“I’m going to let you up. If you try anything crazy, I won't hesitate to put you on your ass. You understand?”
“Yes. Shit. I understand. Now let me up!”
Neal let go, and Brad shot up, rubbing his sore arm. He glanced between Dana and Neal and took to a brisk walk towards her door. The thud of his hard stride was the only sound for a moment.
Dana yelled after him, “The Viennese Hall at seven pm. I’ll have Jordan send you an invitation.”
Brad didn’t answer, but it didn’t seem to bother Dana one bit.
Neal had to know.
“He is still going to take you out, if you want, isn't he?”
She smiled, and said, “More than likely; but if you’re around, he might have second thoughts.”
Chapter 8
Sneaky Opportunist
Neal was awake most of the night after discovering that Dana had snuck away from the house. He wished he'd increased his security checks to ensure she didn't try anything. She'd been asked to leave her door unlocked, to allow access into her room, in case of an emergency.
Neal realized his mistake came in attempting to preserve Dana’s privacy. Instead of entering her room to do a physical check, he would peek in. He’d fallen into one of Dana’s traps and aided in making her escape easier.
He searched every corner of her room before discovering he’d just missed her. The loose hangers in her closet continued to swing and her bed was still warm.
Stepping into the hall, it didn’t take but a moment for him to notice a slight billowing of the hallway curtains. Dana had left the window cracked. This was how she’d gotten away. Racing to the window, Neal saw nothing but darkness staring back at him.
He took his time searching the perimeter of the property. He interviewed the guards about what they observed, without mentioning that Dana was the reason for his questions. Like he suspected, none of them were the wiser that Dana was gone, and he didn’t alert them to that fact. She had likely been doing this the entire time, slipping away as they were left guarding an empty house.
Neal searched for Dana most of the night, and it was only now that he started to fully understand why her father had been so firm in his stance on protecting his daughter. She was as slick as motor oil. It wasn't like Neal to lose anyone; yet she'd slipped right through his fingers, even with him only steps away, across the hall.
Awaiting her return, Neal posted himself next to the window she'd slipped out through. He hadn't found any feasible escape routes she could have used and had no idea how she'd made it past her own front yard. The place was as fortified and as guarded as a maximum security prison.
Positioned at the window, it perplexed Neal to hear Dana's voice emanating from someplace within the house. He turned away from the window in time to see her step out of her room laughing into her cell phone. He took in her well put together form with a questioning gaze. Dressed and ready to start the workday, she glared at him a roguish look that highlighted her misbehaving ways.
“Good morning, Mr. Erickson. How did you sleep?”
She knew damn well he hadn't slept. The smirk on her face revealed as much.
“I’m doing fine, Ms. Diallo. Didn't get much sleep last night, though.”
How did she get back into the house?
Neal was at a loss, a place he prided himself on staying away from. Not only had Dana gotten away from him, she’d found a way in and out of the house without anyone noticing. She’d returned, dressed, and prepared to start her workday, like nothing had happened.
His first time accepting the offer, Neal decided to take her father's invitation to join them for breakfast. He needed to look beyond Dana's beauty to unscramble some of the mystery surrounding her.
Where was she going at night? Had she been sneaking away every night? Was last night the first time he noticed? He’d been her personal guard for more than a month and expected that she would try something sooner or later.
She could have been killed on his watch and that was unacceptable.
She flashed him a quick eye wink when he entered her family’s dining room.
Is she purposely taunting me? Why can’t I track her?
Neal watched pensively as she engaged her father in pleasant conversation about his upcoming trip to Afghanistan.
Neal assessed Dana, observing her from a different perspective. Instead of wealthy princess, he thought more along the line of sneaky opportunist. This time, she wore a baby blue skirt suit that, of course, highlighted her sophisticated elegance.
Neal noticed something else; she failed to conceal a series of large, fresh bruises on her arm. Since the sleeve of her suit jacket was three-quarter length, the bruises peeked from under her left sleeve.
She noticed that he saw them and attempted to adjust her sleeve. She glanced quickly towards her father to see if he noticed. He didn't.
Neal didn't address Dana about the bruises; he wanted to wait until they were alone.
****
Dana removed her jacket and took a seat at her desk. Neal had already seen her bruises, so there was no need to hide them now. On the thirty minute ride to her office, he hadn't mentioned anything about her disappearing on him, or her bruises.
She'd been in such a hurry to get ready this morning, she didn't have time to pick out a better outfit and hardly had time to get herself into one. Her second job required a little extra effort and sometimes spilled into her regular job.
She'd found Neal waiting this morning when she attempted to sneak back into the house. She was already late for breakfast with her father, so finding an alternate route and getting herself ready had been a mad dash. Thank goodness she was faster than the average person.
She appreciated Neal keeping his mouth shut in front of her father. All her father would have done was panicked, stressed, and likely called for more guards.
Standing behind her desk, she gathered the supplies she’d need to start her workday. Neal stood, staring at her. They locked gazes. It was strange; he didn't even appear angry with her. There was only concern projected in his firm gaze.
