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“I can’t accept this, Rhodi. This is completely inappropriate.”
He yanked her back with the material of her shirt so she didn’t get in the way of the two men moving the bed into her place. “Don’t get run over.”
Regardless of the danger that had passed, he couldn’t deny the fact he didn’t want to release her. Quite the opposite, in fact, he wanted to pull her closer. Nibble along her plump bottom lip, kiss the spot behind her ear and discover if she was ticklish there.
She got free of him and followed the men in. Rhodi stayed where he was, letting her tell them where things should go. He’d be finding out later.
“You sure this is a smart thing to do, Rhodi?”
Slanting his gaze to his brother Wild, he shrugged. “She needed furniture. She isn’t going to be sleeping on the floor. And no reason for her to continue paying for a hotel room now that she’s signed the lease.”
“I meant the fact you lied to her about this being in storage.”
“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. She has nothing, Wild. Just a few outfits and her car.”
“And how do you know she doesn’t have more back wherever she came from...aww hell, you ran her, didn’t you?”
“We always check out potential hires.”
Wild pinned his lighter blue eyes on him. “Not like this. Not to know she has nothing else to move out here and she came with only the clothes in her suitcase and her car. I’ve never seen you like this, what gives?”
“She’s burned her way under my skin. I can’t get her out of my head.”
“And if you fuck it up and she then wants to leave?”
“I can control my urges, Kristopher. I’m not a boy.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” He jogged off and swiped another box of dishes to carry into the kitchen, leaving Rhodi alone outside in the night. It didn’t take them long and soon the others had left, so only he and Karen were there. Ten o’clock and she rubbed the back of her neck as she turned a circle, looking at the boxes still waiting there.
“This is still inappropriate.”
He shrugged and handed over his phone. “You want to call my aunt and tell her to take it all back? Be my guest.”
Indecision warred, and he knew he’d won. At least for the moment.
“Of course not. I don’t want to appear ungrateful.”
“Then accept it and be done with it. Don’t mention it again.” Ever.
“At least I have a week before I have to report to work,” she said with a small smile. “I’m going to need that time to put this together.”
“Put me to work.” He didn’t want to leave her.
“Surely you have somewhere better to be at ten o’clock at night than here with me?”
“Not at all,” he said honestly. “Where do you want to start? Bedroom?”
“How about the kitchen?” Her lips twitched.
With an overly dramatic sigh, he nodded. “I suppose, if that’s your best offer.”
“It is.”
They worked in silence for a bit until he broke down some of the boxes. “What brought you out to our fair town?”
She paused in the act of putting away some pots and pans. “I needed a change.”
“Big change from South Carolina to Montana.”
Had he not been watching her so closely, he may very well have missed the grimace and tightening of her hands around the pan. He was and he didn’t.
“Let’s cut to the chase. I know you ran my background, as would any job, but I don’t do games well. What is it you want to know? You read my file.”
She didn’t release his gaze as she demanded and that was sexy as fuck to him. Shoving the box into the one large one, he moved toward her, stopping a fair distance between them so she didn’t feel threatened.
“I did read it, but I want to hear it from you.”
“What difference does it make?”
“Files are two dimensional. They don’t tell the full story. I think there are some things in there that have been left out.” Her gaze darted to the door. “Listen to me very carefully, Karen. Very carefully. You are safe with us. We will protect you from any and all issues you have to face. All you have to do is ask. If you don’t want to ask me, go to any of my brothers. Hell, even my mother when she comes back, or my aunt while she’s here.”
“I’m not running from anyone.” Her words fell, defiant, from lips he repeatedly longed to kiss.
“Never said you were. Just said we are here if you need us. And I’m still curious as to why you picked Montana over, say, a different state.”
He backed off, not wanting to scare her. There was something else and he wanted to know what it was, but he wanted her to feel comfortable enough to share it with him on her own.
She calmed a bit once he backed off. Since he’d met her, that was the first sign of uncertainty he’d seen in her lovely face and he didn’t approve at all. This woman made every protective instinct he possessed flair to life, like they were on steroids.
“I like open spaces.”
He made a production of gazing around the room they were in.
“I know, I know. This isn’t the largest place. Hell, it would probably fit into only part of your house, but this will work for me. At least until I figure out what I want to do.”
“So administrative assistant wasn’t the chosen profession?”
“Not really. At least I don’t think so. I like people, but I want to be able to help there. I don’t know.” She yawned. “Not something for me to decide right now.”
He grabbed another empty box and cut it down. “I’m taking these boxes when I leave. I’ll be by tomorrow to help you finish up anything that’s left and then take the rest of the cardboard out. I can see you’re dead on your feet.”
“I am a bit tired.”
He shoved the box cutter in his pocket and moved toward her. “Sweetheart, you get any more tired and you’ll be unconscious. Go fix your bed and I’ll see you in the morning.”
Her gaze grew heavier than it had been. “Sweetheart. That’s nice coming from your lips.”
She gave another yawn and padded down the all too short hallway to the bedroom. He remained where he stood for another few moments then decided the hell with it, and made his way back to her room as well.
