Chapter Two
Zayne
"Don't answer that!" I shout at Ma, hauling ass across the office to grab the phone from the desk before she manages to pick it up. Christ, I gotta make Zion teach me how to forward calls to my cellphone. I know he knows how. He does the shit all the time. Usually, when it's someone I don't want to deal with. Like him or Gideon.
"Don't yell at me, Zayne Matthew Carmichael!"
"Shit. Sorry, Ma."
She pats me on the shoulder and then steps aside, allowing me to snatch the phone up before one of my brothers tries to answer it from their offices.
"Carmichael Security."
The silence on the other end lets me know exactly who I'm speaking with. She never says anything when she hears my voice. I tell myself it's because she's busy thanking God she's talking to me. I have a feeling it's because she's trying to decide if she wants to hang up on me or not.
I like my version better. It sucks less than the reality where my girl has told me to go kick rocks every time we've talked since the day she walked through the doors a few weeks ago.
"Emma," I practically purr.
"How do you not have a receptionist?" she says, exasperation in her voice. "You have a fancy office and five other employees, but you're always the one who answers the phone."
I grin as her complaint rolls over me. Damn right I'm always the one who answers the phone when she calls. I've made it my life mission to be the only one she deals with around here. It's been a fun few weeks. And by fun, I mean if Emma doesn't cave soon, I'm going to take drastic action.
It's been three weeks since she wobbled her way into my life and turned it upside down. In those three weeks, I've asked her out at least sixty times. She's shot me down every damn time.
My dick is in danger of requiring medical intervention at this point. I've made every excuse I can to show up at Camila's office just to see her. If hiding from me was a sport, she'd medal. Half the time, she isn't even there. The other half, she vanishes like fucking Houdini.
I've never failed as epically as I'm failing when it comes to getting a date with her. And the real hell of it is that I know she's attracted to me. Those pretty blue eyes eat me up like she's trying to memorize the sight of me when we do end up in the same room together.
And I know she felt the same thing I did the first day we met. There's no way I was the only one knocked on my ass when we touched.
So why the hell won't she give me a chance?
Zion swears it's because I'm an idiot, and no one wants to date an idiot. Gideon swears it's because I'm a grumpy motherfucker, and no one wants to date a grouch. I think Ma should have swallowed them both. But maybe they're onto something because it's been three weeks, and I'm no closer to getting her to agree than I was the day she wobbled her gorgeous ass into our office.
"Good mornin' to you too, lamb."
Ma turns wide eyes on me.
I turn my back on her. She can harass me with nine thousand questions after I talk to my girl.
"Stop calling me that," Emma complains.
"I'll make you a deal," I negotiate, grinning as I clutch the receiver to my ear. "You go out with me, and I'll stop calling you that."
"I'm not going out with you, Zayne."
"Why not?"
"Because we work together."
"Zayne," Ma hisses from behind me.
I ignore her.
"Zayne!"
"Emma? Hold on a minute, baby girl."
She huffs, making me smile before I put her on hold and drop the phone back into the cradle.
"Ma, aren't you supposed to be shopping?"
"Don't tell me how to live my life, Zayne Matthew," she says, her hands on her wide hips and a scowl on her face. She comes up to my chest, but honestly, she's the scariest motherfucker I know. "Who is Emma, and why haven't I heard about her before now?"
"If you'll stop buggin' me and let me convince her that she wants to marry me, she'll be your future daughter-in-law."
Ma's eyes practically bug out of her head.
I chuckle, dropping a kiss on her head. "Go do your shopping, Ma. I'll tell you all about her at dinner."
"You better," she says, pointing a finger at me. "Or I'm telling your dad that you're being mean to me."
Shit. She probably will tell him that. Ma is a savage who takes no prisoners. She's been finessing us since we were in diapers. For someone who spends every Sunday in church, she could teach the devil a thing or two about running hell. She's sweet as pie, and as fierce as any soldier I've ever met. My brothers and I idolize her and make no secret about it.
"Go buy whatever shit you're goin' to force on us next," I say, shaking my head at her.
"If I didn't buy it for you, no one would, Zayne. You and your brothers have been single too long," she complains. "I need grandbabies. You're too old to be fun anymore."
"I'm plenty of fun."
She snorts. "You've got a stick up your butt the size of C"
I growl, cutting her off.
She grins, leaning up on her toes to kiss me on the cheek. "Whoever she is, you lit up when you realized she was on the phone," she whispers. "If she makes you look like that, I can't wait to meet her."
