“Good boy.”
Oh God. He wanted to hear that against his skin.
Saint kept talking as if he always spoke to everyone like that. “When you answer, don’t do any sort of ‘How may I help you?’ Just say something like, ‘Good morning. Steel Security.’ You can come up with whatever you’re comfortable with. But if you try toask people how you can help them, they’ll jump right in and tell you everything, expecting you’ll know what to actually do.”
Clover chuckled. He appreciated that. “I know exactly what you mean. At my last job, I was expected to ask people how I could help them. Considering it was a medical practice, the things I heard before I told them I was only the receptionist.” Clover gave a dramatic shiver, except the shaking was kind of real. It had to be every bit of only thirty degrees in the office.
Another bright smile met his words. Saint pointed at a specific line: line three. “That’s my office.” He motioned toward his open office door. “If you need me, or all else fails, just shout my name. If you’re good, I’ll leave you to it.” He turned away and immediately spun right back around. “Oh. Lunch is twelve to one. Instructions are taped to the desk, listing how to transfer calls to our answering service. Also, I don’t care if you’re on your cellphone or laptop or whatever, as long as your job is getting done.”
Clover nodded. At least he wouldn’t sit around bored. “Thank you for giving me a shot.”
Saint winked. “I should be thanking you. I’ve been drowning around here alone.”
Clover felt how bright his smile was. That wink alone had warmed the place by twenty degrees. He waited until Saint disappeared inside his office to relax. First things first. Clover donned his hat and pulled his gloves back on. He wished he had an electric blanket or something. With nothing left to do, Clovermade that list of Jacobe’s information. If nothing else, maybe he would get a few hours' peace during the day.
Saint dove into work, trying not to think too much about the cold, or the gorgeous man sitting up front. He had not been prepared. Saint had guessed the Asian descent by his last name: Clover Zhao. But Saint hadn’t been ready in the least for the bright magenta hair, full face of perfectly done makeup, and pink outfit. He was beautiful. For a second, when he had seen Clover’s approach on the security monitor, he had thought Clover might have been a woman. Then Clover had stepped inside, and Saint’s mind melted. Wow, though. He was stunning. Saint had made dozens of notes on Clover’s resume. Then Clover sat across from him and Saint lost his ability to focus. Saint would have to be careful. As much as he was a fighter, he wasalso a lover. He could easily cross the line. The last thing he needed was to end up sued. Steel would not appreciate that.
The familiar sound of a ringing phone had Saint on his feet. He was so used to manning both desks, Saint was trained like a dog to jump at the sound of a ringing phone. Even when he realized he didn’t have to do that any longer, he still found his feet moving, gravitating toward Clover. A smile exploded across his face. Clover wore kitty paw gloves and a stocking cap that looked like cat ears. Fuck. He was adorable. Saint sat on Clover’s desk and openly eavesdropped.
Clover flashed him a smile while obviously waiting for the person on the other end of the line to stop talking. Then he gasped. He set his hand on Saint’s arm, as if asking him not to run away. Even through his gloves, Saint felt how Clover’s fingers were ice. “No. Scandal. My boss—”
His caller obviously cut him off again.
Saint held up one finger and jogged to the storage closet. He found an old space heater they rarely used. Saint hoped it still worked. It was small, but it blew out some warm air. Saint wasn’t trying to freeze the guy. That might end in a different lawsuit. But Saint knew the real reason he needed Clover comfortable. The guy was definitely worthy of the princess treatment.
With heater in hand, he jogged back to Clover’s desk. It looked as if he was still trapped. Saint quickly plugged in the heater and got it going. It took it a second to actually blow out warm air and the smell of burning dust was strong. Still, he tugged his kitten’sfrozen paw toward the heat, holding it there. The pure look of orgasmic pleasure that settled on Clover’s features made Saint’s mouth dry. Saint couldn’t look away. He was so transfixed, when Clover spoke, it startled Saint.
“That sounds horrific. Anything could’ve happened to you. My boss, Saint, is sitting right here. If anyone can make this right, it’s him. I’ll transfer you. But please call me later and tell me how you are. I’m terrified on your behalf.”
Fuck. He was wonderful.
Clover motioned toward Saint’s office. Taking the hint, Saint quickly returned to his desk. The phone on his desk rang.
Saint answered, “This is Saint.”
“Hey, Saint. It’s Maya Heartland. I’m pretty sure you’re who I signed my contract with.”
Oh no. It was one of their biggest clients. “I am. Is everything okay?”
She blew out a loud breath. “First off, whoever answers your phone is top tier. You should’ve sent him to me.”
Saint covered his eyes. Fucking Leon. He should have fired that guy a long time ago. Saint had hoped pairing him with such a huge celebrity would make him proud and he would work harder. He tried to infuse some humor into his tone. “Asmuch as Clover is a treasure, I’m not sure that’s who you want protecting you. Unless you’re looking for a six-foot twink in full makeup.” He wouldn’t have risked the quip if Maya wasn’t such an advocate for the gay community. Saint had hoped to calm her.
“I’d take that any day over who you’ve sent.” The rage in her voice couldn’t be missed. Saint snapped his lips together and listened. “We were on our way to the set and I decided to stop to check out a tiny vintage shop along the way. At first, Leon did what I expected. He made sure the shop was empty and then guarded the door to ensure no one came in while I quickly looked at what they carry. Except when I stepped outside again, he was gone. Literally nowhere in sight. By three steps out the door, I was absolutely mobbed. Even the cute lamp I’d bought was knocked from my hand and shattered on the sidewalk. I had to fight my way back to the car. Thankfully, my driver jumped out and protected me until I was safe, and she’s a woman who probably isn’t a hundred pounds soaking wet. So, yes, I would be infinitely better protected with Clover.”
Saint pinched the spot between his eyes. Clover was right. Maya could have been killed. Then what? Not only would the world have lost one of the sweetest actresses to grace the big screen, but Steel Security would be done for. Their reputation would be in ruins after losing a second client. Granted, that had been several years back. Most people probably didn’t recall they were the security team who didn’t protect Jayda when it mattered.
Saint dropped his hand. “I’m beyond horrified and sorry this happened. Is Leon still around?”
“No. We decided to leave, my driver and I, for safety’s sake. I have no clue where he is. But he knows I’m on set all day. If he decides to turn up, then he turns up. Either way, contract or not, I refuse his services. Apparently, I’m in better hands with my driver.”
“Absolutely not. You’re right to refuse. I’m scratching his name from your contract now. After I send one of my best guys, who just came to the end of his contract with a different client, I’ll let Leon know he’s fired. As a way of apology, you’ll get the next two months free.”
“It’s not necessary to give me free service. I can afford it, and people like sweet Clover need to be paid. Sending me a new guard is fine. Hopefully, this one cares if I end up dead.”
“Don’t worry at all. Timber is one of my highest requested guards. You’ll love him.”
He heard Maya take a deep breath. “Thank you. I appreciate your help. Do you mind transferring me back to Clover?”
