The Guardian and the Escort

“You know,” he said, passing the file to me but not letting go. “I can’t even blame you for fucking her. I bet someone so young with perky little tits like hers has a tight pussy to match. Like a virgin, I wouldn’t mind bending over.”

Red tinged my vision, and before I could think, I let go of the file, gripped his shirt and jacket, and jerked him out of his chair to over his desk on his back. I landed one blow, then another, and was reeled back to swing again when his blubbering cut through the rage. I couldn’t hear a word he uttered past the deafening ring in my ears but looking down at him crying with his hands over his face made me realize anything else would waste my time and give him an opening to refute the signatures.

I jerked him up, inches from my face. “If you spew any bullshit about the company, I’ll follow through on burying you and your business. If you ever speak her name again, I’ll cut out your tongue. If you come near her again or contact her again, I’ll fucking kill you. Understood?”

He nodded, his leaking eyes already swelling.

“Good.”

With that, I dropped him back on his desk, tucked the file in my jacket, and walked out.

I had a meeting to get to, a gift to give, and a girl to win back.

If she’d have me.

Chapter Ten

ROSE

* * *

“You can do this. You can do this. You’re a badass bitch, and you’re going to crush it.”

I huddled at the opening of the back hallway, leaning against the wall, trying to talk away the nerves. The last employee just walked in, and nothing else held me back from going out to them scattered at tables, wondering what the hell was coming. Nothing but my fear.

“You’re the baddest bitch I know,” a deep voice crooned from the shadows further down the hall.

I almost screamed, but my body was too busy trying to jump out of my skin to focus on producing any noise at all.

“I’m sorry, I thought you heard the back door,” Corbin explained, stepping into the light.

Between the rush of fight or flight adrenaline and the endless ramble of self-doubt over the last day, I was beyond thinking. Ignoring the fact that we argued the last time I saw him, I acted on instinct. I didn’t question my body when it rushed to close the gap between us. I didn’t hesitate when I reached him and threw my arms around his waist, burying my head in his chest.

The spicy citrus scent of his cologne infiltrated my senses and calmed me a little. But when his arms enveloped me in a tight embrace, my whole being relaxed, like I’d come home. I held on to him, taking in his strength and comfort, breathing deeply for the first time all day.

“I’m right here,” he whispered. “I’m late, as usual, but I’m right here. You’re not alone.”

For how long? A voice tried to insert, but I shut it down. I’d ask that question later. Right then, all I needed was that moment.

“I just want this to work.”

“It will.”

“What if they hate it?”

“They won’t. It’s a brilliant plan.”

“What if they all walk out because they don’t support it?”

“They won’t. I’m sure of it.”

“I don’t even have the papers. What if we start, and then I can’t finish?”

His responses were quick and easy, but this one, he tensed and hesitated.

“Fuck,” I whispered. “I’m so fucked. I should stop before I start. Just call it off.”

He pulled back to cradle my face in his palms and tilted my head, so I saw nothing but ocean blue. “Everything will work out. I promise. That’s all you need to focus on.”

I opened my lips to argue, but the rough pad of his thumb pushed against my tongue, keeping me from talking with a taking reprimand. My nipples pebbled under my dress, and I almost wrapped my lips around his thumb and sucked, but he pulled it out before I could.

“You can do this,” he repeated my words. “You are a badass bitch.”

I laughed at the sassy head bob that came with the words. And then I laughed again because, in the span of a few minutes, I’d gone through every emotion other than the ones I should’ve felt with him. Anger, frustration, sadness. They were nowhere to be found, but like he said. I needed to focus on this.

“Thank you.”

His lips quirked just before he pressed a gentle kiss to my nose and backed away. “Any time. Now go get ’em.”

Pulling on my game face, I nodded and faced the wolves, hoping they’d stay on board for my plan. It helped knowing Corbin stood back behind me. It helped that Camille worked with me every step of the way, believing in our future as much as I did. It also didn’t hurt that the escorts taking in every word looked like I’d hand-selected them from a collection of the world’s sexiest people.