Enjoy what? Watching me beg? That made my brown eyes snap with fury.
"Do you know who you're talking to?" I hissed.
"Careful pup, don't bite." He closed in on me to tower over me. "Hounds in heat shouldn't antagonize the big dog."
I glared up at him. Catching that woodsy cologne again. And for some reason it was disorienting me now, combined with the rest of him. My eyes roved down over his frame, knowing now that he was wound with muscle and coated in sexy tattoos.
"So, which am I?" I challenged. "A pup or the bitch in heat?"
He dropped his face to me. "You tell me."
I reared back. That'd sounded perilously close to a come on. From Porter?
Okay, clearly, he's not at all who I thought he was.
"I'm your boss!"
"Not here you're not." He took another predatory step toward me, forcing me to retreat before he stepped on my foot. He chased my movements. "Here you're a small woman alone in the apartment of a man you hardly know. Asking him for favors when you never know what you're going to get."
What am I going to get? I almost wanted to ask the question. Nearly dying with curiosity now.
"What are you going to do?" I eyed that holster. "Shoot me?"
He snorted. "Why would I do that?"
He reached into his side pocket and lifted his fold handcuffs to tap them pointedly toward me. "When this could be sooo much more fun."
"Porter!"
"My name is Kane. Only people at Clark & Walker call me that."
"But I-"
"Kane." He cut me off. Walking past me. "If you want to keep talking to me, you're going to have to go with me. I have to get to work."
"Where do you work?" I asked suspiciously.
Tagging behind him.
He paused next to the door to pull a formed black coat, with a masculine cut off a hook and toss it over his shoulders.
This didn't look like my Oversight Accountant.
He looks like the bad boy straight from a porn movie.
And now that he was walking away from me, my eyes were drawn to that tight backside.
My brows drew together as I realized how tight an ass that really was.
Slacks didn't do him justice.
Or perhaps they had and I just hadn't checked Porter out the way I was now.
I wasn't entirely sure.
We got in the elevator and I stepped next to him. Spinning on my heel with my bag in my hands to watch the doors closing next to him.
"The Red Tar." He leaned sideways to say. Bumping my shoulder with his.
"Really?" My brow furrowed and I stared up at him.
"Yeah. Why?"
"No reason. I just-you just..."
He turned his head slowly and blinked down at me. Waiting for me to finish that sentence.
Which I'm definitely not going to do.
Now.
I chewed my cheek. Teresa was right.
"You're a bouncer?"
"Security Manager." He corrected.
"Same thing?"
He hesitated. "Close enough."
What the hell does that mean?
Could he possibly be more mysterious.
Staring at him in the little elevator, I was staring at the way the weird elevator light was catching the red highlights in his dark brown hair. Giving it that dark rusty tinge that I'd always thought was plain.
Certainly not now.
I saw that the collar on that thin, tight cut jacket was turned up around his neck. But as thick as he was, it seemed to suit him rather than looking ridiculous. I wondered what he'd do if I stepped in-front of him and caught those collars to yank him down and kiss him.
I bet he'd be so stunned I could shove him against that wall and climb him like a tree.
I blinked in shock at my own thoughts.
When did I get so horny?
I blamed it on the fact that the whole elevator now smelled like his cologne. That deep earthen, woodsy aroma that made him seem wild.
I was already wondering if he'd have a motorcycle hidden in the garage that he was going to expect me to ride in my skirt.
It'd certainly finish his look.
***
I found myself adjusting my skirt uncomfortably. Noting that my panties suddenly felt like they were sticking to me and knowing full well why that would be.
He led me around the side of his apartment building to a line of garage doors. He plucked a keyring from his pocket and hit a button with his thumb. As soon as the door started lifting I realized that what I was looking at was a car.
A nice one.
The pointed lined and deep decorative indentations made it clear that it was expensive.
"What is it?" I asked breathlessly.
"A car."
"What kind."
"A Spider."
"Never heard of it."
He snorted, walking toward the driver's side while I slid between the wall and the car, trying not to get dust on my clothes as I cracked the passenger door. "Of course not."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"You're so careful and controlled, I can't imagine you driving anything fun."
