Flawlessly Executed (Dark Horse Guardians Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

even in the room.
    “Why, Professor Keegan, if I didn’t know better…I’d say you’re ignoring me!” She drawled.
    Ben felt compelled to look up and she was now halfway across the room perched on his office sofa.
    He finally caved in, “How can I help you, Miss Adams?”
    Her big brown eyes met his and he sensed she was there for a long visit. She flicked her long red hair away from her face with a well-manicured hand. “I’ve missed your handsome face around here all summer, that’s all I wanted to say, blue eyes .”
    Ben felt his jaw clench when she called him that. He wasn’t about to engage in a conversation with Lucy Adams or any young woman in his office unless it was university business.
    “Thank you, Miss Adams, but I must say I did not miss the university. My summer was busy and filled with work.” There, he thought, that should get her to move on. His head was now back down and his eyes glued to paperwork on his desk.
    Without warning, Lucy Adams was now sitting in the chair next to his desk and she placed her hand with long red fingernails on the papers obscuring the material.
    He glared at her, “And, how can I help you?”
    Lucy smiled in an all-knowing way, something he hated about her. Because she was the dean’s assistant, she was privy to all sorts of proprietary information and would often dangle this fact before him.
    “I just happen to know of a certain someone who’s trying to get in touch with you…maybe a past girlfriend?” Lucy let the words roll off her tongue slowly.
    Now she had his attention, but not in a good way.
    “Exactly who are you talking about?” he countered.
    Lucy took a long moment as Ben stared her down. Finally, she uttered the name, “Abby?”
    His mind instantly stopped thinking of Lucy and he felt his pulse quicken. Why would Abby be looking for him? He felt beads of sweat forming on his upper lip. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly to fight off the feeling coming over him.
    “Is that all, Miss Adams? I’m really quite busy here, you know.” He dismissed her.
    Lucy stood next to his desk, her petite frame inches away from him now.
    “I thought you’d want to know that Abby is looking for you. She called the dean’s office to inquire about your employment here and we confirmed it. Old girlfriend?” Lucy grinned.
    Ben now stared Lucy Adams in the eye, “What’s it to you?”
    Lucy looked away and tossed a wrinkled phone message onto his desk. “It’s nothing to me…” And, she sashayed out of his office without looking back.
    If she had looked back, she would’ve noticed he hastily grabbed the message and read it. Then she would have seen him lean back in his chair as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. The message read, Ben, I need to speak with you as soon as possible. Call me. Her phone number was scrawled on the note.
    He hadn’t seen or heard from Abigail Roth since his senior year in high school. She had ended their steady relationship dumping him for a college guy…West Point…Army, which made it even more painful on some level. The day Lara held the photo of Lucy and him in his childhood bedroom, he had quickly snatched it away not wanting to go into the painful details about Abby. But his wounded heart still harbored an occasional twinge of regret for what might have been.
    Abby was his first real girlfriend and it was love at first sight, at least for him. She was reluctant, at first, but his persistence paid off. In high school, he memorized her class schedule and lurked in the hallway near the door of her next class in an effort to impress her. He was a junior and she was a freshman. He slipped anonymous notes through her locker vent. He sent flowers to her home with the words your secret ad mirer written on the card. He followed her around like a puppy waiting to be petted, and it finally worked. He didn’t know if he wore her down or if she really fell for him, but he suspected it was the latter.
    Everything flashed through