I drop another kiss on her head, not responding. What am I supposed to say to that? She'll love Emma if I ever convince my girl to stop telling me no. And Emma will love her too. I just need to figure out how to get Emma on the page with me because right now, we're not even in the same book.
She's a frightened little lamb, trying like hell to avoid giving me a chance. I can't figure out why and it's driving me fucking nuts.
I wait until Ma is out the front doors before I drop into the chair behind the reception desk and pick up the phone again.
"Now we're alone, and I don't have to hide how fucking hard you make me," I growl to Emma.
"You can't say that to me on the phone!"
I grin at the shy outrage in her voice. "Baby girl, if you'd agree to be mine already, I wouldn't have to say it on the phone. You keep tellin' me no."
"Zayne, I can't date you," she hisses as if she's trying not to be overheard. Is Camila in the office with her?
I briefly consider behaving and then say to hell with it. "Why the fuck not?"
"We work together."
"We'd work even better together if you were mine."
"Zayne," she groans, making me smile. "Can you please stop talking?"
"Can you please agree to go out with me?"
"No."
"Then it looks like neither of us is gettin' what we want today, lamb."
"Oh my gosh." A thump comes down the line, and then, "Ouch. That hurt."
"Did you just bang your head on your desk?"
"Maybe."
"Don't do that. You'll hurt yourself. I'll behave." For the moment, I add silently.
"You will?" she asks hopefully.
"Yes. What can I help you with today, Emma?"
"We still haven't received the invoice for security for Adrian Kane's book signing." As it turns out, Zion was talking about Adrian the day Emma stopped by. He's Camila's adopted brother and one of her biggest clients.
"It's already been taken care of."
"What? How? We didn't pay it, Zayne. We don't have an invoice to pay it."
"Camila may want to talk to her brother," I suggest. "He sent a check."
"Of course he did," Emma mumbles. "Camila isn't going to be happy."
"She isn't going to be happy that he paid the bill?"
"He's messing up her system again."
"Ah." I chuckle.
"Can you send me a copy of the invoice, please?"
"On one condition."
"I'm not going out with you, Zayne."
"That wasn't my condition, Emma."
"Really?" She sounds surprised. "Oh. Then what is it?"
"You answer one question for me."
Surprise turns to suspicion in the blink of an eye. "What question?"
"Would you go out with me if we didn't work together?"
Her silence is all the answer I need. Even if our company didn't handle security for Camila's clients, she'd still be telling me no. Which is all the proof I need that whatever is holding her back has nothing to do with the fact that we work together.
She's afraid of something else. I just need to figure out what the fuck it is so I can eliminate the problem.
"One of these days, you're going to stop tellin' me no, Emma," I say quietly.
"Yes. The day you finally quit asking!" she cries, exasperated. "Honestly, Zayne. I'm pretty sure this is harassment at this point."
"Is it?"
"I don't know. I'm not a lawyer." We both know it probably is, but the fact that she doesn't say it gives me hope. Deep down, she fucking loves talking to me. She's just hellbent on denying it.
"I've got another question for you, then."
Her long-suffering sigh has me grinning ear-to-ear again. She's sassy as hell, though she'd never admit it. "You ask more questions than most toddlers, Zayne."
"How else am I supposed to get to know the woman I'm going to marry?"
"You aren't. I mean, we aren't getting married." She huffs. "Stop bugging me. I have work to do."
"I haven't asked my question."
"You just asked the question."
"That was a question, lamb. It wasn't the question." I tip back in my chair, rocking it back and forth.
"Fine. Ask so I can do my job. Yours may be harassing people on the phone all day, but I have big girl stuff to do."
"Oh, yeah? Like what?"
"Stuff," she mumbles.
"That wasn't my question, either."
"Oh my God!"
I laugh loudly as she thumps the receiver against the desk. Talking to her is, hands down, the best fucking part of my day. I just wish like hell she'd stop running so I could do it more often.
"Ask your question, Zayne Carmichael," she says. "Before I figure out a way to strangle you through this phone."
"Do you really want me to stop askin', or are you just afraid to find out that dating me is the best decision you ever made?" I sit forward in my chair, praying to God she doesn't tell me that she wants me to quit asking. I'll respect her wishes if it's what she really wants, but I don't think it is. No, I know it isn't. I'm just not sure why she's fighting so fucking hard.
She hesitates for so long I'm a little worried she hung up on me. And then she gives me the only answer I need.
"Don't stop."