Luckily Marcus was taking care of the building and reconstruction aspects of the work on the separate pack lands they had designated, and Lionsgate was all over the security for the changes being made. But that still left her with little time to dwell on her seeming new acceptance by the wolves and whatnot, which was good. She tended to look for hidden agendas and question offers of friendship normally. Frankly, right now she just didn't have the time. Not when she was doing her work, and the rest of managements at the same time.
"Yo, Mag-gie," Jax strolled into the office with his new favorite way of greeting her that stressed the last half of her abbreviated name in an annoying fashion. She almost sighed out loud. She might like the new friendliness and familiarity from Eli and the others but Jax? Not so much.
Eli and the younger teenager Liam had days since moved their workspaces to her office, without a word about it to her, she might add, but other than the click clack of computer keys and the occasional feel of Eli's eyes on her she hardly noticed they were there. Well, fine, she noticed Eli was there. When he was in the room it was hard to notice anything else, but it was not an uncomfortable feeling. It was not a bad uncomfortable feeling, she corrected again, more a buzzing under her skin she did not mind. Truth be told his presence invigorated her, for want of a better word.
The point was, having him near was not a bad thing. Even when the rest of pack came through with information or to collect something from the others she still did not feel invaded, so much as not alone. But Jax traipsing into the office and boldly looking her over in that obnoxiously appreciative way? That was different.
The beautiful brown haired, chocolate eyed wolf shifter might have a body made for sin and a smile almost as sexy as Eli's but his frequent and flagrant attempts to flirt with her, and every other woman who crossed his path, did nothing but make her think of college frat boys on the prowl. The man himself she knew was harmless enough, and he had his funny moments she could acknowledge, but something about him just irritated. Unfortunately, he was the new special events coordinator and someone she had to work closely with in her role as office manager, so she could not just let Eli evict him bodily, as he had offered to do on more than one occasion throughout the week.
Though if she was being completely honest the way Eli growled and watched Jax whenever he came around was a bit disconcerting. She might not care for Jax but that did not mean she wanted him mauled by a jungle cat in her office. Rebecca would never forgive her. She thought Jax was funny. Most females did, even the mated ones who would not go there, as far as Maggie could see. The males? Not so much. And Eli? For a man who she had discovered normally had a healthy, if somewhat warped sense of humor, he did not find Jax funny. At all.
"Did you have the final numbers for the grand re-opening?" The man asked with his trademark sexy grin. His eyes, as they normally did, trailed her up and down, lingering here and there while she fought a second sigh. The man really did not know when to quit. "I need to finalize the catering and lock down the activities schedule."
"Is there something wrong with your computer?" she asked even as she pulled up the information she had already e-mailed him, and everyone else who needed the information before she pressed print. "I sent you an e-mail on that an hour ago."
"Oh, come on," he said sitting on her desk in a way that made her want to shove him right off again. "You know I prefer to come in person to see my favorite office manager whenever possible." He smiled, and she gave him her most frosty look before she stood and walked over to the industrial copy machine in the corner. A corner that incidentally also housed the table and three, yes three computers that were set up at Eli's station. Two were lap tops, and one was a desktop. All were state of the art and frankly intimidating.
Maggie liked computers and handled them well, but Eli and Liam, who had his own set up on the other side of Eli, were on another level. More than once she was grateful that her view of Eli's hands on the many keyboards were blocked from her line of sight by the computers themselves, because whenever she got a look of his big hands moving so fast and easy over the keyboards, his eyes homed in on the data flowing across his screen with the light of a hunt in his eyes, she became embarrassingly mesmerized by his movements.
The man was dangerous walking across the room, but he was beautiful and moved with an animal grace that riveted a woman's attention, so it was expected that she would react to it. But finding his computer geek side so damn sexy? She was starting to think there was something seriously wrong with her. Of course, his sexy smile and the heat in his eyes when he had caught her looking had done nothing to cool her down. After being caught gawking at him, twice, and then getting further caught in the heat of his eyes when that hunting light turned her way, she was careful to not look again.
It would not have mattered if she had looked though because the click clack of keys had stopped the second Jax entered the room, and Maggie had no doubt that Eli would be doing exactly what he had done each time Jax appeared in her office. She snuck one quick glance his way, and sure enough that heat and humor in his eyes had turned to stone cold killer and focused with laser intensity on the wolf in the room. Maggie did not look again. Just calmly claimed her copy from the printer and walked over to hand it with cool deliberation to Jax. Who she could see was finding all this highly amusing.
She shook her head at him and turned back to her desk as soon as he had the paper in hand. "As busy as I am with everything, I would appreciate it if you limited your visits to only absolutely necessary." She very purposefully gave Jax the cold persona and wondered that it did not come as easy to her call as it always had before. She had made an effort to be the Maggie with everyone else that she was with Rebecca, because the shifters, now that they had no secrets to hide from her, were unapologetically themselves, always. And because Eli made it his sacred quest to pull her out of it any time she accidentally, or even purposefully erected her armor.
