My whisper sounded far too loud in the suddenly quiet space. Colleagues pretended to work but kept their attention on the new girl and her uninvited beau.

“I’ll tell you back at mine.” He grabbed my wrist, tugging me with urgency and strictness. “We need to leave. Right now.”

“What, why?” I twisted my arm, dislodging him. “I can’t go anywhere with you. I’m at work, Gil. I have a commitment to—”

“Olin? Everything okay?” Shannon stretched an annoyed smile with bright pink lip gloss, her hair tied back with a matching coloured ribbon. Her shrewd gaze flew from me to Gil and back again. “You know company policy. Friends and family have to be signed in and approved by management.”

“Approved by management?” Gil coughed. “You can’t prevent me from seeing her.”

Shannon’s lips pursed. “I can if you’re disrupting other employees.”

“I’m not disrupting anyone. Olin needs to leave. I’ve come to take her—”

“I’m staying,” I whispered harshly. “I finish work in less than an hour. I’ll come to yours when I’m done.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you.” His voice darkened with warning. Looking frostily at Shannon, he added, “Don’t penalize her for this. Blame me. Blame me, but it won’t change the fact that I’m taking her.”

My mouth hung open. I rushed to do damage control. “I can’t take time off. I literally just started here. I told you, I’ll come to you when I’m finished, and not before.”

His gaze flashed, his body rippling with energy. “You’re not leaving here on your own.”

My mind tangled the past with the present. He’d always escorted me home. Always there to chaperon and guard. I’d always felt so safe in his presence, knowing he’d never let anything or anyone hurt me.

Despite Shannon watching us, a twinge of pain left over from our fight made me whisper, “You were fine letting me walk home in the dark the other night.”

His face turned to grey ash. “I know. It was the hardest and shittiest thing I’ve done in a very long time. I’m so sorry, O.”

I wasn’t expecting that, nor the sincere anguish on his face. It gave me nothing to argue against. It made me see the seriousness of his request.

Not that it’s a request.

I sighed, glancing furtively at Shannon. “Sorry about this, Shannon. I value my employment and won’t jeopardise—”

“It’s fine.” She nodded. “I’m sure there’s an explanation.”

“There is. An exceedingly simple one.” Gil raked a hand through his unruly hair. “I need Olin to come with me—”

“I’m staff, Gil.” I cut in. “I have an obligation to stay until it’s time to go home.”

Couldn’t he see he was messing up my chances for long-term employment?

I need this job!

I needed to pay my bills, so I no longer had to stare at my ceiling late at night and fear the words ‘bankruptcy’ and ‘homelessness’.

“Olin.” His big hand captured my cheek, erasing the outside world.

It was just us.

Us.

In a sea of people who no longer mattered.

His thumb caressed my cheekbone. His breath caught. And my heart answered his. My need matched his. I—

“You need to come with me.” His voice shattered the illusion of aloneness. Bringing his lips to my ear, he added, “Please, don’t argue. I don’t have the strength today.”

I pulled away, shivers still dancing over my skin. “I’m not being difficult, Gil. I truly can’t leave.” I pointed at the bank of elevators. “Go home. I’ll come by after work and we’ll talk.”

He crossed his arms, bracing himself against the many curious stares we’d invited. “Like I said before, you can’t leave this building alone.”

“What? Why?”

His jaw clenched. “He knows where you work.”

My heart tripped. The rush of adrenaline from unsuccessful kidnappings and Gil’s subsequent punishment sent worry-filled fire through my blood. “That arsehole? How the hell does he know where I work?”

“Look...I’m going to leave you guys to it.” Shannon cleared her throat. “This is obviously private. I’m sure if this is a family emergency, the company will understand if Olin leaves a little earlier than normal.”

“It is an emergency.” Gil never looked away from me while answering her coolly. “And she’s family. So it fits both criteria.”

I sucked in a breath.

Family.

I thought I was the only one who remembered that promise.

Family.

You’ve slept with this man.

Family.

You’ve loved this man.

Family.

Yet right now, you can’t understand this man.

“Okay, not a problem.” Shannon waved and tottered quickly away on her heels. The second she was gone, I repeated my question, my breath thin. “How does he know where I work, Gil?”

“Same way I do.” His body tensed. “Your contract with all your work info must’ve fallen out of your bag when he...when he tried to take you. He paid me a visit today...he showed me.”

So that’s where it went.

I’d looked highly incompetent when I’d arrived on my first day missing my signed contract.

My heart sank, two anchors of terror dragging it down. “He’ll know where I live too. My address was on there.”

He nodded.

Fear for myself was quickly overshadowed by fear for him. Placing a hand on his forearm, I did my best not to be hurt when he twitched and acted as if I’d stabbed him with my pen. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

His gaze snapped to mine. “I tell you I’ve put you in mortal danger and you still ask if I’m the one okay?” He backed away, rubbing his mouth with his hand. “Olin, you really need to stop caring about others and put yourself first. Your goddamn goodness is going to get you killed.”

“I’m sorry if my ethics annoy you.”

“They don’t annoy me, they’re just not wise. Worry about yourself for fuck’s sake.”

“Don’t you think it’s up to me who I worry about?”

“All I’m saying is, don’t waste your concern on me.”

“Ha!” I rolled my eyes. “I’ve literally worried about you my entire life.”

“Did I ask you to?” His temper thickened.

“No. It’s just what someone does when they care—”

“Stop.” He sighed heavily, torment cloudy in his gaze. “Shit...why are we fighting?” One hand opened and closed by his side, the other reached for me despite himself. Once again, he fought the familiar urge to touch, to connect, to bond. “I’m sorry for causing you stress, O. I—”

“It’s fine—”

“No.” He shook his head. “I never deserved you. Not even when I had you. I definitely don’t deserve your concern.”

His hand dropped.

He went to shove it into imprisoning pockets.

I reached out and stole it, wrapping our fingers together, binding us tight. Power ignited between us—something pure and transparent, honest and true. It hummed from his palm to mine, tingling and kissing its way up my arm and down my spine. “Just answer my question. Did he hurt you?”

Gil pulled away with a grimace. “No.”

That was a yes.

He glanced at the elevators, his desire to leave obvious. “Please...just trust me.” His eyes flickered with the past, with a younger Gil who I very much used to trust.

Before he’d broken my heart.

My questions and worry could wait.

“Okay.” Snatching my handbag, I logged off the work system and brushed past him with quick steps. He didn’t say a word, following me like a queen’s guard, waiting possessively close for the elevator to arrive.

My heart beat skipped and tripped having Gil so near. My body steadily betraying me, filling with desire, remembering what it was like to be with him, to kiss him, to have him inside me.

By the time the elevator scooped us up and swallowed us from the curious stares of employees, my knickers were damp and blouse far too tight.

I struggled to catch a proper breath.

I leaned forward to press the button for the ground level, but Gil beat me to it. Our fingers brushed on the button, sending a bolt of lust through my blood.