Page 26 of Sackett
“I thought you would be too, but you said you’ve got things you have to do here, so we’re making adjustments,” Sackett said, drawing her attention back to him.“Maverick’s got to be back no later than tomorrow.They’re still working on getting him a ticket back, but I’ll stay with you as long as you’re in town.”
Selena scowled.“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“And none of us thought that asshole would kidnap you, but he did.I’m not going to give him another opportunity.”
She met his gaze and forced down the instant anger, the instant insistence that she could take care of herself.They had come nearly a thousand miles to save her ass.And as hard as it was to admit, she wasn’t sure she wouldn’t still be right where she’d been last night, if they hadn’t.Shit, remembering the threat Mr.Smarmy had made the last time she’d seen him, she might be in a hell of a lot worse situation if they hadn’t.
Selena forced herself to take a deep breath and remain calm.Getting defensive and yelling never helped a situation.It might make her feel better, but it never helped.
“I appreciate that you want to make sure there’s not a repeat performance on my kidnapping—” those words stuck in her throat, especially the last one.It was hard to admit she’d been in such a situation out loud.She took another deep breath and continued.“But I can’t have a stranger, one without attorney client privilege looming over me all the time.I have work to do while I’m here.”She knew her lack of caffeine this morning, and the way her feet already ached wasn’t helping things, but she could do this.She could convince these men, these big, bearded, and tattooed men that looked like no one’s idea of an attorney that she didn’t need them to loom over her all day every day for the rest of her trip.
Sackett watched her, as if he found everything she did or said interesting in a way she wasn’t ready to ask about.
“I won’t get in the way of your working, and I’ll do my best not to loom over you.I’m not even sure I know how to loom.”
Something about his tone made her narrow her eyes at him, as she suspected he was laughing at her.But since he kept a straight face, and she didn’t know him well enough to read his micro-expressions, she couldn’t be sure.
She glared at him, wondering how she could make him see reason.Maybe Maverick would help her, after all, he was Dana’s man.Maybe he’d see that she couldn’t have some unknown man tailing her all over town, especially when she had to go to court.
“Can you help me talk some sense into him?”she said to the man she hoped would be her ally this morning.
“Sorry, ma’am.I’d like to help you out, if only to get on my girl’s good side, but I agree with him.I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay in the area without someone to look out for you, just in case the idiots from the commune decide to try again to blackmail Donna into coming back.”
Okay, that was a sentiment she couldn’t argue with but having someone around to guard her, that sounded far more of a pain in the ass than it was worth.
“Look,” Sackett said after a moment, as if seeing her internal struggle to keep from losing her temper at them.“I don’t want to make things harder for you.I’m not going to stop you from doing what you need to do.When you have meetings, and even for court, I can sit outside the room.I don’t have to be right outside either, as long as I can check the room before and see the door, we should be good.”
“What do I tell my client?The judge?”She wanted to bury her face in her hands as she thought about a judge asking why she had this guy following her around everywhere.“I can’t tell them I was kidnapped because we didn’t report it so there’s no record of it anywhere.”
“Tell them that the spouse of a client has made some threats that have been deemed credible and that because of them, you have a bodyguard for the time being.You can say that your boyfriend, family member, or even the client insisted you have protection, in case the threat is real,” he said with a lop-sided shrug, as if it were no big deal.
She stared at him for several seconds, wondering where to start, but as she did, she thought about his suggestion.While it wasn’t a lie, well other than if she claimed to have a boyfriend, because really?When did she have time to meet anyone?But if she said the client had insisted on the guard, that wouldn’t entirely be a lie.Sackett was the one insisting that she have some kind of ‘protection’ though she didn’t like that word, at least not for this and in connotation with him.It made her think of things she shouldn’t be thinking about.Not while she was working.
Selena shook her head and pushed the thought away.She inhaled and braced herself.This was already going to be a long day, she needed to get her phone replaced, and almost as importantly, she needed coffee.
“All right.I’ll go along, for now.Don’t get in my way and don’t cross me.”She glared at him then held out her hand.“I need my keys.I’ve got things to do.”
23
Sackettstoodandpocketedhis phone, in one move.“Then let’s go.”He didn’t offer her key back.If she insisted, he’d give it to her, but he’d rather drive wherever they were going.
He resisted the urge to let his gaze skim down her body again, as she was already not happy with him, and he didn’t want to make it worse.He’d even managed to bite back the comment he’d wanted to make about her feet when he saw the heels she was wearing.Instead, he went to the door, waited until she’d grabbed her briefcase, then opened the door and let her precede him out.
“I can drive,” she said as they waited for the elevator.
“I know you can, and if you really want to, you can.But I thought if I drove, that frees you up to do other things, like get your phone set up or catch up with any business you might have missed while incommunicado yesterday.”He felt her watching him, but he fought to keep from watching her back.He didn’t want her feeling like he was trying to intimidate or scare her.Just the opposite.He wanted to make sure she felt safe.And letting her know how much she affected him wasn’t the way to make her feel safe.Even if the sight of her in that prim little pencil skirt made him want to strip it off her and see how he could get her to misbehave.
“You drive,” she said as they exited the hotel and made their way to the car.“The closest store to get a phone is about a mile that way.”She waved a hand down the street.
In the car, he started the engine and pulled out on the road without saying anything.
“What will Maverick do if they get him a flight?”
“He’ll let me know, probably by texting me, then if he needs to leave before we get back, he’ll return the rental, get on the flight and go home.”
“What will you do for transportation?”
Sackett turned and stared at her for a moment, glad they happened to be sitting at a red light.Was she serious?She only returned his look as if she didn’t understand why he was looking at her like that.
