Down, libido. There are reasons why this man is off limits.
Good reasons.
I can’t think of any right this minute, but they will come to me.
The room around them disappeared. Everything beyond him faded into the background—insignificant when compared to how he made her feel. Is this the zing people speak of?
“Did you make your date last night, Miss Bennett?” he asked.
Julia swallowed nervously. “It wasn’t a date. Well, it shouldn’t have been a date. It was supposed to be a business opportunity, but . . .” She let her words trail off as she realized she was rambling. She cleared her throat. “Yes, I made it there on time.”
“I’m relieved to hear it. I’d hate to think that your job here impeded your social time.”
“It doesn’t,” she said quickly before she realized he was being sarcastic. Since she’d only worked for her parents, Julia wasn’t used to having a boss. She didn’t hide her irritation with him. “I was scheduled to leave early.”
He studied her for a moment, then said, “You didn’t recognize the CEO of the company you work security for. And then you attacked me.” He touched his bruised temple. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t fire you.”
His brusque tone increased Julia’s nervousness. She reminded herself what his secretary had said: He’s all growl and no bite. I wonder if he’s the same in bed, because that would be a shame. A nip from him might be nice. She bit her lip and chastised herself. Stop that. This is serious. In desperation, she said the first repeatable thing that came into her head. “Because I’ve proven that I’m serious about defending your office?”
He frowned. “Do you find this situation amusing, Miss Bennett?”
No, just my reaction to you. Julia lowered her eyes and remembered how he’d looked in his workout clothes. She’d thought he looked sexy in those, but he also looked amazing in a suit. I bet he’s one of those lucky few people who also look good naked. Not everyone can pull that off, but I bet he does. “No, Mr. Andrade.”
“Do you believe that you’re suited for your job?”
Julia look up and met his eyes. “It’s not hard. It’s just watching the monitors. Nothing happens at night so it gives me plenty of time to read.”
He cocked his head to one side and narrowed his eyes. “While you’re working?”
She played her comment back in her head and groaned. “That didn’t come out right. Of course I don’t read in the surveillance room. If I did, I wouldn’t be watching the monitors, would I? And I watch them. Very closely. All night.” She rounded her eyes innocently for emphasis.
He leaned in and looked as if he was about to say something, then changed his mind. “That’s all, Miss Bennett.”
Unsure of what that meant, Julia didn’t move. “I’m sorry?”
“You can go now.”
She turned to leave, then turned back and asked, “Do I still work here?”
He covered his eyes with one hand and rubbed them as if her question caused him pain. “Yes.”
Not giving him time to change his mind, Julia fled from his office. As she rushed by Rena’s desk, the secretary asked, “So, how did it go?”
“Hard to say,” Julia said and kept walking. As long as he can’t read minds I’m in the clear.
Chapter Four
Gio fought and won against the desire to call her back in. I shouldn’t have brought her up here in the first place. I should have called the head of security and let him deal with it.
But I had to see her again.
He’d wanted to reassure his cock that she was nothing special. See, just another woman. Unfortunately, for reasons he couldn’t explain, she was more than that. When she spoke he had a difficult time concentrating on anything beyond how she would cry out in that sweet voice, begging him to go deeper, while he pounded into her.
Around her, he felt dangerously impulsive, and that was completely uncharacteristic of him. In his family, he was the reliable one. He had taken over Cogent Solutions after his father’s death because he’d been the natural choice, not because it was something he wanted. No one had debated the decision or asked how he felt about it. He hadn’t even asked himself.
Family was about duty—sustaining and protecting it.
Decisively.
Orderly.
The women he dated understood that he didn’t want more than a casual, sexual relationship. They didn’t ask questions, they didn’t sleep over, and when it was over they moved on to another wealthy man. No hard feelings. No complications. Jealousy was for men who couldn’t find another woman, and that had never been a problem for Gio.
He was generous with the women he dated. He gave them enough jewelry to make even the most jaded of them smile. He took them to the posh places wealthy people went when they wanted to be seen. The society pages in almost any city he visited ran photos of him with whomever he was dating. To many of these women, their representation in the media was more important than what happened behind closed doors. It was a reality of his world and something he accepted.
The papers called him one of Manhattan’s most eligible bachelors. His friends called him lucky. He didn’t feel one way or another about either title.
In private affairs as well as in business, the one with the clear head won. Emotions were a distraction. They led to chaos and poor decisions.
Speaking of chaos.
He touched the small mark on his temple and smiled.
What is wrong with me? Instead of firing her, I just stood there imagining what it would be like to bend her over the back of that couch and claim her as mine. His half-cocked erection was an uncomfortable reminder of the intensity of his attraction to her.
She’s off limits.
She works for me, for God’s sake.
Forget her.
Gio walked back to his desk and tossed Julia Bennett’s folder on top of the others. He threw himself into work for the next several hours, only checking his watch when he noticed the sun had gone down. Nine o’clock. He stood and stretched.
Rena would be long gone. Thank God. He didn’t want to discuss anything from the night before with her.
