“Are you okay, muñeca?” he asked slowly.

She stared up at him, overwhelmed with despair. No, not really. The worry in his eyes was enough to have the lump return. This time from profound guilt instead of panic.

Could she trust him?

It wasn’t worth the risk, so instead she took a deep breath and simply nodded. She tried to formulate her thoughts and put them into coherent words this time.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Judith assured him with a wide, strained smile. “I just… I got so busy today. I missed lunch and now can’t seem to think straight.”

At least that wasn’t a complete lie. There was no food in her stomach and no rational thought left in her brain—not enough anyway to have stopped her from making the biggest mistake of her life.

“You need to take care of yourself,” Carlos said, concern still clouding his eyes. “Don’t let Carrone work you to the ground.”

Despite herself, she was warmed by his gentle reprimand. He cared.

“I’m fine, really. I just need to grab a few things, then I’m heading out soon.” She turned the door knob of the supply room as she spoke and to her dismay, found it locked. Glancing over at Carlos, she let out a weak laugh.

“I guess they’ve started locking these after hours,” she muttered, though that little assessment was a complete guess. In her three months at Royal Courts, she’d only been in the supply room once or twice.

With a grin, Carlos pulled out a set of keys. “The perks of working in security,” he said, unlocking the door.

He pushed it open and she walked past him inside. Following her into the small, dimly-lit room, Carlos let the door close behind him with a finality that was jarring.

Judith ended her quick search for the light switch and resigned herself to using the downlighting to navigate through the room. Rows of tall shelves lined the small space and she walked through the nearest set, looking for something suitable to carry out of there. But being isolated in the dark room with Carlos Moreno wasn’t helping her cognitive functions.

“What are you looking for?” he asked, coming up behind her. “Maybe I can help.”

Her eyes fell on a stack of notepads and she reached for them. “Uh, I think I found it,” she rushed out.

Unfortunately, she missed the box of envelopes that was stacked right above them. At her forceful jerking, the large bundle threatened to come down on her head.

“Careful,” Carlos said sharply, reaching over her to catch the items.

He shoved the packs back into position and the action brought him firmly against her. His warm, well-muscled chest pressed solidly along her back and she wanted nothing more than to lean against him, to have him wrap his strong arms around her and hold her close.

“Nothing got you, did it?”

Her face heated up as she shook her head. She was grateful he’d saved her from that embarrassing mishap—and that he wasn’t a mind reader.

“No, I’m fine.”

She turned around, but he didn’t step back. They both stood there looking at each other. There was no way she could stop her body’s response to him now—and no way could she hide her unrelenting attraction. Not when he looked at her like that.

Stark desire blazed in his deep, penetrating eyes, but there was also a tenderness and affection in them that made something in her belly flutter.

He reached out and brushed his thumb slowly across her cheek. “What’s a good girl like you doing in a dirty mind like mine?”

Judith glanced away from his intense gaze. He’d obviously intended for it to be a joke, but with what she’d just done not too long ago, coupled with the slow throbbing between her legs from his light touch, he was far from the truth.

She was no good girl.