by S. M. Shade
“You’d better hope Mason doesn’t hear about this,” Devon grumbles.
Could this infuriating man be more confusing? Yesterday, he kisses me, then avoids me, then takes off for a night, only to show up and flirt with me.
I know he’s attracted to me or to my body anyway. It was clear in the way his gaze swept over my pajama clad ass when he saw me. I guess when he’s drunk it doesn’t matter as much that I’m weak or damaged.
Sighing, I toss and turn until the sun seeps between the curtains. I know I’m developing feelings for him, which is a huge mistake. Even if he could see me for the woman I am, he’s still a player and I won’t end up a notch on his bedpost.
His snores are practically rattling the windows. I’ll never get back to sleep at this rate. I’m getting around much better on my crutches and with the boot so it doesn’t take me long to get to his room. I only plan to close the door and block out the sounds of a chainsaw wielding grizzly bear, until I see him. Sprawled out on his back like a starfish, he’s still fully dressed, belt, shoes and all. It can’t be comfortable, and after all the times he’s put me to bed, I can’t leave him like that.
The bed dips when I sit beside his feet, but he doesn’t budge, just continues to snore while I remove his shoes. There’s no way I could take off his jeans, even if I dared, but I can at least unfasten his belt.
I scoot up by his waist and a giggle escapes me as I press on his chin until his mouth pops open. Whew! At least that stops the snoring. His glasses sit askew on his face and I carefully move them to the night stand.
I’ve never had a chance to really study him, so I’m taking advantage of the opportunity. No man should be this lickable. I have to run a fingertip down the dark stubble on his strong jawline and across the tiny indention above his top lip.
God, those lips. So full and perfect, so soft on mine. I’ve got to get out of here before I start feeling him up in his sleep. With a pained moan, he turns his head, and I notice lipstick streaked down his neck. I’d assumed the reek of flowers was from an air freshener, that Devon had probably tried to cover up the stale alcohol smell, but it’s coming from Parker.
Some skank left her perfume and lipstick on him when he was doing god knows what to her. Well, I know what, but I don’t want to think about it. It’s ridiculous and all kinds of unreasonable, this ache in my chest. What did I really expect?
When I reach to unfasten his belt, his hand falls on mine and I’m greeted with eyes more red than white. “Macy,” he mumbles, blinking, and I doubt he can really see me.
“I’m not molesting you, just making you comfortable,” I reply, loosening his belt.
His hand wraps around mine and a small smile lifts his lips as he murmurs, “Pretty Macy.” Heavy eyelids slam closed again and he rolls onto his side, dead asleep.
What the hell am I supposed to make of this? This man is the king of mixed signals. I’m done worrying over it. He’s a player who sees me as weak. I’ve mistaken kindness and lust for romantic interest. I won’t let it happen again.
Before I head back to bed, I leave a bottle of water and some Tylenol on his nightstand. It’s the least I can do.
* * * *
Voices invade my dreams, drifting in from the living room. “She doesn’t usually sleep this late.”
“She doesn’t usually have a drunken moron waking her at four a.m.”
“Shit. Did I say anything…inappropriate?” It’s weird to hear Parker sound so insecure. Devon’s deep laughter is followed by Parker grumbling. Always the klutz, I knock over one of my crutches as I get out of bed, alerting them I’m awake. Within seconds, there’s a knock on the bedroom door.
“Macy? Are you decent?” Parker asks.
“Decent as I get.”
Even hungover the bastard is gorgeous. Hair flops over his forehead when he sits beside me. “I’m sorry about last night. I never should’ve come back here after I’d been drinking. I didn’t scare you, did I?”
Scare me. That’s his concern. Anger hardens my resolve to put some distance between us. All he can see is some delicate paranoid woman and no wonder after all my panic attack shit, but I won’t be that anymore. I don’t need him to hold my hand.
“I wasn’t scared,” I mumble, grabbing my crutch off the floor. Damn, that hurts.
