Hard Core (Hard As Nails Book 3) by Hope Conrad Read Free Book Online Page A

anxious as I step out of my car, my tall black heels crunching against rocks, and make my way to the back door. When I touch the doorknob, I hesitate and take a quick inhale, mentally preparing myself to be confronted by Walt.
    But nothing can adequately prepare me for what I see when I open the door.
    Axel, leaning against the wall with a blank expression on his face, wearing jeans, and another tee and blazer combination.
    “What the hell are you doing here? Are you stalking me?”
    “Are we really going to have the stalking conversation already?” He furrows a brow. “This is only the second time we’ve run into each other.”
    “Cute. Are you going to answer my question?”
    “The one where you rudely asked what I’m doing here?”
    I nod. “Yeah, start with that one.” I pull the door shut behind me then cross my arms. “I’m sure I’ll be able to come up with a question or two afterward.”
    He shrugs. “I work here.”
    “Since when?”
    “Officially?” He grins. “Tonight.” He points a finger at me, almost accusingly. “ You could say I technically started last night.”
    “So you weren’t just hanging out, like you said you were. You lied to me.”
    His expression becomes serious. “I didn’t lie. I was just hanging out. I hadn’t decided whether to take a job here. That’s changed.”
    “So saving me was just part of a job?”
    “Does it matter?”
    I swallow hard. “No,” I say, wanting to kick myself for how petulant I sound. “Thank you, by the way.”
    “You already thanked me once.”
    “Actually, I think, based on what we did last night, I thanked you way more than once.”
    His grin returns, and I love how his face can go hard and serious one second, but soft and inviting the next. It dawns on me that he looks most natural when he’s smiling, and I like that. “I’m pretty sure it was just once,” he says, “But I can’t say for sure. I was kind of lost in the moment. But if you want to refresh my recollection…”
    Boy, do I. Instead of voicing that, however, I force myself to say, “Look, what we had—what we did—last night was great—”
    “It was amazing .”
    “Yes. It was amazing. And if you want more, so do I.” I’m being upfront with him, more upfront than I’m used to being with anyone, but for some reason, it isn’t difficult. “At least, that’s what I would have said before seeing you here today. Now that I know we work together, I’m not so sure.”
    “Well, let me assure you, I most definitely want more of you. As for working together, it’s going to be a bit of a distraction, yes, but we’re just going to have to deal with it. Because I’m here to make sure what happened last night doesn’t happen again.”
    “You’re a new bouncer?” I question and tap my foot against the floor. “That’s great. The others weren’t cutting it.”
    “Yeah, well, don’t worry. I’ve had words with them and Walt. They know what happened last night, and they know neither I nor their boss are happy about it.”
    “You know Harvey Prince?”
    “I’ve worked for him before.”
    “Ah. More security work. You’re good at it.”
    “Yeah? When you have muscles like this,” he points to his bulging bicep beneath his black blazer, reminding me how I’d flexed my own guns at him last night in the car, “bouncing is second nature.”
    My eyes follow the path of his muscles, starting with the slight pulsing of the veins in his neck, and then down to his biceps and to what I know is a hard-as-steel set of abs. Only my gaze doesn’t stop there; it lingers on his crotch.
    He clears his throat. “Um. My eyes are up here, Angel.”
    My eyes dart back to his, my cheeks burning. Damn it!
    “See?” I cry. “This is exactly what I was talking about. You’re going to be nothing but a huge distraction.” I shake my head and try to step backward, but I’m hit with a quick and sharp stabbing pain in my ankle. I hiss but shake it off. “I see you and I