Under His Protection Read Free Page B

turned and zeroed in on Julieta who was still talking to Lizzy. As he approached, he could see her visibly stiffen. She was aware of his presence and didn’t like it.
    The thought made him frown. Yeah, he didn’t like that at all.
    Both women turned to look at him, but he kept his focus on Julieta, even if staring at her made him lose his train of thought. “Are you ready?”
    She blinked at him in confusion.
    “I’m taking you.” When she started to protest, he tilted his head in the direction of the display of champagne glasses. “I’m guessing you had at least one drink.”
    “Oh.” Her pretty, full mouth pulled into a frown. She glanced at Lizzy then back at him. “I had one drink more than an hour ago. I didn’t even think of that.”
    If she’d only had one, then an hour was long enough for the effect to be out of her system, but he didn’t care. “Then I’ll take you. It’ll put my mind at ease.”
    Julieta bit her bottom lip indecisively and he had to bite back a groan as he imagined nibbling on it himself. A protective urge swelled inside him as he watched her. He was going to find out exactly what the asshole texting her was up to and how long it had been going on. He was going to make the fucker regret making Julieta so afraid.
    “I caught a ride with Charlotte so if you want I can drop your car off at your place. I know she’ll follow me then just take me home from there. It’s not like you live far,” Lizzy said.
    Ivan wanted to hug Lizzy as Julieta started to nod. “Well, if you really don’t mind…”
    Lizzy shook her head. “I don’t. It’s a couple extra minutes out of my way. And I’ll just leave your keys under the floor mat on the driver’s side.”
    “Thank you for doing this,” she said as she pulled her keys from her small purse and handed them to her friend. “And I’m going to call you later about that…issue. Okay?”
    Lizzy nodded, frowning and Ivan wondered if Julieta had even told her what was going on yet. After saying goodbye, she shot Ivan a wary look, but headed out with him.
    Once they stepped out into the tiled area where the private elevators were, he tried to find the right words as he slid his security key across the security pad. “I’ve never meant to glare at you.”
    Her head snapped up in surprise. “What?”
    “In the bathroom you said I’ve either ignored or glared at you the past couple months.” As the elevator dinged he held out his arm, motioning to let her step inside first. Her heels clicked as she moved and it took all his restraint not to glance down at her incredible legs.
    “When you first came into my store with Mina you certainly did glare at me. And you’ve been doing it ever since.” There wasn’t exactly hostility in her voice, but definite caution.
    He didn’t like it. “Yes, when I first met you I probably did. I view everyone as a threat where Mina is concerned, at least initially. It’s part of my job. Since then…staring at you is a more accurate description.” But he’d definitely been aware of her that first day. And he’d fantasized about her later that night.
    She turned to look at him again, her dark eyes wide. “Stare?”
    “Yes. As in…I can’t take my fucking eyes off you. And I never ignore you.” No sane male could ignore this beautiful woman so full of life. It was difficult to even get the words out. “Sometimes it’s all I can do to not look at you.” His voice was guttural and he had no doubt the lust he’d been hiding the past couple months was visible in his eyes now.
    She shook her head, her confusion clear. “But you don’t like me.”
    Ivan snorted and forced himself to face forward and stare at the custom-made interior wood paneled elevator doors. “That’s not true either.”
    “Oh. Oh ,” she said again as if she finally understood what he was saying. Instead of continuing, however, she clammed up and stared straight ahead too, her posture stiff.
    He resisted the urge to scrub