“Easy.”
He steps back when I shake his hand off my shoulder. “I’m okay. You don’t have to keep babying me.”
“Macy, if I said something last night…”
“You didn’t. I just want to soak in the tub a while.”
“Okay…sure, um, I’ll go grab us a pizza for lunch.”
I force myself to ignore his hurt expression and lock myself in the bathroom. The next couple of days are awkward to say the least. I’m not hateful, just distant, and he acts like he has no idea why. I miss hanging out with him, but it’s for the best. I was getting too attached.
At least I’m catching up on work. I still sit out on the back patio with him in the evenings, I just have a laptop with me to limit conversation.
Devon is in the kitchen when I wake, and Parker’s nowhere to be found. It isn’t easy, but I resist the urge to ask where he is. It’s really none of my business. Two days pass before he returns, and I can’t help the smile on my face when I see him. “Hey, how have you been, Macy?”
“Good. How about you?” I had a panic attack last night and spent a few minutes sitting on the bathroom floor, trying to breathe through it, but I’m keeping that to myself. I can deal with it on my own.
“It’s been a weird couple of days. I found out I’m an uncle.”
“No kidding?”
“Yep. Mason has a five year old son he never knew about. He just got emergency custody.”
“Wow.”
“I know.” He glances at me with a hopeful expression. “Why don’t we get out of here for a bit? I know a little Italian place. It’ll be safe.”
Bad idea or not, I can’t say no. I’ve missed him, missed talking to him. “Sounds good. Thank you.”
The restaurant is small and dim, full of chatting couples. Parker leads me to a table by a window where we can people watch while we eat. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Parker puts his hand over mine, and I look into those eyes that make me weak.
“I’m sorry for the past week, Macy. I kissed you, then showed up drunk, then disappeared. I know I let you down. It won’t happen again.”
“You don’t owe me an apology or anything else. I’ve always had two bodyguards with me and you didn’t put me in danger. You’ve done your job, kept me safe.” Being thought of as a job is too damn depressing.
“You’ve went beyond anything you had to do, trying to keep me comfortable and entertained. I wouldn’t have made it through the last month without you, but I don’t need constant care anymore. Don’t feel bad for having a life outside of work.”
His hand squeezes mine. “You aren’t just work. I like spending time with you. Just hanging out and watching movies, we have fun, don’t we?”
“We do. I like being with you. There’s no rule against being friends with a resident, is there?”
His lips stretch into a grin. “No, no rules against friendship.”
“So, there you go. We can be friends, and I can still slaughter you at Scrabble.”
“Please,” he scoffs, sounding more like himself than he has since our kiss. “I gave you words I totally should’ve challenged.”
“Ha! You’re just jealous of my extensive vocabulary.”
“Airish? What’s that, like Amish? No way that’s legit.”
“Crack a book, Mr. Illiterate. It means chilly or cool. As in, the night was airish.”
“Hey.” He flips a bread crumb at me. “I read!”
“Porn doesn’t count.”
Relief relaxes my posture as we laugh together. This is what I’ve missed. So I can’t have him in bed. From what Ev has told me, it wouldn’t last anyway. I’d rather not lose him completely.
Our lively talk and light hearted banter continue throughout our meal and the drive home. Parker told Jensen to take a break before we left, grab himself some dinner. He’s just parking across the street when we arrive, and beats us to the door by a few seconds.
“Fuck! Keep her outside!” he snaps, charging into the living room. Without a second’s hesitation, Parker pulls me down to the cement porch, pinning me between his body and the three foot walls that surround us. My crutches slap the ground.
“What happened?” I whisper.
“Shh, I don’t know. Just stay still.” My heart tries to thump its way out of my chest, and I grit my teeth because I’m sitting with my injured ankle beneath me.
Jensen appears at the door. “House is clear, but compromised. It’s been trashed.”
They help me to my feet and hustle me indoors. The couch is overturned and the T.V. smashed. “Pack up, Macy,” Parker orders, dialing his phone. I hear him barking orders, then arguing with someone.
