Alone With You

by Aliyah Burke

  Tuck had found Sam to be even more close-lipped about what he did in the Corps. The man’s patented response had been ‘I’m Recon,’—as if that was supposed to tell him what he did. Tuck had since looked it up on the Marines’ website and had got more than Sam had said. He was impressed from the small bit he’d read and understood.

  One day, he’d questioned Sam as to whether he would ever get out of the Marines. Sam had stood there for a moment, staring out over the River Walk—which Roxi had wanted to come down and see—and said, “I’d die in my uniform if I could. I’ll serve until I can no longer do what I love to do so much with the accuracy I can do it with now. Once you have the desire to serve, it’s hard to turn it off. Roxi got out because it was what was best for her nephew. But I know, daily, she misses it.”

  Tuck hadn’t been sure how to respond to that. He was worried, the way Ariel talked about getting back in. He didn’t want her to leave. Nor did he want her in danger.

  He shook his head and pulled himself from the past with the Hochs and Ariel, where they had been like two couples double dating all the time. Ariel hadn’t minded that he’d hung out with them.

  Richard stepped out as Tuck neared the mobile building and Tuck gave the man a nod accompanied by a slight smile.

  “Got a moment, Pierce?” Richard’s hand was curved around the handle of a cane.

  He frowned—when had the man needed assistance getting around? “Sure. What’s up?”

  “I need to set up a time for you to meet with me at the office building downtown. Do you have your schedule handy?”

  He pulled out his phone and brought it up. “What were you thinking?”

  “Sooner the better. I know things here are running smoothly but I’m not sure what else you have on your workload.”

  “My afternoon is clear if you’d like me to stop by after I finish work here.”

  He dropped his gaze back to the hand on the top of the cane and watched his fingers clench it repeatedly, as if he wasn’t able to get a comfortable grip and needed it desperately. Tuck stood ready just in case he was needed. It bothered him to see Richard not feeling well.

  “Say about four thirty?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Good lad. Good lad.” Richard, it appeared to Tuck, spoke almost to himself. His friend and mentor walked to the waiting car and slid into the back after the driver opened the door for him.

  Tuck remained in his current position until the black car pulled from the construction site. Running a hand down his face, he sighed heavily. Something was off with Richard. Unable to worry about that now, he went into the white building and relished the air conditioning blaring through the small space.

  “Sherry,” he said as he closed the door behind him.

  “Hey, Tuck. What can I get for you?”

  He looked at her—one of the two women who worked with their crew. She was tough. Before she’d fallen off some scaffolding and had material crush her leg, Sherry had been out there with them. She walked with a noticeable limp now but none of the men gave her a hard time. Not in the same way they might if she’d been some empty-headed, big-breasted girl. Sherry had a steel trap for a mind and if she caught anyone staring at her breasts, she might take their cock, just on principle. She could—and did—put up with healthy doses of teasing, but if a new worker got out of hand, Sherry had no problem putting them in their place.

  “Need some blueprints on the back part of the museum. It looks different than I thought it would in my head.”

  Normally he would have those outside with him but it had been raining off and on and he’d needed to be outdoors to look, so the papers were all in the office.

  “Richard was looking at them a moment ago. Since I haven’t had time to put them away, they’re on the table to your left.” She came from the small kitchen holding a cup of coffee and sipped from it.

  He moved there and saw she was spot on. “Thanks. What was Richard doing here?”

  “Beats me, Tuck. I don’t question the boss man.”

  “Bullshit,” he said laughing. Tuck gazed over at her and saw the grin on her face as well. “Did he seem as if something were bothering him? Not work related, but physically?”

  She moved towards him. “Physically? What’s going on?” All joviality vanished. Sherry was nothing but business and concern.

  “I saw him outside and I’ve never seen him with a cane before. Not to mention he couldn’t seem to get a good grip on it. He looked off balance to me and I just wanted to know if you’d seen it as well.”

  She shook her head. “Nope. But to be honest, I didn’t see the cane either. He was sitting at the table looking over them when I walked in. When it was time for him to leave I was in the back. I mean, he was there when I went to the back to fix my coffee and you were there when I returned.”

  He shrugged. “Okay, thanks.”

  “Think something is up with him?”

  “I do but I’m not sure what it is.” He placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on laced fingers. “I’ll figure it out.”

  She put her hand on his shoulder. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

  “Will do, thanks.”

  She went back to her desk and got busy doing orders and the numerous other things she did there. He found what he needed and saw what the dimensions of the back room were supposed to be.

  “No way that’s what it truly is.” He jotted the numbers down on a sheet of paper then shoved it in his pocket before rolling the blueprints up and returning them to their proper place. “See you, Sherry.”

  “Bye, handsome,” she called out without looking up from the computer. “Thanks for putting them back.”

  “Anything for you, babe.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  He chuckled as he stepped back outside. More rain fell and he hunched his shoulders as he walked back to the museum. Once he stepped inside, he shook the water from his hair and withdrew his cell phone.

  “Calling me at work now, Tuck?” Ariel’s question was both teasing and welcoming.

