Never Gonna Happen - Cynthia Eden Page 0,88
fast.”
He reached for her hand. “I told you, I work better when you’re near.”
“I think that’s a lie.”
“I don’t lie to you. I lie to other people. I bullshit other people. I tell them what they want to hear, and yes, I am even an extremely selfish prick to the rest of the world. Back at the theater, Isaac had that part right.”
She swallowed. His touch made her whole body feel heated.
“I was trying to stay away at the police station because I hate that I put you in danger.”
“You were going to leave me.”
He shook his head. “Did you see how long that shit worked? I walked into Winston’s office, saw you, and knew I could never stay away.”
“You tried, though.” And that hurt.
“You were in my head every second that I was away from you.” He pressed his lips together, then he told her, “I’m sorry.”
“Couldn’t hear you.” She could hear him perfectly. She just wanted to hear the words again.
“I’m sorry. I’m an asshole. I’m very, very sorry.”
***
Ella rapped on Antony’s door. “Antony?” she called. “I need to talk to you.”
“Come in!”
She opened the door. Found him hunched over his keyboard. “Isaac Swain is demanding to see you.”
Antony looked up at her. Squinted behind the lenses of his glasses. “Who?”
“Isaac Swain,” she repeated and ignored the fact that he looked stupid cute with those glasses. Why did she always go for men in glasses? Keeping her voice brisk, she added, “Sebastian ordered all staff to stay on the premises.”
“Yes.” A nod. “They should. No one should leave.”
She waited. He didn’t say more. Had he missed the first announcement she’d made? “Isaac is demanding to speak with you for five minutes.”
“I’m working so no—”
“Please!” Isaac called from behind her. “It’s about covert intel!”
What in the hell did that mean?
But Antony had stiffened. “Send him in, now.”
She’d never heard quite that tone from Antony before. It put Ella on instant alert. “What’s wrong?”
His eyes—normally so warm and dark—were flat and cold. “I’d like to tell you, but it’s classified.”
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, spy boy, I’m the head of your security. You need to tell me everything.”
He leapt to his feet. “Why did you call me that?”
She stormed forward and slammed her hands down on his desk. She would not notice how sexy he looked with his tousled hair. “I called you that because you’re acting like some kind of spy wanna-be with your classified talk. I get that the tech intel here is important, but I can’t do my job efficiently if my hands are tied behind my back!”
“Your hands aren’t tied. They’re on my desk.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Sometimes, you drive me crazy.”
“Antony! We have to talk!” Isaac cried.
Right. Isaac. Not exactly employee of the year over there.
She motioned him forward. “Lucas, stay outside the door,” she told her guard. Maybe she’d stay in there with Isaac and Antony and monitor the situation—
Her phone buzzed. She looked down. Read the text.
“Dex and Winston are on the way up. I need to go meet them.” She nodded to Antony. “You good?”
He still had that hard, dangerous look about him. Weird. Because the man normally looked like a handsome nerd to her. This was different…
He was different.
“I’m good,” he assured her.
She brushed by Isaac. Isaac was still gripping his precious box of, well, whatever. Staplers? Coffee cups? “Five minutes,” she reminded him. “And then you’re done.”
Ella hurried outside. She made sure that Lucas kept his position, and then she went straight for the elevator.
These men were getting on her nerves. How was she supposed to protect the company if Sebastian and Antony kept leaving her in the dark?
Chapter Twenty-One
“I’ll give it up.”
Alyssa’s brows drew together. “What are you talking about now?”
“As soon as I see Dex, I’m telling him that I’m out. I’ll walk away from the spy world. It won’t eliminate the threats. I hate that. When I signed on, I didn’t know—couldn’t plan on you. If I could go back in time, I’d stop. If I knew you were in the future for me, I’d do everything right. I wouldn’t ever do anything to put you in danger, I swear it.”
She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. “Stop.” Alyssa kissed him again.
His hands rose and curled around her hips.
“I think you did a whole lot right,” she whispered. “I’m not asking you to give up the spy life for me. I’m not asking you to change for me.”
“Baby, I would give up everything