“Sir, if you would …” Wolfe glances at the front door of my apartment.
“Sure.” Liam spins around and marches over to the front door.
“What are you doing?” I trail behind Liam, confused.
Wolfe disappears, joining Brady in my bedroom to check for bugs.
“Standing guard.” Liam shrugs.
“Is that something you do a lot?” I remind myself to stay in character. “Why have the bodyguards then?”
“Because sometimes, I need them to be doing something else. I’m not exactly a small guy and can take care of myself.”
“You’re definitely not small.” My gaze cuts to the prominent bulge in his pants.
“Come here.” Liam holds out his arms. I take no time in rushing to him. His strong arms fold around me. “Your mother is a piece of work.”
“She’s something, all right.”
“Does she always speak to you like that?”
“Sometimes, it’s worse.” I tuck my head beneath his chin. Dang, but he smells amazing. His heart thumps solidly beneath my ear.
“I didn’t mean to start off on the wrong foot, but I couldn’t stand her treating you like that.” He kisses the crown of my head.
“We may be uninvited for brunch tomorrow.”
“I’m not worried about that.”
“Why not?”
“This rock on your finger changes everything. Or didn’t you hear what she said?”
“I’m not sure I’m following.”
“She said my bodyguards weren’t welcome tomorrow. You and I are most definitely expected.” Liam reaches for my left hand. He lifts the diamond between us.
“I’ll call her later and confirm.”
“Sir, the bedroom and bath are finished. We’ll begin our sweep in here.” Brady returns from my room, palm up; three devices
Anger churns in my belly. I get why there might be recording devices in my office. Marco would want to know what was happening there. Or maybe, the devices were installed by my father to spy on his brother. Either way, those devices are highly offensive.
My bedroom? Where I undress? Who’s been watching me?
Wolfe exits my bedroom palm open, adding two devices, which sit in his outstretched hand. One of them is a camera.
Liam and the others destroy the bugs. They left a few in my office, which makes sense in a weird way. Liam sends Wolfe and Brady to make a second sweep of my room.
Another yawn escapes me. It’s one of those whole-body things that make me want to curl into a tight little ball and sleep for ages.
“Time to get you in bed.” Instead of sultry, dark, and devastating, Liam’s words are down to earth and practical. There’s no mischief flashing in his eyes.
No eagerness.
There’s nothing suggestive, almost as if he wants to go to bed.
“Shower first, then bed.” It’s been a long night. I drag my eyes away from Liam, disappointed, and pause as Wolfe and Brady search my living room.
Cameras and listening devices in my bedroom? I can excuse them in my office, thinking Marco has some kind of right to know what goes on there, but my personal quarters?
Paranoid much?
Perverted perhaps?
Whatever it is, it’s gross. I need the shower to scour that filth off my body.
“How are you holding up?” Liam closes the door behind me.
I feel the muscular build of his body behind me and suck in a ragged breath. It’s the first time we’ve really been alone. Head bowed, I close my eyes and try to take another breath.
“Maria?” Liam closes the distance. Standing behind me, he places a hand on my shoulder. It’s a soft touch, concerned, and calming.
“Sorry.” I spin around and wrap my arms around his waist. Leaning into him, my cheek rests against his chest. The beating of his heart comforts me. “Bugs in my bedroom?” I lean back to look him in the eye. “Why?”
Liam glances down at me with those gorgeous eyes. He sweeps the hair away from my eyes and bends down to place a tender kiss to my forehead.
“Who’s to know the what and why behind it, except it’s clear you are more of a threat to your uncle than we thought.”
“But why?” I bring my hands around and place them against Liam’s chest. “I’m a threat to no one.”
“Your uncle doesn’t believe that.”
“What do I do with that?”
“We remove you as a threat, doing exactly what we’re doing now.”
“And what is that?”
“Convincing those who watch you that we’re serious about each other.”
“I don’t get how that helps.”
“Right now, your uncle is watching all his bugs getting systematically destroyed.”
“Sorry, either I’m more exhausted than I feel or not connecting the dots. How does that help?”
“Your mother, more than likely, is telling your uncle what happened in your office. She’s relaying to him how I stepped up to protect you, how I hovered protectively over you, but most importantly, how I dressed her down and took control of the situation. That will give your uncle pause.”
“Okay?” I’m not convinced.
“He also received your security detail’s report about my bodyguards. Right now, he’s realizing not only how thorough I am, but how capable my security is.”
“How does he know that?”
“The sweep they’re making for bugs.”
“But you left bugs in my office …”
“I did. I wanted him to know a few things.”
“What things?”
“That not only do I suspect he bugs you, but that I won’t tolerate it.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Initially, I left a couple bugs in your office because I wanted him to know I thought of such things, but my ability to detect and remove them wasn’t perfect. After that conversation with your mother, and after finding more bugs in your bedroom, I want him to know exactly how competent my men are. After Wolfe and Brady remove the bugs in your apartment, they’ll head downstairs and remove the remaining bugs in your office.”
“Wow.” I can’t help but shake my head at the amount of thought Liam, and the rest of his team, put into pretty much everything.
“Tomorrow, we’ll work on the next step.”
“And what’s that?”
“We’ll arrive for brunch, whether disinvited or not, and announce our engagement. I’m interested in his reaction.”
“How so?”
“He knows Liam Cartwright’s business is in New York.”
“And?”
“The next question is what will you do after we’re married? Will you stay here, continuing to run operations at the Belvedere? Or will you return to New York to live with me?”
“Ah, I get it. It takes the pressure off Marco. Or rather me.”
“Exactly. We remove you from the picture and see what Marco does. Before the day is done, Mitzy will be fully integrated with everything that happens in the Belvedere, including the twenty-fifth floor.”
“How? I don’t understand all the tech behind it, but I’m pretty sure whatever systems he has in place on the twenty-fifth floor are completely separate from the rest of the Belvedere.”