Free Desire Protected by S.J. Maylee Page A

place to
another. She couldn’t remember ever seeing him so unnerved. “I’ll
call you later.”
    “ Okay.” She knew better
than to push him for information. Questions about their wedding
would have to wait too. There was always a reason to put it off.
She put her full concentration into wiping the counter.
    He caressed her cheek. “How about I
take you out to dinner tonight?”
    “ That sounds nice.” She
rubbed his hand and let him go.
    The door slammed behind him and she
took a deep breath. She promised herself she wouldn’t think about
what he did during the day. The fear would trap her.
    She walked out of the kitchen and
turned back for her smoothie. Ethan had left his, too. If she left
right now, she might catch him before he entered his building.
After slipping into her heels and tucking the smoothies inside her
bag, she took off.
    Her driver, one perk Ethan insisted on
providing, was waiting for her at the curb. She slipped inside and
asked him to follow Ethan to his office.
    “ I’m hoping to catch him
before he goes inside.” She looked ahead and couldn’t find Ethan’s
car anywhere.
    “ That shouldn’t be a
problem. Traffic will ease after the next couple blocks and he’s
not far ahead of us.”
    “ Thanks.” Her gaze stayed
on the cars in front of them. Something about the way Ethan left
had her uncomfortable. Maybe once she saw him again, she’d be able
to relax.
    The traffic did clear up and in no
time her driver pulled to the curb before Ethan’s building. She got
out and spotted Ethan a couple cars ahead. He was standing on the
sidewalk with the same uncomfortable expression blanketing his
expression. Maybe she should get back in the car and give him the
space she’d promised.
    A familiar blonde got out of a cab.
Ethan stepped forward and grabbed her arm. He’d pulled the woman
way too close. “What the fuck.” Nadia focused on the woman, trying
to remember where she’d seen her before. Then it came to her. Ethan
and Aidan had once shown her a picture of this woman. She was
prettier in person, a slim, petite little thing, with beautiful
blonde hair.
    Her thoughts froze as she blinked over
and over. The pair was sharing some sort of confidence. Nadia
clenched her fists and an ache spread along her jaw.
    Finally, Ethan let the woman go but
they continued to stand close. What was it with this woman and what
did she want from Ethan? That was the exact question she’d promised
not to ask. Squeezing her eyes closed, she leaned on her
car.
    Ethan pushed the woman forward and
opened the door of his car for her. As the woman climbed in, Ethan
looked about. Nadia whipped around. The last thing she needed was
for him to catch her watching. She slipped off the curb and sank
back into her car.
    “ Are you all right?” her
driver asked.
    “ I shouldn’t have come
here,” she whispered, then covered her mouth.
    “ Everything
okay?”
    She closed her eyes and took a second.
If she didn’t play this right, it would all get back to Ethan. “I’m
fine. Just forgot he had a meeting this morning.” She sat up. “You
can take me to my office, now.”
    ****
    Ethan pushed Clair into his car and
climbed in after her. “I told you never to come to my
building.”
    “ There’s no time to waste
on this, Ethan.” She pulled out her phone.
    “ I got that from your text
and your phone call. Geesh, woman.” He pushed his hand over his
hair. “What if someone saw you?”
    She held up her phone and showed him
an off-center picture of several woman huddled together in what
appeared to be a closet. “If you don’t take this trafficker out
tonight, we’ll lose these girls.”
    “ How confident are you of
this intel?” He took her phone and focused on the blurred
faces.
    “ It’s been verified from
two different sources. Look.” She pushed his arm holding her phone
down. “Once the women are out of the country, we’ll lose our
chance. We’re nowhere near ready to take down the house where