"Well, I was hoping we could have lunch again," she smiled coyly.
"I already have a lunch date." He ushered me around her, but not before I saw anger and hostility glittering from her eyes as a sly smile crossed her lips.
"Don't be too long, Maddy. It wouldn’t do for people to think you were slacking. I can't imagine it would be easy for a woman with your...experience, to find a new job."
I gasped at her insinuation. How could she have known? I started to take a step toward her, but a strong arm wrapped around my waist and hauled me back against a hard chest.
"Don't," Holt whispered in my ear.
"Ms. Barnes, may I see you in my office? Now?" Mrs. Holmes's voice boomed down the hall as the elevator doors opened, causing several people to glance in her direction. She turned a bright shade of red before whirling around and stomping toward our supervisor.
Great. I think my job just got a whole lot tougher.
12
Holt
A surge of protectiveness flared through me when it came to Madelyn Stone. I didn't like it; it pushed and threatened to weaken the walls and limits I had for women. But I saw through her defenses and recognized the fear and vulnerability she fought so hard to hide. Maybe because I saw its counterpart in me, but regardless, it called to me, speaking to a part that I couldn’t shut out. Lord knows, I had tried.
I had avoided her for most of the rest of the week following dinner at her apartment, knowing how I’d almost kissed her as I left. I’d seen something in her eyes that had nearly pulled me in, something akin to sadness and curiosity blended with innocence and a dash of pure feminine desire. It was an intoxicating mix, and one taste and I knew I’d probably have a hard time not going back for more. I’d almost succumbed to my attraction to her, lured by her soft, red lips only to realize the danger signs and moved quickly, if awkwardly, to her forehead.
Maddy didn't fit neatly into the other categories I ascribed to women to protect Claire’s memory. So I’d thought maybe this one time I could create a new one just for her - friend.
It wasn't working.
A friend would have made sure she wasn't hurt and then gone about his business. A friend might have offered to bring her something back to eat, but he wouldn't have told a colleague he had a lunch date. And a friend sure has hell wouldn't have given into the temptation to run his hands through her hair.
So why the hell that spontaneous invitation for lunch had come out of my mouth, I’m sure I didn’t know. Probably because I was a sucker for the sadness in her eyes when she said she'd been taking care of herself for a long time. And once she stated that she wasn't good enough to be seen with me, I couldn't leave it alone.
Friends. Yes, that's what we were, and that's what we would stay. I would just need to strengthen the lines of definition. I would treat her to a nice lunch, have a friendly conversation with her, make sure she wasn't feeling any negative repercussions from the repairman and then go back to my business.
Get in and get out - just like my missions in the Corps.
Only those missions didn't always go according to plan, so I should have known better than for my plan with Maddy to go as expected.
She was quiet during our walk to the deli. A little too quiet. I liked that she didn't feel she had to fill the void with endless drivel, but I wondered what she was thinking. Just as a concerned friend, I reminded myself. I bit my tongue and was about to ask some mundane question about the weather when she spoke first.
"Does everyone at the law firm know how I got the job?"
She could have been asking about the weather as casually as she asked, but with a sideways glance, I caught her biting her lip. "No, absolutely not. Mr. McCloskey was very clear it was to remain confidential."
She nodded as we arrived at the deli. Despite the large crowd at the counter, we were quickly seated.
After we had ordered our drinks, she continued to press for more information. "So some people know?"
I nodded cautiously, not sure where she was going with her line of questioning.
"Who?"
"Well, the three partners, of course, and a couple of others including myself, who are considered non-equity partners but have some limited say in company policy. Oh, and Mrs. Holmes, but she's very trustworthy, and we knew she'd treat you the same as any other employee. And even she doesn't know the specifics. It was important we put the firm's interest first, but only those that we felt needed to know were told."
She drummed her fingers on the table and stared pensively at her glass. "Misty knows something, Holt."
I scowled. "Misty only has the job because she's Barnes's niece. He must have let it slip in front of her at some point. I don't know, but I'll have Mrs. Holmes talk to her." Of all the partners, Barnes could be the most clueless at times. It was amazing he was such a brilliant lawyer. He was proof that book smarts don’t always equal street smarts.
She shook her head. "No, don't. It will only make it look like I'm trying to hide something and give her more ammunition against me. I could tell she was insanely jealous that it wasn't her going to lunch with you today. She was rubbing it in my face this morning that she was going to be your next assistant and that you couldn't wait to spend more time with her."
I almost choked on my drink. "Misty couldn't alphabetize her way through a child's dictionary,” I sputtered. “Why would I want her for an assistant? And I already told you I didn't invite her to lunch. She's just pretending to do a job while she works on an M.R.S. degree."