Page 80 of Priceless
His smile sent chills down my spine in the best way. “Killing him isn’t the only thing I can do. And I’ll be damned if he and Laura get away with treating you like this for so long with no consequences.”
“I shouldn’t like it when you say things like that.”
“Oh?” He came around the island and stood beside the bench, looking down at me. “And why not?”
“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
Everett held out a hand, and I took it, letting him lift me to my feet. In another movement he spun me and pressed me back into the island. His eyes were dark as he brushed his lips over mine. “You don’t have to hurt anyone, little nymph. That’s my job.”
“Don’t do it on my account.”
“I protect what’s mine,” he growled. “And I absolutely will if I have to.”
Until now, I never knew how much I needed those words. To feel protected. To feel like I was worth protecting. It was another realization—how unsafe I’d felt even though I hadn’t consciously understood it.
My husband cupped my face and kissed me. “I promise not to kill him… today. And I promise not to do anything that will jeopardize your agreement with him. But I don’t promise not to hurt him if I can. Because hurting you? It’s fucking unacceptable.”
All I could do was stare at him. What could I possibly say to that?
Cameron stood and gathered his tablet. “We should probably go and make sure Micah doesn’t lose his mind before we have to sign these papers.” He moved Everett aside to kiss me quickly. “The people from Nestled will be here at noon to build the nest. You don’t have to deal with them at all if you don’t want to. Marcela, the housekeeper, already knows everything. The wedding pictures should be published today too, so if you need anything, you call us, okay?”
“Okay.”
With a sigh, Everett took another step back from me. “I don’t want to leave you after that.”
“I’ll be fine,” I said with a smile. And I would. Because of them and the way they did made me feel safe.
“Even if you don’t need us, you can call us,” Cam whispered. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
I watched them leave the kitchen, and Cameron turned back at the last second. “Don’t forget to eat your muffin. Make yourself sweeter, so later we can eat yours.”
They were gone before they saw my mouth drop open and my face flush red with embarrassment and arousal. But I ate every crumb of that fucking muffin.
28
GLADIOLUS
(SWORD LILY)
MEANING: FLOWER OF THE GLADIATORS; GIVE ME A BREAK; INTEGRITY; READY ARMED; STRENGTH; YOU PIERCE MY HEART
EVERETT
________
The office was quiet. Not unusual for a Monday morning. Our employees got their work done, and as long as they did, we didn’t care how much time they spent in the office. Want to spend more time at home and therefore be more efficient? Be my guest.
But Micah’s assistant Josie sat outside his office at her desk. Cameron made it to the door first. “He free, Jos?”
“It’s been quiet for a few minutes, so I assume he’s off the phone with Gregory.”
“How’d that go?” I asked.
She smirked. “Nothing a stiff Monday morning drink can’t fix.”
Perfect.
Micah was hunched over his desk when the door opened, scribbling with a stylus on his tablet. The mockups for the men’s line were there. “Don’t break the stylus,” I said.
