Harlequin Romantic Suspense April 2021 by Karen Whiddon (good e books to read txt) 📗

right. She stood and didn’t miss the various emotions flashing across Trace’s handsome features. Surprise. Confusion. Revulsion. Then his face twisted into an angry scowl.

“What the hell is she doing here?” he spit out, disgust dripping from each word.

Connie straightened, shocked by his outburst. He was always kind and professional, and this was a side of him she hadn’t witnessed before. Whatever history he had with this woman definitely wasn’t good.

CHAPTER 12

Trace stood frozen. Just seeing Indie brought back painful memories of when they’d dated. He’d been a senior in high school when she’d taken him home to meet her parents and her father had told him that he wasn’t good enough for his daughter. Mr. Sanderson had barely greeted Trace before ushering him into his massive home office. He wasted no time in telling Trace that not only wasn’t he allowing Indie to go to prom with him, but he also didn’t want him anywhere near her.

Trace could almost hear the conversation all over again.

You’ll never amount to anything.

You’ll always be a nobody.

You’re not even good enough to breathe the same air as her.

Connie put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “I take it you know Ms. Sanderson.”

“Yeah, I know her,” he finally said. “Indie and I attended high school together.”

Her father’s words had crushed Trace. Now it was as if he was being taken back to that moment. The embarrassment, anger and failure he’d felt then returned with a vengeance, and his chest tightened. He balled his fists at his sides and glared at the woman he’d had no intention of ever seeing again.

But how was it possible that years-old devastation could still affect him now? He had given up. Stopped caring about anything and everything after that one-on-one with her father. Had it not been for his own father and Trace’s siblings, there was no telling where Trace would’ve ended up. He’d been headed down a bad path that probably would’ve resulted in jail time or worse.

Now, seeing Indie again, Trace could almost envision the sneer on her father’s face. The judgment. The hate. Edward Sanderson didn’t bother hiding his dislike of him.

“I’m sorry, Indie. Trace is not available for your assignment,” Connie said, her voice snapping him out of his trance. She had reclaimed her seat and was typing something into her computer. “I do have someone else who would be perfect. Here we go.”

Connie turned the computer screen around, but Indie ignored it. Trace wasn’t bothered by the way her gaze traveled the length of him. Her smoldering eyes consumed every inch, regarding him as if he was a double chocolate cupcake that she wanted to devour. As a matter of fact, it gave him pleasure to see interest in her eyes. He wanted her to see what she had missed out on.

“I don’t want anyone else. I only want Trace,” she said with authority. Her sultry voice, which probably made other men fall at her feet, had the opposite effect on him. Trace couldn’t seem to shake the loathing running through his body.

“Why?” he asked Indie before Connie could respond. “Why would you want my protection when your father insisted that I’d never be good enough for you? That I shouldn’t even be allowed to breathe the same air as you?” Anger bubbled inside him and he tried to tamp it down. He had to remember that it didn’t matter how he felt about her—she was a potential client for LEPA.

“Seriously, Trace? That was a hundred years ago. Besides, that’s what my father thought. Not me.”

Trace loved his own father, the man who’d worked his ass off to keep a roof over their heads, but he had admired Mr. Sanderson. Like him, Trace had wanted to one day own some type of business and put his stamp on the world. So when the older man had raked him over the coals, it had done more than hurt his confidence—it had devastated him to the core.

He didn’t say anything even though he could argue that fact. He didn’t care if it had been a hundred years ago—his feelings for her and her family remained the same. He wanted nothing to do with any of them.

Without another word, he walked out of the office. He might’ve been acting like a complete jerk, and even though he knew Connie would ream him out later, Trace couldn’t help himself.

Forty-five minutes later, Connie found him in the staff lounge. Most of the administrative staff had left for the day. Trace had stuck around, knowing that he and Connie would need to talk.

“You put on quite a show in there,” she said as she walked farther into the room.

He gauged her demeanor. She didn’t seem as annoyed as she had appeared in her office, and for that he was grateful. His gaze raked over her body, taking in the sexy outfit that sheathed her hourglass figure. Damn, she was fine. He loved when she wore dresses and skirts, giving him a chance to see her shapely legs.

“I’m sorry about what happened in there. I hope I didn’t blow the deal.”

Trace stood when Connie approached the table, and he pulled out a chair for her. She sat next to him but didn’t say anything right away. Instead, she crossed her legs, causing her skirt to ride up and give him just enough of a peek of her toned thigh to make his dick twitch.

“Care to tell me what that was all about?”

Debating how much to tell her, Trace sipped the steaming coffee that he had made a few minutes ago.

“Did I ruin the deal?” he asked.

“No. She’s still very interested in our services, even if she can’t have you.”

Trace studied Connie, not missing how possessive it sounded when she said “even if she can’t have you.” Maybe he was reading too much into her statement, but damn if it didn’t feel good to have her in his corner. Especially when she didn’t yet know the whole story.

“Indie