“Charlie!”
Her head whipped around in his direction. “Ben! Oh—ah—um?—”
He ran to her. Rounding the aisle and reaching her cubicle, Ben discovered why she was so tall. Charlie was standing on an office chair.
Well, that explains the extra height.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“It’s—it’s—” She pointed at her desk.
Ben followed her finger. On her desk was a day planner, a laptop, some sticky notes, and a pen caddy. She was pointing at the pen caddy full of pens and pencils.
“You’re afraid of pens?”
“What, no! No, no. Look closer. Look onthatone.” Her hand shook as she leaned forward and pointed.
Ben bent down and looked closer. A tiny jumping spider—fuzzy and as adorable as a kitten—sat on top of a pencil eraser, staring at him.
He grinned. “Hey, little guy.” He looked up at Charlie. “Congratulations, you’ve got yourself a pet jumping spider. Technically it’s aPhidippus audax, better known as the Bold Jumping Spider. And wow, he’s got yellow spots instead of the usual white?—”
“Ben.”
“Yeah?”
“Please?”
Ben was absolutely confused. Charlie looked terrified. Was she messing with him? This was the same woman he’d watched take down two Russian oligarch henchmen with brutal efficiency.
But judging by her expression and the fact that she was standing precariously on an office chair, he was pretty sure she was serious.
“You’re telling me the warrior princess is afraid of an adorable, fuzzy little jumping spider?”
Charlie reared back. “What did you just call me?”
Oh God, I really overstepped. The words had just flowed out of him without thinking.
“Um. Warrior princess. Emphasis on warrior?” he added quickly.
Charlie blinked. Several times.
“I mean, you’re a bodyguard. Former Swick. That makes you more warrior than princess, right?” He tried a smile.
Something flashed across her face, too quick for him to catch. Disappointment, maybe?
“Please don’t tell anybody I was afraid of a spider,” she said quietly.
“No, of course not.”
“I’m just lucky everybody’s off to lunch.” She looked around. “I’d never live it down.”
“Cross my heart, I won’t tell anyone.”
“Thank you.” She smiled sheepishly. “And do you think maybe you could—take him with you? Or something?”
“Yeah, sure. I—” Ben looked back down at the pen caddy. “Hang on, where’d he go?”
Charlie had been stepping down from her chair. She immediately stopped and jumped back up. “What do you mean? You can’t find him?” She looked around wildly. “Oh my God, he could be anywhere.” She looked up at the ceiling above her head as if the spider would materialize there and drop into her hair.
