Twelve long months he’d eaten, breathed and slept the hunt for Katrina. Megan was the first thing that had been strong enough to break through his obsession. Being around her was like a time out from the stress and anxiety that constantly plagued him. And the more he was in her presence, the more he wanted to hold on to her. But he couldn’t. He had to focus. She had to focus. There was too much at stake to get distracted. Especially when they were this close to getting to Rudi.
He cleared his throat and cast around for a safer topic. “The workout room is finished. We start training tomorrow morning.”
She patted her lips with the white linen napkin, making his mind flood with all the other things he could do with those lips. “What training?”
He sat back in his chair, needing the space between them. “Self-defence.”
“Oh, in that case, no thanks. I’m covered.” She tucked her hair behind her ear.
“You’re covered?”
“Yep. I know how to take care of myself.”
Oh, this he had to hear. “Okay, Buffy, I’ll bite. What makes you think you’d be any good in a fight?”
“You mean, apart from the fact I managed to knock you unconscious. Not to mention the time I rendered you incapable of speech with a kick to the groin. You’d think those events would have clued you in to the fact that I have skills.”
“You don’t have skills. You have luck. And it was your sister—not you—who knocked me out. As for the knee to my balls, you took me by surprise. I thought we were on the same side at the time.”
Megan barked out a laugh. “The same side? You turned up in my home town with a bunch of thugs intent on kidnapping my sister to hand her over to a maniac. We were never on the same side.”
“I. Was. Under. Cover.”
“Blah, blah, blah. Like being undercover is an excuse for ineptitude. You almost got me killed.”
“You were never anywhere near getting hurt. We agreed on a plan. All you had to do was pretend to be Claire and I would make sure you were freed at some point.”
Megan threw up her hands. “Listen to yourself. That isn’t a plan. That’s just optimism. You said,” she deepened her voice and affected an American accent, “play along and I’ll think of something.” She dropped the accent. “Think of something? Yeah. That was reassuring. Good job I was able to save myself.”
“Yeah, by kicking me in the balls and shooting Durand in the ass.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing. I took on two armed, trained men and won. I realise it was a blow to your ego, but you need to get over it. I think this conversation makes it clear why I don’t need self-defence training. I can defend myself just fine. I took Lake’s class in Invertary, my brother made sure we knew what to do growing up and I did two years of judo when I was a kid. I’m. Covered. So how about we spend any training time you have booked going over something I don’t know, like how to use a machine gun.”
Dimitri felt his jaw clench tight. “There is no way I’m letting you anywhere near an automatic weapon.”
Megan leaned across the table, closing the distance between them. “You are not the boss of me.”
“For this job I am.”
“We’re partners. Equal partners.”
“Like hell.”
“Yes. It will be hell.”
He made a strangled noise and threw up his hands as someone cleared their throat. The red haze in front of Dimitri’s eyes cleared enough for him to notice they had the attention of everyone in the restaurant and their waitress was standing beside their table. Fantastic. Talk about how not to keep a low profile.
“Can I get you anything else?” The woman’s eyes were wide as she looked at them.
“Just the bill.” Dimitri tried to smile at her, but his face wouldn’t work with him. “In fact, don’t bother. We’ll pick it up on the way out.” He looked at Megan, who was still fuming. “Let’s go.”
She grabbed her navy blue padded jacket from the back of her chair, thanked the waitress and strode to the front door, her head held high and her gorgeous ass swaying. Dimitri paid the bill, leaving a hefty tip and chased after the annoying woman.
By the time he’d made it outside, Megan was halfway up the street. He jogged after her, dodging the many people who were reading the menus posted outside the restaurants. The infuriating woman had to know he was chasing her and yet she strode on, in the opposite direction to where their car was parked. With her head held high, her fists clenched and her back ramrod straight, it didn’t take a genius to figure out she was still mad at him.
“Wait up.” He grabbed her arm and spun her around.
Her fist came out, but he was prepared for her violent streak. He caught her hands and held them behind her back.
“Let. Go. Of. Me.”
Her eyes flashed pure fire. Her cheeks were flushed and her chest heaved. She was stunning.
“Promise you won’t hit.”
“Promise you won’t annoy me.”
“See, I can’t do that, Buff. Annoying you has become my main hobby.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Find another one.”
“Why would I do that when this one is so entertaining?”
She struggled in his arms, making him hold her tighter. “You have three seconds to release me or you’re going to regret it.”
“Hey,” a guy passing said. “You okay there?” He looked between the two of them, obviously worried. Dimitri became aware they were standing in the middle of a crowded street and they’d attracted quite an audience.
“Fine,” they snapped at the same time and the guy backed off, shaking his head.
Megan glared up at him. With her heeled boots, she was just a few inches shorter than he was. He could feel her warm breath on his jaw. It would be so easy to lean down, close the gap between them and taste those luscious lips.
“Three seconds,” she reminded him.
“Or what?” He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this alive, this delighted. Playing with Megan was a rush to his system.
“Oh to hell with it.” She angled her head and bit his throat. Hard.
