Roman Will Fall (Wilde Ways #11) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,1
extremely good in those jeans but…
Roman stalked toward her. Her shoulders stiffened. Then her chin angled up. He was taller than her—way taller. Bigger. But she’d never been one to be intimidated by a person’s size. She could take down men bigger than Roman. Had taken them down before and would again.
Behind her, she heard Eric clear his throat.
Whoops. She’d almost forgotten that her boss had an up-close and personal view of this show as—
Roman stopped right in front of her. “Let me get this straight. You don’t want me to be your partner because you think I ate all of your chocolates.”
“No. I don’t want you to be my partner because you don’t follow directions. I told you to stay behind me when we were rushing into the club. Instead, you grabbed me and pushed me back—”
“I was protecting you.”
Harper snorted. “Yeah, that shit has got to stop.”
He blinked.
“I can protect myself. Senior agent here.” She touched her chest. Then her hand turned and pressed to his chest. His very firm and warm chest. “Junior agent.”
His nostrils flared, then he looked down at her hand.
She probably shouldn’t be touching his chest. Harper could see where that had been a poor life choice. Were her fingers stroking him just a wee bit? Bad fingers. Naughty fingers. She snatched them back.
Eric coughed. Loudly.
Harper glanced over her shoulder at him. “Are you coming down with something?”
He was on his feet. “I think I gave you the wrong impression of Roman.”
“Uh, no, you didn’t. You clearly told me that he was some distant relative that you had to hire—”
Eric winced.
“And that I should be extra careful with his training. You said this situation was all new to him and that I should treat him with kid gloves.” Like that didn’t scream green agent in her mind. “Just so you know, those gloves are not working. If he isn’t going to listen to me, if he isn’t going to follow orders, then he’s too dangerous to have in the field.” The real truth. This wasn’t about chocolate or his one-word answers to most of her conversational offerings. It was about safety.
And the fact that…
She knew when she was being lied to.
Harper edged away from Roman and angled her body so that she could see both him and Eric. Oh, yes, she knew when she was being played. She liked her boss. Most days, she admired the hell out of Eric. But he was lying to her. Or, if not flat out lying, then definitely hiding some facts.
Roman was no green agent. She’d watched him. Seen the way he could move silently into a fight. Seen the coldness of his eyes when he attacked prey. Seen the way he attacked.
Kid gloves, my ass.
She also didn’t buy that whole long-lost relative spiel. No, something else was at play. Something that made her uncomfortable.
She’d caught the way Eric sometimes eyed Roman. As if…as if he didn’t quite trust the other man. Is that why I’m really his partner? Am I supposed to be keeping an eye on Roman?
If so, then she needed to know that info. She couldn’t be walking around blindly.
“I’m not inept,” Roman growled.
She rolled one shoulder.
“I can handle myself in any situation.”
“That remains to be seen,” she replied.
Eric’s gaze darted between her and Roman. He slowly exhaled. “I need to speak with Roman alone.”
“What?” Harper demanded. He was supposed to want to talk to her alone. He was supposed to give her the inside scoop and stop leaving her in the dark. She gaped at her boss.
He had the grace to at least look mildly uncomfortable as he reaffirmed, “I need to talk to Roman alone.”
Well, hell.
“To go over some rules.” A firm nod from Eric. “It will only take a few moments. Do you mind stepping outside for a bit, Harper?”
“Yes, yes, I mind. I mind a whole super lot.” Her hands flew to her hips. “This is one of the problems with the partnership. Secretiveness. If things are being kept from me, how am I supposed to trust my partner? The person who is supposed to have my back? The man who is supposed to be there to help me in case of an—”
“I’d kill anyone who came for you,” Roman told her. Again, using that dark, deep voice of his.
She believed him. Her gaze flickered toward him. “I don’t need you to kill anyone. I need you to follow orders.”
Roman’s lips—oddly sensual—parted and—
“He will,” Eric assured her. “He absolutely will.”