The dresser and bed took up the majority of the space. The new sheets were still in packages and she lay on a pile of bedding with a blanket pulled up over her. And she was exhausted.
“Two nights now I’ve seen her sleeping and I just leave her alone.” Same as the other night, he backed out and exited not just the room but her apartment, making sure the door was locked behind him.
The next morning, he had a meeting with his brothers as they went over an upcoming mission. An image of the Panamanian landscape filled the wall screen, a small red circle in the middle of all that green—their target. On another of the screens, a blown-up version of that red circle area.
“I’ll go,” Wild said. “I have some contacts still in that area.”
Rhodi stared at the unending jungle. What the fuck kind of contacts does he have there? “I don’t think this is a one-man job. The one who is asking us to do this has said that there is something else going on. He didn’t give me specifics on that yet, but I will get more when he comes over this afternoon to discuss it further.”
“I’ll go.” Adam reclined in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head.
Rhodi was fine with this. Honestly, he didn’t want to go anywhere until he knew that Karen had settled into her new job here.
Derek didn’t speak, just sat there and stared at him. Eventually it got under his skin and he jacked up an eyebrow.
“Something on your mind, Squid?”
“Not a thing, Flap. Just noting how you aren’t jumping to go on a mission. Thinking it has something to do with that sexy blonde who’s come into your life.”
“I’m thinking you don’t need to be thinking of Karen in any way.”
“Thought so,” he drawled. Pushing to his feet, he gestured at the screen. “I’ll call up Tony, so he’ll be ready. Then I have to head to town, I’ve got a lunch date.”
The quirk of his lips put an ugly feeling into Rhodi’s stomach. Refusing to rise to the bait, he didn’t respond, just adjusted his focus so it rested on the sheets before him. He couldn’t leave anyway even if he wished, as he had that meeting later on with Mr. Casemale. The man’s son had gone missing while on a missionary trip. The government was taking the “proper channels” and had advised they may not be able to do much. As the man wasn’t a congressman, senator, wealthy, or anything else high up, it seemed they didn’t give a damn. But to him, and his brothers, that shouldn’t matter when it came to needing assistance. Just because you couldn’t buy your own private jet didn’t mean you didn’t deserve to have someone hear you out.
Sure, they did have wealthy clients also, but they wouldn’t turn someone away because they didn’t have a perfectly flush bank account.
Ensuring that he didn’t even look at Derek when he walked out, Rhodi took several deep breaths and did his best to not envision his sibling and Karen together.
αβ
Karen smiled as she strolled through the town’s streets. Not a small Podunk place, but still not a city the size of Atlanta, Miami, or Seattle. There was a lot to do here and many small shops she enjoyed visiting.
Mama’s Home Cooking.
The words were scrolled on the window in faded paint, a look of times long past. Curly and elegant but definitely hand done, as they weren’t perfect. Her stomach took that moment to make its request for sustenance known. Without hesitation, she took herself inside and smiled as she gazed over the interior.
The patterned floor was made up of black and white checkered squares with red tiny squares between them. Booths were along three of the walls covered in red and black Naugahyde, and there were backed stools at the shiny counter, also containing that red and black pattern of mostly red with a wide swath of black down the back.
Images of old cars and horses lined the walls. The border was the same red as on the furniture. The place was busy but not packed.
She headed for a booth to the left and sat, sliding over the bench with a smile. Her stomach rumbled as the smells reached her, reminding her once more how hungry she was. The menu was in a black cover and she opened it with a sigh.
“Afternoon, honey. Coffee?”
“Sounds divine, thank you.”
She looked up at the woman there, taking in the pencil tucked into her gathering of dark hair, and the kind eyes as well as the name on her tag. Lila.
“You could use a big meal if you don’t mind me saying so.”
Karen nodded. “I agree. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten a big meal.”
“Take your time and I’ll be back to get your order down. Want some fries in the meantime?”
“While that would be wonderful, I already know what I want.”
“A pragmatic woman. I like. Okay, honey. What can I get started for you?”
Alone after she placed her order, Karen slipped her arm further into the sun and just closed her eyes. Perhaps this will work for me after all. Allowing herself a few moments, she eventually opened her eyes and dug into her purse for the small notebook she always carried with her.
Opening it, she flipped past the wad of bills she kept in there and on to a blank page where she began jotting down the things she had to do for the rest of the day. Stuff she eagerly put to the side when her food arrived.
She ate slowly, enjoying each rich bite of food, and worked in her notebook. After the main course was done, she got a refill on her coffee and ordered a nice big piece of chocolate pie.
The diner’s lull had picked back up once more and she realized she’d been there for nearly three hours. Getting the last of her pie, she washed it down with the final swig of her coffee. After packing up her things, she went to the counter.
“Anything to go?” Lila asked.
“No, ma’am. Thank you, though. Everything was delicious.”
Lila rang up her ticket and, after Karen paid, she gave her another smile along with the tip.
“Thank you, honey. Make sure you come back.”
“I don’t see that being a problem at all. Have a great day.” With a final smile, she exited the establishment and strode back along the streets to her car. “I could really go for a nap right now. Full belly, warm. Yes, a nap would be fantastic.”
