Enticing Ian (Knight Security 5)

by Carole Mortimer

  Ian snorted. “That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

  His cousin raised his brows. “So tell me all these occasions when I’ve been here. Nice apartment, by the way. A bit stark for my tastes, but I could live with it.”

  “You’ll never have to,” Ian reassured him dryly. “And you were here for… No. Well, I definitely invited you over when… No, not then either.” In the past ten years, he had maybe invited half a dozen people to his apartment. He didn’t remember Ethan being one of them. “Exactly when did I invite you over, Ethan?”

  “Must be three years ago now.”

  “And you still remember it?” He eyed the other man skeptically.

  “It was a momentous occasion, man. Maybe not the reason for it, but I still appreciated the invite.”

  “What was the reason for it?”

  “So we could both get drunk to help you forget the end of the relationship with the woman you’d been dating.” Ethan shrugged. “You didn’t say so, but I got the impression she was the one to do the dumping. I was just saying,” he defended as Ian rose abruptly to his feet.

  Three years ago. A woman he’d been involved with. Getting drunk to ease the pain.

  Evie.

  It had to be. He’d been out of the country for three months before he met Evie, and he hadn’t had a relationship with another woman before or since. A lot of one-night stands, but not a relationship.

  He didn’t remember the night Ethan was talking about, but then he couldn’t remember how he’d spent a lot of his evenings around that time.

  He sighed heavily. “She’s back.”

  Ethan squinted up at him. “Who is?”

  “The woman.”

  His cousin’s brows rose. “She dumped you before, and you still let her back in your life?”

  “I was the one who did the dumping, and she isn’t back in my life.”

  Ethan eyed him derisively. “Do you want to try that again, cuz, ’cause your voice rose up pretty high toward the end there. As in, you’re protesting too much and too loudly.”

  Ian began to pace the kitchen. “Involving you was a mistake.”

  Ethan watched him for several minutes before speaking again. “What do you want me to do? Tell her to go away politely? Beg on your behalf? Name it, and I’ll see what I can do.”

  Ian stared at him. “Why the hell would I ask you to do either of those things? And why would you do any of those things for me?”

  “Because we’re family, man.” Ethan frowned. “It’s what families do for each other.”

  “No.” Ian shook his head. “No, it’s really not.”

  “It’s what our family does,” his cousin insisted. “You were all there for us after our parents died, so I’m here for you. Any time. Whatever you want.”

  All there for them. Ian’s parents. Ian. And—

  “What I want is for you to guard someone without them knowing you’re doing it,” Ian bit out abruptly.

  “I can do that, no problem.” Ethan nodded. “The woman?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who does she need guarding against?”

  “The Romanian mafia.”

  Ethan straightened in the chair. “Jesus Christ, Ian, who the hell is this woman?”

  “A librarian.”

  “A…? No.” Ethan shook his head. “If you want me to do this, then you have to be honest with me.”

  “I am being honest.” Ian grimaced. “She’s a librarian, and her brother is a douche bag working for the Romanians. She has it in her head she needs to save him. From himself, if necessary.”

  He had come up with the idea of Ethan guarding Evie once he was back in his own apartment and could think straight again without Evie’s presence to confuse the issue. She had made it clear she didn’t want him around anymore, and he had left her with a “call me if you need me,” something he knew Evie’s pride would never allow her to do. Once home, he’d remembered Nikolai had told him Ethan was back, and asking his cousin to protect Evie seemed like a good compromise.

  “Is she beautiful?”

  Ian didn’t even attempt to misunderstand his cousin’s question. “Very,” he confirmed grimly.

  “Sexy?”

  “I think so.” Hell, Evie’s sexiness brought him to his knees every fucking time. As for how she’d looked in that pink tank top earlier… Ian had wanted to wrap her up in a blanket and not let anyone else—any other man—see her wearing it.

  “Does she feel the same way about you?”

  His eyes narrowed. “And what way is that?”

