Page 36 of Guarded King

Chloe’s watching me, hands clasped in her lap, eyes bright. “Are you going to be an uncle?”

I rub my hand over my head. “Sounds like it.” With another look at the files on the coffee table, I square my shoulders. “We’ll have to go with what we’ve got. It should be enough. Send everything down to Legal, and then we’ll head out.” I check my watch. “How do you usually get home?”

“I catch the bus. There should be one coming soon.”

I’m shaking my head before she’s even finished. “I’ll give you a lift. Phillip can drop me off at the hospital first, then take you home.”

She opens her mouth, probably ready to protest, but I hold up a hand. “It’s not up for discussion, Chloe.” Her name rolls off my tongue a little too easily, and I like the way her lashes flutter and her lips part in response.

But now’s not the time to get distracted by my too-pretty assistant. I’ve got somewhere to be.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHLOE

The engine purrs quietly as Phillip navigates the big car through heavy traffic.

Roman is silent beside me. Tense. It’s a different kind of tension than what I’m used to sensing from him. There’s no simmering anger, no undercurrent of energy humming in the air between us.

He’s probably nervous about the birth, and with good reason. From what I’ve gathered, this will be the first child for any of the three brothers. It’s heartwarming really, that he’s concerned. Who would’ve thought Roman King would be a nervous uncle-to-be?

My boss is full of surprises.

“Thank you for your efforts tonight.”

The deep baritone of his voice breaks the silence, and I fight back a shiver as the words seem almost to vibrate against my skin.

“Do you think you’ll make it to the meeting with InnovaCore tomorrow, or should I reschedule?”

He runs his hand down his face, his body loose with exhaustion. He still has a long night ahead of him too.

“I’ll make it in,” he says.

I shouldn’t be surprised. The man’s a workaholic, after all.

As we pull up outside the hospital, he looks out the window, then back to me. “Phillip will drop you at home and I’ll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early.”

I smile softly at him and, on instinct, touch the back of his hand. “I hope everything goes well.”

He looks down, but before I can regret my impulsive decision to touch him, he turns his hand over and wraps his long fingers around mine. “Thank you, Chloe.”

His tone is pitched so low, it’s like dark velvet dragging over my skin. I can’t stop the shudder of need rippling through me.

His fingers tighten, and then he’s releasing me and climbing out of the car.

When the heavy door slams shut behind him, Phillip eyes me in the rearview mirror. “Where to?”

Shaking off my reaction to Roman’s touch, I’m about to give Phillip my address when I catch sight of a shiny black object on the dark leather seat.

I snag it and hold it up. “Roman left his phone. Let me see if I can catch up with him.”

Without waiting for a response, I push the car door open and jog to the doors Roman entered a few seconds ago, cursing my heels the whole way.

Inside, I scan the large open space, and when I don’t see him, I make my way to the security booth in the center of the atrium.

“Can I help you?” the woman behind the desk asks.

“My boss just came through here. Roman King.” I hold his cell up. “He left this in his car. Can I take it to him please?”

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