It wasn’t to be, for there was much more on her list. She didn’t get back to her place until well after supper and as she juggled the numerous bags in her hands, she was grateful for such a large lunch.
“Where have you been?”
Karen screamed and jumped back, dropping all her bags, items spilling out onto the front area of her building.
“Jesus, Karen, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Rhodi stepped closer and dropped to his knees as he began putting her purchases back into the bags they’d escaped from.
She didn’t move, just stood there, hand over her racing heart and watching him before her. The setting sun added a blueish hue to his black hair. She wasn’t sure how it happened, but it was. All she wanted to do was sink her hands into the strands and bring him to her. After all, he was at the perfect height for burying his face between her thighs.
“Karen?”
Snapping herself from that desire, she lowered herself down and helped finish up. “Why didn’t you think that would scare me?”
“I figured a woman living alone would be more cognizant of her surroundings.”
“I’m sorry,” she snipped. “I was lost in thought, tired from my long lunch and what I did after.”
He snapped his attention on her face, jaw tight and an unreadable expression on his features.
“Right.” He shoved to his feet, three bags in hand, leaving one for her.
Lifting it, she got up as well and went to the door. Not sure why my day has put him in a foul mood.
After unlocking the door, she entered, well aware of the lurking man behind her. The door shut with a snap and she continued to the bedroom where she put her bag down and gestured for him to follow suit.
“Thank you for helping me. I don’t understand why you’re upset about me spending my day how I did. I was under the impression I didn’t have to be to work until next week. Did I not understand that correctly and I’ve missed my first day?”
“You think that’s what this is about?”
“Isn’t it?”
She closed her eyes as she realized he had just picked up all of her feminine products from the ground. Great, now my boss is touching those items. Maybe just to round out my embarrassment we could have some batteries and a vibrator out for him to see as well.
“You don’t start until next week. This is about you and me.”
Funny how her heart kicked out a new tattoo at that statement. She flicked her tongue over her lips and held his gaze while she kept a new suit in front of her, almost like it would be a shield.
His dark blue gaze nearly turned black but it never wavered from hers. She swallowed a few times, searching for moisture to fill her mouth, eliminating the cotton that grew. It never came.
“What about you and me?”
Damn it, there went so many more inappropriate images skating through her head. Her gut clenched as she imagined him in bed with her.
“I told you I would be here to help you finish unpacking and take out the rest of your boxes. You not only weren’t here, but you spent most of your day with Derek?”
She furrowed her brow. Two things were going on here and she rolled them around in her mind before she responded.
“I’m so sorry, I forgot about that. I was under the impression you would be over in the morning and when you didn’t show, I finished it up myself. I figured you got busy at work. But I’m confused about Derek.”
“He told me he had a date with an attractive blonde. Then when he gets back he said he spent several hours with her. You’re just now getting home.”
He’s jealous. The thought warmed her, and she didn’t have a logical explanation as to why it did. She wasn’t going to try and figure it out either.
Taking the tags off the new suit, she set it to the side and reached for another one.
“And since your brother said he was out with a blonde, you assumed it was me? Why?”
“I’m not in the mood to play games, Karen.” His deep rumble came from beside her. She’d not even seen him move. Rhodi’s heat flowed over her and she struggle with the urge to rub closer.
Lifting her face to his, she sighed. “I’m glad you think I’m attractive, but I haven’t seen your brother since I was at D.A.R.K. last.”
“So, you weren’t out with him?”
“I did eat but I was alone. Aside from the others in the diner.”
He touched the side of her face and she nearly melted. It took everything within her not to burrow deeper into his touch. No more words passed between them, he just dipped his head and claimed her lips.
She clenched her hands into fists to keep from grabbing him and pressing flush to her. Karen opened for him, partially expecting him to thrust deep and sweep through, but he didn’t. There existed a calm, coiled feel to his kiss. Tension radiated from him—hell, it may have been from her, she wasn’t positive.
All she knew was his taste. Masculine. Heady. Addictive.
He broke the kiss and looked down at her, she swore his eyes were now completely black as no blue could be seen.
“Don’t,” he muttered.
“Don’t what?” Did they have another conversation she couldn’t recall? Or was he telling her not to kiss him or expect that to happen again?
“Have a meal with my brother.”
“I’m not interested in your brother.”
“Any of them.”
“Not any of them.”
He held her gaze for a few more moments before he again took possession of her mouth. As before, the same powerful emotions poured through her. This time, though, the tiger was loose, there wasn’t anything contained in this exchange.
A low rumble pushed up from his chest, vibrating against her as he held her tight to him. She dug her fingers deep into his shoulders, holding on. Wanting it all. Goosebumps exploded over her skin as she willingly gave herself to this man.
Five minutes later she stood alone in her place, pulse high and head spinning with the enormity of what just went down. She’d tongued her boss. Pressed up against him like a street corner whore and taking whatever he was willing to give and then craving more.
And he just leaves without a word. Sourness churned in her gut and she touched her lips, still swollen from his kiss, before she got back to putting things away.