  He smiled and strode to the back. “Hey, beautiful. Are you busy?”

  “Well, I’m at work. Aren’t you?”

  “Yes, but that’s why I am calling you. Do you have time to come down here?”

  “Everything okay?”

  “It would be easier for me to ask with you standing here.”

  “I can leave in five.”

  “Drive carefully, it’s raining.”

  Her laughter warmed him. “You know they did give me a window in this box of an office. I’ve been watching it. After the heat from most of the summer, I’m pleased to see this rain.”

  “Just get here, woman.”

  “Snapping a salute here. See you in a few.”

  Ending the call, he did another scan of the room. It just didn’t seem right. He made his way slowly back to the front and waited for Ariel. When she arrived, he watched her get out of her LR3.

  Today’s suit was black, pants rather than skirt, and did nothing to quell his imagination of what he knew very well lay beneath the material. Sure strides brought her across the muddy ground and if it bothered her, she didn’t show it.

  “What’s up?” she asked, shaking the water off her umbrella.

  “No ‘hi, honey, how are you?’”

  “Nope. What’s up?” She leaned the dripping blue item against the wall.

  He saw she had her clipboard binder with her. Reaching to the left, he grabbed a hard hat and placed it on her head.

  “Really? This again?”

  “It’s a construction site, babe.”

  Her grumbles made him smile. “Fine. What did you need me to see?”

  He began walking and she fell into step with him. “It’s in the back, one of the rooms there. I needed you to look at it and tell me if the equipment y’all use is there and if so, would it take up the room it is appearing to do so.”

  In his periphery, he saw her frown
. She opened her clipboard and pulled out a sheet of paper—a shrunken down version of his blueprints. Her expression was serious as she navigated the walk and stared at what she held.

  He showed her into the room and immediately she shook her head. Tuck took off his hard hat and shoved a hand through his hair before putting it back on.

  “No. This isn’t the room we have our things. Our stuff that we added is in the electrical room. The dimensions are all off in here, though.”

  He crossed his arms and watched as she circulated the room. She stopped on the other side and pointed at the wall.

  “Here.”

  Tuck went to her side. “Here what?”

  “I’d say this is a panic room. It opens here.”

  “How do you know this?” He worked construction for Christ’s sake and he couldn’t tell.

  “I’ve done this for a while. It’s the best place in the room to have one. Look at the ceiling—that little divot in there is a sensor. I’d bet dollars to doughnuts there’s another one up on the second floor.” She cleared her throat. “And in the basement.”

  “Who the fuck’s been messing with my construction site?” He was furious. “Let’s go check upstairs.”

  “Sure.”

  “Wait. Can you open this?”

  “I could. Did you want me to?”

  “Not yet. Let’s go see if there’s one upstairs as well.”

  She shrugged easily. “Your call.”

  It might be but he was getting pissed. They headed for the stairs and Tuck tried to figure out what the hell was going on.

  * * * *

  “Care to tell me why there are panic rooms in the museum?”

  Richard blinked slowly at him from where he sat behind the large teak desk. “What are you talking about?”

  “You had to know, Richard,” he said unwilling to play the game where one person pretends not to know what another is talking about. Tuck especially wasn’t willing to do it with this man. “You’ve had other people there at night. Is that when it was put in?” He pursed his lips. “They, they were put in?”

  Once Ariel had left, Tuck had come to Richard’s office.

  “How did you figure it out?”

  Guess that was confirmation, somehow. “Blueprints.” He stepped closer to the desk and sat in the chair after dragging it up. “I know this is your company, but it’s partly my name as the foreman on the project. Why wasn’t this on the original blueprint?”

  “Hear me out, Pierce. Will you tell me how you figured it out? What prompted you to go back to the blueprints?”

  “Why wouldn’t I go to them? I want everything to be perfect. The size of the room appeared off to me so I went to check. Then I called Prometheus Protections and had Ms Greene come meet me. While she was there I asked her if her men could have stored some equipment there. She looked around the room and found the entrance then told me there were probably ones on the other floors as well. We looked and discovered she was right. So she opened them.”

  Richard sat forward. “She opened them?”

  “I told her to, it wasn’t her idea.” Immediately the need to protect Ariel hit him.

  “I thought you were kidding when you said she’d found the entrance.”

  “Why would I joke about that? This is serious, Richard.”

  “Listen to me, son. The owner, Gerald, came to me after the plans had been agreed upon. He asked me if they could be added in. He’s paying good money to do it and didn’t want the rooms a matter of public record.

  Tuck scowled. “So you had other workers go in after we finished the rooms and change them.

  “Yes.”

  There was so much he could say but he kept it contained. It wasn’t his company so he truly had no say in the matter. “Whatever. What did you need to see me about?”

  “Your architectural firm.”

  “I’m not sure I’m starting one.” Tuck rose. “Besides why would you help me? It’s obvious you don’t trust me since you kept me out of the loop on that whole panic room thing.” Yes, he knew he sounded bitter but damn it all, he was. “You’ve known me for a long time, Richard, and I thought you trusted me. Guess I was wrong.”

