Tempted & Taken (Men of Haven #4)(38)
“You don’t like people to work remote. You’re the kingpin of micromanagers and don’t trust anything you can’t see with your own security cams. Hell, you’d hover over every one of our employees if you could figure out how to pull it off and still get work done.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not gonna hover over her. I already muddied the lines. I don’t need to make it worse and I need you to help me the fuck out.”
Beckett studied him a minute, one elbow planted on top of Knox’s desk and his finger doing that push/pull thoughtful tell along his lower lip. Knox was just about to stand and bail when Beckett dropped his arm, nudged the box of donuts closer to Knox and stood. “Have a donut, brother. You look like you could use the sugar rush.”
With that he ambled toward the exit.
“Are you gonna cover this?” Knox called over one shoulder.
Beckett waved him off without so much as a glance. “Don’t sweat it, brother. I’ve got your back.”
Chapter Fourteen
A new day and a new start. Yesterday, Darya had let herself nurse the mother of all sex hangovers as long as she’d wanted, but today was fresh. All business.
Or at least that was the goal.
With one last slow exhale, she closed her eyes and pictured herself detached. Professional and calm. She’d used the same visualization to get her through all kinds of tense conversations at Yefim’s side. Negotiations that covered ridiculous sums of money and thinly veiled references to murder. Surely the tactic would work on a man who made her sex weep with a single dirty look.
She popped the handle on her Challenger and stepped into the late-July heat. Even at ten ’til ten in the morning, the air was thick with the promise of a scorching afternoon.
The security latch clicked open on the tinted double doors before she’d even lifted her arm to open it, and a second later the super-chilled air from inside wafted against her skin.
“The new victim arrives!” Katy stood behind her desk and held out her hand. “I mean trainee, of course, but you’ll appreciate the term victim by the time Knox deems you ready for prime time.”
Darya shook her hand, grateful for the levity as well as the warm welcome. “I don’t mind hard work. And he speaks very highly of you.”
“Only because I’m as stubborn as he is and stuck at it until I proved he’d be better off with me than without me.” She sat back down, held up one finger and snatched the phone from its cradle. After she’d pushed a few buttons, she anchored the earpiece in place with her shoulder and said to Darya, “Knox gave me the rundown this morning. Said you already had your assignments for the next few days, but asked me to teach you the ropes on app support.”
Before Darya could respond, she snapped to attention as if someone had answered the other line. “Hey, Beck. Darya’s here.” She smiled at whatever he said then volleyed back with, “Yeah, got it.” She slid the phone back in place. “Beckett’s on his way up.”
“Beckett?”
“Yeah, he’s gonna handle your scans and get you set up in the office. Just head back this way when you’re done and I’ll walk you through our ticketing system and how we triage everything.”
Beckett.
Not Knox.
Not even so much as a hello.
It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did, but the realization packed an immense punch. An unprotected blow square to the center of her belly. But could she blame him? He’d told her no strings and no expectations, and she’d agreed. Had even implied her feelings ran the same way. Now it was time to do her part, even if it was all a load of crap.
Katy motioned to Darya’s outfit. “You know, the dress code’s casual here. Jeans, sweats—heck one time, Misty showed up in flannel pajamas. Though, in fairness, that time she was just popping in before she had to run an errand for Knox.”
Darya scanned her linen sheath dress. The cut was simple and the buff color soft against her skin, but dressing for the office had helped her distance herself mentally. Still, cutting back on the dry-cleaning bill would be good. “Who’s Misty?”
“Knox’s assistant. She’s not exactly technically savvy, but she’s wicked good at keeping everyone’s rabid squirrels in a row.”
The heavy steel door to her right chunked open and Beckett ambled out. Of all the brothers, he’d always seemed the scariest in pictures—tall enough nearly everyone looked up to him with impressive muscle to balance his height. His dark chocolate hair was cropped close on the sides, only marginally longer on top, lending more severity to his strong, square jaw, but it was the quiet lethalness that emanated from behind his blue eyes that put people on edge. A deadly panther always poised and ready to pounce.
Yet today a huge smile split his chiseled face. “Hey, JJ.”
Nine months she’d carried her friend’s name and accepted it as her own, but hearing it now felt clunky. Wrong. As though she’d slipped her shoes on the wrong feet and gone for a stroll regardless.
He motioned to Katy. “Katy’s already got most of your information entered in the system. We’ll just need you to confirm your social and all the other details.”
Oh. Right. Just because she’d shared her real name with Knox and his brothers didn’t mean she could do the same with the rest of the world. Mistakes like that would crush what little normalcy Jeannie’s gift had created for her. “Thank you. Of course.”