*
Joe was late today. He bustled in the office when Rose was having a lunch break in the kitchenette. He casually said “Hi,” as he grabbed some mineral water from the fridge. His eyes zeroed on the bowl of salad she was having. “Yogurt and salad again for lunch? Don’t you get bored having the same stuff every day?” he noted.
That was when Rose saw Joe sported a cut on his upper left eyebrow and it seemed it hadn’t been treated. “Joe!” she jumped up from her seat. “What happened?”
He blinked innocently before realizing what she meant. “This? Oh, nothing. I got into a scuffle earlier. Hazard of the job.”
“Joe!” Rose immediately fussed. “Has it been disinfected? It looks like it needs stitches!”
He touched the wound gently with his fingertips. “It’s fine, Rose. You’re making it into a big deal. Believe it or not, I heal faster than other people.”
“Still. If it isn’t properly cared for, it’s going to fester. Let me look at it. I think I have a bandage in my purse,” she protested.
Unexpectedly, a smile broke out on his face and her heart skipped a beat. “Thank you, Rose, that’s so sweet of you. I haven’t had anyone worry about me in a long time. But I’m fine. It’s not a big deal.”
“But—“
“I’m okay, Rose. Really.”
Rose watched him hopelessly.
She was sure that he was more than capable of avoiding danger but she hoped that Joe would take care of himself. He was too careless, in her opinion. Her thoughts drifted to the accounts she managed. She wondered what kind of people he got into scuffles with. All those big name clients. Or the subcontractors he hired. And Joe had never discussed any of it with her. It wasn’t in her job description to meddle with closed or active cases but she wished he would. She wanted to help him anyway she could. He was the best boss she’d ever had and she loved working for him.
She had no real complaints, as the pay was absolutely phenomenal and he was a great boss. In fact, she estimated that after only a few months of working there, she would have enough money saved up to move out of her parents’ house. It was difficult sometimes, working strange hours and being so wrapped up in trying to decipher exactly what kinds of things Joe actually did. It was frustrating, having to relay coded messages back and forth between Joe and his associates—all of whom she addressed via pseudonyms. She was starting to wonder if her boss’s name was really, well, his name. Everything she typed up for him was run through encryption software, rendering it nearly indecipherable to outsiders.
There was no way this was just a private eye outfit. There had to be something less mundane going on underneath its already shifty exterior. Rose didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended that Joe had picked her for the job. Did he think she was trustworthy and clever enough to take the position? Or did he think she was so dense that she wouldn’t possibly unscramble the conundrum that was his business? Joe certainly regarded her with a measure of respect, never talking down to her. He often even complimented her on her wit and ability to quickly learn new techniques.
Her mind was constantly running in circles, unable to put him out of her thoughts for very long. And at night, when she lay in bed, she allowed her mind to run wild.
He was such a mystery—the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome.
Not to mention dangerous.
That much she knew to be true, even without any detailed evidence to back it up. Not long after starting her position with Joe, she had begun to pick away at his claim that he was simply a private investigator. It was true that being a PI was a hazardous career choice. He had his associates do the research for him so he could do the bulk of the field-work himself. Constantly having to sneak around, hiding in the shadows, discovering the sleaziest back-alley deals… there was a reason why it made a good front. To the outside observer, it would appear that Joe Sanford’s injuries and his secrecy were all just part of his job investigating affairs and tailing dangerous, powerful clients.
But Rose knew it was something more than that. It had to be. He was more than that. She bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly, her mind conjuring an image of him in his typical work ensemble: black, black, and more black. She vividly recalled how powerful he looked even as he was sprawled out in a hospital bed the day they first met. He had been like a wounded beast: temporarily weakened but still bristling with an unspeakable wildness just itching to burst free.
She wondered what it was like when he did let loose.
Lying in bed, she sighed and reached under the sheets, her hand trailing down to the warmth between her thighs. She slipped her fingers inside her silky panties and began to gently stroke herself, thinking of Joe. She wanted so badly to feel his muscular arms wrap around her, lift her up and take her the way she knew he really could. There was so much Rose wanted to do with him.
But it was inappropriate, and she knew it.
He was her boss.
And she absolutely could not do anything to risk losing this job. It was the first streak of good luck she’d come across in a very long time and she was not about to throw it all away over a crush.
Keep yourself together, she thought to herself as she withdrew her fingers from her aching clit and turned over in bed, willing herself to fall asleep. But even when she finally fell into unconsciousness, her dreams were filled with visions of Joe’s glistening, hard body.
Hours later, she awoke in a cold sweat, gasping as she sat up in bed. Her heart raced and she looked around, blinking in the darkness, recovering from a nightmare that was already slipping away out of memory. Rose couldn’t recall what she’d been dreaming about, only that there had been someone—no, something—chasing her.
Something big and strong and ferocious.
Something that was hungry for a taste of her blood.
She jumped in fear when the alarm clock on the nightstand went off before smacking it into silence. She took a deep breath and began her morning routine of showering, dressing, then getting the girls ready for the day.
After kissing Emma and Cassidy and waving goodbye to her parents, Rose headed off to catch the bus to work. She got into the office just as Joe was leaving for an early morning meeting of some sort.