Dimitri released her and slapped a hand over the bite. There was a smattering of laughter and applause from the onlookers. Megan folded her arms and cocked her head at him, as though considering. It had to be the most disconcerting look he’d ever been subjected to and it made part of him want to run. In that moment, he really didn’t care what that said about him.
“That’s going to leave a mark.” He prodded the bite gently. No blood, but it would definitely bruise. “I’ll get you back for this.”
She smirked. “You mean you’ll try to get me back for it.” She stepped into his space. “You might as well face it.” She patted his T-shirt through his open jacket, her palms a brand on his chest. Long dark lashes batted over blue eyes. “You are no match for me.”
He opened his mouth to correct her ludicrous assumption when her hand curved around his neck and she yanked his face towards her. It took a split second for his body to tense, ready to defend itself, but by then it was too late. Her lips were on his and nothing else mattered except the delicious pressure of Megan’s kiss. In that moment, he would have willingly laid himself at her feet and let her trample him.
He was vaguely aware of the wolf whistles and cheers, then he heard nothing, felt nothing, except Megan. His left arm wrapped tight around her, his right hand clasped the back of her head as he angled her mouth to suit him. It wasn’t a kiss like any he’d ever experienced. This was a duel. A battle of wills. A fight for dominance. And he couldn’t have said who was winning. All he knew was he wanted more. He wanted all of her.
“Get a room,” someone shouted.
Megan’s lips moved away from his and he followed them. A sharp tug to his hair halted him and he realised Megan’s fingers had clutched him tight. She leaned back. She was breathless. Her normally pink lips were swollen and red. Her blue eyes had turned dark with passion. For a second she just looked at him,
their breaths mingling, their heartbeats racing together. Then she released him and stepped back, leaving him cold. His fingers itched to reach for her. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans to stop himself. Megan looked as stunned as he felt.
An old Chinese woman came up to them. Her smile was wide, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She took Megan’s hand, placed something in the palm and curved Megan’s fingers around it.
“For luck,” she said. “You have long life together.”
Megan’s eyes went wide. “Oh, we’re not together.”
She tried to hand back the gift.
“No, no.” The woman refused to take it as she backed away. “You young love. You have many happy years. I know this.” And then with a chuckle she was gone.
Megan seemed bewildered. She opened her palm and looked at the charm. A symbol written on a polished stone. She looked back up at him.
“We’re not together.”
Dimitri knew he shouldn’t feel insulted. They were partners. Nothing more. The job had to come first. His sister’s rescue had to come first. There was no time for anything else. For anyone else. Yet, part of him still felt annoyed.
“Damn straight we’re not together.”
A flare of anger. Her shoulders went back. “Thanks for the kiss.” She walked past him, then cast a glance over her shoulder. “It was nice.”
“Nice?” He rushed to catch up with her. At least this time she was heading in the right direction.
She shrugged like it was nothing. Like it had no impact at all. Like they hadn’t just rocked their worlds. “Sometimes you have to try these things. See what they’re like. Now we know.”
What the hell? “Know what?”
“That it wouldn’t work between us.” She sighed. “It’s okay, Dimitri. You can’t help it.”
He bristled. He was about ten seconds away from shaking the infuriating woman.
“Help what? What the hell are you talking about?”
“The lack of passion, of course. It’s not your fault that the kiss was just okay. There’s nothing wrong with your technique. We just don’t have any chemistry.” She gave him a sunny smile. “I’m sure your past lovers thought you were perfectly adequate.”
With that she turned on her heel and stalked away, leaving him gaping after her.
Chapter Four
Julia knew there were people who were introverted but weren’t shy. Steve Martin was one of them. The actor liked to be alone, but he had no problem talking to people when he had to. Unfortunately, Julia was nothing like Steve Martin. Nope, she was introverted, terminally shy and ever since her last job where her boss had been a bully, she’d become even more terrified of interacting with people than ever before. She was well aware of her issues and grateful that Lake Benson had employed her in spite of them. She was working hard to get past her fears and be the type of employee Lake would be proud of. And her current meeting was proof of how far she’d come—she was alone, in her office, going over the renovation plans with two men.
So what if both men were in their seventies and looked like garden gnomes. It still counted.
“Julia, love.” Bill Granger was Ryan’s grandfather and a complete darling. His relationship to one of the team was the reason Julia had hired him and his brother to do the carpentry work in the building. That and the fact they were just too adorable to say no to. “You need a panic room.”
“It isn’t on my list, Bill.” She pointed at the two huge whiteboards that filled the walls behind her desk. One had a detailed plan of the renovations. The other had a list of jobs the security team were doing and which member was responsible for which part of it. Seeing as the business wasn’t officially open yet, there was only one job on the board—finding Katrina Raast.
“The wives made us watch that Jodie Foster film last night.” Bob was the younger brother of the pair, by two whole years. A fact he delighted in.
“Date night.” Bill shuddered. “I don’t understand why we need a date night, but it’s their new thing.”