“I’ll help you,” Jensen volunteers, following me to my room. It’s worse than the living room. The sheets and mattresses are shredded, along with some of my clothes. A pair of my panties hang on the light fixture, the word slut scrawled across them. Ev’s Kindle is smashed to bits. I’m surprised he left my laptop intact.
When I go to shut it off, I see why. The screensaver flashes on when I remove it from sleep mode and ice trickles down my spine. A photo of my face pops up, embedded in a missing person’s poster. Missing is printed across the top and Presumed Dead just under my photo.
It’s everything I can do to keep my breathing under control. Jensen speaks softly, but it still makes me jump. “It’ll be okay. We’ll get you out of here.”
“How the hell did he find me?”
“I don’t know, but we’re going to find out.” I quickly pack what’s worth taking. “You can’t take your laptop. He could’ve installed a tracking device. I’ll have to take it to our techs, let them check it out.”
“I have sensitive documents on there, proprietary material.”
“It won’t be compromised.”
Two large security guards are standing in the living room when I return. That was fast. “I don’t give a shit what you think is appropriate. We’re headed there now,” Parker barks into his phone before jamming his finger on the disconnect button.
His face softens as his gaze falls on me. I try my best not to look as terrified as I feel. I’m not going to let him see me as weak. “Are you okay?”
“Fine. Where are we going?” Is he sending me out of state?
“I’ll tell you in the car. We need to move.” The men surround me when we walk to a black sedan with tinted windows. Parker’s posture is tense, his lips pressed together, so I refrain from asking questions until we pull into an underground parking garage. “Come on, we’re switching cars,” he says, gesturing to the blue car beside us. Its windows are also tinted too deep to see through.
“Shell game,” I murmur, climbing in.
“Can’t be too safe.”
“Where are we going?”
“The only place I know I can keep you safe. My house.”
I watch as the city lights fade, giving way to suburban neighborhoods, then fields. Nearly an hour later, we pull into a long winding driveway, lined with trees. A two story house looms, but it’s too dark to see much. Moonlit fields backed by a thin forest surround the property. Parker walks me to the door, and I tilt my head back to gaze at the spatter of stars across the ink black sky.
“I’ll bet it’s beautiful out here in the daylight,” I remark.
“I’ll show you around tomorrow. Let’s get you settled in.” The living room is warm and comfortable, masculine, with a soft sectional couch and oversized leather recliner. Opening the door to a spacious bedroom with pale blue walls, he says, “This is the guest room. There’s an attached bath. I want you to make yourself at home here.”
“Thank you,” I murmur. “But you don’t have to do this. You can move me out of state, like you suggested.”
His fingers pinch my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. “I told you, I won’t fail you again. I have a state of the art alarm system. Even if the bastard somehow figures out where you are, he’ll never get in. I don’t want you to be afraid.”
“I’m not afraid.”
Parker places my suitcase on the bed and runs his hands through his hair. “How about a drink?” He looks like he could use one.
“Sounds good.”
Parker
If it was hard to resist Macy before, it’s damn near impossible now. Having her here in my home—where no woman has ever been—makes me realize I never want her to leave. We have to catch this asshole soon. If not, she’ll be relocating out of state and I can’t let that happen. Friends, we said, but I only intend to honor that until she’s safe. As soon as Al is behind bars and she’s no longer under our protection, she’s mine.
Until then, I have to keep my hands to myself and play along with this friend agreement. Macy perches on the edge of the couch, sipping her wine, and I take a seat across from her. “Was that Mason you were talking to before we left?” she asks.
“Yeah, I had to let him know what happened. We need to figure out how Al found you.”
“Mason didn’t want you to bring me here.”
“He’d prefer we move you out of state, but I don’t think that’s necessary just yet.” I’m lying and I know it. If it was anyone else, we’d have them on a plane by now, but I just can’t. We have to assume the other local safe houses are compromised since he found the last one, so it was either take her far away or bring her here. I have to know she’s safe and that means I have to be with her.
