He preferred to be at home or dealing. Like tonight.
Anton came back out as Chris went to the nearby table he had set up and typed into his laptop.
“Perfect. Just what we were looking for. What about the extras in there?”
“Extras?”
“Ivan found a couple of curved swords we didn’t order in there. He likes the look of them.”
Chris frowned.
“I don’t know how they got there.” He checked the inventory. “Nobody’s asked for them. Maybe it’s a complimentary thing.”
Anton rolled his eyes.
“Very funny.”
“Two tickets for your restaurant and we’ll call it even?”
Anton grinned.
“You got it.” He whistled sharply at the container. “Bag them up, Ivan.”
Ivan left the container and went to Anton’s car, which he had parked nearby. From the trunk, he withdrew several black bags and a black suitcase. Anton met him halfway and took the suitcase while Ivan disappeared back into the container. Anton laid the case on the table and opened it, revealing the thickly-stacked money.
Chris knew Anton wouldn’t cheat him – Anton didn’t do double crosses and they had been up front on everything before – but he still needed to count the money. He did this quickly and shut the lid once he was done, aware of Anton watching him in vague amusement.
“It’s all there.” He declared.
Anton chuckled.
“Even after all this time, you still don’t trust me.”
“Sorry, it’s a force of habit. I have to double check.” Chris put the case underneath the table. “I’ve been double-crossed before.”
It had cost him two bullets to the chest, which he had managed to survive. Even now he could feel the scars itching.
“Understood.”
Anton leant against the table with folded arms as Chris tapped into his spreadsheet what he had received. His huge body made the table creak and Chris thought it was about to collapse. Anton ran his hand through his sandy-colored hair and watched as Ivan went to and from the container.
“How’s your lovely PA doing?”
Chris looked up in surprise. Where had that come from?
“May? She’s…doing okay?”
“Did she get the good news at the hospital?”
“Good news?”
“You know. About her cancer.”
Chris straightened up, staring at the other man. Anton didn’t look ashamed about knowing that. And what was him talking about May for? Chris had barely mentioned her since she wasn’t any of their business.
“How do you know about all that? I’ve never said anything about her cancer.”
Anton rolled his eyes and chuckled.
“Come on, Chris. I’m not stupid. You don’t think I got to where I am without checking out who I’m dealing with? I keep tabs on everyone, especially those I deal with on a regular basis.”
“I suppose not.” Chris didn’t like being checked out by his clients but he did understand why; he did the same thing himself. Then he realized something. “Wait a minute, you’ve been checking out May? She’s an innocent in all this.”
“She works for you. How innocent can you get in this business?”
“While she keeps the books and knows about everything, I keep her out of the line of fire.” Chris felt a protective side of him rearing up, making him almost growl at Anton. “Leave her out of this, Anton.”
Anton smiled.
“Don’t worry, I’m not that much of a monster. And she’s a lovely lady, from what I’ve been told. I wouldn’t do her any harm.”
“I should hope not.” Chris snapped.
Anton raised his eyebrows.
“You’re mighty protective of her, considering she’s an employee.”
Chris realized that he was letting his guard down and put it back up again, trying to keep it cool. Even though he knew Anton wouldn’t go after a woman, he didn’t want to give Anton too much ammunition.
“She’s invaluable to me. I don’t know what I’d do without her.” He let out a heavy sigh and pretended to be indifferent as he saved his spreadsheets and shut his laptop. “And to answer your earlier question, she texted me earlier. She’s in remission. A little drained but it will take time to get her energy back.”
“That’s good.” Anton looked approving. “Cancer’s a scary thing.”
“It certainly is.” Chris didn’t like softly-softly sweet talk. “Look, I’m not really comfortable discussing my personal assistant. She’s not really anything to do with this and I don’t like being put on the back foot.”
“Of course not. I was just asking to pass the time.” Anton had a knowing look in his eye. “Be a gentleman and all that.”
“Since when have you been a gentleman?”
From what Chris had heard, Anton was far from it. His sister had been caught going after the girlfriend of one of Anton’s people and Anton had taken her to a place far away from everyone else. Whether it was to kill her or drop her off in the wilderness, Chris had no idea and he didn’t want to know. All he knew was that Anton wasn’t afraid to dish out a harsh punishment, even to his own family.
He would be grateful to leave this place and go home. Anton’s laidback, smooth talking was making him nervous.
*****
Chris was relieved when Ivan finally finished and came out declaring it was all packed up. The weight lifted off his shoulders as he left the warehouse and drove home. Now he could go back, watch a few movies and get stuffed on fast food. Some southern fried chicken on the way home sounded like a good idea.
He had been in more intense situations than that but Chris could never shake the chill away whenever Anton was nearby. He was ice cold hiding behind a warm smile. That was probably how he drew the women in.
Chris didn’t want to think about how Anton was in bed with women. That was something he didn’t want to dream about.