“What I don’t understand,” Bob said, “is how date night is any different to every other night. Normally we watch TV and have dinner. What did we do last night? Watch TV and ate dinner. You’re a woman. Do you understand the difference?”
“Uh…” Julia was at a loss.
“See?” Bob pointed at his brother. “This isn’t normal. The wives are winding us up.”
Bill nodded. “At least the movie was useful. It made us think about this place. You take risks here. You need somewhere safe. You need a panic room.”
The two men nodded. In their matching beige overalls they looked like older versions of the cabbage patch dolls Julia had as a kid.
“I know you want to build a panic room,” Julia said. “But it isn’t on the schedule. Right now, we need to get the office kitchen finished. That’s more important.”
“It is to Ryan,” Bill said with a grin. “That boy thinks with his stomach.”
She couldn’t argue with that. After she’d seen the amount of food Ryan could put away in one sitting she’d doubled the office budget for snacks.
“He’s a growing lad, your grandson.” Bob returned the grin. “And a greedy bugger.”
“Which is one of the reasons the kitchen is next on my list.” She rearranged the paperwork on her desk, even though it didn’t need rearranging. Everything was precisely where it should be. “But I will put your idea for a panic room on the agenda for my next meeting with Callum. Will that make you happy?”
“Absolutely. Thanks Julia,” the men chorused, making her smile.
“Now, did you two sign the confidentiality agreements I gave you?”
They rooted around in the many pockets of their overalls until Bob exclaimed he had them. He handed over a folded mess of crumpled papers. “There might be jam on there,” he warned.
Julia took them using her thumb and forefinger, then looked around for somewhere to open them that wouldn’t cause a mess. “I’ll look them over later.” She put them on top of a plastic folder. The kitchen was the best place to check the forms. And to wipe off any jam she found.
The men told her they were going back to work and left. Bill winked at her and Bob blew her a kiss, leaving Julia staring at the empty doorway with a bewildered smile on her face. She was just about to get up and close the door after them, when she heard Bob say, “You looking for Julia, Joe? She’s in her office.”
For a split second, Julia was paralysed by blind panic. Then she ducked under her desk. It was an instinctive reaction. A really stupid one. Because as soon as she was under the desk she knew two things—one, that Joe knew she was in her office and would therefore know she was under the desk, and two, now she was there she couldn’t come out.
“Julia?” His lazy baritone with its curling American vowels made her mouth go dry.
She saw his feet appear as he strode through the doorway. He stopped on the other side of her U-shaped desk, which she’d positioned unconventionally. Instead of fitting the U part into the corner, she’d put her chair there and fit the desk around her, making a kind of desk fort.
“Julia.” There was clear confusion in his voice. “Are you under the desk?”
Honestly, if her face burned any brighter her whole head would combust. She cleared her throat, but her voice still came out as the timid squeak she hated. “Yes. I’m…fixing cables.” Lame! “What can I do for you Joe?” Unreasonably terrified that Joe would crouch down to check her excuse, or worse, offer to help her, Julia started randomly unplugging everything in front of her. She heard her computer beep then die. Great. She really hoped she hadn’t just lost the work she’d been doing.
“Can you come out for a minute? I’ve got some hard copy files on Abramovich that I need to go over with you.” Joe sounded amused. Julia wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
“I’m sorry, I can’t do that right now. It’s essential that I get this wiring sorted. Just put everything on the desk and I�
��ll send you an email about it later.” She held her breath, waiting for his response.
The man moved. The desk creaked and from the angle of his shoes, she thought he might be perched on the edge of her desk.
“I can wait until you’re done.”
Julia didn’t use swear words, but she thought this might be a good time to start.
“I realise your time is valuable.” She aimed for a bland, professional tone that in no way made the man realise that her heart stuttered any time he was in the room. “I may be down here some time. There’s no need to wait. Please, leave the files.”
The desk creaked some more. Julia tried hard to use her non-existent x-ray vision to see what he was doing. It didn’t work.
“I have to say, Miss Julia, you look mighty fine in that skirt.” It was a teasing drawl that took a second to register.
Then it did. Julia’s head twisted to look behind her. Sure enough her backside was sticking out from under the desk.
“Joe!” She scrambled to get her whole body under the damn thing. With a desk this size it should have been easy, but it wasn’t. As soon as she got out from under it, she was calling the Granger boys back in and demanding they remove the side drawers. That way, if this ever happened again, she’d fit under the desk on the first try.
She resisted the urge to thump some sense into herself by banging her head on the floor. She’d actually caught herself planning to hide under her desk in the future.
“Julia, baby, we talked about this.”
Joe’s voice was soft, compassionate even. It made her bite her bottom lip to stop from sobbing. Stupid, stupid behaviour. She knew it and she still couldn’t seem to stop it. Dealing with two eccentric old men was one thing—dealing with Joe Barone was something else entirely. Something she wasn’t ready to do. Something she might never be ready to do.
“You can’t keep hiding from the people you work with,” Joe said gently.
Reckless (Benson's Boys Book 1) Page 4