Page 15 of Behind the Scenes

She didn’t see surprise in his eyes so much as something that resembled disappointment. Had he expected her to act like some helpless damsel in distress? If so, this job of his was going to be nothing but disappointment because she would never be that.

Better he started understanding who he was dealing with right now. She had no intention of being a spectator to her own life, no matter how good or bad it got.

“It seems you’ve been laboring under the false impression that I’m just some pathetic creature who needs your help. Well, let me disabuse you of that right now. Paul called your boss, not me. He’s the one who thinks you can help. As far as I can tell from how you’ve acted so far, you don’t seem any more capable of solving this case than the cops in the city where you used to work.”

Hunter stepped toward her, decreasing the space between them so much that she had to tilt her head back to keep staring him in the eye. Was this supposed to be some kind of intimidation tactic to get her to submit to his power?

If it was, he had grossly underestimated her.

He didn’t say anything for a long moment, and as Alexis stood her ground, she couldn’t help but notice how beautiful his eyes were. The darkest green she’d ever seen, they stared down at her with an intensity that made her feel like she was getting lost in their forest green color.

When he finally spoke, she felt like she’d been put under some kind of magical spell that made her want to listen to his deep voice.

“You’re going to find that my methods work best when the client doesn’t get in my way, Miss Marchand.”

Unlike when he’d spoken to her before, this time he didn’t sound rude or disrespectful. Hearing a hint of kindness in his tone, she responded with a question she wasn’t sure he could answer.

“Do you even know my first name?”

For a second, he said nothing. Just as she’d suspected. He didn’t even bother to note her name when he came barging into her world, thinking he could come in and take over and she’d be thrilled to let him mistreat her like that.

She made a move to turn away, to leave him standing there alone, but he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. Stunned, she couldn’t even bring herself to tell him off like she wanted to.

“Alexis.”

His voice washed over her, making her head swim. She’d never heard her name sound like that. Strong. Powerful. Confident. It made her want to hear him speak it again.

His intense stare unnerved her now, and she looked down at where his hand sat on her forearm. It should have enraged her, but strangely, it didn’t. His hand didn’t squeeze her so much as gently but insistently hold her right where he wanted her to remain. That alone should have infuriated her, but as she looked at his strong hands touching her skin, she didn’t feel angry at all.

Alexis looked up at him and tried to speak, but at first, nothing came out. Words became impossible as her mind whirled from his touch.

Finally, she gathered her thoughts and cleared her throat to speak. “Mr. McKary…Hunter, I work best when I’m an active participant in my life. You may be used to timid women, but I’m not one of them. I’m not tied to the railroad tracks. I respect your expertise. Please respect my desire to help in my own defense.”

When she finished, he said nothing and simply stared into her eyes as she looked up at him. It felt almost as if he didn’t know what to say either. And yet, Alexis had never felt so at ease with anyone this close to her since Jackson.

Hunter nodded and gave her a smile. “I can respect that, Alexis. Maybe we got off on the wrong foot before. Let’s start over again. Nice to meet you. I’m Hunter. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure this person stalking you is stopped.”

“Thank you, Hunter. It’s nice to meet you too.”

He smiled again, and this time Alexis noticed how sexy he looked when he wasn’t scowling. She liked that and hoped she’d get to see that side of him more.

“I think it would be a good idea if we talked about your staff. I need to know all about them, and you’re the best person to tell me about them. But first, I noticed that Paul calls you Lexi. Would you prefer me to call you that, or is that name reserved only for him?”

The sweetness she’d felt a second earlier instantly evaporated at hearing Paul’s pet name for her coming out of Hunter’s mouth. “No, I’d prefer Alexis, thank you.”

“Okay, Alexis. Now about your staff.”

“Just tell me what you need to know,” she said as she walked back to her favorite chair.

Hunter took a seat on the tan loveseat across from her, not in the chair further away near the desk. Alexis watched as he leaned back against the cushion and spread his arm across the top of it. Hunter looked like a man comfortable in his own skin, something she saw far too little of in all the men she’d ever met. She liked that kind of confidence. It looked good on him.

Even more interesting, he seemed comfortable with her now. No one but Lauren acted like that with her, and she’d known her since they were children.

He took out a pen and notepad from his shirt and began writing. “I need to know how long each person has been with you and if you’ve ever had any problem with any one of them.”

“Paul can give you all the details on that. He handles all the employees’ and their pay.”

Hunter looked up from his notes. “I need to know your point of view about these people. I’m trying to figure out who is stalking you, so hearing what you think of the people around you is important. If one of them has an ax to grind with you, knowing how you interact with them might help me figure out who’s behind it all.”

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