Page 29 of Lying Lainey

“Um…” I started, then paused, “… thank you, I think?”

“That was absolutely a compliment. Halstead is just tongue-tied because he’s not used to having such a gorgeous woman around. Technology, more so cyber security, tends to be predominantly male, and I think he’s worried these men—”

“Boys… they are not men… they are still boys,” Quintin interjected, cutting off Kerian.

Kerian rolled his eyes but shifted his terminology all the same. “These boys won’t show you the proper respect distracted by the fact you look, pardon my candor, sexy as shit.”

“Oh…” I said, my mouth popping open in surprise. “So we’re still doing this, though, right?”

Kerian and Quintin looked to Halstead for the answer.

There weren’t many times I noticed the age difference between us beyond his looks. He did a remarkable job keeping up and was in phenomenal physical shape, something that the dark gray suit he was wearing displayed well with his arms crossed like that. The man stared at me as we waited for his answer, truly weighing all options, which I thought was ridiculous.

“You’ll sit between us. I don’t want you within touching distance of those two, understood?” Halstead ordered.

I couldn’t help but smile. “That’s fine with me. I won’t argue with you on that.”

“Oh, thank fuck.” Kerian sighed. “I was not looking to go to jail tonight for beating some punk’s ass.”

“Good God, it’s like you three don’t think I’m capable of dealing with pervy men on my own,” I pointed out. “I’ll have you know I manage just fine, so there’s no need for the white-knight act.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be a fucking white knight, Elaine,” Halstead warned. “No, they would have been introduced to their worst nightmare.”

“Damn right I would be,” I stated and headed for the elevator. “Seeing as it’s fifteen minutes until our reservation, I think it’s best we get going.”

The sound of grumbling behind me told me they were following, making me smirk. It was flattering to have these men acting like this on my behalf. Unlike others who wanted to keep me as their shiny new toy all to themselves, these three were worried I wouldn’t be treated right. I’ll hand it to them, they know how to make a person feel valued, even if they’ve only just started working for them.

Unsure how we planned to get there, I left them to hit the button for either the lobby or the underground parking. Then again, Quintin had walked up the main steps this morning, so these three might have private parking. Kerian hit the ‘L’ and came to stand next to me, leaning casually, but I kept catching him glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. I couldn’t tell if he wanted to say something to me or was simply being a typical male and scoping out my curves.

“I heard Tabitha was impressed with you,” he finally commented.

Halstead grunted. “You mean because she tried to poach Elaine right in front of me?”

“That, and I know you got a call back from her bosses agreeing to the terms you set up,” Kerian clarified.

My head snapped to look at Halstead grinning at me. “That’s true… I just got off the phone with them. Congratulations, Elaine, you helped negotiate your first deal. Let’s see if you’re able to swing two for two.”

“How on earth did she get them to agree that fast?” I questioned.

“Let’s just say that I’m not the only one who likes to keep certain aspects of my life to myself,” he answered cryptically.

Wracking my brain, I tried to figure out what the hell he was talking about until it dawned on me. “It’s her pack that owns New Wave, isn’t it?”

Halstead gave me a wink as an answer just as the doors opened, revealing the lobby guard.

“Evening, sirs, ma’am,” he greeted, holding back the door. “Will we be expecting you back tonight?”

“No, we’ll be back tomorrow,” Quintin answered bruskly as he exited.

Halstead clapped the man on the shoulder. “Have a good night, Eddy. Keep the place safe tonight for us.”

“Absolutely, Mr. Norlund. Enjoy your evening,” Eddy assured, giving a nod.

Kerian offered me his arm, which I took, grabbing the bottom of my dress as we exited. It wasn’t that it was too long, but I didn’t want to risk it getting stepped on or caught as we passed through the busy lobby. A car was waiting for us—a modified SUV with seats facing each other like a limousine but not stretched. Quintin got in first, then offered a hand to help me in, making my heart flutter in a way that worried me.

Why the hell was I acting like a silly teenager being treated like a lady for the first time?

Taking my seat, I tried to get a fucking grip on my emotions. That went out the window when he chose to sit next to me. I had to fight the urge to rest my head on his shoulder so I could breathe in his scent with every breath, savoring the taste. I was momentarily distracted as Kerian slid in last, and the second the door was closed, he grabbed Halstead’s chin and kissed him soundly.