"I can be fun."
He paused to peer over the top of the car, eyeing me skeptically. "When? In the sack? 'Cause I really doubt anywhere else."
"Excuse me?" My brows shot up in affront.
He grinned. Flashing deep dimples on both sides of his mouth and making green eyes dance wickedly.
"Are you trying to provoke me?" I accused.
"Is it working?" He called out before vanishing into the seat and pulling the door closed.
I had to climb inside to continue the argument. Pulling the odd door closed.
It seemed to swing both out or up.
I frowned at it, as I pushed on it, making sure I had gotten it closed all the way.
"Don't worry Punkin'." He drawled. "I won't let you fall out."
I turned wide eyes to him. "Aren't you full of piss and vinegar?"
"I am." He nodded. Turning the car on with an angry rev.
"You ready?" He gave me a long look that promised I was in for a lot more than a ride to his work.
What the fuck have I gotten myself into?
“Porter?”“Kane.” He corrected.“Yes.”“Say it.” He taunted.“I will.” I evaded. Why did it seem so weird to think of him by his first name?Because all of this is weird.“Are you going to loan me the money?” My head dropped back against the seat, bunching my blonde hair around my face as I peered at him.“You haven’t told me what I’m getting out of it.”“What do you want?” I tossed my hands. “A great appraisal this year?”He laughed outright. A deep, barking, masculine sound that immediately told me that something so menial mattered very little to this version of Porter.“I take it that’s a no.” I said sullenly.“It’s a no to that. Sell me something, Boss Lady. Thought you were good at this.”“Are you saying you want me to fuck you?” I hissed in annoyance.His head whipped to me. “First of all, if we did, it would absolutely be me fucking you. And secondly, no. I don’t exchange favors for sex. I can get that for free.”I was stunned to silence. Giving him a long look as I realized th
I opened my mouth with questions, but he suddenly leaned over me. Delving his hand under my seat, so deeply that his cheek nearly pressed against my knee cap. Hovering less than an inch above it. I thought he might turn my head and try to see up my skirt, but he didn’t. He continued looking at the dash while he gripped something and pulled it out.I’d shifted my knee away from him and watched stunned as he pulled out a giant bit of elastic attached to a springy, circular, frame.He shifted and climbed out of the car.I followed his lead and got out. Watching him in confusion as he locked it and pocketed the keys before tossing open a broad ring and catching it under the front of his car before unfolding it over the hood and roof, before pulling it down the back. Completely shielding the car.“What is this?”“Car cover.” He said dismissively. Turning away from it. “Less tempting to do something shitty to it when it’s covered.”I guessed that was likely true.He aimed toward the front d
“Then why?” I probed. Still wanting to find the real reason he was trying to get me under his roof. “I find it hard to believe it’s just my company you’re yearning for.”He seems like he can barely tolerate me most days.“Told you. Like the presence of a woman.” He went back to scanning the room with those alert eyes. “The smell of woman shampoo conditioners, candles, the general vibrant softness that she brings to a room. Things are better when one is around.”That was a horribly intimate thing to say.“I’ve never heard a man talk like that.”“How many do you know that were raised, with all brothers, by their father?” He tugged at the cuff of one sleeve pulling his jacket off and setting free some wide shoulders as he meticulously plucked the collar to find a center line and folded it. Setting it on the benched seat next to him.“No mom?”He returned his attention to me. “That’s a tale for another day, Punkin’.”Punkin’ means he’s being disdainful. I noticed.I eyed him skeptically.
