” Her mind grappled for something, anything, so she didn’t have to endure being around Egan for three days. She didn’t like him being here in her territory.
“Like hell you will. Maybe he’ll fire you,” he simpered.
Protector of Novah (Valor Knights Book 1) Page 3