Chapter 3
COLLIN
The impact of her body against mine sets off a series of explosions of previously dormant emotions and sensual hot spots.
My cock turns to stone like she’s performed a magic trick.
My hands automatically hold onto her, not pushing her away and the unforgettable heady scent of her assaults whatever sense of reason I have as it struggles to stay in control.
Having her in my arms is like going home and at the same time it feels like a fuse has been lit and we have seconds to escape the explosion.
“What are you doing?” My jaw clenches with need and what I’m really wondering is what the fuck I’m doing.
Do I really want to be in this most unholy partnership with her?
When Joe approached me to form a new security firm, he never mentioned a third party.
And he certainly didn’t tell me it would be her.
She looks me over but doesn’t step away. As always, I see every emotion she’s feeling on display in her eyes. There’s a lot going on in there and it’s no consolation that she’s as filled with turmoil as I am.
“You knew I was Joe’s partner when you agreed to join the firm, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” She licks her lips. “Does that mean you’re backing out?” She throws her hands on her hips and her eyes flash in challenge.
I swipe a hand through my short hair and look to the ceiling. “Go away and let me dress. We have a client waiting for us.”
She about faces as if she were drilling in front of brass and marches from my suite.
I give the space a perfunctory once-over and then dress in the too-tight t-shirt and worn-out jeans that are also uncomfortably tight. Shit. Slipping on the sneakers, I make my way back out to Joe.
There’s no way this Holy Trinity Security partnership is going to work out. They’ll have to find someone else to make up their trio.
As soon as I dress, I find Joe in the kitchen area and plant myself in front of him.
“If you thought springing her on me at the last second was going to stop me from backing out of our agreement—”
“I did. But I know after you think about it for a minute, or maybe more, you’ll come to the same conclusion as I have.” Joe’s calm, his refusal to be chagrinned or ruffled, takes some of the spark from my fire.
“Okay, I’ll bite. What conclusion is that?”
“That you won’t get a better offer or find better people to work with, a place where you absolutely belong more than with us, here, part of Holy Trinity Security.” He stretches an arm to encompass the space that’s already growing on me.
I snort. “Except for one not so minor detail. No matter how well we may have worked together in the past, we blew that all up when she refused to quit, refused to come back to the states with me. And I left her there.” I watch his visible wince as I remind him of things I know he hasn’t forgotten.
“That was then and this is now. You’re both older and wiser. By twelve years. You can handle it.” His voice is hard, like a superior officer telling me to buck up.
Taking a deep breath, I buy time to let the fact that he’s right—about everything—to sink in.
Dag emerges from the hallway and joins us, arms folded across her breasts. I remain silent as the clock ticks for a several beats. Dag looks between us and shifts her hands to her hips in impatience.
“Whatever you say you can say in front of Dag,” Joe finally says.
“We have no secrets between us.” He pauses and looks between us.
She refolds her arms across her chest, unfortunately creating a tempting taste of glistening cleavage that rises and falls with her agitation.
“No professional secrets,” he amends. “And as far as whatever you two have going on personally, since I’ve been assured by both of you that whatever you had together back in the unit is over and done with, I’m going to take you at your word.
Because this partnership won’t work otherwise. ”
“I’m glad you said that,” I begin. Then I stall out because I can’t say it’s not working for me if what he said about the thing between me and Dag being over and done with is true. It is, isn’t it?
Nothing else comes out of my mouth. Fuck. I’ll need to come up with an excuse later. He stares me down for a few beats, sensing I meant to say more.
“We ready to go?”
I nod. Dag nods and we take the stairway to the helipad on the roof.