by Stacy Eaton
“It’s not what you think,” I hissed.
“I don’t care what the fuck it is, Blaire. She raised valid points, and she had a fantastic idea. We’ll get this contract back on track, and if it requires her traveling with us, then so be it. I can assign you to watch over her pretty ass.”
“Don’t do that to me,” I told him, my mind in a whirlwind.
“Why? You afraid you might get caught up on those sexy blue eyes and fall again? Well, let me tell you what. I think that might be a good idea.”
“What?” I barked as I stepped back. “Last night, you told me to stay the hell away from commitment. Now you’re telling me to get involved with someone—her.”
“Yeah, her, not someone. That woman is willing to travel. She wants to write articles about what is happening behind the curtains with civilian contractors. She wants to see the world and help educate people. Do you know what that means? She won’t care if you travel, because she will want to go with you. She won’t want you to stay home and keep safe. She’s getting too old to have babies, and she doesn’t seem all that maternal anyway.”
“Are you fucking crazy!” I said and winced as I realized how loud my voice was. “You want to let a woman travel with us? You have lost your damn mind, Jake.”
“Not off the bat, I wouldn’t. I would expect Maggie to go through our training, and if she isn’t cut out for it, then we’d tell her it won’t work. We should give her a chance, though.” He stopped and shook his head. “No, not we; this is my company. I am going to give her a chance. I think it would be fantastic to have a reporter with us that can cover our stories, and maybe help us with locals in different parts of the world. Just imagine what this could do for our company.”
“You really have lost your damn mind, Jake.”
“Actually, I haven’t, Blaire. I’m pretty focused on this, and I think it’s one of the best ideas I have had in a while.”
“Did she put you up to this?”
“No, I mean, Maggie suggested doing the transport, but I’m thinking long term here.”
“Jake, don’t do this to me, man.”
“Do what? Put someone that you care about in harm’s way, or put temptation before you?”
“Either! Both!”
“Suck it up, buttercup. Maggie is going on that mission if we get that contract back, and she’s your strap.” Jake slapped me on my shoulder and walked away, grinning.
Chapter Fourteen
Maggie
After Greg left last night, and I got my mother settled back in her room, I dwelled over what Greg had said regarding the proposal and client. I jumped online and did some research on the company he worked for, Safety Zone Security, and read the bios on the employees, the mission statements, and reviews from other clients. I searched for more on the internet and decided that what they were doing was a good thing, and I wanted to help.
Greg had called me from his boss’ cellphone, so it was easy for me to hit the call button and get in touch with him. I just hoped he didn’t get upset that I was calling so late. I believed that once I got him on the line and told him my idea, he might be willing to talk to me and let me see what I could do.
He had been groggy when he answered, but after a few minutes of conversation, he woke up and listened intently. A couple of minutes later, he was asking questions. Within fifteen minutes, he was sharing information with me. By the time we hung up, he had sent me the proposal and all the information that he had on the clients and organizations involved.
I was up until two researching, and then I grabbed a few hours of sleep before I sat down with a strong cup of coffee and began to read the proposal. It outlined the materials it would be transporting, the number of people involved, the route that would be taken, and every other conceivable bit of information down to alternate routes and possible tactical disadvantages that they might have. Some of it I didn’t understand, but most of it I did. It was a good proposal, a damn good proposal.
As I prepared myself to meet with Jake and the rest of his team, I tried to rein in my nerves. I had to come across as tough and knowledgeable, with the ability to do what I had planned. I could not react to Greg—at all.
I closed my eyes as the elevator began to rise. Since Greg had left last night, I had been trying to fight back the memory of that kiss. Holy crap, I did not want to think about that kiss.
That minute of passion had been more intense than any other moment of my life, and I knew that I had pushed Greg into it. I didn’t want to have to push him into it. I wanted him to want it too. It had been incredible, and it made me realize that I was not over Greg—not by a long shot. I would never be over Greg.
Which sucked.
I didn’t want to have feelings for him, just like he didn’t want to have them for me. I knew he thought that he couldn’t give me what I wanted, desired—deserved. I knew better, though. what could I do to prove to him that I was worth it?
The doors opened, and I stepped out, taking a deep breath as I recalled the thoughts that I’d had last night. I’d woken up this morning with the answer. I’d show him that I could live in his world. I might not be a trained tactical warrior like he was, but I could do some of what he did. I wanted to do it; I wanted to travel to the places that he went to and report the news. Share what these contractors were doing to better our country and other countries around the world.
Maybe they would let me do this one; perhaps they wouldn’t. All I could do was ask, and when I spoke with Jake at ten that morning, he seemed on board with the idea. In fact, he seemed excited about the possibility; now, if I could only get Greg on board.
When he asked to speak to Jake alone, I grew nervous. So far, I thought that things had gone well, but would Greg have the pull to get Jake to change his mind?
“Don’t mind Greg,” Trevor said as the door closed behind the men. “He’s having a midlife crisis.”
