“Tough,” I said. “You’re my security consultant now. Congratulations.”
He grinned, a slow curl of lip that turned his whole face dangerous. “You want me in the room, I’m in the room.”
I turned my back to him, pretending to fuss with the coffee. My heart still pounded. I hated how easy it was for him to throw me off balance—a single look, a touch, and I was reduced to the kind of woman who forgot her own coffee order.
“You know they’re going to eat you alive,” he said, matter-of-fact. “Your execs. They smell blood. You’re the only thing standing between them and a golden parachute.”
I shot him a look over my shoulder. “Let them try.”
He nodded, a flash of respect crossing his face. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”
The doorbell rang. It was just past eight a.m., but I’d told them no excuses. I tossed back the rest of my coffee, ignored the way it scalded my throat, and headed to the foyer. As I passed, I caught my reflection in the hallway mirror—hair wild, blouse stained, yesterday’s eyeliner smudged below my eyes. I looked more like a rock star coming off a three-day bender than the CEO of a legacy distillery.
I didn’t care. The time for appearances was over.
In the entryway, Bennet stood clutching a battered briefcase, rain jacket dripping onto the marble. Behind him, Lila Vargas in heels and a suit, her lips pursed in permanent disapproval. Evelyn Hart, all in gray, trailed them, face unreadable behind a pair of tinted glasses. Celia Monroe, the queen of Southern hospitality, was last, hair immovable, pearls gleaming.
They filed in, one by one, forming a standoff line in the foyer. The old order, waiting for instructions from a princess they’d never wanted to serve.
I cleared my throat. “Conference room. Ten minutes. No arguments.”
Bennet opened his mouth, but I cut him off with a look.
When I turned back toward the kitchen, Shivs was already there, arms folded, watching. He’d pulled the T-shirt tight, the sleeves rolled up to expose the black runes twisting along hisforearms. He looked at the four execs like a bouncer deciding which one to toss first.
“You have a conference room in your house?” Shivs asked.
“You’ll sit at my left,” I told him. “No talking unless I ask you to.”
He smiled like he couldn’t wait to break that rule.
As the execs filed past, Lila gave Shivs a slow up-and-down, her eyes lingering a shade too long. “Interesting choice,” she said, only loud enough for me to hear.
“He’s a specialist,” I said. “He’s already proven his value.”
She arched an eyebrow, but didn’t argue. Even she could smell the threat off him.
The others followed, each giving Shivs a wide berth, each pretending not to stare at the tattoos or the scars or the way he seemed to occupy more space than any normal man. I wondered if they could sense, the way I could, that something in him was barely leashed, waiting for an excuse.
As I led them toward the boardroom, I felt his presence at my back—silent, watchful, never more than a half step behind. My body tracked every shift of his weight, every rustle of cotton against skin, every breath he took. It should have scared me, but it didn’t. If anything, it made me walk taller.
Shivs looked up, eyes hooded. “You ready for this?” he asked.
“Do I have a choice?”
He shook his head, a slow smile creasing his jaw. “You always have a choice.”
That pissed me off, but not enough to slow me down. I ducked into my bedroom and pulled the first clean suit from the closet—a black blazer, slim pants, and a white shirt. No time for makeup. I knotted my hair into a bun, washed the bourbon and coffee from my teeth, and stared at the CEO mask in the mirror until it felt like mine again.
When I came out, Shivs was waiting, arms crossed over his chest. He looked me over, this time not hiding the approval in his gaze.
“You clean up good,” he said.
“Try to keep up,” I shot back.
He followed me down the hall, footsteps silent even on the old wood. My mind raced through the playbook, but my body was thinking only of the way he filled the space, of the heat radiating off him even at a distance.
I made it to the boardroom with seconds to spare, the four execs already seated, laptops open, phones facedown. I took the head of the table, Shivs at my left.