Page 31 of Undeniable

“What was your training about today?” she asked.

She was always curious about my job. And any time we read a book that covered something I might be knowledgeable about, she’d ask insightful questions. Test how accurate the story was based on my experience.

“Stage work.”

“You’re going onstage?” she teased. “Let me guess. It’s a Magic Mike-type show.”

I laughed. “No, and hell no. I’m only going onstage if I need to in order to protect the principal. The client,” I clarified. “But hopefully we eliminate any threats before they get that far.”

“Have you ever done stage work before?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“Guess you’re not going to tell me who you were protecting, huh?” she asked.

“I can’t. It’s—”

“Confidential.” She finished for me. She knew I’d always tell her what I could, but there were certain aspects of my job that I could never share.

“You ever been to a Magic Mike show?” I asked, still stuck on that comment. It was the first time outside of a scene in a book that she’d mentioned anything sexual. And it had my mind spinning.

She giggled, the sound breathless and nervous. It went straight to my cock. “No.”

“You sure about that?” I teased, trying to understand her reaction.

“Alyssa went to one for a work event, but that’s not really my thing.”

“What? Hot guys?” I asked.

“I mean, the eye candy does look appealing. But I’d rather read a book and imagine a scene in my head than attend a Magic Mike show.”

Hmm. Interesting.I wondered just how hot the things she imagined were. Wondered if she ever imagined me. Fantasized about me.

“Wait.” I paused. “Don’t you two work together?” Were those the types of events Olivia was attending?

“She’s in marketing for romance. I’m general fiction.”

“Right,” I said, though my blood pressure was definitely still elevated. I didn’t like the idea of Olivia watching a bunch of attractive, muscular guys dance onstage. Get undressed onstage.

“And how was therapy?” she asked.

“Therapy—” I scrubbed a hand over my face. How much was I willing to share with her? I could’ve continued to let her believe I’d been referring to physical therapy, and I found myself settling on a version of the truth. “Therapy was hard.” Fucking brutal was more like it.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Sincerity rang throughout her tone, and I felt myself relax.

“Thanks. I just—I don’t want to be stuck doing a desk job. I’d much rather be in the field. Though it is nice to have a break from principals. They can be a pain in the ass.” My last one certainly had been. I was still dealing with the fallout from my assignment with the ambassador, and I had a feeling I would be for a while yet.

She laughed. “I’ll bet. Well, hopefully you’ll be able to get back out there before too long.” Her voice conveyed a sense of optimism I didn’t feel.

This was about more than my injury. This was about trust, respect. Those were the foundation of our work at Hudson Security. If my team couldn’t trust me, if I couldn’t trust myself, I was useless.

“I hope so.” I blew out a breath. “My injury is…has made things uncertain.” Though, really, it was the circumstances surrounding it. My “reckless” behavior, as Clay had called it.

The ambassador had fired us and refused to pay the outstanding money he owed Hudson—a rather significant amount. Supposedly, he’d threatened legal action, but so far, it seemed like all talk and no action. I hadn’t heard any updates on George’s wife and daughter, but that was to be expected. I seemed to be the only one who was concerned by the situation, and I hoped they were okay.

“It can be difficult to give up something you’re passionate about,” Olivia said. “But it can also create new opportunities that you never expected. It might not seem like it now, but your injury could be a positive thing.”

If someone like Clay or Decker or even Tatum had said something like that to me, I would’ve blown them off. I might’ve even gotten angry. But for some reason, it felt like Olivia truly understood.

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