Page 35 of Daddies Dark Desires (Forbidden Fantasies)
“But I used a different log in, a different computer. I made it so no one could trace it back to me.” Her eyes narrow at Oliver. “Unless they were actively watching me from some camera feed.”
And what did she go digging in on a different computer? Her being in the stacks has been troubling enough, but if she’s hacked into our own system… “And how did you manage to get a log in other than your own? To get past our clearance?”
Her chin lifts. “None of your business.”
I lean down into her face, relishing how she doesn’t flinch back or tremble. “It is literally our business. Where did you get the clearance?”
Harper juts out her chin.
“It’s not about what she found.”
That draws us out of our staring contest, and I turn to meet his gaze. His emotions have become a physical thing, pulling back his shoulders, making him fidgety when he can usually slump in one position for hours.
“Bring her to Grant.”
“Excuse you.” Harper’s indignant response nearly pulls a smile out of me.
I take her by the arm and help her to her feet. She slaps at my hold, trying to pull out of it. She can’t. I’ve had too much practice with women like her to give her an inch of space, and she won’t get me with those heels either.
She slaps at me again. “Excuse you, too. I am not some chess piece for you to move around where you please.”
“Come on. This is for your safety.” I tighten my grip on her just enough for her to know not to test me.
Not that it works. Harper scoffs and tries to yank her arm free again, but I pull her along, and she has to move to keep her feet under her.
I wouldn’t put it past her to stop and drop into dead weight. A smart enough move in this instance, but I would simply throw her over my shoulder, and she must see that because although she continues to fight me, she doesn’t do much that would actually be effective in this scenario.
Still, she pulls and drags her feet the entire way to Grant’s office, repeating, “Let go of me. I don’t know who gave you the right to manhandle me. I am not consenting to this. Let me go.”
None of it deters me. Harper’s simply acting like the brat I’ve always known her to be.
Once I’ve her inside Grant’s office, I let go of her and shut the door behind me, leaning against it as Harper plants her fists on her hips and glares up at me.
I almost want to smile at her.
Grant stands immediately from behind his desk, that calm fury wafting off him in waves.
I look over her head at his questioning frown. “We’ve been breached. Oliver is shutting it down. I don’t have a lot of details other than it’s centered on Harper and whatever she’s been digging into when she shouldn’t be.”
“Well, fuck.”
My thoughts exactly.
Harper spins to keep us both in her line of vision, cheeks red and proverbial smoke spilling from her ears. It’s adorable.
“We’ll need to increase our precautions.” Grant runs a hand over his chin and jaw, looking Harper up and down, assessing.
She stamps her foot and pivots, charging toward Grant’s desk where she plants her palms and glares up at him like he’s any less immobile on this. “What precautions?”
They stare at each other for a long time, just like she would have done with me. This girl has one giant backbone and no sense of the danger swarming.
“Ones that keep you safe. The same ones your dad would do if he were here.” Grant’s voice is low, not soothing per se, but filled with the kind of authority that’s hard to rail against.
And maybe it’s the small spark of genuine concern that deflates her aggressive stance. Or the fact that we would never use the memory of her father against her unless she was in serious danger.
She pulls away from his desk and runs a hand through her hair.
Grant’s hands curl into fists at his sides before he meets my gaze again.
