Chapter 15
Geneva
Istood in the expansive, sun-soaked space that was Rick’s office, a rushing sound in my ears. Momentarily transfixed by the immaculate white walls, accented with works of art that even someone with my modest art history credits was certain had to be worth more than my life, I still couldn’t quite believe what had happened.
Bright light reflected off the glass windows, slanting across the cherry wood planes of a desk the size of a small country.
And even sitting behind that, the cursed man still managed to look huge and imposing.
He watched me intently, not saying a single word since he’d brought me in. Among the color-coded folders stacked on one corner of the desk, more than one label read Global Eye—the same name I’d seen on some of the invoices I’d filed for him back at his awful hovel of an office.
What the hell is that?
Rick was most definitely not the small-time loser criminal hanger-on I had begun to fear he resembled—his Greek god of a body notwithstanding.
But he was still a very serious pain in my ass.
What the man was, appeared to be a CEO of some sort of security firm, and I’d have had to be a moron not to conclude that at least some of his clients likely included figures involved with organized crime.
The enormity of that realization threatened to overwhelm me. How was it possible that someone I had considered to be a low-rent gumshoe was actually a player in the criminal underworld?
A sudden burst of panic tightened my chest at the thought that I had somehow unknowingly become embroiled in the affairs of some shadowy criminal organization.
Rick finally spoke, his voice deep, steady. “You probably think I’m some sort of contract killer, or other sort of scumbag. Truth is, it’s not that sexy. This isn’t Hollywood. This is the real world. It’s dirty. Complicated. And it sure as hell isn’t pretty. But what I don’t do is anything unethical. I have a code—and I live by it.”
“Unethical… but what about illegal?”
He paused, glaring at me for a long moment. “I run a legitimate company, with legitimate clients.”
That answers that question.
Still, the tension within me eased, if only a little. There was a lot more he wasn’t disclosing, but that was something I was beginning to get used to when it came to Rick Trafford.
I watched him, waiting to see if he might tell me anything more. It was futile.
Finally, he broke the silence. “My clients trust me with their problems, with their security. Nothing more, nothing less.” He paused again. “Still ready to walk out?”
I was still in a bit of shock, but somehow, I knew he wasn’t lying. That would have made things easier. What bothered me the most was how badly I’d misread him. How far off I’d been in sizing up the man.
It’s his job to be unreadable, Genie. Don’t forget it.
Rick cleared his throat and continued. “There is a lot more that I do, that my company is asked to do, that I’m not going to talk to some girl about. At least not until I can trust that she won’t walk right out my door the instant things get a little real.”
A chill ran up my spine at the thought of what those other things might be. I didn’t have to exercise my imagination much to come up with some pretty grim possibilities.
Then leave, stupid. Why are you still here?
My face flushed fiercely hot at the full implication of what he’d told me.
I’d been interning with him for days now, but had never bothered to simply ask him why it was that the place he’d chosen for his business was in such a desolate part of town. It was a depressing stretch of bombed out turn-of-the century stone-clad low rises, a sea of ramshackle, anonymous warehouses as far as the eye could see. Hardly seemed like the playground of a powerful underworld figure.
He had kept the truth hidden from me. But why?
My voice rose an octave as I spoke, waving my arms in frustration. “Why the fuck… why would you do this? It makes zero sense. At all.” It was stupid of me to feel anything like betrayal—he was simply my employer, after all—but after what had happened between us? Didn’t I rate at least a little honesty from him?
How can you ever trust him again?
Rick’s expression hardened, his gaze narrowing as he leaned closer to me. “Who do you think you’re talking to?” he said, his voice low and serious. “You are in way over your head here. If you think you’re in any position to demand anything from me, then you had better walk out that door right fucking now.”
Stunned by the sudden change in his tone, I kept quiet. The gravelly note in his voice was doing things to my insides I didn’t want to think about.
Why did he have to be so gorgeous? Why couldn’t he just be a hideous piece of shit you could hate?
He was right, much as I was loath to admit it. I didn’t understand, well, anything that was happening. But that wasn’t quite enough to stop me from pressing still further.
