The guy had no clue how many risks Antony had taken while covertly working for Uncle Sam. He probably thought all Antony did was some hacking. Tech work. But Eric didn’t get how dangerous the Dark Web could be. Or to what extent some enemies would go to destroy the things that others valued most. “One of the reasons why Ella is ideal…” He kept his voice flat with a maximum amount of effort. “It is because she does know about my additional work.” An unfortunate situation that he could no longer deny. Ella didn’t know everything, of course. Only about two people did. But she knew enough that she’d run from him.
And I need her back. Which was why he was in Eric’s office. Lying his ass off about an intruder who didn’t exist.
So sue me. I’m playing dirty. When you wanted something badly enough, you had to be willing to break some rules. For Ella, he was ready to throw away the entire rule book.
“Her call,” Eric insisted doggedly. “If she chooses to stay on her current case, then I will give you other agent options.”
Which Antony would immediately refuse as he moved on to coming up with another plan in what he liked to think of as Operation Second Chance. He needed that second chance with her.
Mostly because he hadn’t realized how insanely much he liked having Ella around, not until she was gone. Then the office had felt too empty. His home had been too cold. And his bed?
It had smelled of her sweet scent. And he’d ached, far too much…for her.
Antony straightened his shoulders. “Let’s do this.” He motioned toward the phone on Eric’s desk. “Can you call her in? I need to get my plans in place.”
“Be forewarned. She’s going to tell your ass no.”
He cocked his head. “Want to bet on it?”
***
Ella hurried by Eric Wilde’s assistant. She paused, quickly rapping on Eric’s door, then she swung the door open. “Okay, boss,” she called out as she entered. “What is the big nine-one-one—” She stopped. Gaped a bit. Eric wasn’t alone.
A ghost from her recent past was with him.
Antony Kyle pulled down the sleeve of his coat. His no doubt, ridiculously expensive coat that didn’t need to be pulled down. He was standing near one of the fancy chairs in Eric’s office. Light glinted a little off the lenses of his glasses, and Antony gave her a wide, welcoming smile.
This is not happening. Ella shook her head. A very definite no. Then she backed up, exited the office, and pulled the door shut.
“Ahem.”
She stared at the closed door. There were designs etched into the wood. Very clever work.
“Ella?” Eric’s assistant crept closer to her. “Is there a problem?”
A huge problem. One that was about six-foot-three, and two hundred pounds. One who had a ridiculously high IQ and a tendency to keep far too many secrets. And of course…a problem I slept with!
She cleared her throat. “Why is Antony Kyle meeting with Eric?”
“Because Antony is his nine o’clock appointment.”
She pulled in a deep breath. Released it. Kept her eyes on the closed door.
“I…think they wanted you to join the meeting,” he prompted.
Yes, she got that. She sucked in another breath. Opened the door.
Antony hadn’t moved. He lifted his brows when he saw her. “Are you going to come inside this time…or will you be slipping out again?”
Her chin notched up as she entered the office. Ella shut the door behind her. She figured that was answer enough. I’m inside. For the moment. Though every instinct screamed that she needed to get the heck out of there.
Antony’s lips curled.
Dammit. Did he think something about this situation was amusing? She was not amused. Her eyes narrowed on him. “Why are you here?”
He looked back at Eric, then Antony’s attention returned to her. After a long exhale, Antony told her, “I’m in danger, and I need you.”
She bounded toward him. An instinctual response as adrenaline and worry pounded through her. But she caught herself. Stopped when she was about two feet away. “What?”
“I am here at Wilde because I need to hire a personal bodyguard. Someone who can stay with me twenty-four, seven.” Antony nodded. “I want that person to be you.”
Silence. Silence except for the extremely hard and fierce drumming of her heart. The drumming was so loud she almost wondered if Antony and Eric could hear it. She looked into Antony’s eyes. Those dark and deep eyes that she had always found so oddly beautiful. She thought about the night they’d had together. She’d wanted him for so long, and it had seemed safe enough to take that one, reckless night with him before she walked away.
She just hadn’t counted on the impact that night would have on her.
“Well?” He smiled at her. A confident, charming smile. “Will you take my case? Will you be my bodyguard?”
Her gaze swept toward Eric. “Is this some kind of joke?”
A shrug of his shoulders. “He seems quite serious.”
Her temples were throbbing. “I already have a case. I was just about to head down to the recording studio and check in with the client.” An up-and-coming singer who wanted additional security at her next gig. Ella let her stare dart back to Antony. Squaring her shoulders, she informed him, “I have a case and a new partner waiting.”
His smile dimmed. “I need you,” he said.
Her spine stiffened. His voice had deepened. Gotten all hard and rumbling. As he stared at her, she could swear she saw desire filling his eyes.
She didn’t want to have this conversation in front of her new boss. She really, really didn’t. But Ella closed the remaining distance between her and Antony. She tipped back her head as she stared up at him. “There are plenty of agents here at Wilde—”
“There is only one you.” His voice roughened even more. “Take the job, Ella.”
The night they’d shared was between them. The memory. The passion. The unbelievable, body-melting pleasure. It shouldn’t have been so good. If the sex had been bad, walking away would have been easier. But the sex hadn’t been bad. It had been fantastic. So fantastic that… “No.”
He blinked.
“I told you before, I don’t work for you any longer.” A clipped nod. “Now, if that’s all, I have a client waiting on me.” She did a quick about-face and marched for the door. She yanked it open.
“Yeah, buddy, sorry, but I think you lost that bet,” Eric drawled.
Antony had bet on her? Seriously? Ella fired a quick, angry glare over her shoulder, then she got the hell out of there. As fast as her shaking knees would let her go.
Chapter Four
The door clicked closed behind Ella. Antony didn’t move.
“I believe you now owe me a thousand dollars.” Eric sounded both casual and cocky. An exceedingly annoying combination. “That was the amount we agreed upon, wasn’t it? If it’s all the same to you, Antony, I would prefer cash and—”
“Fuck off.”
“Yes, I believe that’s what Ella told you to do. Only she used nicer words because I suspect she is a nicer person than you are.”
Antony ignored him. He was too busy hurrying after Ella. He yanked open the door. “Ella!” he shouted.