I shrugged, taking another sip as I followed in step behind her. “I’m starting tothink that I just need some self-defence classes and I can protect myself. Everyone is scared of Londoners back home.”
She flicked a braid over her shoulder as she looked back at me. “But this isNew York. New Yorkers are scared of New Yorkers.” She looked back ahead of her, stopping just before she walked through the door we landed at. “Besides, as much as I trust you to kick anyone’s ass who dared try and attack you again, I think this guy is willing to do more than that if someone so much as looks at you the wrong way.”
My eyes rolled as she opened the door, light spilling into the hallway. “Ha. Yeah. I very much doubt that—”
As my eyes adjusted, that’s when I saw him.
Himhim.
He was just the same. Dark hair. Almost black eyes. Overly tall frame. Samewicked smile I’d seen not four hours ago.
And… yeah. Okay. My stomach apparently liked dropping whenever I laideyes on this guy. I know it shouldn’t, but I dare you to look at him and not have your stomach drop.
My brain couldn’t compute fast enough to turn my thoughts into actual wordsbefore Louellen spoke. “Cora, this is Marcus.” She looked back at me. “Head of Romano Security.”
I glanced from her, to Marcus, then back to Louellen. But her gaze had shifted,lingering on Marcus, sweeping over him as subtly as she could.
Not that it mattered. His eyes never left mine.
That stare made my heart pound, and I couldn’t tell if it was safety I felt, orfear. Maybe both. My thoughts scattered in eight thousand directions at once, and I couldn’t catch a single one.
I felt the mug slip from my hands, only losing a bit of tea before catching it. “You okay?” Louellen whispered to me.
I nodded, even though I wasn’t. “Yeah. Fine.” My eyes were back on Marcus.
Why was he even here? Why had he been at the house this morning? DidLouellen know he’d come to see me?
Out of nowhere, he walked over, reaching me in no less than three slow strides. He held out his hand, caked in tattoos. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, MissHolland.”
Guess that answers whether Louellen knew about this morning.
Wariness smothered me as I reached out my hand and lowered it slowly until itmet his.
The only thing I felt when our palms cupped was warmth. The kind of warmththat shouldn’t belong to a man with such a menacing persona. The shake was slight, enough for me to recognise the callouses. And like he saw the moment I did, a small, knowing smirk curled up his mouth. And that alone was enough for the memories to flood me, and my hand to drop from his like a cannonball.
My hands returned to the safe, non-menacing warmth I got from my mug anddeemed that a better substitute, as my eyes fell to Louellen. “Exactly how much say do I have in who my guard is?”
Her eyes darted from Marcus back to me, probably wondering why I hadn’treplied to him yet. “You havethesay, Cora.” Her eyes flew over Marcus once more, before returning to me. “But why don’t we sit down and seewhyMr Romano put himself forward for the job?”
Put himself forward?
Who the fuck was this guy?
I pinned Marcus with my stare, trying with everything I could to figure outthis stranger. After another subtle sweep of his… who was I kidding… gorgeous features, I couldn’t find it. Couldn’t find anything. Nothing other than shadows and question marks and a smirk that made me wonder whether he was enjoying watching me trying to figure him out.
My eyes dipped to his chest, focusing on the silver chain that hung right in themiddle, before darting back to his eyes in a rapid motion. “Alright.” I breathed, and had to contain my eyeroll as he stepped to the side and stretched out his arm out for me to glide past.
With my mug at my chest, I walked around to the window, rolled out a chair somy back was facing the skyline and sank into the cushion, crossing my legs as I settled. Louellen was quick on my heels and stole the chair next to me.
Marcus chose the one directly opposite me.
My intrigue piqued, and before he could sit down, I leaned forward. “So, whoexactly are you?”
Our eyes were caught in a sword fight as his body hovered over his seat, beforea low, breathy laugh slipped passed his lips. “I’m the head of Roman—”
“Yeah I got that part, thanks.” I said bluntly, but his face didn’tchange, like he knew every word that was coming out of my mouth before I did.
With an eye roll and another low breath, he carried on. “Romano Securityis my own, personal company that I built from the ground up with my brother, Oscar, with the sole aim of protecting clients such as yourself, from the threats that come with a job such as yours.”
