Chapter 5
Chapter Five
SUMMER
My heart sank. I should have seen it coming. Why had I convinced myself there was any chance Cynthia had brought her team from L.A.?
She'd grown up in Atlanta. She'd probably grown up with the Sinclairs. And even if she hadn't, Sinclair Security was the best. Evers' brother Axel managed her security on the West Coast, though he didn't handle her personally. It looked like Evers would be different.
His ice-blue eyes were impenetrable and fixed on mine. A wave of dark hair fell over his forehead. My hand itched to push it back, to run my thumb over the grooves beside his mouth.
He'd looked tired the day I'd thrown him out. Now, the bright July sun highlighting every detail of his face, I wondered when he'd last slept. Beneath his tan he was pale. Drawn.
I quashed the worry blooming in my heart. So what if he was worn out? Not my problem. It had never been my problem.
My eyes landed briefly on his full lower lip, then flicked away. Evers Sinclair had been a thorn in my side since the day we'd met.
I fought the urge to grit my teeth and mustered every ounce of professionalism I had. In an even, calm voice I said, "I assume you're representing our security team?"
Evers' lips curved in that charming smile that dropped panties from coast-to-coast. Not mine. Not anymore.
"Winters. I forgot you worked for Cynthia."
"Liar," I said flatly.
I hated when he called me Winters. I'd worked for Cynthia when he'd been investigating me. I didn't believe for a second he'd forgotten.
From behind him, I heard, "Ev, the girl's got your number. Are you going to get out of the way or should we do this meeting on the steps?"
I stepped back to let them in the house.
Evers moved past me, and the man behind took his place, holding out his hand with a grin.
I took it and shook, meeting a pair of amused sea-green eyes.
A little shorter than Evers but still way taller than me, Evers' partner was broad shouldered, with sandy, close-cropped hair, and a stubbled jaw.
Based on the bump on the bridge of his nose and the scar running over it, his nose had been badly broken at some point. The old injury only added to his roguish appeal. All in all, he was more than handsome. Compelling. Downright hot.
Too bad he didn't do anything for me. Since the disaster with the jerk standing beside me, I hadn't had any interest in men, even one as good-looking as this one.
"I've heard all about you, Summer Winters," he said with a wink.
I realized immediately that he knew what had happened with Evers, probably knew my file inside and out. Before I could be annoyed, he held out his arm, placed my hand on it and started to lead me into the house.
Ignoring Evers, he smiled down at me and said with a hint of a drawl, "I'm Griffen Sawyer.
I'm working with Evers on this assignment.
This place is amazing, isn't it? We put in the original system, and I saw it while it was under construction, but I haven't been back since.
Seems like a shame it stands empty most of the time. We meeting in the front parlor?"
He didn't wait for me to answer, leading me down the hall to the formal living room. Evers stalked behind us, scowling at Griffen.
"You don't have to lead her to the parlor," he grumbled under his breath. "She knows where it is."
Griffen glanced over his shoulder. "I'm a gentleman. Unlike some people."
Evers responded with a low growl.
I ignored him. The side of Griffen's mouth quirked up, and he looked down at me, his eyes meeting mine before one closed in a slow wink. Startled, I barely caught myself before I grinned back.
It looked like Griffen was ready to mess with his friend. I didn’t know why Evers would care if Griffen flirted with me, but I was happy to poke at him any way I could.
Throwing him out of my condo hadn't been nearly enough punishment for his betrayal. I wasn't above aggravating him if I had the chance.
Cynthia swanned into the room, her arms held wide in welcome, pink lips curved in a dazzling smile.
"Evers. Evers Sinclair. Darling. It's been so long." She threw herself into his arms, linking her hands behind his neck and pulling him down for a smacking kiss right on the mouth.
I looked away, my chest burning as their lips met. Evers' hand rested on her back, her fingers stroked his neck. My lunch rolled in my stomach.
He wasn't mine. He'd never been mine. And Cynthia was my boss.
Griffen cleared his throat. Cynthia stepped back, noticing him for the first time. "Well, aren't you straight out of central casting. Rugged and handsome. I don't believe we've met," Cynthia said, giving Griffen a long, slow, appreciative smile.
She held out her hand. Griffen took it in both of his, bending low over hers in a courtly gesture that should have looked silly and didn't.
"Griffen Sawyer, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh, no, don't call me ma'am. Cynthia's fine. We’re all going to get to know each other very well. We don't need to stand on ceremony."
With horror, I thought about the room I'd reserved upstairs for the head of security. Please let that be Griffen, I thought, silently cursing Cynthia for keeping me out of the security arrangements.
