The sound of her voice brought him back to reality and instantly the ice mask was back on, only the swirl of his gray eyes gave away his turmoil.
“You shouldn’t have interfered. Don’t you ever obey orders?”
Zoe flinched and started to pull away, but his hands grabbed hers once more. “I’m not a lap dog.” She remembered his phone tucked in her bra and freed one hand to pull it out. “I had training in crisis situations and how to keep a cool head. It was a vital skill when I worked in the Middle East. And your phone buzzed. That’s why I knew what was going on. At the second text saying that an intruder was probably on his way, I thought about the possibility of another person being abducted or worse. You can’t ask me to lock myself up in an office when there is something I can do to protect the people on the floor. Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same.”
Zoe handed him the phone, but he didn’t take it, so she put it beside her.
“You took too much of a risk for people you don’t know.”
That made her smile. “They are human beings, so they deserve to live.”
“You could have died, if your aim...”
Once more she covered his hand. “I’m fine, Mr. Blackwood.”
He blinked again, thrown off by her statement, but about to do the same to her. “Please, call me Archer.”
Zoe pinched her lips. “No.”
Once more he blinked, off balance. “No?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“You are my boss, and for the duration of this contract, it will be Mr. Blackwood or Sir.”
She expected him to be annoyed, but he smiled. “Bad idea to issue a challenge to a man like me... Zoe.”
Shaking her head, she leaned forward a little. To invade his private space was to indulge in his scent a little. “Don’t take everything as a challenge, Mr. Blackwood, or you’ll lose.”
He leaned a little more, so close that she could feel his breath whispering on her lips. That close, Zoe could see flecks of blue in the silver of his irises. “I never lose, Zoe.”
Would he kiss her? Would she allow him to kiss her? She was losing brain cells just being in the same room, so anything more would be the worst idea ever. Or the best mistake.
Someone knocking on the door ended the moment, and even as Blackwood leaned away, the last look he gave her told her it was far from over. She had to think quickly to defuse the situation. In any other circumstances, she would be a fool to refuse a man like him, but now wasn’t the time for falling into a fantasy.
Knowing she was probably red as a beet, Zoe nonetheless lifted her chin and saw Kai standing at the door. Blackwood stood, turning to Kai and she saw the gun in the small of his back. He was so close, she could see his ink peeking from his shirt.A playing card?Unfortunately, he moved before she could see more of it.
“The office is secured sir, nobody is harmed. Police are in the lobby taking care of the suspect who will have to go to the hospital, and they requested access for an interview. Security guards will be at each entrance point until further arrangements are made to increase security. May I suggest...”
“No. I’ll make my own security arrangements and keep you informed.”
More unknown people surrounding Blackwood would be problematic for his protection and Zoe knew she had to act fast. Standing up, she touched his arm. Gray eyes instantly focused on her.
“I have connections with a security firm from my time working for the Department of State. They’re a private firm, highly recommended. Expensive I guess, but reliable.” She hesitated a second before offering more information. “Their boss saved my life. And I’m still on good terms with them.”
His gaze remained frozen on her. Without a word, he turned back to Kai. “I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, please advise Sorenson to bring the car around for Ms. Somersby.”
At his words, her hold on his arm tightened, trying to make him look at her. “Why do I need a car?”
“I’m giving you the rest of the day off.”
She crossed her arms and planted her feet on the floor. “I don’t think so, Mr. Blackwood.”
Archer Blackwood turned and this time, he wasn’t happy with her. It was like a shock wave of disapproval hitting her. Zoe quickly understood that her refusing to obey him in front of a subordinate was a big no-no, so she tried to back pedal a little.
“I thank you for your concern, but I have several files to go through before the sale and I still need to go over the planning with Ellen. There is no way I can get everything done and still offer you a professional service if I take a day off. I may not appear presentable right now, but I can work. I’ll stay in my office if my appearance is a problem...”
“Stop it, would you?” And for the first time, he raked his hair, clenching his teeth in suppressed annoyance. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Kai shuffling, still awaiting his orders.
“I was hired to do a job. And that’s what I intend to do.” Zoe stopped at his desk, ripped a piece of paper and scribbled a name and phone number on it before giving it to her boss. “This is the information for the firm I mentioned. Now, I’m going to dig myself out of those piles of papers and requests. If you need me, I’ll be in my office.”
Kai moved swiftly out of her path as she grabbed her shoes and walked out. It was obvious she was playing with fire, but it was out of the question to bow down and hide. And if Archer Blackwood thought he could treat her like a china doll, he was in for a nasty surprise.
