Sweet Seduction Sacrifice by Nicola Claire Read Free Book Online

my choice of not going for flash automatic soulless ones, but finally after much grunting and banging of the silver bucket against the frame, I managed to get the damn things open. I stumbled out onto the paved footpath, almost bowling over a group of middle aged ladies out shopping and then stomped over to a park bench on the far side of the pavement. A rubbish bin sat next to the seating area, so I started to thrust rose stem after rose stem inside the bin intermittently exclaiming to all and sundry that I hated red roses and hated my ex-boyfriend and hated my life.
    By the time the bin was overflowing and I'd only managed to trash a third of the bouquet I felt a heat behind me and then firm hands wrapped around my upper arms and pulled me back against a hard chest.
    "Stop," Dominic instructed softly. I struggled for a moment with the rose in my hand, trying to get it into the bin before me, then Nick and Ben appeared and the roses were all gone. Vanished, just like that. There one minute, gone the next.
    I realised I was breathing heavily and tears were streaming down my cheeks, but Dominic had not let me go. We stood there for several seconds and then Nick appeared in front of my face.
    "Ben's going to be following you, he'll be your shadow from here on in." I had no idea why Nick would suggest that, then had reality crash in to me on his next words. "Elliott has just announced publicly that you are his. This won't have been missed by the groups interested in finding him. You have now become a target, so you'll have a bodyguard with you wherever you go, until this is sorted once and for all." His voice had been quiet, but firm. No argument, he'd decided and that was that.
    "I don't want a bodyguard," I declared, stupidly it would seem.
    The hands on my upper arms tightened and Nick flicked a glance up to Dominic at my back. Something passed between them, something unspoken that I didn't understand. Then he said softly, eyes back on me, "Too bad, you've got one." And then disappeared again.
    I stood shaking in the arms of sexy smile and name, Dominic Anscombe, senior partner at ADK and the world continued to turn. My life had come to a complete stop, but the world continued to turn. How was that at all possible?

Chapter 4
So Much Trouble
    Dominic led me back inside Sweet Seduction and straight out to the rear of the shop. Past the the couches and seating area, past extremely concerned Kelly and Lucas at the espresso and chocolate counters, past the music area and out to my office out back, as if he knew exactly where to take me. He sat me down in my swivel chair and softly closed the door at his back. Bic Runga's One More Cup of Coffee stopped mid beat and silence wrapped around me.
    I watched as he flicked his gaze around the room, taking in my tidy desk, the laptop, the potted plants and cabinets and then the multitude of snap shots pinned to a cork board off to the side. There were at least fifty, of all the staff, my friends, neighbours, me. Everyone who meant something was on that board, including my cat. But none of Brett, I'd ripped those to pieces when he stole my gran's money. Even when I let him come back, I didn't let him back on the cork board. The cork board was sacred, he'd lost his one chance to be there and wouldn't ever get another shot.
    Dominic's large manicured hand came out and snatched a photo from the board. I thought it was a bit invasive, but I didn't say a thing, words failed me right now. He studied it for several seconds and then incredibly placed it in his inside jacket pocket without saying a word. What the fuck?
    I glared at him as his eyes came to rest on mine, his lips twitched and an eyebrow shot up in challenge. I held his gaze and tried to find the energy to hit out, but again it failed me. I'd lost my mojo, I just didn't have it in me to complain. He could have the damn photo, it was probably of my cat and he's got a cat fetish or something.
    "Ben's a good man," he said out of nowhere.