TouchofTopaz Read Free Page A

wasn’t fair and she knew it. He was simply doing
his job, which was to protect her. It wasn’t his fault that she didn’t like
taking orders from anyone, especially not a man who fired up her sex drive in a
way it never had before.
    That made him dangerous to her peace of mind and her plans.
She had too much she wanted to accomplish with her life before she was ready to
take on a full-time relationship. She had goals and plans, and John Knight
threatened all of that simply by existing.
    She took a deep breath and slowly released it, trying to pull
her tattered composure around her. She’d be glad when this trial was behind
them and their lives could go back to normal. The media that had hounded them
for months would quickly find another story and leave them to pick up the
pieces of their lives.
    And John Knight would disappear from her life once again.
    She counted off the seconds as the elevator descended to the
garage level, acutely aware that they were alone. She could hear his even
breathing but she couldn’t see his face. The moment the elevator doors slid
shut, he moved in front of her, maneuvering her behind him, his manner
protective. When the bell pinged and the door slid open, she didn’t move. After
all this time, she knew the routine. John stepped out ahead of her and scanned
the area before allowing her to leave the safe confines of the elevator.
    His hand on her back once again, he guided her toward the
car. His gaze never rested on one thing but was constantly moving, checking to
make sure no one was lurking, waiting for them to appear. He was always
hyper-alert, hyper-aware of his surroundings.
    She’d never met anyone like him. And that was part of the
problem.
    Topaz knew how to deal with men who wore three-piece suits,
civilized men who conformed to the standards of society. She knew what to
expect from them and how to act.
    John made his own rules and didn’t care what anyone else
thought of them. He dominated a room simply by walking into it. He didn’t need
to flex his muscles or throw his weight around to get people to defer to him.
All he had to do was breathe.
    It was annoying as hell. And, if she was being honest,
incredibly hot too.
    “Watch your step,” he murmured. She glanced down in time to
keep from stumbling over a slight rise in the concrete floor.
    His arm tightened around her waist as they hurried across
the almost deserted lot. There were several other people getting into their
vehicles but, thankfully, they weren’t paying any attention to them. John
unlocked the car and held the door while she slid onto the leather seat. He
shut the door and she locked it immediately. It was second nature to her now
after all these weeks.
    She couldn’t help but watch him as he walked around the
front of the black Mercedes, his ever-watchful gaze continuing to study his
surroundings. He was six-foot-three and all of it muscle. The brown leather
jacket he wore clung to his broad shoulders and the black pants clung to his
thick thighs. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him.
    She knew that for a fact after getting naked with him last
summer.
    He kept his blond hair cropped short, which emphasized his
icy blue eyes and high forehead. The cleft in his chin accentuated his stubborn
jaw. The only softness on his entire face was his lips. They were incredibly
smooth and full for a man, sexy as all get out.
    And she had to stop thinking about his lips. Heat climbed up
her face and she feared she was blushing. John slid into the driver’s seat and
locked his door before glancing her way.
    “You okay?” His deep voice slid over her skin like an
expensive silk and she barely suppressed a shudder of arousal that snaked down
her spine.
    She stared out the front windshield, refusing to look at
him. “I’m fine. The courtroom was a bit warm.” That wasn’t exactly a lie, but
it wasn’t the full truth either. “I’m glad the trial is wrapping up today.”
    John started the car and pulled out of the