She broke eye contact and involuntarily scratched her head. She didn't need him figuring out that she was attracted to him, or that she was fighting to understand him as much as she knew he was trying to figure her out.
Dana realized she wasn't going to be able to make Neal quit like the others. She would likely have to come up with a way to get him fired. Sleeping with him would be the quickest way. She cast away her nefarious idea and logged into her computer.
Neal didn't take his normal seat. He sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk and studied her. Under his penetrating gaze, she was unusually comfortable; carrying on like this was their normal routine.
“I’ve got something for you, Ms. Diallo.”
She didn’t glance up immediately. Her shoulders dropped as she sighed. He’d called her Ms. Diallo again.
“Please. Call. Me. Dana.”
She glanced up and dangling from his finger were her blue panties. Neal's face remained blank as she sat surprised.
“I washed and dried them for you. I can hang on to them, if you want. If you have another accident, you'll know that I have an extra pair for you. Can't have you running around with no panties on. I’m here to protect you in every way that I can.”
A smile lifted her cheeks. Mr. Neal Erickson was much more than your average bodyguard. She prayed he didn't figure out her secrets before she came up with a plan to get him fired.
Dana’s assistant buzzed in a call that drew a little of her attention away from Neal.
As she talked into the phone, her gaze remained on Neal. He took a good sniff at her panties and returned them to the back pocket of his jeans.
Dana nearly dropped her phone but recovered. The last thing she wanted was to talk about financial portfolios when she had something ten times more interesting sitting in front of her.
She continued to talk as she reached to put her jacket on. She didn't have
to turn around to know that Neal was standing next to her. He assisted her into her jacket, his closeness a welcomed intrusion.
She wasn't dumb. He'd only gotten closer to get a better look at her bruises. Once she finished her phone conversation, she turned to him.
“Let it go, Mr. Erickson. It’s not what you think. I’m not being abused or hurt.”
She couldn’t believe she’d been careless enough to let him see her bruises in the first place. Concern danced across his face and the look affected her more than it should have. He’d actually given her more freedom than any of the other guards, and he hadn't ratted her out to her father for sneaking away from the house.
A crease of concern remained on his handsome face. His voice remained low and calm.
“Please call me, Neal. I’m not here to discourage you from doing whatever it is you believe you need to do. But. If it entails danger, I'd like to help you. It's my job to keep you safe, even if you insist upon doing things to put yourself in danger.”
Her mouth dropped open.
Is he serious?
Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she liked her new protector. There was a difference in him that drew her in. He intrigued her.
Who was she kidding? She was insanely attracted to the man. The mystery surrounding him only made her attraction stronger. He seemed to understand and respect the fact that she had secrets. He hadn't even questioned her about sneaking away last night.
Now that he admitted he would follow her into danger, she debated whether or not she wanted to reveal some her secrets to him. She could tell from a glance that he was serious.
Would he tell my father? Would he try to stop me? Would he understand? Would my secrets get him killed?
Chapter 9
Lust and Desire
The sound of her office phone saved Dana from having to respond to Neal. She talked on and on about investments and numbers, but her mind was on its own course.
Every once in a while, she would gaze up from her figures and find Neal’s penetrating gaze, studying her. She liked him watching her, but managed to ignore him as best she could.
The moment it popped against her leg, she knew her garter strap had snapped loose from her panty hose. Now she would be forced to hold on to the gossamer hose to keep it from slinking down her leg. Getting off the phone with Mr. Tabor wasn’t likely, so she was stuck in her small dilemma.
A wily smile brightened her face as she turned and faced Neal. He sat in front of her desk, studying her every move. She muted her phone and picked up a pen and folder.
“Mr. Erickson, will you help me with something, please. I’m fresh out of hands.”
He stood.
“Yes, Ms. Diallo. What do you need?”
It wasn’t his words that raised her eyebrows, it was the enticing way he’d expressed them.
When he step in front of her, she used the pen in her hand to lift the hem of her skirt and point at her hanging garter strap, daring him with her eyes to touch it.
“Will you fix this for me?”
She widened her stance, a little, as she bit the tip of the pen and observed Neal. She kept the folder in her other hand, a nonessential item she used in her scheming ploy. Getting rid of Neal meant freedom, but she was starting to have second thoughts.
To her surprise, he seemed to be considering her request.
Did he not care about getting fired?
His face gave away nothing as he stood, holding her gaze. She glanced at the hanging strip of fabric with its plastic snap affixed to the tip.
Neal inched closer, stepping into her personal space. Her breath hitched, revealing her surprise and excitement.
He had so suddenly distracted her that it took the sound of her caller's voice, blaring from her speaker, to pull her attention away.
“Ms. Diallo, are you there? Did we get disconnected?”
Her tongue skimmed her lips.
“I’m here, Mr. Tabor. You'll need to diversify more of your liquid assets to get the kind of results you’re looking for.”
When Neal took a bended knee in front of her, her words faltered yet her lips remained open. He kept his eyes on hers as she stood anxious to see what he would do next. Somehow, she found the strength to continue her talk with Mr. Tabor, but her mind was on the man kneeling before her.
