Briggs steps aside, allowing her to scurry off.
For a long moment, I just stare at him, completely at a loss for words. There's stalking, and then there's whatever this is. How did he find me?Whyis he here?
I'm not even sure what question I want to ask first.
He doesn't give me time to ask either.
"You look beautiful, Tia," he murmurs, his big body filling the entire doorway as he steps into my office. "My dreams haven't done you justice."
"Mine were wrong about you too," I retort, glaring at him. "You do actually have devil's horns and a tail."
He throws his head back, his deep laugh hitting me right in the stomach. Damn. I missed that laugh.
"I almost forgot," he says.
"Forgot what?"
"The way my whole body goes haywire around you." He nudges the door closed, glancing around my office. "I like it."
I'm not sure if he's talking about my messy office or the other thing, so I decide not to engage on either subject. "Why are you here, Briggs?" I ask instead.
"Lacy didn't tell you?"
Why is he on a first-name basis with my boss? I'm missing entire volumes here, and they all feel ominous as hell.
"Tell me what?"
He sinks into a chair across from my desk, not speaking. Oh no, he doesn't say a word as he gets comfortable, casually crossing his legs, folding his hands together on top of my desk…drawing out the anticipation until I'm ready to strangle him just to make him tell me what he's hiding.
"I'm a big advocate for education," he finally says.
"Good for you."
"I'm also going to be the face of your organization."
"Come again?" I ask, convinced I heard him wrong. I had to have heard him wrong, right? There's no way he just—
"I'm going to be the face of your organization."
For a full minute, I stare at him, wishing we were back at the wedding, when he would say one thing, then pretend he didn't say it. I could deal with that right now. I absolutely cannot deal with this.
"Hell no," I finally say, pushing away from my desk as a surge of panic engulfs me. "Absolutely not."
"It's already done." He stares at me, his expression placid, serene almost. "Lacy and I worked out the details yesterday."
I think I'm going to throw up. Or pass out. Or level my office when my head explodes. All three sound like good options right now.
What the fuck does he mean, he and Lacyworked out the details?
"This is…it's…" I don't even have a word for what this is! This is that level of stalking they make true crime shows about, the level where you don't need protection orders, but actual fucking bodyguards, witness protection, and a new identity. He can't possibly think this is normal. "You've lost your mind."
"Probably," he agrees, his expression still serene. "But that's on you."
Launching something at his head wouldn't really be assault, would it? Asking for a friend.
"My fault?" I ask instead, deciding to play it safe. I'd prefer not to go to jail for attacking a goalie in my own damn office, even if he does deserve it. "You do not get to blame your unhinged delusions and stalking tendencies on me, Briggs Ward. This is…it's…" Again, no words.
"Genius," he says.