Cherry Girl (Neil & Elaina #1)(30)
Author: Raine Miller

He punched in the key code and headed back through to the main offices. But as the door opened, I could see Neil standing just behind it, his mobile up to his ear. Ethan stepped around him, continuing in the direction down to his office, while Neil just stood there stonefaced. He stared me down from inside the doorway until it closed between us, cutting off our view of each other.

“Blackstone Security International, how may I direct your call?” I got dial tone again and frowned at my switchboard. Something weird was happening with the phone lines.

I thought about my short conversation with Ethan.

The boss was an interesting man. Besides being off the charts handsome, he was also very well-mannered and socially adept. But there was an edge to Ethan Blackstone that didn’t quite fit. Something that didn’t feel very mannerly or even particularly social. I felt secure around him yes, but this was a man who could do some serious damage to a woman if she was fool enough to let him. Make no mistake about it. I had no intentions of being that woman so I wasn’t worried in the slightest, but some girl would…someday.

I pushed my way into his office and got right up on him.

“Don’t even think it.”

Ethan pulled back a little and cocked a brow. “Don’t think about what?”

“I’m not blind, you know,” I scoffed. “I saw you on camera, flirting, swinging your c**k around up front just now.”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “What in the mother f**k are you railing on about, mate? Did you hit your head or something?” He opened his desk drawer where he kept his cigarettes.

I leaned over him, hands planted on the desk. “Not gonna happen. Not with her,” I whispered right up against his face, my neck so tight it might snap.

“The new receptionist, you mean? Elaina?” He was eyeballing me by then.

“That’s right. She’s off limits, and you can tell that to your wandering c**k and balls, too.”

“Easy there, mate. I was just being polite.” He lit up one of those Djarum Blacks he liked so well, the spice of clove scenting the air between us. “Making her feel welcome as a new member of the team is all. I’d not had a proper chance to do that yet.”

He exhaled right in my face. Probably because I was still up on him, but it didn’t deter me one iota. “Forget it, E. I’m warning you.” I tilted my head and crossed arms over my chest to keep from doing something I would regret. “Leave off with Elaina. She’s not going to be another of your one-night bang buddies. If you’re in need, go find it somewhere else.”

Ethan looked me over good, his blue eyes chilly as he took another drag on his ciggie. “You know her. I suppose you must since Morrison is her brother. Am I right?”

I managed a nod.

“You want to talk about it?” he asked carefully.

“No, I don’t.” I shook my head.

“Right, well, no worries then. I was only giving a welcome and being nice. You know I don’t fraternize with employees on the job. I’d never do that to a subordinate.”

“Not during working hours at least,” I grumbled. I’d known E to tap an office girl or two, but to be fair, he’d only gone for the ones that worked away from the executive suite on one of the other floors.

Ethan snickered and leaned back in his chair, the cigarette hanging off his lip. “Are you all right, Neil?”

“No,” I said, dropping myself into a chair opposite his desk.

We sat there in silence for a bit, him smoking, me breathing it in second hand, the smell reminding me of Afghanistan, taking me back to other times and other places. Places where I’d been with Ethan, a long time ago when things were different. He was very quick, and I imagined he’d puzzle it all out in another moment or two.

“Elaina’s the girl, isn’t she? The one from years ago, that you…lost, right before that last tour.” He lit up another Djarum.

“Yes. It’s her.”

I put on my coat and peered out the window from the forty-fourth floor.

Well, shit.

Late leaving work tonight and it was already completely dark outside. The fall weather had arrived in full force, too. The temperatures were dropping and the rain was falling.

The ride home on the train didn’t worry me, but the walk to my house from the station most certainly did. Maybe I could call Mum to come pick me up in the car.

But I didn’t like to do that. It was a risk I really couldn’t take and I knew very well why. Mum would be well into her G&T’s.

I was pondering calling my brother on the small chance he wasn’t already committed to Friday night happy-hour somewhere, when Neil stepped through to reception.

He wore a solemn look on his face and his coat on his back. With his briefcase in his hand, he appeared to be leaving work for the night, same as me.

“I’ll take you home,” he said, walking ahead of me toward the lifts.

I stared at him in surprise. This was the first time he’d really spoken to me since that first day, and it made me wary.

He stepped into the lift. I stayed rooted in the hall.

After a moment, he poked his head out, his hand holding the door open. “Well, are you coming?”

“What? No. I’ll take the Tube like I always do.”

He shook his head slowly at me. “You’re not walking home in this pissing rain in the dark, Elaina.”

“I’ll ring Mum from the station to come and collect me.”

“No, you won’t ring her, and we both know why. Get in.”

I paused, unsure how to respond, tempted by his direct command but afraid to be so close to him again. The inside of a lift was very small quarters. And Neil was such a big man. And, he would be in it with me. Intimidating as hell was a good descriptor for him at that moment.

“The lift, Elaina?” He cocked his head impatiently. The lift bell dinged and I saw the G lit up in red on the panel, indicating he was heading down to the parking garage.

“No, thank you.” I shook my head at him. “I’m taking the Tube home.” I let the doors close Neil inside the lift where he was still frowning at me from behind those beautiful features he’d been born with.

Relief spilled through me and I closed my eyes for a moment.

With a steady hand, I calmly pressed the button to call another lift. When it arrived, I made sure to select the street level because I had a feeling Neil might insist on taking me home tonight.

He knew too much about me. He knew the station and how far I had to walk from there in order to arrive at my home. He knew my mother’s drinking habits and that she couldn’t drive to come for me. He knew Ian was busy somewhere as it was a Friday night. Neil knew everything.