Except she isn’t yours, dumbass.
The reminder should have created a sense of relief, but only because he shouldn’t think of her that way. And yet, knowing she wasn’t his—knowing hecouldn’thave her the way he had in last night’s dick-swelling dream—created an ache in Brody’s soul he couldn’t begin to explain.
So he ignored it and focused on the real reason he was here. To keep Ro safe.
She has to be safe.
He checked his watch again, mainly to have an excuse to look somewhere other than her entrancing stare. “It’s about time for your big introduction. You ready?”
“No.” She scoffed as if the answer should have been obvious. “But at least I just have to stand there and smile. Can you imagine if I had to give an actualspeech?I’d make the biggest fool out of myself, I’m sure.”
“Your speech would be flawless, and every person in this room would be hanging on your every word.”
Her gaze widened, the tiny hitch of breath that had escaped Ro’s lungs reaching him over the steady hum of nearby conversations. A slight flush colored the skin of her face and exposed neck.
It wasn’t the same, bashful blush he’d seen minutes before. No, this was something altogether different. An unmistakable heat that left her lips parting and the blues in her eyes darkening to the color of midnight.
Ro’s tongue darted out with a lick of her full lips. Looking uncharacteristically nervous, she opened and closed her mouth twice, almost as if she were almost afraid of what she was trying to say.
“Brody, there’s um… There’s something I wanted to ask you. I was going to wait until later, but…” Another quick swipe that made him want to slam his mouth to hers. “I was wondering if maybe…and feel free to say no.” She gave a nervous chuckle. “But I was wondering if maybe you’d want to—”
“There’s my star!”
They both turned to see Clayton Yorke approaching through the parted crowd.
Impeccable timing, asshole.
“I hope you’re ready, Aurora.” The other man’s squinty stare didn’t so much as twitch in Brody’s direction. “It’s your time to shine.”
“Oh, u-uh…” Ro’s blinking gaze bounced between him and Yorke. “Yeah. I mean, yes. Of course.”
His fists curled at his sides, his frustration two-fold. First and foremost, Brody wanted to throat punch the entitled prick for interrupting Ro before she could finish asking whatever it was she’d been trying to ask. And two…
I want her real smile to come back.
Because the one she’d just flashed her uppity client’s way was anything but.
Forcing his fingers to relax, Brody reminded himself that Ro would no longer be working with Yorke after tonight. He’d been damn proud when he’d stood in her office while she—very professionally—ripped the guy a new asshole.
He’d also been hard as a fucking led iron pipe. Just like he was now.
“There’s nothing to it,” the other man assured her. “Really. You’ll follow me up on stage…and don’t worry. My assistant will tell you when to go and where to stand. Once we’re up there, I’ll go to the mic, thank everyone for coming, say a few words, and then I’ll introduce you and the others who played an instrumental part in the company’s rebranding.”
“Then she’s off the stage, right?” Brody needed to be sure.
Since the break-in, there hadn’t been so much as a hint of danger where Ro was concerned. But minus their daily trips to and from Cup of Joe, as well as a couple quick and efficient grocery runs, this party was the first time in a week she’d been out in public for more than a few minutes at a time.
He was fine as long as she was next to him. But the idea of her being up on that stage, well out of his reach and exposed to a million different vantage points throughout the room…
Brody’s gut suddenly began to churn with dread.
Turning to Ro, he opened his mouth to tell her not to do it. To beg her not to go up on that stage, but then—
“How ’bout this party, huh?”
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause as a woman he’d seen Yorke talking to earlier took the stage. As the clapping died down and the woman began to continue with her speech, Ro’s client looked at her and smiled.
Shit.