All the guys laughed. “Oh, is that what it is? I thought he was just having that time of the month,” I replied with a smile that brought along more laughter.
Alex spoke up. “I like your idea, Maggie, and don’t get me wrong, but do you think you’re up to that kind of traveling? It will be a week or two of rough conditions. You’d be stuck with a bunch of men, not much in the way of privacy or luxury accommodations. We’ll be tent sleeping, or in the trucks. Food is nothing to write home about, and you probably won’t get a shower for several days.”
“Even though I am wearing hundred-dollar pumps and dry clean only slacks, I do know how to rough it. While I might not have been in these types of situations, I have camped and done my business in the woods before. I’m not going to get freaked out by bugs or having to squat behind a tree. As long as you all keep the snakes away from me, I’ll be okay. Snakes are a no-go for me.”
Harvey chuckled. “Yeah, I’m not a fan of those bad boys either. I’ll have your back if Greg decides he can’t handle it.”
“I appreciate that.”
We all heard Greg’s voice raise in the hallway. “Are you fucking crazy!”
Alice grinned at me. “Greg’s not usually the uptight one.”
The guys laughed, and then we all remained quiet until the door opened again. Jake returned with a smile on his face, and Greg looked like he’d just ran his hands through his hair or had just woken up. He avoided eye contact with everyone as he took his seat.
“Alright, so now that we have that cleared up, Maggie, welcome, and we appreciate your assistance. The guys and Alice will give you anything that you might need, and there is a desk next to Trevor that you can use if you want to work here. That might be a better idea with some of our information.”
“Absolutely. I’ll let my boss know I’m working on a story and hang out here to get things going. That way, you can approve it before I send it out.”
“Excellent.” He turned to Alice. “Do you mind getting her set up? I have a few things that I need to go over with these guys.”
“Sure,” Alice
replied, and the two of us left the room. Alice grinned at me as she closed the door. “Oh, I love that you got Greg all in a tizzy. He’s going to be so much fun to work with today.”
“You think?”
“Girl, that man is never quiet, so for him to sit there with his tail between his legs, and not only remain silent, but not look at anyone. Ha! He’s all worked up and not sure what the hell to do.”
I couldn’t help but snicker. “Serves him right.”
“I know this is not my business, but is there something going on between you?”
“I’ll answer that if you tell me if you and Jake are an item.”
Alice made a goldfish move, her lips flapping open and closed. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Oh, please,” I said as we stopped next to an empty desk. “You know I did notice the looks that the two of you were throwing at each other. Did you forget that I write a romance column?”
“No, seriously, nothing is going on between us.”
“And nothing is going on between Greg and me either.” The conference room door opened, and the men came out. Alice and I watched them, and then Jake and Greg both stood there staring at us. Jake spun and disappeared down another hallway, and Greg turned and headed out of the office.
Alice and I looked at one another and started laughing. Yeah, so we both knew the answer to the question. Maybe there was something going on, but the two men that were involved were not willing participants. At least not right now.
“Let me know if you need anything,” Alice said before she went back to the reception desk.
I dug out my laptop and all the notes that I’d taken and sat down to get to work. I called my editor and left him a message. All I said was that I was running down information for my column. He didn’t need to know that my column was already written for the next eight days. Nope. And he didn’t need to know that this wasn’t for my column, but available for a prominent paper to buy.
I didn’t have a buyer, but I did not doubt that if I submitted it to the Times or The Washington Post, I could have a spot immediately. If not them, there were a hundred political bashing sites that would grab hold of this and run with it. Not that I wanted to bash politicians, but I wanted the attention.
I worked for about two hours before I felt someone standing beside me. I looked up to see Greg, a cup of coffee in his outstretched hand. “Thought you might need one.”
“Oh, yeah.” I took it and immediately put it to my lips, swallowing the warm brew. “Thank you. I’m starting to drag a little. Didn’t get much sleep.”
Greg watched me for a moment. “I’m sure you didn’t.” He stepped back. “I’ll let you get back to work.”
I watched him head into a cubby catty-corner to me and get seated as he woke up his computer. He glanced back at me like he knew I was watching him and hiked a brow. I grinned and held up my coffee in a toast to him before I shifted so that my attention was back on my computer.
I was finished with the article and ready for Jake to look at it. Even though we were in the same office, I had been emailing back and forth with him all afternoon. I shot over the final preliminary article and leaned back in my chair, sipping the last of my coffee.
Greg was on the phone, speaking softly to someone. He was leaned back in his chair, his feet kicked out to the side and crossed at the ankle. He shifted his eyes to mine, and it was like getting shocked when you touched metal in the winter. The intensity of his gaze radiated down my spine, and he let his gaze drift from my face to my ankles and back up, the heat in his eyes growing with each inch. When his focus returned to my face, I was ready to start fanning myself. Was it hot in here? Was it the coffee? I looked away from him as my computer binged.