  “She’s beautiful, sexy, you get this possessive gleam in your eyes when you talk about her. If she feels the same way about you…”

  “She doesn’t,” Ian stated flatly. “I’m good for the occasional fuck, but I don’t fit into the rest of her academic life.”

  “That’s a bit harsh.”

  “To her or to me?”

  “Both.”

  “Let’s try and stay on subject, hmm, Ethan?”

  “Which is making sure she doesn’t fall into the hands of the Fescarus?”

  He nodded. “She’s dead set on saving her brother. If she even attempts to go near the Fescaru warehouse, I want you to call me immediately.”

  Ethan winced. “When she does something, she really goes for the top, doesn’t she. Or the bottom, depending on your point of view.” He gave a grimace of distaste for the Romanian family.

  “You have no idea.”

  “You want me to start now?”

  Ian grinned his relief that his cousin was agreeable to helping him. “You can finish your coffee first.”

  Ethan chuckled. “Your generosity knows no bounds.”

  Ian sobered. “I don’t want any of your brothers or Knight Security brought in on this. It stays between the two of us.”

  “Are you kidding?” The other man snorted. “My brothers are so busy with their wives, they don’t have a clue what’s going on around them anymore.”

  “Do I detect a note of jealousy in your voice?” Ian mocked.

  “No way!” Ethan scorned. “I love and respect all my sisters-in-law, but I owe it to all the other beautiful women in the world to ensure one of the Knight brothers remains available.”

  He chuckled. “You really believe that.”

  “Of course. Now fill me in on all the details, and I’ll get started.”

  Ian chose to ignore the voice in his head telling him this was a bad idea, and that Evie was going to be truly pissed if she realized Ian had arranged a bodyguard for her. Well, that was just too bad, because there was no way Ian could really walk away and leave her to her own devices. She had always been blindly loyal to her brother, but in this situation, that loyalty was beyond blind.

  It was a blindness that could get her killed.

  Chapter 11

  “Who are you and why are you following me?” Evie demanded as she confronted the man she had noticed outside her apartment building earlier. He was a man neither she nor any other woman could help but notice, being tall, dark, and very handsome.

  He was the same man who had then followed her on the underground. Also the man who had followed her from the train station at a safe distance as she set off to take a look at all the warehouses in this less fashionable area of the dockside.

  That same distance had also allowed her to duck behind one of the buildings and wait to ambush him as he came round the corner.

  “Actually, don’t bother answering,” she murmured now that she had a closer look at him. “Which Knight brother are you?” His resemblance to Ian in coloring and facial features was too extreme for the two men not to be related. “Actually, now that I think about it, don’t bother to answer that either. You have to be Ethan, because your brothers are all on honeymoon or about to be.”

  Hazel eyes darkened with admiration. “Are you really a librarian?”

  “I am.” Although he could be forgiven for doubting that at the moment.

  Evie was still wearing the f
itted jeans and pink tank top, the latter beneath a short black leather jacket. An outfit Ian had claimed she would be noticed in. Because she wanted the Fescarus to notice her. How else was she going to breach their security and be allowed to speak with her brother?

  “Librarians didn’t look like you when I was at school,” Ethan murmured flirtatiously.

  “This is all very interesting, Mr. Knight—”

  “Ethan.”

  “Ethan.” She nodded. “But if Ian sent you to follow me, you can go straight back and tell him—”

  “To fuck off or to stick his help where the sun don’t shine?”

  She felt the warmth of color enter her cheeks. “I see you and your cousin have had a little chat about me.”

  “Oh, it wasn’t little.” Ethan grinned.

  “I’m sure it wasn’t.” But one thing Evie was sure of, Ian wouldn’t have told his cousin everything about their relationship, past or present. “Do you know which of these warehouses belongs to the Fescarus?”

  “None of them.”

  Her heart sank. “I’m in the wrong place?”

  “You are,” he confirmed.

  She winced. “And you aren’t going to tell me where the right place is, are you.”

