“Izzy,” he repeated with a smirk. “Adorable.” She was just passing him when he reached out to grab her wrist. “Well, Izzy, what do you say I take you out for a late lunch after I wrap up business with Beau?” If I hadn’t been seeing through a haze of red over another man touching my woman, I would have been irritated at the patronizing way he’d said her name.
Isabella threw me a panicked look and maybe that should have calmed me a bit, knowing she wasn’t interested. Instead, I was even more fucking angry with this little shit for making her uncomfortable.
She must have seen, or simply sensed, the level of my fury because she tugged her wrist free and changed direction, coming to stand a foot or so away from my chair, which put the desk between her and Derek.
I took a deep, calming breath, but my tone was deadly when I finally spoke. “Employees are not permitted to fraternize with clients,” I seethed through clenched teeth.
Derek raised a brow, but the asshole hadn’t once looked away from Isabella, so I wasn’t sure he even realized how close he was to death.
“Easily fixed,” he responded with a sleazy smile. Then he threw me his first glance since she’d walked back into the room. But the stupid fuck still didn’t sense the danger he was in. “You’re fired.”
5
Beau
Derek’s tone was smug as he turned back to my bombshell.
Isabella stared at him with her mouth hanging open, her eyes wide with shock. I felt the same way but kept it off my face, a tactic that served me well in court.
“I’m not taking no for an answer, sweetie,” he insisted. “What time do you get off? Or should I say, what time do you finish work?” He winked and Isabella’s face screwed up with disgust.
I was on my feet in an instant, my temper at an explosive level, my control long gone. “You fucking asshole!” I roared. My chair had flown back and smashed into the wall, so I turned to stomp around the desk, but the feel of a small hand on my arm brought me to an immediate halt.
My head twisted to look back at my woman. She shook her head, and her grip tightened. “Don’t. He’s not worth it.”
“You’re worth it,” I gritted out, my jaw clenched so hard I thought it might break.
“If I’m worth more to you, then don’t do anything stupid that could take you away from me.”
I didn’t think she could have said anything better to bring my control rushing back. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize my future with Isabella.
After taking a deep breath, I returned my gaze to the son of a bitch who didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as my girl. “Get. Out.” My voice was razor sharp, and for a second, I saw fear flash in Derek’s eyes before his cocky attitude covered it up.
“You gave up my business over a piece of ass,” he said with a fake laugh as he got to his feet. “Hope that fat ass is worth the millions you just lost.”
I took another step toward him, my chest rumbling with a deadly growl, but Isabella’s hand kept me from going any farther. Glancing back at her, I felt even more love and respect well up inside me when she rolled her eyes.
The second Derek was gone, I picked up my phone and called security to make sure his ass was escorted from our building, then I stormed over to the door, slammed it shut, and flipped the lock. My windows were already frosted over, but I yanked the curtains shut too.
I took a second to calm down, but I was too fucking fired up. Spinning around, I prowled over to Isabella, who had come around to stand in front of my desk.
I took her face between my hands, and it took everything in me, but I placed a soft kiss on her lips before staring deeply into her amber-flecked, brown pools. “You are utterly stunning and incredibly fucking gorgeous. Tell me you believe me.”
Isabella blushed and smiled brightly. “If I wasn’t already perfectly happy with my body, I would be after hearing you say that.”
“Every minute of every day,” I growled, “I want to worship this body.”
She frowned, and I matched her expression. I didn’t like seeing her unhappy.
“It didn’t seem like that,” she confessed in a low voice.
Words seemed pointless when I could prove my point so much better with actions. I dropped my head and captured her lips. She didn’t hesitate before putting her arms around me and sinking into my body. I released her face and grabbed her delicious ass, lifting her up and setting her on my desk.
I tried to wedge between her legs, but her skirt was too tight. Ripping my mouth away, I gave her a wicked grin as I grabbed the fabric at the slit and ripped it until the ruined skirt fell away.
She gasped and tried to close her legs, but I held her knees, keeping them open. “You don’t move unless I tell you to,” I ordered. “Is that clear?”
Her head bobbed up and down, then her legs went slack, allowing me to open them wide and wedge my hips between them.