There was clearly something between her and Evers. She was friendly and touchy, but she didn't kiss men she'd just met. She'd kept the security to herself so she could arrange for some company along with safety.
At the thought, bile rose in the back of my throat. I hoped they were going to meet in her room. I couldn't take hearing them across the hall.
Ugh, it was very possible I was going to vomit. I swallowed hard. Of course, they'd meet in her room. She was the princess. She wouldn't go to him.
Gesturing to the two white sofas flanking the cold fireplace, Cynthia said, "Business before pleasure. Let's sit and go over the arrangements."
We sat, Cynthia beside Evers and me beside Griffen.
Evers eyed the space between Griffen and myself even as Cynthia slid closer to him, leaning in and setting her hand on his knee, her long pink nails curving around his thigh.
She said something under her breath, and Evers turned to answer in a murmur.
To me, Griffen said, "How long have you worked for Cynthia?"
"For a few years," I said, sure Griffen already knew every detail of my employment history with Cynthia Stevens.
I wasn't sure why he'd asked until he eased closer to me and stretched his arm behind my back along the top of the sofa, his fingers landing on my shoulder.
Evers' ice-blue eyes flicked up, catching Griffen's movement, and narrowed, a muscle clenching in the side of his jaw.
I felt more than saw the smirk on Griffen's face.
"She going to give us trouble?"
"Hmm?" I asked, losing track of the conversation.
"Cynthia," Griffen said in a low voice as we watched Evers talk to the client in an intimate tone we couldn't quite decipher from a few feet away.
"Oh, no. No, I don't think she will. She's usually very sensible, and the situation with Clint has her on edge."
"Good. That's good. Nothing worse than a client who gets in the way."
His fingers brushed my shoulder again. Evers had his eyes on Cynthia, but that muscle in his jaw flickered.
In any other situation, I would have discretely moved away from Griffen’s touch.
He seemed nice enough, but that was too much contact for a guy I'd just met.
I stayed where I was. I knew he was only touching me to needle Evers, though I didn't get why.
"Is she good to work for? Cynthia?" Griffen asked, his voice low enough that the pair on the other couch couldn't hear.
"Usually," I said just as quietly.
I thought about my answer. She was great to work for. Generous and kind and no more demanding than anyone else in her position would be. So why was I ready to stand up and walk out of the room? Why did it matter?
I was the one who'd ended things with Evers.
I didn't want him back.
I didn't.
I'd never really had him in the first place. He'd been using me. Lying to me. Whatever he had going on with Cynthia, it was none of my business.
I thought about my mortgage payments. The new car I was saving for.
Cynthia was generous. She expected a lot, and she paid for excellence.
Walking out would be unprofessional. If I was anything, I was damn good at my job.
I wasn't going to abandon her because my jerk-of-a-not-really ex-boyfriend had shown up.
Taking a breath to steady myself, I said, still in that low, barely-audible tone, "She's great. Really great. She's a little flamboyant, and stubborn, but she's a good person. My favorite client," I said, almost completely meaning it.
I did mean it. I wasn't going to let Evers Sinclair screw up a great working relationship.
Across from us, Evers straightened, leaning a little away from Cynthia and turning his attention to Griffen and myself.
"There's not much to review," he began. "We'll have security teams on the property twenty-four seven.
A team of two in the house. A second team of two patrolling the grounds and the perimeter.
The property is walled, which makes our job easier.
"We upgraded the motion sensor cameras last week.
We have a control room set up on the lower level.
Someone will be manning the monitors around-the-clock.
No one will get on this property without us knowing about it.
" Looking directly at Cynthia, he said, "I'd prefer you keep the alarm on while you're in the house. "
Cynthia shook her head. "I'm not doing that. The gardens are beautiful, and I love to be outside."
"At least the pool is indoors," Evers said under his breath. "You don't leave the house without a guard. Understood?"
"Understood," Cynthia said with a wry smile. "I don't want to feel like I'm in prison, Evers, but I'm not a fool."
Throwing that statement into question, she reached into her pocket and withdrew a folded piece of paper.
"I do have a challenge for all of you," she said, smiling sweetly up at Evers and then sympathetically at me. "Now, don't kill me, but I decided we have to have a party. A kind of welcome home get-together. Nothing elaborate."
She met my eyes and gave an apologetic shrug of one shoulder. "Summer, honey, I know this is throwing a lot at you, but if anyone can make it happen, it's Summer Winters."
"No parties," Evers said with finality. I choked back a laugh.
He glared at me. "Problem, Winters?"
"No, no problem," I said.
There was a problem, but it wasn't me.