Chapter 29
JEREMIAH
“What?” I asked, dumbfounded by Stephanie’s statement. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, so now you’re asking me to explain myself?” she retorted, shifting her weight on her feet with a defiant look in her eyes.
I’d definitely missed something. This wasn’t the same woman I’d left breathless in my office the last time I saw her. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m asking you to do. Something happened. What is it?”
Quietly, I wracked my brain for any ideas of what could be going on with her. I expected her to be a little shy about the kiss and near-miss fuck we had, but this wasn’t shyness. It was borderline hostility like she was protecting herself.
My eyes narrowed on hers, intently focused on the mix of emotion that passed through them before she finally nodded. “What happened? I was attacked in your office, that’s what.”
Attacked? My eyes grew so wide I felt like one of those dogs whose eyes supposedly popped out if you frightened them. I jumped up off her chair, crossing the room to get to her. Reaching out slowly to rest my hand at the base of her spine, I guided her to the sitting area in her office. “Have a seat. I’m going to go get you some water, then you’re going to start at the beginning and tell me everything that happened, okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed quietly. Almost reluctantly. I grabbed two bottles of water from the mini- fridge concealed as a cabinet in the corner of her office and went to join her on the couch. After twisting the cap off one of the waters, I handed it to her and watched her take a long drink before she met my eyes.
“On Wednesday.” She swallowed nervously, eyes dropping down to her lap.
I brushed the underside of her chin with my index finger, encouraging her to look up at me. Something told me I was going to want to be looking into those big ice blue eyes of hers for whatever was coming. I repeated what she said, confidently so she would see I didn’t regret what else happened on Wednesday. “On Wednesday?”
She sighed, conflict raging in her eyes as they searched mine. “A woman showed up in your office after you left with Neil. I asked her to leave, but she wouldn’t. She came at me, chased me around your desk and threatened me. When she couldn’t catch me, she took the picture of Jack from your desk and threw it at me.”
Her voice shook, though I could see her determination to hold back the fear. Tears glinted on her eyelids, a blink away from falling. I wanted to wrap her up in my arms and keep her there, keep her safe.
I could tell she was flustered, and I wanted to help her. Against all logic, rational thought and historical behavior, I wanted to be there for her. I suppressed the urge to pull her into my arms when I remembered where we were.
If any of our co-workers saw this, me sitting so close to her looking the way I undoubtedly was, the office rumor mill would be working overtime again today. The last thing either of us needed. I gave her knee a quick squeeze and went to close the office door to give us some privacy.
When I sat back down beside her, I purposely sat close enough that my leg touched hers. I took her face in my hands and searched her eyes, instantly hating the fear and uncertainty that lurked behind the angry facade she had put up as soon as she walked in.
“This woman, did she tell you who she was?” I asked, pretty damn sure I already knew the answer. Outrage was already swirling in my belly by the time she confirmed my suspicions.
“Jannie. She said she was your secretary.”
Fuck! That delusional, fucking— No. I bit back my own fury. Now wasn’t the time. “I’m so sorry you were in that position.”
My apology didn’t cut it, couldn’t cut it. Jannie clearly scared the hell out of Stephanie. I had no idea she would go after my employees. It pissed me off to no end that she had. Not only was she fucking with me, but now she was messing with my staff. My fucking girl.
Wait. What? My mind came to a grinding halt when I realized I just thought of my new secretary as my girl. Fuck.
I dropped my hands from her face to scrub them over my own.
“What’s wrong?” Stephanie asked, her voice still quiet.
“Nothing.” I pushed my errant thoughts to the back of my mind. I had enough on my plate already. “I’m just really sorry she did this. I never thought she would.”
Stephanie chewed on the inside of her cheek, her eyes never leaving mine. “Who is she? Jannie?”
I released a deep breath. I wanted to protect Steph from Jannie, but there was no point in keeping her in the dark. As my secretary, she might very well find herself in the line of fire again. She needed to know what kind of crazy she was up against.
“She’s my ex-secretary,” I said. How much did I have to tell her to warn her without spilling the beans on the whole sordid affair? “She’s been having some trouble coming to terms with being fired.”
Understatement of the damn century. Stephanie, of course, picked up on it. Her hand inched down her leg toward mine like she wanted to take my hand or put hers on my thigh for support, but she stopped it and curled her fingers on her knee instead.
“Trouble?” she asked.
I nodded, breaking away from her gaze to flick mine over to the windows. “To put it mildly. She believes the termination of her employment was wrongful and not what I wanted.”