Chapter 6
Kara - Present Day
“I need some air.” I sidestep the table and walk past Owen, but his hand reaches out and grabs my wrist. I scream at myself not to react. My body tense.
My instinct is to rip his hand off me and throw him over my shoulder onto his arse.
But I don’t.
I pause, looking down at his firm hold. “You need to give me a minute.”
“Don’t leave,” he finally speaks.
My eyes are focused on the floor, but I lift them and meet his mossy green, penetrating gaze.
“No, that’s more your thing,” I respond sarcastically, pulling my arm away firmly enough for him to let go. His eyes are beseeching, and something is building between us.
So many unspoken truths that are right on the tips of our tongues, but now isn’t the time to say them.
“I’ll be back by the time the appetisers come. I’m at table 8.”
“So am I.”
Of course he is. He’s probably sitting right next to me. How else would I slot back in? Anya was right to be worried.
For the first time, I’m questioning whether I can do this. This isn’t the right assignment. I can’t keep him safe. I’m too emotional.
A word I never thought I’d use to describe myself. I’m not emotional, I’m controlled. I’m calm. I’m collected. But right now, my axis is all out of whack, and I’m all over the place.
I head back out of the main room, with even more eyes on me, leaving Owen standing at the table watching my retreat. And out of every single pair of eyes, I feel his the most.
I head to the ladies’ room and close the door, thankful that not only do the stalls have locks, so does the main door. Which means I don’t need to risk being interrupted.
I throw my clutch onto the counter and bend forward, gripping the beautifully smooth white marble, groaning.
“You’re so fucking stupid,” I spit at my reflection. I’m talking to Lucy, not Kara. “Pull your shit together.”
I pull out my phone and dial Andrews. He answers immediately. “You need to put Davis on this. I can’t do it. I’ll carry on for the dinner, but tomorrow I’m out.”
I don’t let him answer because he will talk me down. He will convince me. He will dangle the freedom that I’m so desperate for. He will dangle the five million pounds. He will dangle that I owe him.
Fuck. I do owe him. But I’ll find another way to repay him. Because I can’t do this. Lucy, Kara, whoever the fuck I am, can’t do this.
I take a few deep breaths and my phone vibrates. A message displays, and because I’m a glutton for punishment, I open it.
It has to be you, little one. You can do this; I wouldn't have given it to you if you couldn't.
Andrews
I want to punch Andrews. But the logical side of the brain fully understands why it needs to be me.
A knock on the door signals that my time is up, and I need to put my game face on. I take one last breath and check my reflection. My cheeks are flushed, my eyes are wide and alert.
I look emotional and turned on.
Which I can assure you, I am not!
The bang on the door comes again, angrier this time.
“Coming.”
Grabbing the clutch, I open the lock and pull the door, about to apologise politely, but the words die on my tongue as I see the tailored tuxedo standing in front of me. A large chest is waiting, and when I look up, I’ll see Owen’s green pools.
“This isn’t exactly giving a girl a minute.”
He pushes me back into the toilet, his body crowding mine. I step back and turn, letting him join me in the bathroom. I cross to the other side of the small room, hovering by the hand dryers, desperate for space.
This isn’t what I had in mind.
Like, at all.
He closes the door behind him and locks it. And here we are again, him facing me, me facing him. Staring.
I arch a brow and tut.
“For God’s sake, this is ridiculous. Can you move? I’m hungry and I heard someone say steak.”
“You’re beautiful,” he replies, his eyes still gazing. “Lucy, honestly, you’re stunning.”
“Why thank you. New dress, do you like it?” I spin around and flutter my eyelashes then roll my eyes. “You need to move, King. Oh no wait, that’s wrong. You’re Cooper now. Owen Cooper. It’s got a nice ring to it.”
“I didn’t know you were coming tonight; you weren’t on the guest list.”
“Come on, Owen, you’re not stupid. I was a last minute addition; how else do you think this would work?”
He frowns and goddammit, he looks cute. A boyish handsomeness masks his features, and small frown lines create wrinkles in his forehead.
“How would what work?”
“Duh! Protection detail.”
His eyes widen in surprise. “Wait, what? You.” He laughs. “My little Cookie?” The way he says my nickname makes something flip in my stomach. He looks around. “Who put you up to this, Jack?” He lets out a laugh, but there’s an edge to it.
“Apex, at your service.” I bow. “That’s who your office has subcontracted, right? What was your specific request? Upping your security, with a natural and subtle increase so as to not arise suspicion.”
