I shouldn’t feel insulted, but his tone—and his elbow—dig between my ribs.
I resist the urge to throw my head back into his jaw and instead wedge my knee between his locked ankles and kick out of his embrace.
We roll apart and pop up onto our knees far out of reach of each other.
“Audrey walked my man down the aisle last weekend,” my heart lurches at his choice of words until I recall my baby doll was the maid of honor at Matteo Ricco’s wedding, “but I’ll meet him at the altar soon.Already bought the rings and planned the proposal, too.”
He brings one foot onto the mat, relaxes his shoulders, and smiles, but his awareness never diminishes, so I stay prepared for another round and mirror his pose.
I understand his words, but Audrey is too important to me to leave any doubts, so I quirk a brow and ask for clarification.
“Liam Brunswick is your…”
“Boyfriend.Soon-to-be fiancé.Lifetime partner.I am not competition, but,” he props his forearm on his thigh and levels his stare with mine, “--I am a threat.”
I scowl.He leans forward, his eyes never wavering.
“I’ve known Ms.Tripp ever since I transferred to this company almost eight years ago.Protecting her was my job at first, but now I consider her a friend.You’ll get the same treatment as Mr.Williams if you hurt her.”
The tension drains from me.I rise to my feet, maintaining eye contact with him as he moves in sync with me.
“I expect nothing less,” I say.
Sweat trails down my temples, and my lungs beg for more oxygen, but I let my arms hang loose at my sides and step closer to him.
“I’ll never hurt her, but it’s good she has you at her back.”His brows shoot up in surprise.“She deserves all the friends and protection she can get.I’m glad you were there for her when I couldn’t be.”
The words burn my throat.I hate saying them.They’re too true.
He studies my expression for an extended moment before nodding and offering me a lopsided grin.
We bump gloves, part ways to remove our protective gear, then work together in silence as we sanitize the space for the next users.
“Since I initiated and neither of us lost, I’ll pay for lunch tomorrow,” he says.
“Like hell you will.Hire an off-site service for a few hours and invite all the guards.My treat,” I shrug.
“Whatever you say, boss.”
He offers me his hand.I take it.We share a firm, respectful handshake.I don’t let go.
“With all that out of the way, just know I’m a jealous man.Audrey is mine.Hands off,” I warn.
He smirks, leans closer, and whispers in my ear, “Liam isn’t exactly the forgiving type either.If he saw this…”
I release his hand and push him away.He laughs and claps me on the shoulder.
Liam Brunswick may as well be synonymous with Matteo Ricco.Both are self-made men with ruthless reputations and enough clout and wealth to make me hesitant to anger them.
He settles at a machine as I stalk into the outdated locker room.After a quick shower, I change into my suit and carry my gym bag to my car.
Out of respect for my employees, I walk to the coffee shop across the street instead of heading up to the executive floor early.I order a croissant and coffee, snag the chair in the back corner, and begin drafting a few email responses on my phone as I wait.
The world brightens as Audrey pushes through the glass door.She’s ethereal with her hair pulled back and her suit accentuating her curves.My cock jerks to life, and every cell in my body yearns to rush to her and pull her into my arms, but the lines of exhaustion bracketing her eyes and the freckles standing out in her too pale face root me in place.
The barista perks up, offers her a smile, and calls her to the front of the line.
I stiffen as a man grabs Audrey’s arm and stops her from reaching the counter.She turns sheet white.Terror clouds her gorgeous green eyes.
