I plugged into my iPod on the train. Might as well listen to some Jimi and think about what to tell Ethan when I saw him.

Blackstone Security was in Bishopsgate at the center of old London with all of the other modern skyscrapers. Somehow this was not a surprise to me as I tried to picture Ethan behind a desk—in a sexy suit—and smelling delicious. I exited the Tube at the Liverpool Street station and started walking up to street level. I stumbled on a crack in the concrete step and grasped for the handrail. My knees were spared but my shopping bag dumped out, contents scattering. I muttered a curse as I turned to bend down to retrieve everything and faced the same guy I’d seen in line at Boots with the Hendrix tat.

He efficiently helped me with my stuff and handed the bag to me. “Watch your step,” he said softly and continued on up the stairs.

“Thank you,” I called to his retreating back, muscles rippling under a black dress shirt. I’d barely made it out to the sidewalk when my phone started buzzing.

Ethan Blackstone: <--- is worried. Where r u?

<end text message>

Brynne Bennett: <--- is almost there. Patience!!!!

<end text message>

The marquee in the lobby listed Blackstone Security International on floors forty through forty-four, but Ethan had told me to find him on the forty-fourth. I walked up to security and gave my name. The guard smiled slightly and handed me a pen to sign in. “Mr. Blackstone is expecting you, Miss Bennett. If you’ll just step this way, I’ll create your badge so you may just scan through on future visits.”

“Oh…all right.” I let the man do his job and within minutes I was gliding up to the forty-fourth floor sporting my own Blackstone Security ID badge. My heart pounded a little faster the closer I got to my destination. I swallowed a few times and rearranged my black leather jacket. The black skirt and red boots paired with it were not slum wear by any stretch of the imagination, but I wasn’t dressed for a business office either. I felt suddenly self-conscious and hoped people didn’t stare at me. I hate that.

With my purse on my shoulder and my Boots shopping bag in my hand I stepped out of the elevator and walked into a very sleek and artfully designed space. There were black and white framed photographs of architectural wonders from all over the world on the walls, big glass windows looking out over the city, and a very pretty redhead behind the desk.

“Brynne Bennett here to see Mr. Blackstone.”

She looked me over pretty thoroughly before getting up from her desk. “Oh he’s expecting you, Miss Bennett. I’ll take you back through to his office.” She smiled as she held the door for me. “I hope you like Chinese.”

I followed her and dismissed the comment, but not because I didn’t want to answer, but because everyone was watching us. Every head at every workstation turned in our direction and stared. I wanted to sink through a crack in the floor and hide. That would be after I killed Ethan. What the hell had he done? Announced in a mass email that his girlfriend was stopping by to give him a blow job in his office? I felt my face heat up as I followed the cute receptionist who did indeed have an engagement ring on her left hand. I probably only noticed because I refused to look up at all those faces. “Wow…quite a welcome wagon you’ve got here,” I muttered.

“Don’t worry, they’re just curious to see who’s got the boss’s attention is all. I’m Elaina by the way.”

“Brynne,” I said. She stopped and knocked on a magnificent set of ebony double doors before entering.

“And this is Frances, Mr. Blackstone’s assistant. Frances, Miss Bennett has arrived.”

“Thank you, Elaina,” Frances smiled and addressed me. “Miss Bennett, it is a pleasure to meet you.” She extended her hand and shook firmly. I wondered if it was very bad to love the fact that Ethan’s personal assistant was probably older than my mother and a fan of polyester suits. My insecurity meter shot down a few notches as I smiled back at Frances. Still, she was kind and confident as the ruler of her domain when she pointed to the second set of doors. “Please go on in, dear. He’s been waiting for you.”

I opened the heavy looking door that was so smooth my pinky could have pushed it, and fled inside to Ethan’s office. I shut the thing and collapsed against it, seeking him with my eyes closed and finding him with my nose.

“That’s right. Keep on with what you’re doing. Yes. I want hourly reports when you’re in the field. Protocol...” He was on the phone with somebody. I opened my eyes and watched him from my post against his office door. So confident and beautiful in his dark grey pinstripe. And low and behold, another purple tie! This one so dark it was nearly black, but man did it look good on him. He ended the call and looked over at me. I felt the door click against my back. He grinned with one eyebrow up. I glared back at him.

“All those people staring at me, Ethan! What did you do, send an email to the whole frickin’ office?”

“Come over here and sit on my lap.” He pushed back from his big desk and made room for me. No reaction to my accusation whatsoever. Just a confident demand out of that beautiful mouth that I come over to him immediately.

Well I did it. I marched my red boots over to him and plopped down as ordered. He put his arms around me and tugged me into his body for a kiss. It helped my mood considerably.

“I might have let it slip to a few that you were coming to see me.” He pushed a hand up my thigh and under my skirt, his temperature hot to my feeling. “Don’t be mad at me. You took forever to get here and I had to keep checking up front with Elaina to see if you’d arrived.”

“Ethan? What are you doing?” I murmured against his lips as his hand kept trailing those long fingers toward their destination. He forced my legs to part so he could get up in between them to my pu**y.

“Just touching what’s mine, baby.” He traced my folds through the red lace panties I’d worn and then pushed the material aside.

I flexed my muscles in anticipation and panted harder. “How many times did you go out to check for me?”

“Only a few…four or five.” His finger found my clit and starting rubbing circles over the now slick bundle of nerves, making me incoherent as usual.

“That’s a lot of times, Ethan…” I barely got the words out I was so captured by the pleasure going on from his magic fingers. I opened my legs a little wider and rode his hand. “The door—”