I strode away from his desk, running my fingers through my hair, trying to regain my composure.
“You need to know something.”
I grunted, hating the sudden bitchiness in my tone. “There’s more? Great…”
“You keep that up and your cute round ass is going to be upended over my knee again a lot sooner than I’d planned.”
Planned?
I swallowed down the lump in my throat, my mouth suddenly dry.
“Look at me, Geneva.”
Turning to face him once more, leaning my back against the cool plane of one of the huge plate glass windows, I crossed my arms. “Okay. I’m listening.”
“Against my better judgment, I’m going to give you one last chance. You can stay, and do exactly as you’re told, no matter what.” He pointed toward the door with two long fingers. “Or you get the fuck out of here. Right now. There is still time, still a chance for you to lead a normal life.”
My heart was in my throat at the words, the confidence in my tone a paper-thin fa?ade only barely masking my fright. Try as I might, I was unable to shake the sinking feeling that I might be making a terrible mistake.
But would that mistake be staying… or leaving?
“You don’t own me, Rick.” As I pushed myself away from the glass, my suddenly rubbery legs made a mockery of my attempts to stride confidently over to his desk once again. Finally, I stood before him, trying desperately to project a strength I didn’t at all feel. “You don’t just get to tell me what to do like I’m some stupid little girl.”
“Oh?”
The arch of his dark brow should have infuriated me, but instead I wanted to lick it.
Have you lost your fucking mind? Stop thinking with your pussy, you idiot!
“You know what I think?” I tried to will saliva back into my mouth. Letting on that I was petrified was not going to help my case. “I think you’re afraid. I think you’re pants-shittingly scared of letting someone get to know the real you. Why is that though?”
He tapped the desktop with the tips of his long fingers. “Funny. Did you hear that line in a movie? Read it in a book? This isn’t fiction, Geneva. This is real life. You don’t even know what you don’t know. Part of that isn’t actually your fault—you’re just young and dumb. But you can’t mask the fact that you haven’t a fucking clue what you’re doing by delivering snarky lines and running that little smart mouth of yours. With a man like me, that’s going to get you one thing—a very, very sore ass. And an attitude adjustment.”
“You don’t have the balls.” I knew it was a stupid thing to say, approximately one nanosecond after the foolish words left my lips.
Rick was up on his feet and around his desk in the blink of an eye. He took hold of my upper arms, giving me a sharp shake, sending my head swimming for a moment.
So fucking strong!
“This isn’t a goddamned game, Geneva! Or a performance. This is real. Deadly serious.”
“Y-you don’t think I’m serious?” I tried to pull free of him, but it was only a half-hearted effort. Despite the fact I was genuinely afraid of what he might do to me in the next few seconds, I was more turned on than I think I’d been my entire life.
Because you’ve gone bat-shit insane.
“I think you’re terrified. I think you know how out of your depth you are.” He brought me even closer, until we were almost nose to nose, where the mouthwatering scent of his cologne and his sweat filled my nostrils. “And I think you’re fascinated. Something is keeping you here. I’ve given you chance after chance, reason after reason to leave.” His gaze searched mine, as a predator might before dealing the coup de grace to cornered, helpless prey. “And yet, you’re still here.”
“You don’t know a thing about what?—”
His lips closed over mine, his hands squeezing my arms so hard the pain had me gasping into his mouth. Unhurried, arrogant, possessive, his tongue leisurely explored my mouth. His teeth clamped my lip gently, then let go. He kissed me harder then, the firm bulge of his erection jutting against my belly.
I wanted him. I feared him. Why didn’t I run out that door?
Because he has what you cannot hope to resist.
“I-I’ll stay,” I whispered when he finally pulled away.
His eyes flashed cold anticipation. “Then it’s going to be on my terms. Understand?”
“O-okay.”
“You do exactly as I tell you. No defiance. No resistance.” His voice dropped to a growl. “You obey.”
I nodded quickly, suddenly desperately afraid I’d lose my nerve at the last second.
“Good,” he said. “Then we start now.”
What the hell have you done?