Inevitable - Kristen Granata Page 0,15

me back to my place, allowing myself to enjoy the feel of his large hand wrapped around mine for those short moments.

“Night, Big Guy.” I pat him on the shoulder and leave him in the hallway as I stumble to my bedroom, my head a swirling mess of drunken thoughts.

I do like predictable guys. It softens the blow when they hurt you. But nothing about Graham is predictable.

Which means I’m in big fucking trouble.

Chapter Five

Graham

I’m in big fucking trouble.

I’m supposed to be pretending to be Eva’s bodyguard, not getting drunk and telling her how incredible she is while we’re alone in the stairwell.

Dad would shit a brick if he found out. Then again, I could say I’m just following his orders, gaining Eva’s trust. He’d believe it.

But the truth is, she’s distracting me more than anything. I was up all night thinking about her, when I should be thinking about the real reason I’m here.

I need to get back inside Montalbano’s office. But I slept through my alarm this morning and missed my chance to catch him before he left for work, which also means I missed my chance to get another invite into his home. Had I not been out late drinking with his daughter last night, I’d have been here early enough.

So, today’s mission is to focus.

And not on Eva.

I’m just finishing my second cup of coffee when Eva struts into the hallway. She’s in a short and flowy black dress with tiny red roses all over it. Much more innocent and subdued than her usual attire, but her combat boots and leather jacket add that edge she goes for. As rich as her family is, she doesn’t flaunt it with brand names and designer purses. She beats to her own drum.

Her devilish smirk is in place like I knew it would be. No doubt she woke up feeling vulnerable after our talk last night. So today, she’s back to attitude and sass.

I’d say it’s better that way, but I happen to like that feisty assertiveness she exudes.

I like it a lot.

“Morning, Big Guy. Busy day. Hope I didn’t wear you out too much last night.”

“Don’t worry about me.” I hand her the latte I bought her on the way over this morning, and note the way her lips part in surprise. Something that tells me she’s taken care of in this big, expensive tower, but nobody truly takes care of her. She blows it off, saying she can take care of herself, and she can. I have no doubt.

But she deserves more.

I know I can’t give that to her. I’d be a fool to think I could while I’m in the position I’m in. But there’s no harm in brightening her day with a cup of coffee.

Right?

Inside the elevator, she slips on a large pair of sunglasses. We lean against opposing walls, staring at each other from behind our dark frames. She needs to wear them more often. It’s the only thing protecting me from that doe-eyed look she gave me last night when she gazed up at me as we said goodnight.

The kind of look that makes me think she sees something in me that’s worth a second glance.

The kind of look that makes me want to show her that there is.

The kind of look that makes me want to grab her and plant a kiss on that smart mouth of hers.

Which I absolutely cannot do.

Like I said ... I’m in big fucking trouble.

“What happened to you last night?” Deanna asks. “You disappeared and Dominick walked back into the party with a massive bruise on his face.”

I smirk, glad to know I left my mark on that prick’s face.

“Wish I could say it was from me.” Eva jerks her thumb in my direction. “Big Guy put him in his place.”

Deanna’s eyes flick between the two of us. “Really?”

Eva nods, holding up a place card. “I think we should move Mrs. DeAngelis. If we keep her at Table Four, she’ll get into it with Mrs. Bromley.”

Deanna snatches the place card out of her hand. “Put her wherever. Now tell me what happened last night!”

Eva sighs, her shoulders slumping forward. “Nothing happened, Dee. Dominick mouthed off so my body guard punched him. Then we left. There’s nothing to tell. Now can we please focus on the seating chart? I told you, I need everything to be perfect for this event.”

“Everything will be perfect. You need to relax. You’re putting too much stress on yourself.”

“I just want to give