He was so close, the warm flow of his breath bounced off her leg. When his hand made contact with her skin, she jumped and fumbled her words, giving Mr. Tabor the wrong figures. She corrected herself quickly.
“I meant one point two million, Mr. Tabor.”
Her breathing sped up more than a few notches, keeping pace with her amped up heartrate.
“Are you okay, Ms. Diallo?” Mr. Tabor’s concerned voice questioned.
“I’m fine,” was all she could manage, as she tore her eyes away from Neal’s and watched his hand slip past the hem of her skirt and glide up her leg.
His stroke sent tremors up her back, and his eyes enticed her to keep watching. He held her captive as his hand disappeared under her skirt. He didn’t lift her skirt like she expected.
Did he know enough about women's lingerie to reconnect her wardrobe blindly?
She didn't know, but she was game to find out. The visual of his actions made her knees go weak and her conversation cease. He reached his other hand between her legs and sat it flush along the backside of her thigh before letting it skim her warm flesh. The action sent his face closer to her pulsing hot center.
Dana swallowed the large amount of lust he'd so quickly built in her. She cleared her throat but words escaped her.
He'd found the two pieces of material he needed to reconnect as his hands maneuvered enticingly under her skirt. He'd spiked her heartrate the moment he'd made contract with her now hot flesh.
It took willpower to control her movement and her mind. She wanted nothing more than to say, to hell with it, and ask him to spend time on the area he had burning with desire.
Both his hands danced temptingly around her thigh, brushing dangerously close to her pulsing middle. He made her wet with desire and had her aching for his hand to explore more than her leg. Her breath rushed from her mouth as she exhaled desire.
She jumped at a knock on her door. Since she had an open door policy, no one knocked on her door and waited. Immediately following the knock, her assistant Jordan peeked in.
Jordan’s eyes went wide and directly to Neal kneeling in front of Dana. Dana could see Jordan’s hand grip her door more firmly.
Neal peeked around Dana’s hip, smiling at Jordan, as Dana stood frozen in place. Her brain instructed her to push Neal away, but her body wouldn’t allow her to mount a protest. Neal didn't remove his hands either.
Instead, he spoke in a smooth tone like they weren't caught in a precarious positon.
“Ms. Diallo was so busy; she didn’t have time to get back into her clothes. She asked me to help her out. Since I’m the devoted help, I couldn't very well leave her half-dressed, now could I?”
It didn’t occur to Dana until after he stated those words that Neal made it sound like they had been in there getting busy. Jordan failed to shrug away her shock as her eyes remained on where Neal's hands were.
Jordan found a single word, “Okay,” and managed to drag her eyes up to Dana's. Her words tumbled quickly from her mouth. The situation she’d peeked into made her anxious. “Mr. Tabor said the line went dead. I reconnected him, but you didn’t answer your phone.”
“I think I got it,” Neal announced.
His hand skimmed the hem of her underwear and Dana nearly passed out. Thank goodness Jordan saw only the side view of her face and her back, or she would bear witness to how truly weak Neal made her.
Neal removed his hand, and she was finally released from the seducing trance he had her in. He made a show of ensuring she was put back together properly. He brushed the sides of her skirt and straightened her jacket before stepping back to take one last glance.
Dana’s voice
was low, but she was determined to regain some aspect of control.
“Send the call through, Jordan. I’ll pick up. Also, will you print the reports; so that I can start my net assets value calculations and update my accounts?”
Neal stepped away like nothing inappropriate had occurred. Dana’s eyes followed his return to his area.
Jordan answered, “Sure, Dana, no problem. I'll get those reports started and send the call back.”
Watching Neal return to his seat, Dana became convinced. He was going to be hers; he just didn’t know it, yet.
Thankfully, it was Jordan who cracked her office door. Jordan had worked for Dana from the beginning and new her personality enough to know that she was a tad bit open-minded. Jordan also knew how to keep a secret.
Dana wasn’t ashamed about it, either. Jordan was shocked, but no one could have been as shocked as Dana. After Jordan closed the door, Dana peeked around her desk for Neal.
She was tempted to lock her door and continue where they'd left off.
Chapter 10
Temptation
After her assistant closed the door, the smile he saw creep onto Dana's face held mischievous ideas. Neal stepped away because Dana Diallo was pure temptation dipped in a tub of lust and desire. His heart continued to race with excitement.
Not even the presence of her assistant stopped him from wrapping his hand around her sexy, soft, warm, and silky leg. He berated himself for being so male and for being so uncharacteristically weak.
She was a temptress with a capital T. So much so, she broke down every defense he believed he had. He could tell that she was attracted to him, turned on by him even; but he didn't understand the how and the why behind the attraction.
Most women as privileged and as beautiful as her could have anyone they wanted, so he questioned what made her attracted to him.
His scar had been with him for seven years. Seven years, unfortunately, was as far in the past as he could remember. He was brought into the world at the estimated age of nineteen. As far as he knew, he had been picked up—and taken in—by the agency he now worked for, Top.
Sevyn: Adult Paranormal Romance (BWWM Romance) (Supernatural Thriller) (The Smoke & Fire Series Book 4) Page 5