He called downstairs to have his car brought around to the front. He often left the building through the lower garage, but tonight he decided to leave through the front foyer. He paused in front of the security station. The two temporary security guards looked fresh from military training. They stood as soon as they saw him exit the elevator.
He nodded to them and couldn’t help scanning the area behind them. One of the doors behind them led to the surveillance room, but he wasn’t sure which one. Julia Bennett was back there somewhere.
Reading, probably.
He shook his head ruefully.
He should be irritated by that knowledge, but instead he wondered what topics held her interest. He forced himself to walk away, even though, he admitted, he really wanted to find her and ask her.
Ridiculous.
Julia sighed audibly as she watched Gio Andrade leave the building on one of the monitors. He probably always walked through the foyer, but she let herself imagine he’d done it because he’d wanted to see her again.
There is nothing wrong with a healthy fantasy life, as long as you don’t act upon it. Julia chuckled. She felt like she was back in high school, suffering from her first big crush. The difference was, no crush had ever made her feel quite so much like ripping her clothing off.
Maybe my menstrual cycle is going haywire. She’d read a study done on women during different times of the month. During ovulation, they were attracted to strong, aggressive men. The narrator had claimed this was due to an instinct to mate with the hardiest of the breed. Later in the month, women would find nicer, softer men attractive. No, I’m pretty sure I’d think he’s hot every day of the month.
Her usual motivational reading material was put aside for the night. Instead, she used her phone to do an Internet search on the man she couldn’t get out of
her head. Interestingly enough, there were very few articles of substance on him. Almost every article had featured him with a new woman on his arm. Gio taking an heiress to the ballet. Gio and a movie star at a fund-raiser. The cameras loved him. No matter how hard she searched, she’d yet to come up with an embarrassing photo, or anything that mentioned how he’d made his money.
Why am I wasting my time reading about a man who has certainly already forgotten about me? She closed her eyes, hoping it would help clear her head, but he was just as vivid in her imagination:
I can see it now. He’d crash the door of my office open and say, “Miss Bennett.”
Julia rested her head on her hands, letting the fantasy come to life. In her mind, her voice was sexily husky. “You shouldn’t be here, Mr. Andrade.”
He’d loosen his tie and throw it on the floor. Julia rewound the moment in her head. No, he’d toss it on the back of the chair. That’s an expensive coat.
“Call me Gio. Practice saying it, because you’ll be screaming it all night.”
Would he be that crass?
Julia started their conversation over.
“You shouldn’t be here, Mr. Andrade.”
He’d walk over and hold out a hand to me. “I couldn’t stay away from you.”
I’d take his hand and stand before him. “You know this is wrong.”
“How could it be when it feels this good?”
She imagined his lips on hers and smiled. He would definitely know how to kiss. I’d try to remain strong. I’d push him back, playfully protesting. “What about all those other women?”
“They mean nothing to me. They never have. You’re the only one who—”
The phone on her desk rang, cutting off whatever Dream Gio would have said. She opened her eyes and answered the landline. The super-serious replacement security guard said, “Mr. Andrade has left the building. The cleaning staff is also gone for the night. That should be everyone. Have you seen any stragglers?”
Julia sat up and straightened her shirt. “No,” she said. “I haven’t seen anyone.” She moved her purse completely off the desk so it was no longer blocking one of the screens. “But you’ll be the first to hear if I do.”
The security guard hung up without further comment.
Julia leaned back in her chair and looked at the ceiling. Stop daydreaming. Focus on what’s important and be grateful you still have a job.
Remember why you’re in New York.
Julia leaned down and pulled a magazine out of her purse. She flipped to the article that had inspired her purchase: “Visualizing Your Way to the Top.”
A flash of how Gio would look beneath her, grinding upward into her while she threw her head back in abandon, warmed her cheeks. I have no problem visualizing it at all. That’s the problem.
Julia dropped the magazine back into her bag and tried to focus on the monitors. Nothing unusual, but that was no surprise. She rubbed her tired eyes. Only five more hours until her shift was over.
It’s going to be a long night.
Chapter Five
The next evening Julia let out a sigh of relief at seeing familiar faces sitting at the security desk. She walked over to the front of their station and said, “You both look like you’re feeling better. I’m glad you’re back. Paul, I am so sorry about the other night.”
Slightly older than Paul, Tom was the veteran on their security team and almost always a voice of reason. “It’s hard to believe either of you are still employed here. Can’t I take a day off without all hell breaking loose?”
Paul shrugged and smiled sheepishly. “Hey, I was sick. If you’d been here, I wouldn’t have had to ask Julia to cover the desk, but you took the night off.”
The two men bickered more like brothers than coworkers.
Julia was moved to voice her apology again. “Paul, I feel awful about—”
He waved her concern off. “Eh, don’t worry. I got a warning and a note in my file. Nothing big. How about you? Everyone has been tight-lipped about you actually attacking Mr. Andrade. What did you get?”