  “No.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Does Ian know their exact location too?”

  “You would have to ask him that.”

  “Very diplomatically put, Mr. Knight.”

  He shrugged. “I’m well known for my diplomacy.”

  For all that Evie was disappointed she had apparently come to the wrong industrial site, she couldn’t help but like this man. At least when Ethan told her no, he did it in such a way as not to make her feel like hitting him, unlike someone else she could mention. “Ian very rarely chooses to answer the questions I ask him.”

  “Maybe that’s because of the questions you ask.”

  She spun round to find Ian standing a few feet behind her. She gave Ethan Knight a narrowed-eyed and accusing glare. He had to have known his cousin was standing behind her. “You called him.”

  Ethan held his hands up defensively. “I’m just following orders.”

  “If you had done that, she wouldn’t have known you were following her,” Ian snapped impatiently as he stepped forward. “You’ve only been watching her for a couple of hours. What happened to guarding her without her knowing you’re doing it?”

  Ethan grinned unrepentantly. “Is it my fault she couldn’t help but notice my magnetic good looks?”

  Despite the gravity of the situation, Evie found herself holding back a smile, both at Ethan’s lighthearted banter and Ian’s scowling response to it.

  Ian turned a challenging gaze on her. “What are you doing here, Evie?”

  Her eyes widened at the iciness of Ian’s tone. “You already know the answer to that.”

  “I also remember that I told you not to go looking for the Fescarus.”

  “Whoa, not a good tone or attitude, cuz,” Ethan muttered under his breath as he no doubt saw the angry flush Evie could feel warming her cheeks. “No wonder she told you to fuck off and stick your opinions. In my experience, women don’t react well to being given orders. Cajoling or charm, maybe, but never—”

  “Butt out, Ethan,” Ian growled.

  Ethan turned to Evie. “I apologize for my Neanderthal cousin. But I also have to advise you it isn’t a good idea to contact the Fescaru family in this direct and confrontational way. They won’t appreciate it, and a woman on her own is too vulnerable. Far better that Ian or I contact them on your behalf and arrange a meeting.”

  It was the same advice Ian had given her, but with far less force and anger.

  She concentrated on Ethan. “You would do that for me?”

  He nodded. “Of course.”

  “Today?”

  “Sure.”

  Ian didn’t like the way this conversation was going at all.

  Or the fact that Evie seemed willing to accept the same help from Ethan she had earlier refused from him. “I advise we all leave the area, before we attract the wrong attention.”

  “So the Fescarus’ headquarters are around here somewhere?” Evie pounced.

  “Somewhere,” he bit out unhelpfully.

  “Well, that’s a bit of an improvement on Neanderthal man,” Ethan drawled, “but still bordering on arrogant. The gist of Ian’s comment is correct, though, Evie,” he sobered. “We should all go and grab lunch somewhere and discuss our plan of action.”

  “We don’t have a fucking plan of action, nor do we need one,” Ian rasped. “Her brother, Adam, is twenty-six years old and working for the Fescarus voluntarily. Nor has he bothered to call Evie to let her know he’s okay and not to worry about him.”

  “Twenty-six.” Ethan’s attention stayed on Evie. “Adam is your twin?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wow, that’s some coincidence—”

  “Ethan, shut the fuck up,” Ian snarled.

  “But—”

  “Don’t force me into making you.”

  “You think you could?” Ethan challenged. “Underneath this affable nature is a ninja waiting to be set free,” he confided in Evie. “Besides, I don’t see what the problem is with Evie knowing—” He didn’t get to finish the sentence because Ian’s fist landed on his jaw and knocked him off his feet.

  “My God…” Evie gasped as she went down on her knees beside a prone Ethan. “Are you okay?” she prompted worriedly.

  He rubbed his bruised jaw as he sat up. “Fine.”

  She glared up at Ian. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “You’re what’s wrong with me.” His hands were still clenched into fists at his sides. “Your recklessness is driving me insane.”

