Page 65 of A Reclusive Heart

“Because of the threat. If you’re around me, you’ll get hurt.”

“And you don’t want me to get hurt?” Nick asked, watching the way that she hesitated before shaking her head. “Because you love me?”

“Maybe,” she mumbled, pulling her hands free so that she could play with one of the buttons on his shirt.

“And you thought by pushing me away that you were protecting me,” Nick guessed.

“It was the only way,” she mumbled with a helpless shrug.

“I see,” Nick murmured absently, wondering if he should just spank her ass now or cut off her chocolate supply. It was his job to protect her and he really didn’t appreciate the interference. It was sweet that she tried to protect him, but really, the woman needed to let him do his damn job, Nick decided with a heartfelt sigh as he made his choice and decided to make sure the little pain in his ass knew exactly how much he loved her.

CHAPTER 31

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Nick said, swiping the large coffee roll with extra icing out of her hand.

“But I need that!” Jamie said as she tried to snatch it back, but Nick simply ignored her as he put the coffee roll back in the white bakery box and dropped the box in the top drawer of the black filing cabinet near his desk. When he closed the drawer and locked it, she considered kicking him in the shin and snatching the key out of his hand.

“No, you don’t,” Nick murmured as he pulled her into his arms and pressed a soft kiss against her lips. “You’ve already met your sugar quota this morning,” he reminded her before taking her hand in his and gave it a gentle pull as he made his way towards the door.

“You don’t get to set my sugar quota,” Jamie muttered pathetically as she threw a look of longing over her shoulder at the filing cabinet.

“I do when I wake up at three in the morning to discover a mound of empty candy bar wrappers-”

“It wasn’t a mound,” she muttered as he pulled her into the busy hallway.

“-on my bed and the bedroom light on so that you could tear through your boxes and bags in search of your next fix,” Nick continued, sounding amused as she kept her gaze locked on the hallway floor covered in fresh vacuum lines.

“Junk food soothes me,” she reminded him with a sad little sniffle as she thought about that box of baked goods waiting for her in his office.

After he’d spanked her, and she still couldn’t believe the big jerk spanked her or more importantly, her reaction to it, he’d taken her in what seemed like every room and every position that he could think of as though he was trying to prove something. The only thing he’d managed to prove was that the man was a god in bed, or rather, on the couch, the stairs, against the wall, and in the shower.

Every time she tried to explain that it wasn’t safe for him to stay with her ended with a murderous glare and her screaming his name. The man was too damn stubborn to think clearly. She knew that he felt protective of her, which was sweet, but she could take care of herself, and besides, the police were looking into it. Plus, she was planning on being careful, really careful, so there really wasn’t anything to worry about.

After a moment, she realized that the normally busy office that made her nervous was eerily quiet. Frowning, Jamie glanced up only to immediately regret that decision when she realized that everyone was watching them. She felt her cheeks burn as the realization that they’d watched her have sex made her stomach drop.

What she wouldn’t give to make a run for it.

Nick suddenly stopped, causing her to slam into his back, but he barely noticed as he leveled a glare at their audience. “Is there a problem?” he asked calmly, but there was no mistaking the fury in his tone as he silently dared someone to say something.When no one spoke, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze before they continued making their way down the long hallway.

A moment later, he pulled her into one of the boardrooms and-

“Dana, what the hell are you doing here?” Nick asked, drawing her attention to find Dana and Edward Pierce sitting at the table.

“I decided to attend this meeting since it affects my next book,” Dana explained, sending Jamie a discreet wink that had her biting her lip.

“Please have a seat,” Rick said, giving them a forced smile as he gestured for them to sit across from Dana and Edward while Jamie took in the men and women sitting around the large table and noted that none of them looked happy to see them.

Knowing that she really didn’t have a choice, Jamie slowly exhaled as she forced herself to cross the room and sat down. She needed to do this for Nick, Jamie reminded herself as the scent of cheap perfume hit her seconds before the sounds of high heels hitting the hardwood floor filled the room. Swallowing hard, Jamie looked up in time to watch Holly sit down across from them with an expression that had her stomach dropping.

“Why don’t we begin?” Nick suggested as he entwined their fingers and faced off against the men and women that were here to fire him.

But that was fine because she was ready for this.

As soon as they fired him, she was going to find the best lawyer that money could buy to get her out of the iron-clad contract that she’d signed. This wasn’t right. Nick didn’t deserve to be fired and she was going to make sure that he-

“Miss Harris,” the man sitting next to Rick said, drawing her attention to find him watching her with a pitying look, “you’re fired.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Jamie asked as the thumb that had been gently caressing the back of her hand went still.

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