Dark hair cascades over her shoulders when she flops back onto the couch. “I can move. I hate to, but I’ve done it before.”
“Moved to another state?”
“I moved to Indy three years ago after my mother died. There was nothing keeping me in Missouri and I wanted out of the small town I grew up in. It sucks that I have to start over when I was just starting to make friends here, but I can do it if I have to.”
I didn’t realize how alone she is. “I’m sorry about your mother. Was it an accident?”
“Colon cancer. My father died the year before of a heart attack. They were both in their seventies. My mom didn’t have me until she was forty-eight. I was quite a surprise,” she says with a giggle, downing the rest of her wine.
“No brothers or sisters?”
“Nope, just me.”
She doesn’t have any family. I can’t imagine that. I lost my parents, but always had my brothers and an aunt and uncle. What kind of courage does it take to up and move to a large city alone with no support system? She’s amazing.
“I’m exhausted,” she says, carrying her wine glass to the kitchen. “Think I’ll turn in.”
“Sure. I’m in the room right across the hall if you need anything.”
“Thank you, I’ll be fine.”
Before I head to bed an hour later, I peek in on her. The light falls across her face and she looks so peaceful. I wish I could take a picture. I imagine that’d be one step too far and probably creep her out if she woke to a camera flash. She rolls over just as I turn to leave, and the covers slip down to reveal one creamy thigh. Shit. I didn’t need to see that. My cock is going to be chapped if I abuse the wicked stick much more.
* * * *
Something smells delicious when I wake and I roll out of bed to investigate. Macy is standing over my stove, dressed in a tank top and shorts. Her hips sway when she walks to the cabinet to grab a plate.
“You’re walking without the crutches,” I say, and she turns with a smile that brightens my day. Shit. Did I just think that? She’s got me sounding like a chick.
“It doesn’t hurt to put weight on it for short periods of time, and I’m too clumsy on those crutches.”
“I know. Thought I was going to lose an eye.”
“Shu
t up or I’ll aim lower next time. Hungry?”
“Starving,” I reply, taking a seat at the counter. “What smells so good?”
“Biscuits and sausage gravy.”
That’s it. I’m fucking keeping her. “My favorite.”
A roll of her eyes makes me laugh. She thinks I’m teasing her. “Seriously,” I emphasize. “What’s your favorite food?”
“Chocolate lava cake,” she replies instantly, placing a platter of biscuits and a large bowl of gravy on the table.
“I should’ve known it’d be chocolate.” I pour two glasses of orange juice and set plates and silverware on the table. She takes a seat across from me and we dig in. It’s disconcerting how good, how normal it feels to have breakfast with her. Like she’s here voluntarily and not because her life is in danger.
I’ve never wanted normal. I tell people normal is boring as hell, but that’s not the reason I’ve refused to settle down or even date the same woman twice. I know how quickly it can be torn apart and I won’t lose anyone else I love. Even if that means never loving anyone new. This woman is just as bad for me as I am for her. I need to remember that.
I’m putting our breakfast dishes in the dishwasher when Mason shows up. “I see you’ve changed your keycode,” he remarks when I unlock the door to let him in.
“Alarm code too,” I reply.
“I have some things for Macy.”
Irrational jealousy hardens my jaw. “I’d have gotten her anything she needs.”
Ignoring me, he greets Macy and places her laptop on the coffee table. “It’s clean. He didn’t add anything or access any of your files, just uploaded that picture to alarm you.”
“It worked,” she scoffs.
“Try not to let him upset you. It’s what he wants. Here, Evie sent you these.”
Macy opens the large box Mason places in front of her and laughs when she pulls out a fresh box of chocolate covered donuts. Her mouth forms a perfect O when she finds a brand new Kindle next. “I already destroyed her last one. I can’t keep this. Tell her thanks, but give it back to her, please.”