Page 9 of Desperate Temptations

“Listen, I don’t know why you’re here, and it really doesn’t matter. The only thing Gary can do is arrest me, and frankly, I can’t think of anything in the world you can do to me, well, besides scare me half to death. So why are you here?”

She started to fidget in her chair when he sat without moving, staring intently at her, his gaze burning through her. His nearness made her senses spin, making it hard to breathe. She tried once again to move back from him, using her feet on the carpet this time. Still, he didn’t budge.

Frustrated, she opened her mouth to blast him, only to jerk toward the door when it abruptly opened. She was startled further when he jerked her up and pushed her behind him in an automatic protective action. Two large guards stood just inside the doorway, with Leona standing nervously behind them. The men stood and sized each other up while aggression and testosterone filled the air in the office. The security guard closest to them spoke first, never taking his eyes off Cain.

“Are you all right, Ms. Walker? Leona thought you might need assistance.”

Cain pushed her back behind him when she tried to walk around him. His lips twitched when she hit his back and hissed irritably behind him.

“I’m fine, Mike.” Jessa gritted her teeth, and she tugged at his shirt. “Cain, let me around you so they can see I’m fine. They won’t leave until they know for sure.”

He sighed but stepped to the side and let her come up next to him. When she moved toward the guards, he wrapped an arm around her waist and kept her firmly at his side.

She frowned up at him, not at all pleased with the possessive gesture. Jessa took a breath and tried to quell the anxiety and heat that coursed through her veins. She looked back at the people standing in the doorway.

“Cain was a friend of my husband’s.” She ignored the way he tensed. “He has no desire to hurt me.” Jessa fidgeted under the intense scrutiny of everybody in the room. No one moved. “Thank you so much for checking on me, but I really have no need for your protection. Right, Cain?”

Cain nodded, not taking his eyes off the other men. Both guards stood silently, neither moved to leave, neither was willing to trust this man with her.

The guard in the front relaxed a bit but continued to scowl. She could see his displeasure about leaving her, but he finally turned toward the door, the other guard following.

“Close the door,” an arrogant and commanding voice barked from above her, making her jerk against him.

Jessa gave a little wave and smiled, trying to reassure Leona as the door closed. When she tried to move away, he turned her until she faced him, his arms around her waist, keeping her against him but taking care not to hurt her. His gaze pinned her, his eyes riveted to her.

“When can you leave?”

She tried to wedge her arms between them, nervous again that they were alone. His hands on her, holding her close, was making her heart pound violently and at the same time made her senses swim. If he would only give her a moment to reorient herself, her lungs wouldn’t feel so constricted, making it hard for her to take a deep breath.

“Let me go,” she spoke in a suffocated whisper.

He shook his head.

“Why?” she asked.

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Loose strays were slipping out of the clip she used to pull her hair back.

“Because we have to talk, Baby.”

Her body turned rigid. His voice and touches were flooding her bloodstream with warmth so intense she felt lightheaded. Jessa squirmed, trying again to put space between them, trying to keep the panic from building and her alarm at bay.

“I don’t want to talk. Besides, we have nothing to talk about,” Jessa said as she shook her head. “Please leave me alone.”

He held her tighter against his chest.

“Too bad we don’t always get what we want. It’s going to happen tonight, one way or another.”

She stepped back and was a little surprised when he let her in. Shaking, she stepped behind her desk and gathered the papers she needed to take home. She felt better putting space between them, and her breath came a little easier. She tried to sound calm, hoping to diffuse the tension in the room.

“I’m swamped right now. Maybe another time?”

When he didn’t answer, she looked up. He looked formidable, his eyes hard and cold. When he started to smile, it made her nerves dance, her hands began to shake, and her heart rate accelerated.

“Busy with what?” Cain crossed his arms and braced his legs apart.

He looked so damn arrogant it made her body ache at the same time it pissed her off and made her want to smack him.

“We can do this the hard way or the easy way. I’ll let you pick, but know this, Jessa, we are going to talk tonight.”

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