Page 32 of Daddies Dark Desires (Forbidden Fantasies)
“Why are you spying on me?” My voice comes out soft, almost hurt, and I hate it. I’m not one to showcase my weaknesses.
When you’re a brat, people leave you alone. Don’t ask why you’re upset. They let you deal with it on your own.
I don’t want Oliver to see it. Don’t want him to watch me squirm in my emotions.
The way his gaze cuts to me has me trembling even harder. It’s not hard. Not soft. Just…observant. Like he can see all of me.
“I would never spy on you, Harper.” His voice is neutral, eyes assessing.
“What would you call it then?” Because it looks like he’s been watching me. Why would he look into the computer when I was on it otherwise? How much has he seen while I’ve been working here?
My fingers dig into the edges of my bag.
Fuck, Harper. You’re such an idiot.
Just because he hasn’t called me on it doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what I’ve been doing. Not if he’s got footage like this.
“I would call it my job.” He’s so still, so cold. I want to reach out, touch him, see if he’s real. See if he’s warm under all of that armor. What has he been through to make him this way? “What would you call what you were doing?”
I sit up straighter, unwilling to admit to anything more than he’s accusing me of. “Research.”
“Research.” Another flat tone. He swivels toward me, taking me in.
What does he see when he looks at me?
I nod, squaring my shoulders. It is research. I’m looking for the monsters who killed my father. If no one else will look, I will.
“And you were going to rope one of the other interns into this…research?”
How did he?—
Time for a redirect. Time for me to get some truths out of him.
“How often do you watch over me? Is it just in the office? Or is it other places, too?” I latch onto my bravado, because now that I’ve asked, I’m not sure I can handle whatever answer he gives me.
He just stares at me. His body language is detached and lethal, but his eyes are a blaze of emotions. Dark ones.
My heart thunders as I refuse to look away. No more weaknesses.
“Well?” I ask.
“I decrypted the files, but I still need a password to get past the last step. Only four tries.”
That blinks me out of the indignation building in my chest at his not answering my question. He’s already decrypted them?
My grip on my bag loosens. No need to clutch it like a lifeline. Not if he’s already in.
“Four? Have you tried any yet?” What is he waiting for? Why put this whole thing on if he’d already gotten so far without my help.
“No. I want your help analyzing my options. As his daughter and as a profiler.”
This earns me a little pride. After all, he hadn’t found these files until I uncovered them. He might not have ever if he wasn’t monitoring my moves this afternoon.
I hold up a finger because this is what I planned to work on through the night with Sunny. She doesn’t need to wait on me if Oliver has already gotten this far.
Pulling out my phone, I shoot her a quick text.
Going to be a while. Update you in the morning?