  Tuck left, ignoring the man’s calls to come back in. He slammed his hands on the steering wheel before he drove home.

  Chapter Nine

  Ariel stared at the phone she’d just hung up. It seemed odd to have heard the words she had just been told. Pushing to her feet, she looked around her living room. “Not really sure why I’m paying for a place when it seems like I’m never here to enjoy it.”

  She went to her bedroom and sat on the edge of the mattress before flopping back. Eyes closed, she tried to imagine this working. She heard the click of her front door and knew within moments she’d have company, yet remained where she was.

  “Babe?”

  “Back here.”

  Tuck sat beside her. She cursed her body’s immediate and apparent instinctive response to his scent. One powerful thigh pressed up against her and she cracked open her eyes.

  “Get it all figured out with your boss?” she asked.

  “Oh yeah. He had some other men go in and add the rooms. They didn’t want them on the blueprints.” He scoffed. “I don’t know why I feel betrayed.”

  Tuck dropped back to lie beside her and she lowered her lids again.

  “Sorry.”

  “Shit happens. How was your day?”

  She made a face. “Well, I’m going to leave for a while.”

  He shifted on the mattress. “What?” There was disbelief in his tone.

  “I have been assigned a personal protection gig.”

  “Could you look at me, please.” His voice was all deep and terse.

  She turned her head and opened her eyes. “Better?”

  He drew a breath and expelled it heavily. “Not really. What is this about a personal protection thing? I thought you didn’t do that.”

  She read the frustration in him, exceptionally visible with his clenched jaw.

  “Normally I don’t. I prefer to be elsewhere in the company but I can do it and I’m damn good at it if I do. Slater thought I would be perfect for the job and apparently the client agreed.” She stared at the ceiling. “I leave in two days.”

  “For how long?”

  “I don’t know.” She shifted and brought her feet up to rest on the bed as well.

  “Where?” It was as if she could hear the frown in his voice even though she’d since stopped looking at him.

  “Can’t say.”

  “Who are you guarding?”

  She didn’t so much as move. “Can’t tell you that either.”

  “Damn it, Ariel. What can you tell me?” He pounded a fist on the bed.

  She tensed. “That I leave in two days and don’t raise your voice at me.”

  “I’m not.” He cleared his throat and began again in a lower, more even tone. “I’m not.”

  “I just got the call literally three minutes before you came in the door, Tuck. I’m still trying to digest this myself.”

  “What did Slater tell you?”

  She propped herself up on her elbows and turned her watchful stare to him. He’d sat up and was staring down at her, anger and uncertainty in his gaze. “I told you what I could of what he said to me.”

  “Bullshit.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

  “You can tell me more.”

  “No I can’t. Personal protection isn’t something you go blabbing about, Tuck. Surely you know that.” She made a face. “Or can at least understand if not appreciate it.”

  “Who am I going to tell? I’m your boyfriend, for fuck’s sake. Why can’t you tell me?”

  “Aside from the fact I’m not supposed to?”

  “Yes!”

  She stood and put fisted hands on her hips. “I was trying to spare your feelings.”

  His brown eyes grew wide. “My feelings? Why would you need to spare them?”

&n
bsp; “Because I’m going in as someone’s fiancée.”

  Every inch of him went rigid. Tuck swallowed and said in a voice that, in her opinion, was way too controlled, “What did you say?”

  “You heard me. I’m going in as the man’s bride-to-be.”

  “What man?” Irritation laced his tone.

  She shook her head. “Tuck, you know I—”

  “What man, Ariel? What? Man?” His question was more an animalistic growl than actual words.

  “Congressman Dovers’ son. He’s coming back home and they want him to have some protection.”

  When Tuck pushed to his feet and moved towards her, every step screamed predatory and dangerous. “So you’re going to be kissing him and sleeping with him.”

  “I’m going to be doing my job.”

  His smile wasn’t pleasant. “I’m sure.”

  Anger sparked within her as well. “Listen to me, I wasn’t looking to do this. I didn’t go ask to be slated as his fiancée. It was assigned to me because they thought I was the best fit. I may have to kiss him, yes. But I won’t be sleeping with him.” I’ve never met the man before.

  “Yet you weren’t going to tell me that.”

  “I was trying to protect you!” she hollered.

  “Moving up in the world, aren’t you?” he sneered. “Going from dating some no-name construction worker to being engaged to a congressman’s son.” He shook his head. “I didn’t need your protection, Ariel. I just needed you to think me worthy of telling me the truth.” He walked to her bedroom door. “Have fun.”

  “Tuck!” she called out.

  He stiffened but didn’t stop, just continued on his way.

  “Damn it!” she cried out after the door to her apartment shut. She warred with the notion of going after him and not.

  It took her no more than a minute to make up her mind and she stomped to the door before going across the hall and letting herself in. Tuck stood in the kitchen, popping the top off a beer. His gaze was cold when he looked at her.

  She kicked the door shut behind her and made a beeline to the man who was driving her absolutely crazy, in both a good way and a bad. Keeping the counter between them—she wasn’t sure her hands wouldn’t be around his neck otherwise—she glared up at him, matching him glower for glower.