Kennedy crossed her legs as she sat at the glossy table in the command room of the Shields’ headquarters. She wished she’d taken five minutes to run up to her apartment and change out of the ridiculous outfit Sola had lent her, or at least to put on new underwear. The air conditioning made her very aware of every breeze passing through the room.
Better not to think about how she’d lost them.
“Good job today, team.” Jordan was wrapping up his debriefing. They’d already contacted an agent for Ransom and Levi to meet up with and transfer the stash they’d confiscated. Liam was at the hospital relaying updates on Ace’s condition after persuading the staff there that his injuries were due to an accidental discharge of his firearm. Knox was hanging out in one of their “waiting rooms” which, though cozy, had no windows and were essentially fancy cells. Meanwhile, Kennedy was trying to ignore the hot mess she’d made of her life by fucking the ex she’d never gotten over while the man she wished she could have a future with watched and listened.
She squirmed in her chair, wondering why that thought made her wish she could do it again. Lying to herself, or to any of the other Shields, would be pointless. They’d all borne witness to exactly how much she’d enjoyed herself.
Shit.
“Last two items...” Jordan looked to her then. “Kennedy, take blood samples from Knox and run a full battery of tests on him. Both for his own health and safety, and for your peace of mind as well.”
“Oh.” She blinked—of course she should have thought of that herself. And likely would have if she wasn’t trying so hard to smother her residual emotions from their exchange. The ramifications of their quickie might ripple through her life for a long time to come. “Sure. Will do.”
“Get him set up with counseling and an addiction specialist to help him stay sober. Maybe Gavyn or Roman can suggest a sponsor who could be discreet if they’re not interested personally.” He referred to their friends, who’d met at rehab. Gavyn owned the Hot Rides motorcycle shop and Roman was a mechanic at its classic car sister garage, Hot Rods. Jordan cleared his throat and added, “I think it would be best if you took some time on the clock to do the same. In fact, I’m going to require you attend five sessions. If you want to keep going beyond those, that’s fine too.”
“Me?” She choked on a reflexive denial. Maybe it wasn’t a horrible idea.
“He’s right, Kennedy. You should do it.” Sola nudged her. As an operative skilled in seduction, she would understand the impact making herself so vulnerable could have. The difference being Sola had never slept with someone she cared about for the job.
“Okay, I will. Thanks.”
Jordan nodded, then turned to Marcus. “We’re going to need to house our guest upstairs somewhere. I realize we have plenty of empty apartments, but—”
“Oh boy.” Aarav whistled low, as if he’d already guessed what was coming next.
“—given the fact that Knox has played for both sides, and is in a pretty bleak situation, we don’t want to take any chances on him contacting a Viper or maybe harming himself.”
Kennedy blinked. Why did that thought bring out the goose bumps on her bare legs when even the arctic AC hadn’t? She didn’t want to give a shit about Knox. Too late.
“Fuck no.” Marcus stiffened. “You want me to babysit him?”
“I’d make the newbies do it, but…” Jordan shrugged. Ace wasn’t going to be in any physical condition to be fending off a man as streetwise and tough as Knox any time soon, and Liam was going to be preoccupied with Ace. If Kennedy wasn’t mistaken, she thought they might be more than simply field partners at the Shields.
“Ransom and Levi?” Marcus never argued with Jordan or turned down an assignment. It raised more than a few brows around the table.
“They already have the exchange set up with the DEA agent, who is familiar with Ransom. We can’t switch our operative now.” Jordan crossed his arms.
“What about Nolan?” Marcus looked around the room. “Aarav? Sola and Ruby? Anyone else? Come on, somebody, help me out here.”
“I have a feeling you’ll be properly motivated to keep an extra close watch on our guest.” Jordan smirked while the others chuckled. Kennedy didn’t join in. She noticed Marcus hadn’t mentioned her in his laundry list. Was it because he knew her judgment couldn’t be trusted when Knox was around?
Or was he jealous of them and what they might get up to if left alone?
She shot him a side-eyed glance, but he refused to meet her stare. Great.
“Yeah, fine.” Marcus grumbled. “But don’t blame me if he ends up with another black eye. He’s got a smart mouth and I’m not in the mood for it.”
Kennedy couldn’t argue with that. It also happened to be a mouth capable of imparting a thousand times more potent pleasure than her favorite toy. And now she knew it for sure instead of only suspecting that to be the case, she was never going to stop reliving the moment he’d gone down on her in her fantasies. Damn him.
“It’d be a much better tactic to befriend him, or at least make it seem like you have.” Jordan shrugged one shoulder.