He was expecting for the house to be dark when he got back. After midnight, the cleaner had come and gone, the chef wouldn’t be around and May would be sleeping in her apartment. So, Chris was surprised when he pulled into the driveway and saw May’s car parked in its usual spot.
What was she doing here at this time of night? Chris had told her not to come in until the morning.
Something had to be wrong if May was here.
Chris put his car in the garage and made his way through the house, putting lights on as he went. He found May in her office, sitting at her desk staring into space. She was still looking pale and exhausted. Chris had a sudden urge to pull her into his arms and not let go.
“May?”
May looked up. Her eyes focused on him and she gave him a small smile.
“Chris, hey. How was the deal with Romanov?”
“Successful. He took everything and then some.” Chris patted his jacket pocket. “I’ve got two tickets for his restaurant. If you fancy going sometime?”
“I…” May bit her lip and Chris wished he could do that. “That would be nice. Thanks.”
Chapter 3
She was very subdued. Chris hadn’t seen her like this for a while. He took off his jacket and tossed it onto the couch.
“I thought you were going to go home.”
“I thought I’d come and sort some paperwork out. And then ask if I can have the day off tomorrow.”
“Of course you can. We’ve got nothing important on tomorrow.” Chris moved around the desk and knelt beside her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” May rubbed at her eyes and tried to brighten up. “I’m just tired.”
“That’s not contributing to your pale face. Or to why you’re here in the middle of the night when you should be at home.” Chris turned the chair until May was facing him. Then he planted his hands on the arms, trapping her in. “Tell me. What happened?”
For a moment, he thought May wasn’t going to say anything. Then May sat back in the chair and pressed her fingers
to the bridge of her nose.
“Sammie and I went to the store after the appointment. I sat down while Sammie went to get the car. A mom, child and a woman I discovered to be her mother-in-law came out. Mom went to get the car, child was in the cart and grandma was looking after him.” She scowled. “This woman kept saying nasty things to her grandson, who started screaming for Mom. She let him out the cart and he…he ran across the road, right in front of Sammie’s car.”
Chris felt his stomach drop. He hadn’t been expecting this. His evening seemed to fade in comparison. May wasn’t one to get involved in anything like this.
“Shit.” He hissed. “Is he…”
“He didn’t get hurt.” May shook her head. “I got there before that happened.”
That was something. Chris squeezed her thigh.
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
May nodded and swallowed. She didn’t seem to notice that Chris’ hand was on her leg.
“The grandma tried to turn it around onto me. Lots of racist comments and even accused me of kidnapping. Mom knows the truth and the police were notified. They’re going to talk to me and Sammie soon.” May briefly closed her eyes. “But it just completely drained me. I went home but I couldn’t settle. So, I came here.”
Chris thought he had heard everything. And to hear May had been accused of kidnapping filled him with anger. May, while she was complicit in his illegal activities, was as honest as they came. She wouldn’t hurt a fly. Chris let her deal with the books and his life but he tried to protect her as much as possible. This was hard for him to hear. He moved his other hand to her other leg.
“You can stay here for a little longer.”
“No, I can’t.” May lowered her hand and straightened up. “I’ve done what I needed to do here. I just want to get home and try to sleep.”
She stood. Chris stood with her, aware that he was very close, close enough for her perfume to fill his nostrils.
“You can sleep here.” He offered. “Then I can keep an eye on you.”
Where had that come from? Was he that desperate for her to stay? Then Chris realized that he was desperate to keep her close.
May looked just as surprised.
“Why do you want to keep an eye on me?”
“Because I’m worried about you, okay?” Chris took her hand. “It’s been eighteen months since you got the doctor’s news you had cancer. I’ve been worried about you since.”
May smiled and her hand squeezed his.
“You didn’t need to. I did my job.”
Chris growled.
“That’s not what I was getting on about.”
He couldn’t hold back any longer. He kissed her. For a moment, May kissed him back, her hands going to his shoulders and her fingers digging in. She felt so pliant, so soft in his arms. And firm in all the right places. Chris had to have been mad not to touch her like this before.
He bent his knees a little and angled his hips, cupping May’s backside as he pressed his hard cock against her. That was when May pulled away with a gasp, jumping out of his arms like a live wire.
“I have to go.”
She grabbed for her bag, nearly tipping out its contents. Chris wanted to pull her back but knew he was pushing it. He didn’t want May to suddenly leave him.
He didn’t want her to leave his side at all. And the sudden thought sobered him up.
“May.” Chris reached for her arm but thought better of it when he saw May flinch. “Take as many days as you need off. You’d coped with too much in one day. Let me know when you plan to come back in.”
May nodded stiffly. She wouldn’t look at him.
“I’ll be in the day after tomorrow.” She went around the desk, putting it between them. “I just need tomorrow to recuperate.”
Chris was about to argue but knew it was pointless. May was as stubborn as they came. He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.
“Okay. Stay safe. And let me know when you get back to your apartment.”
“Okay, Dad.” May sneered.
Chris growled. The feelings he had towards his personal assistant were not the least bit fatherly.
