Release!: A Walker Brothers Novel (The Walker Brothers #1)(34)

“I’m jealous. I don’t want any other man to see you in this dress. I’m afraid somebody will steal you away from me.” I was honest. I didn’t want her to be uncomfortable when she was just finding her confidence.

Her smile was worth my confession. “You’re so full of shit,” she told me with a laugh. “But I love it.”

She took the arm I held out to her, and I led her downstairs, never admitting that I had been completely serious about my fears.

*****



If I’d had any concerns about how Eva would mingle with my employees—which I actually never really did—any doubt would have been dissolved as I watched her from her place next to me at dinner. Her smile was genuine, and her interest in people was sincere. It was like my acquaintances could sense that she was really interested in their lives. And they had no problem talking about themselves.

There was nothing practiced or falsely polite about Eva. People were just naturally drawn to her smile.

I could relate to that. My dick had been continually hard because that smile affected me just that much.

After dinner, people had grouped together, most of them friends from the same area at work, or employees who worked in the same department.

I was trying to look interested in what the Vice President of Walker Corp was saying to me, but I didn’t want to hear about work. It was a damn Christmas party for God’s sake. Wasn’t he capable of shutting the hell up for just five minutes about work issues?

Finally, I held up a hand to silence him. “It’s a holiday party, Turner. Can’t we leave business behind for one night?”

“Of course, sir,” he answered nervously. “I just thought you wanted the numbers on this deal.”

I shook my head and looked at the earnest expression on the man’s face. He was a hard worker, and an executive in my company. How was it that I knew so little about his life? “Where’s your wife, Turner?”

“I’m not sure. I think she’s talking to some of the other wives.”

“I suggest you go find her and get her a drink.” It wasn’t really a suggestion. My voice was pretty insistent. “We can discuss business next week. Have fun, Turner. And relax for a while, man. Maybe take some time to appreciate your family.”


I knew he had two sons, and a beautiful wife who would do anything for him. He was a lucky guy.

He nodded abruptly. Smart man. No wonder I’d made him a VP. “Thank you, sir.” He hesitated before adding, “Merry Christmas, Mr. Walker.”

Hell, the guy was almost stammering. Was I usually that much of a Scrooge? “Merry Christmas, Turner.”

I watched thoughtfully as Turner scrambled away to find his wife. I knew every detail of what my employees did and what they handled at work. I found it strange that I didn’t even know how old Turner’s kids were. Come to think of it, I knew almost nothing personal about any of my executives. Maybe because I’d never bothered to ask. My business functioned like a tightly-run ship, and I was the * captain. Generally, this didn’t bother me, but as I’d watched Eva learn more personal things about my employees during one dinner than I’d discovered over years of employment, it was rather pathetic.

It wasn’t that I didn’t care about the people who worked for me. But I got so consumed with how efficiently the company ran that I didn’t have room in my life for anything more. Or maybe I was afraid of befriending any of them. Oh hell, I didn’t know why I was an *, I just knew that I was one.

I took a sip of my Scotch on the rocks and stared at Eva. I was across the room from her, and she was engaged in conversation with some women who were secretaries in the Contract Department. She wasn’t paying the least bit of attention to me, but I still felt like she was subconsciously beckoning me, luring me closer to her with every animated movement of her body, every adorable expression on her face.

This was how Eva was born to be: happy, expressive, and friendly to everybody who came into contact with her. It was how her life should have been…but wasn’t.

I knew who she’d spotted the minute I saw her expression change. Her arms, which had just been making expressive movements, dropped to her sides and her face became wary, her body tensing as she looked to her right and across the room.

Maybe I shouldn’t have invited her here. Maybe it was a mistake.

It killed me to see the light in Eva’s eyes dim, but there were things she deserved to know, and I’d invited Mrs. Mitchell here for that specific purpose. She’d begged me to be allowed to talk to Eva in person, but there was no way I was going to let my privacy—and Eva’s—be invaded in my home. Eva was safe, and I wanted her to continue to feel that way in my house. But I’d also understood, after finding out the details of Eva’s parentage, that she had to know the whole truth.

“Shit! I hope I don’t regret this,” I rasped in a quiet voice that nobody around me could hear.

I took another slug of my whiskey, watching the two women closely as the older woman made her way through the crowd to Eva. She slowly drew Eva away from the women she was talking to, and I saw a stubborn flash of temper on my sweet girl’s face that made me grin.

She can take care of herself.

Yeah, I knew Eva could defend herself, but I wanted to go to her because I knew seeing her accuser was going to make her vulnerable. However, I’d made a promise to Nora Mitchell that she could have a few minutes alone with Eva if she met her here tonight. I wanted Eva to have a neutral place, a venue where it didn’t matter if she had bad memories of her discussion with Nora.