Page 40 of Guarding her Gangster Girl

But it’s not possible, of course. Nik is just with me on loan. Someday soon, Eva Novak will click her fingers and Nik will have to go running back.

And all I’ll have is this memory of us together.

CHAPTER 18

Nik

I stretch languidly,savoring the warmth of Brie’s body next to mine. My fingertips trace lazy patterns on her skin, committing every curve to memory.

Most people don’t notice me when I’m walking behind Eva. Hell, most people don’t notice anythingexceptEva when she walks into a room.

But Brie Colombo noticed me. And she wasn’t just saying that, either, about being obsessed since the first time she saw me in that meeting room. I saw how she looked at me, over Eva’s perfect shoulder, those eyes that slid right past astonishing beauty and charisma, locking with mine instead.

Almost like…

Like we were meant to be.

“Tell me about yourself,” I murmur, genuinely curious about the woman who’s managed to captivate me so thoroughly. “What were you like as a kid?”

Brie’s eyes cloud over for a moment before she answers. “I grew up in a trailer park in West Virginia. Not exactly a glamorous backstory.”

I prop myself up on an elbow, giving her my full attention. “And how did you get from there to here?”

“Simple. I decided I was never going to be poor again.” Her fingers play with a strand of her hair. “You know, up until recently, that was my only goal. Make sure I was safe and financially secure, and always would be, no matter what.”

The raw honesty in her voice strikes a chord within me. I’ve seen my share of people clawing their way out of poverty, but there’s something different about Brie, something thatkeepsher fighting, even now. A titanium core beneath that glittering exterior.

“And now?” I ask, genuinely curious. “What’s your focus?”

Her eyes harden, replacing the vulnerability of moments ago. “Finding Terry’s killer and making the bastard pay. Him or her.”

It’s a dark path, the path of vengeance, but one I’ve walked myself. So I can’t judge her for it.

“And then…I’m not sure.” Her voice has turned vague. “Anyway, what about you?” Brie turns the tables, her gaze sharp and inquisitive. “What made you join the Novak Consortium?”

I hesitate, weighing how much to reveal. But after her openness, I owe her some truth. “Family legacy,” I say finally. “My father, and his father before him, had a long association with the Novaks and the Consortium. And I was trained from childhood to take his place someday. He never had a son, you see. But…that never mattered to him.”

Brie’s eyebrows rise. “So it’s similar to Colombos, in a sense. A kind of family business.”

I shrug, aiming for nonchalance. “It’s all I’ve ever known. After my father…died, after that, I wanted to prove myself. Make him proud.”

“You didn’t prove yourself enough when you took out his killer?”

“That was different. Personal. The Consortium—it’s business.”

“And guarding me helps your position in the business?”

The words slip out before I can stop them. “I don’t know. But I could hardly refuse an order from Eva.”

The moment the sentence leaves my mouth, I know I’ve fucked up. Brie’s entire demeanor shifts, the warmth in her eyes cooling rapidly. She sits up, the sheet falling away to reveal her perfect body, but all I can focus on is the shutter I’ve accidentally slammed down between us.

“Well,” she says, her voice clipped. “I suppose we should get dressed. How about lunch at the clubhouse?”

Before I can apologize, she’s already heading for the shower, leaving me alone in the rumpled bed. I flop back onto the pillow, throwing an arm over my eyes.

“Fuck,” I mutter to the empty room.

I lie there, staring at the ceiling, wishing I could rewind time just a few minutes. One minute we’re sharing intimacies, the next I’m reminding her that I’m just here on orders.

---