“Now you’re asking for too much.” Marcus sliced a hand through the air.
“All right, that’s it. Everyone get some rest and make sure you’re staying alert both when you’re on duty and when you’re away from headquarters, especially around our friends at Hot Rods, Hot Rides, the Powertools construction sites, and other innocent bystanders. The Vipers aren’t going to slither away once they figure out who has their guy. This isn’t over.” Jordan stood and everyone else followed suit, milling around to discuss plans for dinner or workouts before crashing.
For the first time ever, Kennedy felt out of place in their midst. Probably because she respected the hell out of them but right then she wasn’t sure she could say the same of herself.
Sola and Ruby edged closer. Sola lowered her voice and asked, “You okay?”
“Yeah, I guess. Got a few orgasms out of the deal—what’s to complain about?” Kennedy tried to shrug it off.
“Uh oh.” Ruby winced, then tossed her flaming red hair over her shoulder. “You’re a terrible liar. Good thing you stick to medic duties most of the time.”
“I have chocolate and a whole playlist of kickboxing videos queued up if you want to vent or let off some steam upstairs,” Sola suggested, flinging a glance at Aarav.
Kennedy wondered what he’d done or if existing and tempting Sola without acting on whatever latent desire pulsed between them was enough to have her beating the shit out of her punching bag every evening. Aarav glanced in their direction as if he could sense Sola’s stare. Rather than engage in their discussion, he ducked out of the room.
“Thanks, but nah. I just need some time to decompress and forget that ever happened.” Kennedy’s fist clenched even as she said it.
Sola’s eyes narrowed. “Hold on. Are you sure you’re not pissed because you thought he was into you and then you found out he’d already made you?”
Kennedy pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to keep her eyes from tearing up. “Is it that obvious? I thought he fucking wanted me.”
“Girl, I saw the size of that boner while I was manning the video feeds. He definitely did.” Ruby snorted. “Hell, I saved some still shots and clips for evidence and would be happy to email them to you if you want to verify for yourself.”
“Don’t get your ass fired.” Sola laughed. “I like having you around, balancing out all this testosterone.”
“Knox probably got off on outsmarting me.” Kennedy tried not to pout. “He had no trouble leaving me behind before. I don’t mean anything to him. Never did.”
“He obviously means a lot to you.” Sola grimaced. “That would piss me off too. Don’t let it get you down. If he’s a manipulative asshole, he doesn’t deserve you. And if he didn’t see that any man would be lucky to have you—especially him—and let you go, then he’s an idiot. Either way, you don’t need trash like that in your life.”
“Thanks.” Kennedy couldn’t help but smile a bit at the fierce protectiveness of her friends. Maybe they didn’t think as badly of her as she did of herself at that moment.
James slipped into their circle. “Not that I was eavesdropping—okay, I totally was—but yes to everything Sola said. Especially when you have a damn good Door Number Two standing right over there.”
Their operations manager, who was a reformed construction worker with a superhero’s sidekick complex, jerked his chin very blatantly in Marcus’s direction. As much as Kennedy wanted to be annoyed with him and his matchmaker ways, it would be impossible to be irritated with James. She could understand why his husband and their wife were obsessed with their adorkable lover.
“I’ve done enough of opening things up today.” Kennedy groaned. “In fact, as soon as I finish Knox’s blood work, I think I’ll hit the hot tub.”
“Sore, huh?” James winked. “Gotta love that.”
He would know since he enjoyed the attention of not only his two spouses but the rest of their polyamorous friends on the Powertools crew. From what she’d heard, sometimes all in one evening too. She had no idea how he managed that when one man for a few minutes had made her see stars.
“I’m not an expert like you,” she teased, glad things weren’t as awkward as she’d expected.
He preened. “Speaking of that, I have to get home. The Powertools are waiting for me to celebrate Dave’s birthday. Nolan, you ready?”
The other guy flashed a wide grin as he slung an arm around James’s shoulders. “Yeah. But you don’t need me to give you a ride anymore.”
“Of course I do. Since you backed over my baby…” James froze. “Wait! Is my car fixed?” His micro hybrid sedan had taken a few beatings lately, most recently when Nolan had smooshed it at the opening of the headquarters. Good thing they had a hell of a lot of mechanic friends.
“Waiting outside for you. I even had Sally put on some extra protectant over her paint job to keep it looking spiffy for you.” Nolan twitched his shoulder toward the door. “Let’s go check it out.”
“I’m going to go do that. You’re going to stay far, far away from him.” James wagged a finger at Nolan as they headed for the parking lot. But before he left the room he jogged back and hugged Kennedy, whispering in her ear, “You’ll figure this out. Just remember we love you and no one thinks less of you for doing your job today, even if your feelings got tangled up in that mess.”
