Page 8 of When He Defends
Gray’s head angled to the right as he studied her and ignored the ringing phone. “You’re not giving up this freelance gig, are you?”
No, she wasn’t. Emerson shook her head. She wouldn’t give up the gig, but she would give up the dream of working with him.The man can never know I was a super fan. That I studied his case files long before we ever met.
“Stubborn,” he muttered, and then Gray answered her phone. “Hello, Senator Marlowe.” His voice was curt. Annoyed. “Your daughter is busy right now. Can’t chat.”
Her eyes widened. No, he had not answered her phone at…her gaze darted toward the bedside clock.12:43 a.m.
“Who am I?” Gray laughed. A rough, oddly seductive sound. “I’m the man in her motel room, of course. Look, you get what you pay for. You wanted me to be with Emerson twenty-four seven, and I take that kind of work seriously.”
No, no, no, no. She frantically waved at him. Tried to lunge for the phone.
He winked at her and effortlessly dodged her lunge.
Winked.The man did not know what he was doing.
“Oh, yes, this is Gray Stone. At your service, or Emerson’s service, I should say. I’m here in her motel room?—”
“What is wrong with you?”Emerson gasped. She snatched the phone from him on her second, desperate attempt and put it to her ear. “Mother, I want you to contact the FBI. I can’t believe that you threatened to demote Grayson if he didn’t?—”
“Gray,” he cut in to say.
“—if he didn’t work with me.”
There was silence on the line. Emerson’s heartbeat raced in her chest.
“Hello, Emerson,” her mother finally said in her perfect, polished tone. A tone that no longer held any hint of her Maine accent. She’d lost all traces of an accent years ago. Though, onthe campaign trail, she would deliberately slip back to her roots, like dropping her “r” at the end of words. “I do believe I recently missed your call.” A brief pause. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this late-night chat?”
Emerson held Gray’s stare. She swallowed the lump in her throat and, even though she knew the answer, she asked, “Did you threaten to have Agent Stone demoted if he didn’t agree to work with me?”
Another beat of silence. Then, “You wanted to work with Gray Stone very badly,” her mother replied.
One of Gray’s brows quirked up. Of course, he would have heard that line.He still does not know I am a super fan.
“I was simply trying to help you,” her mother continued. “After some discussion, Agent Stone agreed to take you on in a mentoring capacity, so, really, there were no…threats. Let’s not use that word, shall we? Let’s not say?—”
“You threatened him,” Emerson cut in. “I didn’t want you involved in this at all.” She had never intended for her mother to use her political influence to get Emerson the job. She’d wanted to pave her own path. “I am telling you now—back off. Leave Agent Stone alone. Leave my work at the Bureau alone. I can handle myself.” There. Done. “Good night, Mother.”
Her mother hummed. “Sorry it was a failed experiment. I did tell you, though, numerous times, that the Bureau would never be the place for you. Far too rough and dangerous. You wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure, isn’t that what I warned you?”
Yes, over and over again, her mother had said Emerson couldn’t handle the work.You were wrong, Mother. You still are.
“Good night, darling.” Her mother seemed pleased.Click.
A failed experiment.Emerson made certain she didn’t crush the phone in her too-tight grip. “There.” She pasted a false smile on her face. “Situation handled. If I am really such a terribleinconvenience to you…”A pain in your ass.“Then consider the inconvenience over.”
He studied her with zero expression on his face. Just standing there. All muscled and intense, and, damn him, sexy as he took her in. Assessed her. Judged her.
Then, slowly, he nodded. “If we weren’t partners any longer, then I could do what I really wanted to do…”
What was he talking about? She tossed the phone toward the bed with a weary sigh. It had honestly been a soul-exhausting day. “What’s that? Yell at me? Tell me how I’m the bane of your existence? Oh, wait, been there, done that. Super fun, just so you know. But, I can assure you, no need for a repeat performance.”
He stepped toward her. His hand reached out. Curled beneath her chin. As before, his touch was incredibly careful.
And…sexual. This time, there was definitely a fierce, charged heat in his touch. And in his eyes. In fact, Gray stared at her as if he could—quite possibly—eat her alive.
There was no control in his stare. No anger. Just bright, burning lust.
“What is happening right now?” Emerson whispered.