“That’s right…” he says slowly, but his forehead is still masked in the cute frown lines.
“Well, you’re looking at your natural and subtle increase in security.
” I hold out my arms wide. “Lucy Cook. Well, actually, I go by Kara Snow nowadays, but I’m at your disposal.
For the next three months. It will be just like the old days.
Kara Snow can’t exactly embed herself into your life.
Lucy Cook, though,” I hum and step forward, tracing my finger up his shirt over his bow tie, and I lean forward.
Warmth radiates from him, along with his comforting scent that I both love and hate.
“What better way for us to bump into each other?” I walk around him, letting my hand track over his shoulders, the definition strong under his tailored tux.
I circle him, like a predator assessing their prey.
“For us to see something in each other, for us to become intimate.” I lean closer, my lips at the corner of his mouth.
“For us to remember our times together, our past,” I whisper, leaving the gentlest of kisses on the side of his mouth. And God, the smell of him.
It’s so masculine. It overpowers me, washing over my senses, travelling along my spine all the way to my toes.
How can a smell have such a physical reaction?
“Except this time round, I’ll be protecting you.
And I’ll keep protecting you until the day I die, or the day the contract ends.
But until then, I’ll be around. Because, like I said before, I don’t leave, and I will protect you from whatever monsters are trying to get you.
” I step back and his eyes seek out mine.
“What did he do to you?” he growls out the words, and as I walk past, I stop next to him, glancing sideways.
“Everything.” I open the lock on the latch before leaving Owen Cooper standing in the ladies’ toilet, watching me leave for a second time in the last ten minutes.
It turns out I’m just as good at it.
I was spot on; we had been seated next to each other.
He re-joins the room ten minutes after me, I’m already seated at the table making small talk with a lovely elderly gentleman called Jeffery. In a short time, I’d realised that we were at a children’s charity event, raising funds for foster carers.
Owen is a sponsor and executive on the board to a local charity, and this was an annual event.
They charged a shit ton per ticket, and it had become quite the social event in the calendar for the higher classes.
Between courses, Owen would be giving a speech, and a slight part of me—okay, that’s bullshit—a big part of me really wants to hear what he has to say for himself.
Throughout our whole encounter, Owen radiates confusion, but there is something more. Rage, annoyance, and as I walked past him, leaving him in the toilet, I could have sworn I saw disappointment.
How dare he judge me?
He looks at me like I’m a stranger.
Well, you know what, Owen Cooper, I am a fucking stranger. He has no bloody idea what I’ve been through. How dare he judge my path?
“Are you going to behave yourself?” He stands behind me, and I take a sip of water as he sits down.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I reply, side-eying him as he picks up the napkin, placing it on his lap.
“Lucy, I get we need to talk. There are a lot of things which need to be… said.” He shifts and leans closer, so we are out of others’ ear shot. “But this event, this charity, it means a lot to me. So, I please just ask that you are professional.”
I frown, but nod.
Barely.
I am professional, and I realise that I hadn’t been. I’d let my emotions take control. I’d wanted to make him feel uncomfortable. Wanted to hurt him.
His hand is on the table, and I reach out and squeeze it. “Okay.”
He nods once and stands.
“I’ll be back in ten minutes. Try not to kill anyone.” He winks and disappears, falling into step with a man holding a file.
“How do you know Owen?” A deep voice catches my attention, and I turn to see a middle-aged gentleman has joined me at the table, taking his seat the other side of me. I plaster a fake smile on my face and give the new guest my full attention.
“Honestly, I don’t think I can really say I do anymore.” I glance down, attempting to look bashful and coy. “But we grew up together. I’ve not seen him in years.” I place my hand over my chest. “It’s been quite the shock.”
“It was quite the reunion.” He looks at me knowingly, and I glance behind me, seeking him out in the crowd. A planned move to one, check his location, but two, to make it seem like I’m interested.
Attracted. Seeking. Looking.
“I still can’t quite believe it. He’s changed so much,” I say, smiling and blinking rapidly.
Ergh.
“Were you school friends?” He’s probing.
He knows Owen, and our reunion obviously has him intrigued. Because he wants to either fuck me in this dress, or to see who I am in relation to Owen.
Looking at his appearance, the smug expression, the slight way his lips are turned up, his roaming gaze on my tits.
Yeah, I’d say it’s the first with the second being an added bonus.