“Fine.” I got out, slammed the car door harder than necessary, and went through the front door. Based on the exterior of the building, I hadn’t expected the comfortable lobby scattered with plants and fluffy couches, though I did recall the condescending man sitting at a black metal desk from the morning Brooks left my bed. I hated how sweat gathered at the small of my back. I felt horribly out of place. I never went anywhere, not really, and now I was here to try to find a man I’d sent on his way yesterday. I rubbed at the back of my neck as Levi glanced up and scowled. He looked every bit as good today as the last time I’d seen him.
“I didn’t hear you come in.”
No greeting. No “have a seat.”Nothing.Well, he hated me. I tried not to let that bother me and smile but couldn’t. “I’m here for Mr. Sutherland.”
He tapped a pen on the desk as he watched me until my skin crawled. I took a step back toward the door. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No.” My heart raced. Would I really not be able to see him? My stomach roiled.
“Care to schedule one?”
My hands shook and I stuffed them in my pockets. I wanted to tell this man to get up and bring Brooks to me, but I had no authority here. He didn’t need to listen to me and snap to it. That had me deeply unsettled. I longed for the familiarity of the hotel where people fell over themselves to listen to me.
“This is a personal visit.”
Levi pursed his lips at me and blinked as if he could wish me out of existence if he stared long enough. “I’ll just….”Go? But I came all this way.I doubted I’d be able to bring myself to try again. What if Brooks felt the same way as his man clearly did? I straightened my spine. “Wait. I’ll wait.”
Levi sighed and pointed to a hallway on my right. “He’s the first door.”
I wanted to demand to know why he couldn’t have simply told me that to begin with, but instead I went where he rudely gestured. I stood there for a few seconds, and Levi stared at me the entire time, almost like he thought I might steal something. I finally forced myself to knock even though I had no idea what to say.
“Yes? Come in?” Brooks’ voice was strained, like he was busy, and I was truly regretting this trip as I turned the knob and shoved open the door.
“Hello?” Brooks barked, not glancing up. He was typing on a keyboard, and he had an earbud shoved in one ear that he was intent on because he sort of hunched toward it and tilted his head to that side. I stepped closer until my knees were almost brushing the edge of his desktop and let out a shaky breath. He was mouthwatering today, with a black polo stretched across his muscled chest and tan shorts that showed off his sculpted thighs.
“I think you’re wasting your time if you take me anywhere.”
He grinned and sat back in his chair, removing the earbud. “Madam Winters told you who I am?”
“Not really. She told me your name, which you already knew. I saw the business name at the turn-in, though. Were you one of her bodyguards? Why all the clandestine drama?”
He chuckled. “You always did like figuring things out on your own. I thought it was more likely you’d see me again if you had a mystery to solve. And it turns out I was right. I know you, Darcy.”
Irritation burned in my chest along with the pleasure of hearing him say my name. His dark glasses gleamed, and it occurred to me how dim it was in this room. The blinds were closed. He could do anything in here and no one outside would know. I swallowed hard. “That makes one of us.”
“I have a meeting in ten, but I’m free after that.”
My heart pounded. “I was rude to you yesterday. Do you still want to…?” I bit the tip of my tongue. I refused to ask if he still wanted to take me on a date because I knew I’d ruined whatever plans he’d made. Why would he waste the time again? I shook my head as he stood and made his way slowly around the desk to me. I didn’t move as he stepped close and the toes of his shoes bumped mine. He carefully brought his hands up and rested them on my shoulders, then slid them to my neck. I wanted to melt to the floor at his feet as I stared up into his face and inhaled the smoky scent of his cologne. He bent forward, and fire blazed to life in me when he brushed his lips to my cheek before covering my mouth with his.
His lips were soft and warm. Carefully his touch hardened and turned demanding. He swiped his tongue into my mouth—forced it—and once he was in, I surrendered, opening up for him. I lost track of everything except the way he yanked my head back and owned me.
When he stepped away, my dick poked obscenely against the front of my shorts and my hands trembled. “I was going to stop by again tonight. Were you afraid I wouldn’t?”
I grunted out a noncommittal sound, and he chuckled.
“I like that you’re eager.”
“I am not,” I said, words too sharp.
He only laughed and grabbed my hand. “You can come with me to my meeting. We’re going out back.”
“For what?” I asked.
He squeezed my fingers, then ran a soothing hand up and down my arm. “Weapons demonstration. A dealer wants to sell me some new guns for my men. You tell me if you think he’s full of shit.” He patted my arm lightly.
“But, but—I don’t know anything about guns!”
He pecked a kiss to my cheek, or tried, but missed and brushed his lips over my nose. He laughed. “No, but you know people. I bet you’re just the same as you ever were. You could always cut through bullshit faster than anyone I’d ever seen, and that was years ago. I bet you’re even better at it now.”
He needed my help? Or just wanted me with him. I could live with that. “I… yes, of course. I would be happy to be of assistance.”
He drew me closer, and I sucked in a breath when he pushed his knee between my legs and firmly rubbed against my hard-on. How did he know to do that? I moaned.
“You can tell me no,” he said quietly.
“Can I?”
He hummed an affirmative sound, and the smile he gave me knocked the breath out of my body. “Let’s go,” he murmured, and with a snap he had Lemonade at his side. She must have been lying on the floor behind the desk. He grabbed her harness, and I had no choice except to follow him because he didn’t let go of me. He picked up his cane from where it leaned against the desk and tucked it under his arm on the side he held the dog’s harness. He seemed determined to cuddle me close even if it was a pain in the butt. Snuggled up against him, I felt better than I had in two days, and I absolutely refused to consider what that meant.
When I exited the office, Levi’s gaze dipped down my body, and I wanted to groan. I didn’t need to check to know I was still popping out my zipper. Fucking Tuesdays were as bad as Mondays.
