Page 47 of Hard and Unprotected

And sure enough, Trevor was waiting for me at the curb. And when he opened the car door, I climbed in, muscles clenched with fury.

All my plans, destroyed.

The work I’d put in over the years. For nothing.

And Maggie. I’d dragged a beautiful girl into this mess.

But no. That’s not true. She was the best thing about this fucked-up situation. If not for Henry, then I wouldn’t have her in my life. And one thing was crystal clear, even in the middle of this shitty situation. I wanted Maggie with me, no matter what. I wanted her, period.

11

Maggie

Iknew exactly how many days it’s been.

Twenty six days.

Twenty six days since Evan walked into DoggyMart.

Twenty five days since I started to fall for him.

Twenty four days since he took my virginity and turned me into a woman.His woman.

I swallowed the thick lump of nervousness in my throat and gripped the knife in my hand.

With the time ticking like a time bomb, I figured I might as well make pumpkin pie. Because this wasn’t going to last much longer, that was for sure. Any day now, Evan was going to announce that he was now the new CEO, and my services would be no longer needed.

My throat closed, making it hard to breathe.

The air wheezed in my nostrils, lungs tight.

But no, the show must go on. So I was making pumpkin pie.

The kitchen was a mess of orange guts, soft vegetable flesh, sugar, flour, and pie tins. I needed everything on the tabletop, but was too much of a wreck to put it together right.

Because Evan was out there somewhere. Was he on his way to see me? Was he already the CEO of the company?

My hands shook and I could barely hold the knife properly to cut the pumpkin into slices for the blender.

I don’t cook a lot because fresh ingredients are so expensive. And frankly, it’s easier to buy from the store sometimes. But the tools come out when I’m stressed, and I’m sure as hell stressed now.

Because my thirty days with Evan were just about over. I can barely believe it. The time flew by so quickly, nothing more than a flash in the pan. I want him to want me, but he doesn’t. Or maybe he wants me but I want him to too much?

Shit. This was so confusing and I shook my head miserably, looking at the half-gutted pumpkin.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I jumped and nearly sliced off my thumb, narrowly missing the soft pad. Who could that be?

Oh wait, the ring was supposed to come today. My heart jumped, pulse beating rapidly. The six-carat pink diamond that we’d used so sinfully in the jewelry store was arriving today.

Sure enough, a special courier dressed in all black stood on the doorstep. When I opened the door, I could feel the scrape of his eyes on my oversized T-shirt, pumpkin clumps stuck to my cheek and clothes. But these people are all business, and a professional smile curved his lips.

“Margaret Lake?”

“Yes?”

He held a clipboard toward me.

“Sign here, please.”