He was getting so good at drawing her out of her armor that she rarely donned it now. The one exception he allowed was when a man was being overly familiar. Then he had no problem with her automatic response to shut him down. Coldly and finally. In fact, when Jax, or any of the wolves who even thought about making moves on her were near, he was downright frosty himself. She should have already had a talk with him about his proprietary ways around her, and in the last week there had been many proprietary ways toward her, but...she liked it. And since, so far, he had not made any truly aggressive sexual moves towards her she was letting things lie. Foolish? Probably. And bound to lead to misunderstanding soon, but she had enough deal with now. Eli Ramsey with his claiming eyes and soft subtle touches, would have to wait. In the sea of trouble heading her way that was the only part she was enjoying.
"Oh, come on Mags, surely just getting to see my stunning face is worth the interruption," Jax said and flashed her his trademark killer smile, and well, posed. As was his way he completely ignored the predator in the room sizing him up for lunch.
Maggie, back behind her desk, almost laughed at the way he stood as if giving her a treat with a look at his profile. She could admit it was a good one, the man was long and lean and muscled in all the right places, and his chocolate eyes and sexy grin promised all kind of naughty pleasure. Maggie just gave him her cold stare and kept her mouth from twitching with an effort. This man was like the mouse with the cookie. Give him anything and he would push for more. "Anything else?" she asked with that frost clear in her voice.
Jax dramatically dropped his arms and huffed. "Not even a smile?"
She just continued to emit subzero temperatures until he shook his head sadly and headed out of the room. "I will get you to smile at me one of these days Mags," he called over his shoulder. When he got to the door he turned and gave her another of those sexy grins. "Count on it."
"And let you think winning the bet you made about getting me into bed with Devon the dick was even a remote possibility?" she asked just as coldly making his step stutter at th
e door as his turning head whipped back to look at her, eyes widened. "I wouldn't dream of it."
At her words two things happened. Jax opened and closed his mouth, floundering for words for the first time she had ever seen, and Eli stood up from his computer slowly and with a deadly intent that drew their attention unerringly his way. Seeing the golden cat eyes in a suddenly hard face, Maggie wondered if she maybe should have continued to keep that bit to herself, rather than use it to finally get the male to leave her alone. Something told her this was not going to end well. For Jax. And from the flash of wolf in the younger man’s eyes, Jax realized it as well.
"Hey, he offered that bet," he said, hands going up in protestation. He took a step back, talking fast. "I never accepted it. I'm not that guy and Devon has the nickname of dickhead or ‘Devon the dick’ for a reason. I like my face too much to risk it on bets like that. And Rebecca would never forgive me, which means her mates would make sure no one ever found the body, if I messed with her best friend." He took another step back, his eyes going slightly panicked when Eli kept coming at him slowly and with prowling purpose. "I swear I never accepted that bet. All I wanted was a smile from the lady. That's it."
Liam got the door and shoved it closed with Jax on the other side even before she managed to make it in a rush across the room to Eli. He was glaring over her head at the quick Liam when she placed her hand on his chest to stop him. At the one touch from her, his eyes dropped like an anvil to hers and she gasped at the deadly purpose there. She swallowed. Up until now Eli had been a lot of things, charming, strong and supportive, and even scary on occasion, but that look was pure killing warrior. It terrified and titillated her all at the same time.
Yes, she acknowledged as her nipples tightened and her body wept in preparation of a claiming that was not going to happen. There was something seriously wrong with her where this man was concerned.
She did not even notice when Liam took one look at them and then left the room after Jax, closing them in alone
CHAPTER ELEVEN
"You are acting strange," Maggie finally said her eyes narrowed on Eli's. "I realize you're my bodyguard, but is there a reason you are growling at every male that comes close?" She placed her hands on her hips and raised her chin to show she was not intimidated by the heat in his eyes, or the tension it was causing in her own body. "I have been letting it slide because it worked out well for me so far as I really don't need the bother, but this display," she motioned behind her towards the closed door where Jax had just escaped and cleared her throat nervously, "seems excessive." Nervous was not at all the facade she was trying to present. Damn it.
"One," Eli stated flatly, not at all his usual easygoing way. "He has no reason to come here so often. Two," he pointed most aggressively at the same closed door. "Betting on getting a woman into bed is low, even for wolves."
Maggie blinked at that. "Even for wolves?"
"Randy little bastards," Eli muttered His eyes locked on the door as if contemplating going after his escaped prey.
Suddenly Maggie was feeling the urge to laugh. Really? It was a dog and cat thing?
Eli turned just then to see the smile she was biting back. "You find that amusing? Placing bets on whether a woman is going to get fucked?"
"I find many things about this conversation amusing," Maggie said her eyes narrowing at his gauche language. "That is not one of them." Her voice warmed marginally with suppressed humor. "I will admit however that the idea that there is a dog/cat rivalry at play here tickles a bit."
He blinked down at her and then it was his turn to narrow his eyes. "I shift into a 250-pound black panther."
Maggie gaped up at him at his words, and he stopped talking to raise an eyebrow at her surprised look.
