Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 132834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
“I’ll talk to her,” I said quickly. “Don’t say anything to anyone. I don’t want you to embarrass her.” Savannah would lose her shit if she thought the security team was talking about us sleeping together.
Hawk lifted his chin, managing to look down on me despite us being the same height. “Are you sure she’s the one you’re worried about being embarrassed?”
“What does that mean?” I demanded, not liking his tone.
“Are you sure you just don’t want it to get out that you’re sleeping with the help?”
I laughed at the absurdity. Was he implying that I’d be embarrassed if people knew I was sleeping with Savannah? I shook my head, not liking the way his eyes narrowed, but unable to take this bullshit seriously. “Of the two of us,” I said, “Savannah is the one who’d be embarrassed, trust me. I’m not sure I’m a step up for her.”
Hawk dropped his arms, giving me an incredulous look. “You’re a Sawyer.”
“Yeah, and have you noticed Savannah giving a shit about that? She grew up in this house. She’s not impressed by the name, trust me.” A thought occurred to me. “Do you have a thing for Savannah? Are you pissed because you think I’m cockblocking you?”
Something I couldn’t read flashed through his eyes before he shook his head. “No. Not Savannah. It’s not like that.” He shook his head again, something in his words lodging in my brain. Then he distracted me. “I don’t have to want to fuck a woman to care about her. I work with Savannah. She’s smart. She’s funny. She’s never a pain in my ass. I don’t like the idea of you treating her like a convenience. You’re a Sawyer.”
What did being a Sawyer have to do with it? And then I understood. He thought I was like my father, who took advantage of the staff just because he could. My own mother had been the nanny before Prentice got her pregnant with me.
“It’s not any of your fucking business,” I said, trying to keep a hold on my temper. “We’re adults who’ve known each other a lot longer than you’ve been around. She doesn’t need you watching her back. And don’t ever fucking imply she’s a convenience.”
“Then what is it?” Hawk demanded. “Are you two dating now?”
“Jesus, I don’t know.” I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Look, I don’t know you that well. I know you and Griffen are tight, and I know you do a good job around here. But I don’t know you. And this isn’t your business. Since you care about Savannah, I’ll give you a minute of my time to tell you neither of us knows what this is yet. Okay? Please do not go talk to her about this because not only will you embarrass her, you’ll fuck it all up. If she realizes anybody has any idea what we’re up to, she’ll probably never speak to me again. And I know I don’t want that.”
Hawk just stared at me, his expression blank. Fuck, he was hard to read when he wanted to be. “You know she knows about the cameras.”
“I’m sure she does,” I said as that realization processed in my brain. “But either she forgot, or more likely, she assumed you’d have some fucking discretion.”
“You’re her boss,” he pushed, clearly not willing to let this go.
“I’m not her boss. Griffen is her boss, and he told her that if it came down to Savannah versus me, he’d pick Savannah.” As I said it, I thought I understood what Hawk’s problem was. “If anything, she has power over me, not the other way around.”
“She deserves somebody who’s going to treat her well,” Hawk said, his sharp gaze dissecting me. “If she wasn’t stuck here in Sawyers Bend, if she were back in Richmond, she’d probably be married again by now. You’re just going to waste her time.”
That was it. I was done with this conversation. “What Savannah does with her time is her business. Not mine, not yours. If you know her at all, you know she wouldn’t have let me lay a finger on her if she didn’t want me to. I’ll talk to her about security, and if she’s comfortable giving me a key, I’ll make sure I use it. The last thing I want is for Savannah or Nicky to be unsafe. But the rest of it, whatever is between Savannah and me, stay the fuck out of it.”
Hawk studied me for so long that I almost wanted to squirm. This was the longest conversation I’d ever had with our head of security. I was not enjoying it.
Deciding something he didn’t share with me, Hawk nodded. “Don’t leave that door unlocked again.”
“Got it,” I said over my shoulder as I strode past him, praying he didn’t talk to Savannah. Last night had been the best thing that had happened to me in a very long time. I wanted it to happen again. And again. The last thing I needed was for Hawk to spook Savannah and fuck it up.