“This is not funny, May. You’re exhausted and there are a lot of people out there who will take advantage of that and do you harm. I just want to know you got home okay.”
“I told you, I’ll be fine.” May rolled her eyes and huffed. “But I’ll text you when I’m home, just so I don’t get you texting me every five minutes.”
“You don’t make things easy, do you?”
“Not really.” May barely glanced at him before she hurried out the door. “Bye, Chris.”
“Goodnight.”
But the front door was already opening and closing. Even near the back of the house, Chris could hear the sound of May’s car revving up and pulling away far too quickly.
He couldn’t leave her to handle this alone. May was an independent woman and too tough to take help from anyone but he couldn’t just stand by and let her handle this alone. Chris wasn’t about to let anything happen to her. And he could see the storm coming from a mile off.
Chris went into his office and sat at his desk, dialing a number he had come to know well over the previous months. It was answered on the third ring with a sleepy voice.
“Romanov.”
“It’s Chris Campbell.” Chris took a breath. “I need a favor to ask.”
“A favor? That was quick.”
“Yeah, well, things change. Can you meet me someplace?”
There was a rustling of sheets.
“Your place in forty minutes?”
“That’ll do.”
Chris hung up and sat back. This was dangerous, asking Anton Romanov for help. It would involve owing the man for a lot more than he already did.
But having dangerous friends in high places did have its advantages.
*****
May was exhausted but it still didn’t help her sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was Chris kissing her. She could still feel his mouth on hers, his cock pressing against her.
That had made May want to drag him down onto the desk with her and rip his clothes off. Her arousal had shot through the roof. After two years wondering what he tasted like, she now knew.
And the scary part was she wanted more.
That was not supposed to happen. He was her boss. May shouldn’t be hankering after him and Chris had had no right to kiss her like that. Even if she did enjoy it. Things could get tough in the office and May didn’t need that, not now. All she wanted to do was go into work, do her job and go home. Chris was making it awkward for her.
She wanted to kiss him again but that would be dangerous. Getting involved with a dangerous man like Chris Campbell was dangerous; May had known that from the start. It didn’t matter about his money or the fact he was gorgeous to her, he was off-limits. Because he was her boss and because of his job. May didn’t fancy being in the firing line.
It was just after six before May gave up on the shattered sleep she had been having and got up, having a long, hot shower before dressing and heading into the kitchen. Breakfast and a marathon of crime shows sounded like a good idea for her today. Just to switch her brain off and not have to think.
If she was lucky, nobody would call her to check on her. Her brother was on business and in a different time-zone, Sammie had promised to stop by after work and Chris knew she was having the day off. Hopefully, May could have some time to decompress and figure out how to process what had happened.
It was at times like these she missed her parents. Sylvie and Kristian Lucero had been loving, devoted parents. May loved them dearly and they had always been able to drop everything and come to her aid when she needed them. Sadly, Sylvie had died of ovarian cancer when May was in college and Kristian had suffered a fatal heart attack three years later. So, when May got the results back that she had the same cancer that killed her mother, she was in bits. Robert had copied his parents’ previous
actions and dropped everything for her. They had always been close but May had never expected her big brother to rush to her side like that.
Their bond had gotten stronger since then. May didn’t know what she would do if she lost her brother.
Shaking away her thoughts of her parents, May started making her coffee. Then she almost spilled hot liquid onto her hand when she heard someone buzz her intercom. She gritted her teeth and wiped her hands and the counter. Who was bothering her now? May hoped it wasn’t a Jehovah’s Witness; she wasn’t in the mood for religious gospel.
She barely kept her frustration out of her voice as she answered the intercom.
“Yes?”
“Hey, Miss Lucero?” It was a woman’s voice. May wished the camera was working. “It’s Melissa Carling. We met yesterday.”
“Melissa?” May heard the tension in the woman’s voice. She sounded worn out. “What’s wrong?”
“I…” Melissa gulped audible and broke out a little sob. “I’m sorry, I don’t really know why I’m here.”
“Don’t worry about that. Come in. Third floor, number eleven.”
Forgetting about her own mood, May buzzed the woman in and set about tidying up the place. She was hardly ever home except for downtime so there wasn’t much mess but it could have done with a hoover. That would have to wait; Melissa would be too focused on everything else rather than a messy carpet.
Ducking into the bedroom to put a bra on, May was coming out adjusting her t-shirt when Melissa knocked at the door. She opened it and let the other woman inside. She was shocked to see how pale Melissa was from the day before. With her dark hair, she almost looked translucent.
“Where’s William?”
“He’s with my mother at the moment.” Melissa stood in the middle of the lounge, her arms wrapped around her middle. “John’s at work.”
“John your husband?”
“Yes.”
May urged Melissa to the couch and got her to sit.
“Would you like some coffee?”
“Please. Black?”
May hurried into the kitchen and fixed up another mug. When she carried them back into the lounge, Melissa was staring at the many books on the bookcase opposite.
Love In Arms_BWWM Romance Page 3