  Tears stung her eyes as she sat back on her heels. “Go away, Ian. Please, just go away.”

  “And if I choose not to?”

  She sighed wearily. “If you won’t go, then I obviously can’t make you.” She stood up before holding out a hand to help Ethan back onto his feet. “But if you’re going to stay, I have to be the one to leave,” she added coldly. “Because right now, I can’t even stand to look at you. Oh and you might want to apologize to your cousin sometime today.” She turned to the other man. “Nice to have met you, Ethan.”

  He nodded. “You too, Evie.”

  “Where are you going?” Ian called after her as she walked away.

  She didn’t even bother to glance back as she answered him. “As far from you as possible!”

  “Well, that went well,” Ethan drawled. “And just so you know, if you hit me again, I’m going to retaliate,” he warned in an icy-cold voice completely unlike his usual light-hearted banter.

  “I’m not going to hit you again,” Ian dismissed, still watching Evie as she walked back toward the railway station.

  “An apology would be appropriate.”

  “I apologize.”

  “Like to try that again, but with more sincerity?” Ethan quirked dark brows. “I’ve been known to break an arm or two for far less than what you just did to me.”

  Ian knew the other man wasn’t kidding about his ninja abilities. Ethan was a black belt in several of the martial arts.

  “Care to explain why you hit me the first time?” his cousin prompted. “Although I’m guessing it had something to do with stopping me from mentioning Sophie?”

  Ian’s mouth tightened. “You know I never talk about the past.”

  “You don’t talk about the future either.” Ethan shrugged. “Doesn’t mean it doesn’t or didn’t exist. Just as Sophie existed,” he added softly. “You weren’t the only one who loved her, you know.”

  Ian could feel a nerve pulse in his tightly clenched jaw. “I’m not going there, Ethan.”

  “How long were you and Evie together three years ago?”

  “None of your fucking business—”

  “What harm can it do to tell me? Was it a day? Two days? Two weeks?” his cousin persisted. “Because you can�
�t have spent all that time in bed together, must have had a conversation or two at some point. You seem to know quite a lot about her brother.”

  “We talked,” Ian allowed grudgingly.

  “But I’m guessing not about you?”

  “No.”

  Ethan studied him closely. “Have you ever talked to anyone about it?”

  “Like who?”

  “A therapist, maybe. I went along a couple of times when Caleb was having his therapy for PTSD. Talking has helped him.”

  “I’m not suffering from PTSD,” Ian dismissed.

  “Now you’re being deliberately obtuse—”

  “No, I’m deliberately blocking your chosen topic of conversation. I said no, Ethan,” he said harshly as his cousin would have spoken again. “Now let’s get the fuck away from here. I noticed several ICTVs in the area, and if they belong to the Fescarus, they may decide to come and investigate. Do you want a lift home?”

  “What about Evie?”

  His mouth thinned. “You can leave Evie to me.” It had seemed like a good idea to involve Ethan at the time, but for those few hours Ethan had been watching her, it had been impossible for Ian to do anything but pace up and down and worry about her. He might as well worry while keeping watch in her apartment as sitting alone in his own apartment doing the same thing.

  “In that case, I have a lady friend who lives not far from here on Canary Wharf.” Ethan gave one of his cheeky grins. “No doubt she’ll be happy to offer me some TLC for my bruised jaw.”

  “Is that what you call it, TLC?”

  “Whatever.” His cousin’s grin widened. “I like your Evie, by the way. Ballsy lady.”

  “Yes, she is.” But she wasn’t Ian’s.

  In fact, after his behavior today, he doubted Evie would want to speak to him again, let alone have him in her apartment. “I really am sorry for hitting you, Ethan. I was just… It was…”

  “It’s all good, cuz,” Ethan dismissed. “Now I should follow your lady home before she decides to do something else she shouldn’t.”

  Good advice.

  Except Evie wasn’t at home. At least she wasn’t answering the intercom when Ian buzzed up to her apartment twenty minutes later.