Close enough to him that my nights have been filled with spicy dreams about him? Julia choked that honest answer back. “The same. I’m just glad it blew over.” Julia hitched her purse on her shoulder and said, “I guess I should get back there.”
Paul interrupted. “Hey, you didn’t say what happened with your jewelry guy.”
Tom said, “Paul, don’t make her say it. She would have told us if she had good news.”
“Just because you’re married now doesn’t mean you suddenly have deeper insights into everyone with a vagina. Julia and I are friends. Don’t tell me how to talk to her.”
“First, I don’t know a man who uses the word ‘vagina.’ Never say it again. Second, unlike you, I have sisters. You can make a woman cry if you bring up something she failed at. They’re sensitive.”
“How do you know she failed? She may have nailed it.” Paul turned to Julia. “What happened?”
She covered her eyes with one hand and groaned.
Tom said, “See now you’ve upset her. I told you to drop it.”
“Stop telling me what to do.”
“Someone has to. You have the social skills of a gorilla and the vocabulary of an adolescent.”
“Vagina. Vagina. Vagina.”
“That’s really mature.”
The banter of the two overly muscled security guards pulled Julia back from her inner pity party. She lowered her hand and half smiled. “Paul, you were right. The skirt was too short. He wasn’t interested in buying my jewelry. A total creep. And he was married.”
Paul was on his feet in a heartbeat. “Did he touch you? You tell me where he lives and I’ll break his legs.”
Tom frowned and said, “I can’t help Paul. My wife would kill me. But I know someone who does that kind of thing cheap.”
There was something wonderfully reassuring about their support, even if it was a little extreme. “It’s fine, guys. I should have known something was up when he didn’t want to meet me where he worked. He probably isn’t even a buyer. I have a lot to learn about living in the city.”
Paul came around the podium and gave her a hug. “You’re a beautiful woman, Julia. Guys can’t help but want to fuck you.”
Julia pulled back at his words and burst out laughing. Although many women would have found Paul physically attractive, Julia had never viewed him as a romantic possibility. He said whatever came to his mind. Julia had gotten used to his candor, but she couldn’t take him seriously.
He stepped back, seeming to be shocked by his own admission. Then he smiled and shrugged. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
Tom said, “Get over here, Paul. You went too far. You were doing fine . . . and then you had to cross the line. That’s why you’re still single. It’s your mouth. And, Julia, stay away from Paul. He has a hard enough time concentrating without you as a distraction.”
Julia and Paul stood there for a moment longer, smiling guiltily like children who’d just been lectured. Over the last month, the three of them had gotten into this playful cycle of ribbing each other. It was harmless and started all of their days with a smile.
Still laughing, Julia turned to head to the surveillance room and crashed into a much more refined wall of muscle. One that sent a sledgehammer of heat through her. She raised her eyes slowly, shuddering with pleasure as his two strong hands steadied her. If the dark expression on his face was anything to go by, he was not as happy to see her. Barely above a whisper, she said, “Mr. Andrade.”
“Miss Bennett,” he said curtly, but his hands remained on her arms. “I’d like to speak with you for a moment.”
Julia looked back at Paul and Tom and grimaced. “I’ll be right back.”
Gio put a hand forcibly on Julia’s lower back and guided her to the first floor café, which was busy in the mornings but in the evenings was closed and deserted. Once inside, they stood facing each other, so closely that Julia
was sure he’d be able to hear what his nearness was doing to her heartbeat.
“Cogent Solutions has a strict no-dating policy among coworkers. That includes the members of my security team,” he said harshly.
So much for how I imagined this conversation would go. Julia blushed and pointed in the direction of the security desk. She hoped he hadn’t heard what Paul had said to her. “We were just kidding around. It’s harmless.”
He leaned a little closer and Julia quickly looked down, afraid her eyes would reveal how he was making her feel.
“You should be more careful, Miss Bennett. A man could get the wrong impression about you.”
Her eyes flew up to clash with his. “I appreciate your concern, Mr. Andrade, but it’s unnecessary. I get along well with both Tom and Paul. We sometimes laugh. It’s what people do when they work together.”
“I don’t like him near you.” His eyes burned into hers.
Her breath caught in her throat. She shook her head, sure that she had misunderstood what she’d heard. “I’m sorry?”
He brushed a thumb softly across her lower lip. “You heard me.” He dropped his hand, spun on his heel, and walked away.
Julia stood rooted to the spot until Gio was out of sight. She sank down into one of the wooden chairs and let out a shaky breath.
I heard you.
I just wish I hadn’t.
It was one thing to fantasize about him. That was harmless. It was completely different and even scary to consider for a moment that he might be attracted to her. Men like him don’t date women like me.
He might try to for a one-night stand.
Maybe he considered it amusing to step outside his usual diet of models to flirt with a regular woman, but in no one’s universe was it a good idea to even consider getting involved with him.
I should have told him I have a boyfriend.
I should have told him it wasn’t appropriate to talk to me like that. But what did I do? I just stood there staring at him like some easy mark. No wonder he thinks I’m interested. I make a complete fool out of myself every time I see him.