The twinkling in Mike’s brown eyes said that he knew what Duncan was doing. By downplaying his job at Mills Security and asking him why he was there, Duncan had sent the message to Mike that he would take him on for Kayla. Mike being Mike, he was enjoying Duncan’s alpha attitude and clearly not bothered by it.
“No, I can’t. I have to give a class tonight, and I’m taking Kayla out to dinner tomorrow.”
“Excuse me? No you’re not.” Kayla bristled while throwing the loose strands of long blonde hair that hung over her breast back over her shoulder with a brisk flick of the wrist.
“I’m going to see if Don needs my help. See you later, Kayla. Good luck, Duncan.” Mike winked before walking into Donovan’s office and closing the door behind him.
“Why not?”
“Duncan... we can’t go out toget—”
“Sure we can. I’m picking you up at seven.”
Kayla rose from her chair, walked out from behind her desk, and stood before him with her hands gripping her narrow hips. His eyes trailed over her curves, but when she cleared her throat, he looked up into her eyes.
“I’m already going out tomorrow. I can’t.”
He flinched but wasn’t discouraged, as she hadn’t told him no. He took a step closer to her and held her eyes as he said, “Call it off. Go out with me.”
“I... I can’t. I’m going out with friends for a birthday celebration.”
He knew then that she wanted him too. She wasn’t going on a date with another guy but with friends. And when he gazed into her eyes, he knew that she had wanted to accept his invitation.
“Okay, wildflower. Thursday.”
Kayla nodded but never broke eye contact. He took another step toward her, but just as he was about to take her hand, the phone rang on her desk and she quickly turned toward the offending machine.
Kayla cleared her throat, and before she picked up her phone, she smiled at Duncan and softly said, “Thursday.”
In the last few weeks,Kayla had been busy working at Mills Security as Donovan Mills’s assistant, and she was happy to feel so productive again. Donovan and the other guys were really nice to work for, and her previous job experiences in the advertising world helped her in assisting them wherever she could.
Kayla had recovered for a month in her new apartment without any familiar faces around, and it had begun to feel pretty lonesome, but she didn’t feel sorry for herself. She knew moving across the country was necessary, and landing this job ensured her stay here in Austin so she could stay safe.
It was Wednesday morning, in her third week of employment. Kayla was up at 7:30 a.m. to make sure she arrived on time at work. The traffic in Austin was a nightmare, so she had to leave early.
When she did a brief check in the full-length hallway mirror on her way to the front door, her reflection was of a confident-looking twenty-nine-year-old woman who held her head up high. The bruises on her face were gone, so she could opt for a natural look, and she only used some mascara and lip gloss.