Jake had sent me a reply asking me to come to his office. I closed my laptop, tucked it under my arm, and stood. Greg was still sitting in the same position, and he once again let his eyes travel down my body. Only before they made their way back up, I hustled around the cubicle and toward the other side of the office. I was here for a purpose, and Greg was not that purpose.
Jake and I discussed the article for a few minutes, and he suggested a few tweaks.
“Alright, I think we have it. What now?”
“Now, I send it off, let them know it’s going to be printed and ask them if they would like to comment on it.”
“What do you expect to happen?”
“I expect that you’ll get a phone call very shortly, and they will either want to slay you, or they will have had some major reconsideration of their decision.” Jake chuckled.
“Send it.”
“I have the email ready; I just needed your approval on the article.”
“You have my approval.” Jake leaned back in his chair and grinned. He was an attractive man, with intense dark-blue eyes and a shaved skull.
I attached the article, winked at him, and then hit send. He leaned up to his desk when his computer notified him of a new email and read what I had blind copied to him.
He glanced at his watch. “Let’s see how long it takes.”
“I give it thirty minutes,” I told him. I closed my laptop and stood.
“Maggie, wait a minute. I wanted to talk to you about something else.” I slipped back into my seat, uneasy for a moment as he eyed me carefully. “You seem like a woman who likes a little adventure.”
I chuckled. “I guess.”
“And you are serious about going on this mission delivery if we get the contract back?”
“Absolutely. I’ll do whatever you ask.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to report the success of it. I want to report on what your employees go through to help with the humanitarian needs. I might currently be a romance columnist, but that’s not who I am. My goal has always been to report on politics, wars, humanitarian efforts, not how to keep a man. Oh, hell, no!”
“Would you be willing to go into a harsher environment and report on that too?”
I cocked my head. “Are you expecting things to get more dangerous?”
He shook his head. “No, I’m thinking about the future. I was wondering if you might be interested in becoming a field agent of sorts, and travel with the team. You could sell your stories freelance, help us land more business with positive reports, and eventually help more people.”
I was shocked at his suggestion; it was so close to the line of thought that I had been having. “Jake, I would be very interested.”
He nodded. “I figured you would be.”
He told me a little bit more about what he was thinking, and I absorbed every word. I would most definitely do this. It would be an incredible opportunity for me. Maybe I wouldn’t do it for long, but a couple of trips and I could get some street cred and land a bigger job with a primary news source.
“There is just one obstacle that you are going to have to overcome.”
“What’s that?”
“Greg.”
I frowned. “Greg doesn’t have any say in the matter.”
“You are going to need to take that up with him. If you decide to do this, then you are his strap.”
“Strap? What is a strap?”
“You will be attached to him, and he will be responsible for you. Some guys don’t want the responsibility.”
I thought back to the look Greg had just given me, and I began to smile. “Oh, don’t you worry about Greg. I got him under control.”
He started to chuckle, and then Alice’s voice came over the speakerphone. “Jake, Oscar is on line one.”
He glanced at his watch. “Eighteen minutes. Faster than either of us thought.”
Chapter Fifteen
Gregory
I needed air before I strangled Jake or turned into a complete asshole with Maggie. I hit the street and started walking. I had no place in mind to go, just a need to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving.
Jake was crazy to allow Maggie to go on that mission—operation, deliver
y, whatever the hell it was—if we did get it back. How could he allow that? How could Jake do that to me? He wanted to make her my strap? My responsibility? What an ass!
But if I didn’t do it, who would? Harvey? Mike? Jake? Was Jake even going? I wasn’t sure if he would put her under one of our part-time guys, but maybe he would if I refused.
I turned the corner, slowing my step as I began to realize that I was going to have to keep her with me. It was the only way to make sure she was safe. What would I do if she got hurt because I’d refused to watch her? Jesus, what would I do if she got hurt under my protection? The thought almost made me stumble.
No, if he wanted her to go, then I’d watch her. I’d protect her, but before she could go, I was going to make sure we tested her endurance and reactions. Get her to the range, see how she did on an obstacle course, not just firing from a line.
I knew that it wasn’t standard practice for a press member to carry a weapon but working as a civilian contractor made things a little different since we weren’t working for the military. Whether she was strapped or not, she needed to be appropriately trained and know how to protect herself if things went to shit.
I dwelled over that as I hit the next corner. Maggie had always been a strong-willed woman, eager to get into a debate and stand behind her beliefs. She never let me get away with anything when we were younger, and after last night’s confrontation, it was apparent she was still like that.
I thought back to something else Jake had said when he’d been chewing my ear off earlier. He’d told me to go after her, get involved with her because she wouldn’t want to sideline me. Was he right? In the past, I had avoided relationships because I didn’t want to leave someone behind and not know if I was coming back, but what if that person was right there with me? If the two of us were sharing the same kind of life. Would she be able to accept that? Would she even want to do that? Could she mentally handle it?