Page 11 of Carnal Risk

Chapter Six

Garrett had been in the gym lifting when his phone alerted him to her presence. Aside from security cameras that were installed in every square inch of his facilities, he utilized sensors which notified him if anyone entered his office. At first, the image of Selby had brought a smile to his face. He’d watched with great interest as she knocked on his door, but when he saw her travel down the hallway and then enter Evan’s office, he threw down his towel, taking off in search of her. What the hell is she doing?

As splinters of the frame crashed all over the hardwood, he took a deep breath, attempting to rein in his anger.

“Don’t move,” he ordered.

“I…I was just looking for,” she stammered and bent over to pick up a shard of glass. “I’m so sorry. It’s just that I…I needed information and you weren’t…”

“I sent you the files,” Garrett began. As he approached, he felt a crunch under his heel.

“I’ll clean this up.” Her eyes went wide.

“Don’t. Just leave it.”

“No, it will only take a second,” Selby insisted. Crouched over, she carefully placed a jagged remnant into her palm.

“Selby, just stop.”

As she lifted her eyes to meet his, his anger turned to sympathy. Instinct drove him as much as facts. Soon enough, he’d question her, and she’d either be fired or still working for him. His eyes flickered to the soft cleavage peeking through her blouse, and he struggled to stay on task. Unsure of whether she’d detected his momentary lapse of focus, he forced an impassive mask across his face.

“I’m sorry. It’s just…the meeting tomorrow…I was…” She reached down, shifting her focus from his eyes to the floor and back again. Her lips trembled as her hand touched the picture frame.

“Just leave it.”

“I’ll clean it up.” A small smudge of blood stained the dark wood.

“Do. Not. Move,” Garrett commanded, taking sight of what she’d done to her hand. Surprised she hadn’t flinched, he surmised the slice of the glass hadn’t registered. He’d cut himself enough times to know that the pain didn’t always set in until you saw the injury.

“But I…oh my God,” Selby said as she realized what she’d done. The broken fragment fell to the ground as she gripped her wrist.

Without asking, Garrett scooped Selby up into his arms, and kicked open the door. He tried not to allow her citrus-scented hair to distract him as he made his way to his office. It was difficult to tame the twitch of his dick as her soft body brushed against his. He knew it was off limits to go there. Not only were they in the office, she was injured. Get it the fuck together, he thought.

Garrett eyed his bathroom. Squeezing through the entrance, he gently placed her on the counter, taking note of the small pieces of glass that sparkled from her shoes and stockings. Without giving a thought to what to do next, he stripped off his t-shirt and knelt down, his eyes meeting hers. Although she wasn’t crying, he could see the tears readying to fall.

“You’re going to be all right, sweetheart. Just give me your hand.”

“I’ll be fine. Please, no.”

“We need to get it under some water, stop the bleeding. We have to make sure we get all the glass out.” She extended her hand to him, and licked her lips, tensing as if expecting more pain. He took a quick look at the cut. He tested the water temperature before running both their hands under the stream. “This might sting a little.”

“Ow. Dammit, I can’t believe I just did that.” She attempted to tear her hand away, but he held her firm.

“You’re not going anywhere, now. I warned you it was going to sting.” He raised an eyebrow at her until she stopped moving. Hearing her speak frankly was surprising but refreshing. Cursing could make even the worst agony seem tolerable. He’d known there was fire underneath the woman who’d negotiated the contract in his office.

“I’m sorry.” She gave a small laugh, a rosy hue flushing her cheeks.

“Almost done. Now listen, Miss Reynolds. You don’t seem to take directions very well so far, so I’m going to remind you that while you’re here, I’m the boss. That means, when I talk, you listen.”

“But…” she began.

“No talking. This is my company, my office.” He shushed firmly. “This is serious. The things we do here, which I’ll get to in a moment, are sometimes dangerous. Confidential. Deadly, even, if they get into the wrong hands.”

Garrett saw the flicker of fear in her eyes. He’d never intentionally set out to intimidate her, but the reality of his life was paramount to protecting every last soul who worked for him.

With her free hand, she wiped a tear, looking away from him. She took a deep breath, and returned his gaze.

The emotion he saw inside her caused a stir of arousal. Goddammit, of all the times to meet someone, this was not it. Even though she feigned confidence, he knew for a fact that she’d never taken on such a big account. He’d promised Lars that he wouldn’t get involved with her, yet as he studied her face, he knew it would be a lost cause. Confused by his attraction, he focused his effort on cleaning her hand.