She sighed. “Thanks.”
And then he was gone, busting Nolan’s balls the whole way out of hearing.
Ransom and Levi headed out to get ready for their drop off, and Aarav approached to ask Sola if she wanted to order with him from the Thai restaurant they both loved despite the consequences the twelve-chilis-out-of-ten spice level must wreak on their intestines.
Ruby shot her a look every woman knew. One that asked if she was okay being left alone with Marcus…and Knox. God help her.
Kennedy waved and Ruby nodded. “Text me if you change your mind and want some company later.”
“Will do. Thanks.” Kennedy genuinely appreciated the offer and how easy they were making this on her. She should have given the Shields more credit. They weren’t judgmental assholes, and they accepted her, flaws and all.
When they were alone, the silence stretched between her and Marcus. She had no idea what to say to him. So she was glad when he broke the tension. “If you’re not comfortable being so close to him, I’ll have Jordan call in a nurse.”
“Thanks, but I think we both know I don’t have any aversion to touching him.” Kennedy ducked her head, but he was having none of that.
Marcus put one of his thick fingers beneath her chin and lifted it so that they were staring into each other’s eyes from inches apart. “Tell me something. He’s the guy, isn’t he? The asshole who hurt you. The one who made you afraid to try again.”
“He’s the person who showed me what bad decisions I make when I let my heart, or my hormones, override my brain.” She didn’t bother to deny it. “And for good reason. Look what happened after I got a taste of him again. I forgot every single lesson he taught me before. I have no self-control—”
“Bullshit.” Marcus wasn’t having any of that. “I mean, we kissed and you had no trouble telling me to back off. You’re plenty capable of shutting down your desires. You didn’t want to. And neither did he. I saw what happened in the cabin earlier. That wasn’t all for show.”
Kennedy drew in a shaky breath, wishing she had the right to crash into Marcus’s broad chest and ask him to hold her until she found solid footing again. He reached out and steadied her with one hand on her shoulder.
“Nothing you did today was wrong and it doesn’t change one damn thing about how I think of you, okay?” Marcus’s eyes weren’t accusing; they were kind. Which made it impossible to reject the embrace he offered with outstretched arms. She went into them and he held her close, stroking her hair as he murmured, “If I’m being honest, it was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. You were every bit as passionate as I’ve imagined. I’ve never been so jealous in my entire life.”
“Yeah?” It was a moment of weakness, but right then she needed reassurance.
So when he leaned in and fit his lips to hers, she didn’t resist his kiss.
The gentle swaddle of his arms had nothing in common with the possession of his mouth. This time he didn’t stop at a butterfly brush of it across hers as he had the night of the grand opening party. No, right then he showed her what it could be like if she ever gave in and let him do all the things his heated stares promised he’d like to with her.
Kennedy must have been a fool to deny them both this, and more, for so long. With Marcus, there was no wondering, no games. He had always been honest with her, and if he said he would be there, for a night or longer, she could believe him.
She leaned into him, counting on him to keep them steady as their kiss went on and on until she had to breathe or pass out. Then she stepped back and gulped air as she stared at his dilated eyes and the pulse pounding in his neck.
Kennedy suppressed every urge she had to cling to Marcus and instead widened the chasm between them with another pace toward the waiting room and the job she still had left to do.
“I’ll be right here if you need anything.” Marcus cracked his knuckles. “I dare him to give me a reason.”
“If you break his nose, I’ll just have more work setting it.”
“Plus you don’t want me to mess up his pretty fucking face.” Marcus grunted.
Kennedy’s stride hitched at that. Had she really seen a flash of appreciation in his gaze? “You think Knox is handsome?”
“Hot as fuck. Yeah, I see why you’re hung up on him. Sexy, smart talker, badass, and lost. Not to mention that big fucking dick he obviously knows how to use. It’s an irresistible combination, isn’t it?” Marcus shrugged as if it was no big deal.
Okay. Well. She’d had no idea he was that open-minded. She wracked her brain but definitely would have remembered if he’d ever mentioned being bisexual. Then again, she’d purposefully steered their late-night conversations from steamy territory lest she be enticed to break her vow of celibacy.
“I guess so.” She licked the lingering taste of him from her bottom lip as she looked at him in a whole new light.
“Go. I’ll be waiting to take him upstairs when you’re done.”
Kennedy nodded, then spun on her heel, only fully realizing at that moment that she’d now have not only one but two extraordinary temptations living right across the hall.
Damn it. She was going to need to order some more batteries.