I was staring at ‘Kane’ Porter in disbelief when he turned around and met my gaze.“What?”“Who are you?” I said with far more emphasis then all the times, before.He frowned. Opening his mouth to answer the brunette with the short bob stepped in-front of him again. Blocking my view of him save his nose and eyes towering over her.He’s tall. I never really noticed before.I, apparently, didn’t notice an awful lot.“We need to talk.” The skinny brunette said. Putting a hand on her hip.“I don’t think so.” He shook his head. “I think we’ve done quite enough of that.”“Kane…” She said coaxingly.“No.” He told her. Stepping around her and aiming straight for me.I gave him a stunned look since he didn’t appear to be walking toward me but at me.He was.As soon as he got to me he put his hands on my hips and tugged me forcefully against him. Making my eyes bulge. He leaned down near my ear and whispered. “Put your arms around my neck.”I stared at him.He swept up one of my arms and tossed
“Fine, Porter.” I said bitterly.“As in, yes?”“Yes.”“Good.”“I’ll move $20,000 to the account to the Meridian tonight.”“What about another $5,000?” I said meekly. Hating asking but knowing I needed it for mom’s surgery.He set the glass down on the table. “Soon as you’re done moving in tomorrow.”“Tomorrow?” I squawked.He nodded. Confirming. “Tomorrow.”“That’s not even possible.”“It is. I’ll help you.”“How are you going to do that? Load boxes in your Spider?”“I’ll borrow my brother’s truck. And my brothers.”“Porter…”“Kane.”“Porter…” I said warily.“Stop stalling, Love. Give up the game. I got you.”He’s right.I’ve no choice. I was going to move in with him. What did I think I was going to do? Get the money and stall him?Looking at Porter’s hard features and the way he was commanding this club. Running it like a force of nature, I was quite sure that ‘accidentally’ forgetting to move in would never work.He’d probably toss me over his shoulder screaming.“This is partly be
Before I’d even fully dressed, I could hear the movers he’d brought with him lifting side tables and odds and ends.Porter knocked and I told him I was dressed.He cracked the door and saw I was before pushing it open.“Why’d you check?” I asked affronted. “You thought I’d be laying in here waiting for you?”“A man can hope. It’s been a minute.” He said.Making me flush that he’d beaten me at my own game. “I doubt a very long minute.”“That’s a matter of perspective.” He shrugged. Inspecting my most intimate domain. “You want this side table.”“It’s a bedstand.” I corrected.“What’s the difference?”I have no idea!“Huge difference.” I said aloud, contrary to my inner thoughts. I crossed my arms over a loose t-shirt. Which I’d opted to throw over some frayed white jean shorts.“If you say so. You want it?”“Will I have somewhere to put it?”“I was going to put you in my room, and I was going to take the couch. So, whatever you want.”“No!” I cried. My arms dropping to my sides. “I’m n
It was around 9:00 a.m. when my phone dinged.I lifted it, head already tucked on my shoulders like a beaten pup. Knowing who was sending me a message.The same man that wore my bra as a hand towel.I lifted it and saw I had, at some point, listed him in my phone as ‘Oversight’.Because it’s his job position.Now I was thinking every interaction I’d had with the man had been an ‘Oversight.’And he knows my darkest secret.Though he was helping me cover the account now.And prepared to loan me the money to cover mom’s surgery today. Which was scheduled for 1:00 p.m.If I let him transfer that money and take that loan, I owe him.He’s going to want more than a woman taking over his apartment. And as his boss, I was setting myself up for a lifetime of blackmail.Not good. I swallowed hard.I don’t have a choice. I had to answer.I clicked the button and tentatively lifted the phone to my ear, sitting on the edge of my bed sorrowfully, I chewed my thumbnail as I muttered hello.“Don’t sou
“Hey, Kaney Poo, your girl is here.” The guy at the door called.“Ooh…Kaney Kanesy.” The other brothers cooed as if we had all reverted to ten years old.When they turned to me, I was staring at them all with a bored expression.“What?” The one at the door asked with a shrug.“Really?” I asked in a chiding tone.Ducking his head a little, he slid out the door, past me. The other two quick to follow.Leaving only Porter looking at me. Wearing a pair of slick running pants and a black tank top.He walked over and palmed the door to push it open further.“Come on in.” He waved a hand to usher me.I walked in. Noticing again how everything was stacked by size and the decorations were all either black or white or checkered black and white.In the middle of the studio Living Room was a squared corner couch in slate black with white lines trimming the back and arm rests and outlining the edges of the matching throw pillows.Everything in its place.Like a serial killer.A few black shag rugs