"I told you I was a black panther. That is not a pussy cat that has to worry about the neighborhood dog chasing him up a tree." He went on after giving her another disgusted look. "We have dignity, and pride. That randy bastard is a wolf, which means he chases tail, his own and everyone else's. He will not be chasing yours."
Maggie bit back another smile, knowing from the stern cast of his features that he would not take kindly to her humor. "But it's not a dog thing?"
Since he clearly heard the sarcasm she was not surprised when he glared at her again before stating an emphatic "no".
At that moment the door slammed open and Ian Gibbs walked in, or rather sauntered in with his usual swagger. "Yo, Where's Liam? It's time for lunch and I heard some of the ladies talking about naked time on the beach."
Maggie choked out a laugh and stepped back from Eli, only then realizing how close they had been standing for the ridiculous conversation. Her eyes twinkled up at Eli, but she managed to keep a straight face when she asked him, "The youngest Gibbs is a lion, correct? Not a wolf?"
"Sometimes I wonder," Eli muttered, switching his glare to Ian. "The next time you barge into a room like that I'm going to assume you are a threat and act accordingly,” he growled.
Ian looked from Eli to her and gave a saucy grin. "Interrupting something was I?" His eyes trailed up and down Maggie in two long sweeps before his grin widened and his eyes went back to Eli, who was starting to look extremely grim again. "Awesome," Ian said, dragging out the word with relish. "Way. To. Go."
Maggie half expected him to try for a high five or a fist pump from Eli, but he just turned with his seemingly endless good humor and left the room as loudly as he had entered in the first place.
Taking one look at Eli's face, and the chagrin sitting on it, Maggie started to laugh. "Tell me again the difference between the wolves and the majestic cats. I dare you."
Eli grunted. "There are exceptions to every rule." Then he laughed as if it had been forced out of him and the tension in the room finally broke, his eyes returning to their usual humor filled emerald, which made them just as devastating in another way. "Ready for lunch? And naked beach time?"
I love to watch this man laugh, Maggie thought. And had to wonder where that thought came from. She forced the thought away and rolled her eyes at him instead. "I think I'll take the first and pass on the second, if you don't mind."
His smile when he sent it her way this time was wide and full of sexy. "I don't mind," he said and headed for the door before his next words could freeze her in her tracks. "When we finally get to the naked time, it's sure as fuck not going to be a public event."
When? The thought that he obviously expected them to get to that point shocked her in the extreme and then she wondered why it would. He had been giving off enough signals even she should know he was thinking about her sexually. But she had thought she at least was being circumspect about her overheated libido where he was concerned. And just because he said it did not make it so. Technically she was still married, and while she had no desire to start a torrid affair, nor did she want either a one-night stand or to jump into another relationship with someone who did not suit her almost as much as her ex-husband. Albeit for vastly different reasons. And she was going to inform Eli of all of that. Just so that there were no further expectations, or misunderstandings between them.
Having decided her course of action some of the panic, and she would admit excitement waned, enough that she could move again. Yes, she would just tell Eli where she stood and that would be that.
So why exactly was there a niggling part of her that did not believe it would be that easy? And an even bigger part that hoped it would not be that easy? Maggie, of course, ignored all those unfortunate thoughts and walked out the door to have lunch with Eli, and hopefully find an opportune moment to have the conversation they obviously needed to have.
Lunch was going to be interesting. But then she had found that everything that included Eli Ramsey seemed to be interesting. And invigorating she added to herself, thinking about the last week with what should have just been exhausting work. And more often than not Eli made even the most boring parts of her day exciting just by being there. She sighed as she closed her office door beh
ind her and saw he was leaning against the hallway wall waiting for her. His eyes so green they practically glowed, and that smile of mischief still on his face.
For the first time it occurred to her she would be sad to see the end of the trouble with her ex, a shocking thought considering how much trouble the man brought to her life. And all because that would mean Eli would no longer be her bodyguard or have a reason to stay on the island.
Would she even see him again after it was all over?
Something of what she was feeling must have showed up on her face because he lost his smile and stepped away from the wall towards her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said quickly, averting her gaze and shoring up her nearly abandoned armor because right then she needed it. "I think I'm just hungry."
He didn't believe her. She knew it, but he let it go after a minute of studying her averted face. She could practically feel the heat of that gaze trying to dig out her secrets, but if there was one thing she was proficient at it was hiding her emotions.
Eli cursed softly but took her arm and led her to the elevator just the same. Allowing it to stand. "You don't eat enough to keep a bird alive," he finally muttered as the elevator doors opened.
Since she had been eating more this last week, under his continued insistence, than she probably ate in the whole month before he came she was sufficiently distracted to choke on a laugh. "You are ridiculous."
Even she heard the relief in her words at the change of subject, but he let it stand. Switching to what seemed to have become one of his favorite subjects since he had been elected her protector. His voice went half teasing, half serious. "Why a woman like you who obviously was meant to have curves feels the need to starve them all away I have no clue. But not on my watch Chickee."
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