I could move.
“You on drugs?”
My attention snapped to him, clarity hitting me like a freight train. “No, sir.” For some fucked up reason I straightened my posture and clacked my heels together like my fucking Sergeant Major was here.
“Steroids –“
“Never taken that shit. I’m big because I work hard. I live in the gym.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Nothing else needed my time. Until now.”
He bobbed his head, his assessing gaze was terrifying, like he could see inside me. I respected the man for not backing down.
“You’re a big man, with a lot of angry energy.”
“With all due respect, you know nothing about me.”
“You had a traumatic past as a child, placed with a temporary family while your brothers were put in care. You were in the military sixteen years before being discharged. You’ve seen a lot.”
“How the fuck do you know that?”
“You’re here to protect my daughter. I had a right to know.”
“You had no right.”
“I refuse to put Aloura in harm’s way. I do my homework.”
The fucking bastard had me there. I hated he knew my sordid past, but I had to respect a man that would go to those lengths to protect his child.
The door to Aloura’s house opened. Her laughter floated over me like a soothing balm. And the rat came scampering out to fuss around Graham’s legs. I turned my head to look over at her and nearly fell to my knees. She was sweaty, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“Hey.” She grinned at her dad, then used the same gorgeous smile on me. Her bun was messy, like she had been rolling around in bed. Her cheeks were ruddy, and she had a sexy glow about her. She placed her delicate hands on her hip and bent forward as if stretching her back and leg muscles. Her sweatpants hung loose on her legs, hiding what I knew had to be long toned legs. Her pale pink shirt hugged her delicious curves like a second skin and didn’t quite meet the top of her pants, leaving about an inch of bare skin. That’s when I noticed the tattooed hand wrapped around her middle, right over that naked sliver of skin.
I snapped my attention to the guy whispering in her ear and making her laugh. He grinned at her when she elbowed him in the stomach. Bare stomach, because the asshole was topless and covered in ink.
“Well, I would love to stay and chat, but I have a business to run. Although all I want to do is go home and sleep since she tried to kill me with that particular workout.” The guy pulled his button down over his arms and fastened the buttons as he leaned over and pecked Aloura on the cheek. With each button he turned from tattooed cocky bastard to business man. I noticed ink peeking out of the top of his shirt, going up his neck. His hair was dark brown, but currently messy and glistening with sweat. He hopped down the steps, still fastening his shirt, and held his hand out to Graham. The other man took it and pulled him in for a hug. Graham patted him on the back, smiling happily.
“I see the muscle finally arrived,” the tattooed guy joked to Graham. That’s when cocky bastard turned to me. His grey button down was fastened all but the top. He slowly rolled his sleeves up.
“I’m Harry.” He nodded his head, but offered no more. Harry Cocky Bastard - had a certain ring to it. Although Harry as a name didn’t quite suit the hard exterior.
“The muscle.” I deadpanned. He barked out a laugh, casting a glance over his shoulder to Aloura. “Bye babe, go soak your muscles. I’ll work you over again tomorrow.” He grinned at her when she wrinkled her nose in disgust . He laughed again and headed towards the side of the house to the garage. A few moments later a roar of an engine and then a sleek black Porsche pulled around the corner. I lifted my brow, because seriously? What a cliché.
I picked up my bag and headed towards the house, but Graham stepped in my path. “We didn’t finish our discussion.”
“Problem?” Aloura asked as she came
“You on drugs?”
My attention snapped to him, clarity hitting me like a freight train. “No, sir.” For some fucked up reason I straightened my posture and clacked my heels together like my fucking Sergeant Major was here.
“Steroids –“
“Never taken that shit. I’m big because I work hard. I live in the gym.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Nothing else needed my time. Until now.”
He bobbed his head, his assessing gaze was terrifying, like he could see inside me. I respected the man for not backing down.
“You’re a big man, with a lot of angry energy.”
“With all due respect, you know nothing about me.”
“You had a traumatic past as a child, placed with a temporary family while your brothers were put in care. You were in the military sixteen years before being discharged. You’ve seen a lot.”
“How the fuck do you know that?”
“You’re here to protect my daughter. I had a right to know.”
“You had no right.”
“I refuse to put Aloura in harm’s way. I do my homework.”
The fucking bastard had me there. I hated he knew my sordid past, but I had to respect a man that would go to those lengths to protect his child.
The door to Aloura’s house opened. Her laughter floated over me like a soothing balm. And the rat came scampering out to fuss around Graham’s legs. I turned my head to look over at her and nearly fell to my knees. She was sweaty, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“Hey.” She grinned at her dad, then used the same gorgeous smile on me. Her bun was messy, like she had been rolling around in bed. Her cheeks were ruddy, and she had a sexy glow about her. She placed her delicate hands on her hip and bent forward as if stretching her back and leg muscles. Her sweatpants hung loose on her legs, hiding what I knew had to be long toned legs. Her pale pink shirt hugged her delicious curves like a second skin and didn’t quite meet the top of her pants, leaving about an inch of bare skin. That’s when I noticed the tattooed hand wrapped around her middle, right over that naked sliver of skin.
I snapped my attention to the guy whispering in her ear and making her laugh. He grinned at her when she elbowed him in the stomach. Bare stomach, because the asshole was topless and covered in ink.
“Well, I would love to stay and chat, but I have a business to run. Although all I want to do is go home and sleep since she tried to kill me with that particular workout.” The guy pulled his button down over his arms and fastened the buttons as he leaned over and pecked Aloura on the cheek. With each button he turned from tattooed cocky bastard to business man. I noticed ink peeking out of the top of his shirt, going up his neck. His hair was dark brown, but currently messy and glistening with sweat. He hopped down the steps, still fastening his shirt, and held his hand out to Graham. The other man took it and pulled him in for a hug. Graham patted him on the back, smiling happily.
“I see the muscle finally arrived,” the tattooed guy joked to Graham. That’s when cocky bastard turned to me. His grey button down was fastened all but the top. He slowly rolled his sleeves up.
“I’m Harry.” He nodded his head, but offered no more. Harry Cocky Bastard - had a certain ring to it. Although Harry as a name didn’t quite suit the hard exterior.
“The muscle.” I deadpanned. He barked out a laugh, casting a glance over his shoulder to Aloura. “Bye babe, go soak your muscles. I’ll work you over again tomorrow.” He grinned at her when she wrinkled her nose in disgust . He laughed again and headed towards the side of the house to the garage. A few moments later a roar of an engine and then a sleek black Porsche pulled around the corner. I lifted my brow, because seriously? What a cliché.
I picked up my bag and headed towards the house, but Graham stepped in my path. “We didn’t finish our discussion.”
“Problem?” Aloura asked as she came