“Why ruin the source of so much joy?”
“I’m glad we amuse you,” Reese snapped. “But I will never understand why you seem to think I’ve done something stupid or wrong by being a respectful and appropriate employer to Matilda.”
Hodges stopped laughing, the smile wiped from his face. “There is nothing stupid or wrong about that.”
Reese sighed in utter exasperation. “So, what’s the problem?”
“I don’t have a problem. Not with that.”
“Well, you could have fooled me. Care to explain what you do have a problem with?”
“You love her.”
Reese sat up, his spine going rigid. He’d often feared his feelings toward Mati weren’t well hidden, even before today’s debacle, but never once had Hodges called him on it.
Reese tightened his seat belt when they descended so quickly he was lifted right off the cushion.
“She’s a dear friend. And a perfect employee,” Reese said, his voice mild.
“Oh, don’t give me that shit,” Hodges said. “It’s not admiration for her work ethic that got you on this plane.”
Reese stared out the window and noted how rapidly the runway was approaching. “Yes, well, it doesn’t matter what it is. I’m not going to set myself in the cliché role of the sleazeball boss who hits on her.”
Hodges’ shoulders slumped. “You’re not just her boss though,” he said quietly—well, as quietly as he could and still be heard over the engines.
“Even if that’s true, she deserves better than me. Someone who isn’t—”
“If you say broken, I swear to god I’m going to punch you in the face.”
Before Reese could respond, the plane jarred against the tarmac with sufficient force to make them an inch shorter than they’d been at take-off.
Where the fuck had Hodges found this pilot?
Then Reese absorbed the fact that they were on the ground.
He looked at Hodges shrewdly. The damn man had managed to find a very effective means of distracting Reese from their plummet to the earth. “Clever.”
Hodges shrugged, painfully smug. “It worked, didn’t it?”
Reese was loath to admit that it had, and alarmed that Hodges looked like he had more he wanted to say. Now Reese was even more eager to get out of the goddamn plane.
Fortunately, the airport was tiny and deplaning was a three-minute process. As soon as they were in the very compact rental car and on the road, Reese called Mati. She answered immediately, and he drew his first deep breath since take off.
Hodges drove well above the posted speed limit, but no one stopped him. Maybe no one realized this particular make and model of car could go that fast. It sounded as though the engine was about to burst, but the thing kept going and Hodges kept pushing it.
Sooner than should have been possible, they were flying through the gates at the end of the driveway. It was disconcerting to see them standing open, but they’d had no choice except to leave them that way, as well as unlock the front door, once the police had been called in. It made Reese feel unsafe in a way he hadn’t in a long time.
Hodges parked behind the marked police SUV in front of the house. Reese hung up the phone and leaped from the car. He noted the black fingerprint dust all over his front door and foyer but didn’t stop, hesitating only once he was inside to wonder if he should check in with the police before bolting through the house.
Hodges shoved him toward the hallway. “Go. I’ll take care of it.”
Reese ran, hitting the panic room’s all-clear codes on his phone as he tore into his office. The locks released with heavy thunks and the door swung open.
Mati burst from the room and ran straight toward him. He tossed his phone onto his desk and met her halfway, catching her as she leaped into the air and barreled into him. Her arms wound around his shoulders, her legs around his waist, her warm lips and the cool plastic of her glasses pressed to his neck. He clutched her to his chest.
Thank god.
He held her as tightly as he dared, even as some part of his brain screamed at him to put her down. To put some space between them. But that wasn’t what any fraction of his heart wanted.
Mati sighed and Reese lost a battle he’d been fighting since the day he’d met her. He threaded his fingers into her hair beneath the knot of dark curls at her nape and pressed his face to the side of her head.
She murmured against his neck and he nodded, not even sure what she’d said. It didn’t matter. What mattered was she wanted to be held, and he desperately, desperately wanted to hold her.
“You’re okay. You’re safe,” he whispered, absorbing her heat and weight.
“I’m safe,” she agreed, her cheek to his, her lips to his ear. “You saved me.”
His knees wobbled and he hitched her higher—futilely trying to keep his hand on her back or her waist. Finally, he gave up and cupped it under her perfect, firm ass.
He swore he felt her smile against his cheek.
Hope bloomed where he’d never allowed it to grow.
The idea she might feel even an inkling of what he felt for her was staggering. Literally. He had to lean against his desk to be sure he didn’t drop them both to the floor.
He took another deep breath, saturating his head with citrus and lavender.
She curled her fingers into his hair and turned her head until their noses bumped and her lips hovered over his.
Her breath caught.
Reese stopped breathing altogether.
Mati had spent two of the longest hours of her life sitting in that horrible box, waiting to be let out. Waiting to see Reese. She’d watched the police arrive on the monitors, had known they were right outside the door at some points, but she’d stayed hidden. Reese’s voice had been her tether to sanity, which she’d clearly lost the minute he hung up and she’d watched him tear through the house to get to her.
His heat seeped into her, thawing the chill that had set into her bones when she’d realized she wasn’t alone in the house. His hands, big and wide, held her and soothed her lingering fear.
It was replaced with a host of new emotions that were warming her from the inside out.
That probably meant it was time for her to climb down, but she didn’t want that. She wanted to cling to him. To press her body to every inch of his and take his warmth, his comfort, and give the same in return.
He was her best friend. Her boss. He’d never once given any indication he thought of her as anything else. Not until he stopped breathing with her lips almost brushing his. Not until she felt his eyes flutter closed and his hand tremble in her hair.
“Reese?” she whispered.
“Whatever you want,” was his hoarse reply.
She pressed her lips to his, her heart soaring. He sucked in a desperate breath through his nose, his fingers digging into her ass hard enough to leave bruises.
She tilted away, and his lips clung to hers. She kissed him again, another long, closed-mouthed press that shook her to her core.
When she dared to trace her tongue over his lower lip, he shuddered.
Hodges cleared his throat from the doorway.
Reese bolted upright from his desk as Mati unwound her legs from his waist, and she nearly went sailing. Reese caught her in time and she managed to land on her feet, gripping Reese’s arms to keep from melting into a puddle on the floor.
Holy shit. What did we just do?
Reese’s cheeks were bright pink, and he was staring at her legs, apparently flummoxed. She belatedly smoothed her skirt down from where the damn thing had ridden up to her hips.
Whoops.
Now her cheeks were hot, too, but there was nothing to do but brazen it out. Somewhat put back together, she turned toward the door.
Hodges looked like he was about to expire from suppressed mirth.
Reese scowled at him.
“The police would like to speak with you both,” Hodges announced.
Reese tucked his hands
in his pockets and circled his desk. “Have them come in here, unless they need us somewhere else?”
“No, I’ll bring them. When you’re ready?”
It took Mati a moment to realize Hodges was asking her. She looked at her stocking feet and wrinkled suit. Wisps of hair, pried free by Reese’s fingers, floated in her peripheral vision.
She was a mess, but she wasn’t willing to let Reese out of her sight, not yet, so the decision was simple. She sat primly in one of the guest chairs in front of his desk and crossed her legs with as much dignity as she could muster.
“I’m ready now.”
Hodges nodded and disappeared down the hall.
Mati didn’t know what to say, and even if she figured it out, it would have to wait until the police were done. She swept up a handful of loose curls and tucked them back into the chignon at the back of her neck, achingly aware of Reese watching.
They gave their statements with Hodges watching over them from the door. If the police would have rather separated them, they didn’t indicate it, and no one volunteered.
When they called the techs into the office, Hodges escorted someone to his office to make copies of the relevant security video footage while she and Reese moved to the kitchen to get out of the way.
She stopped short when she saw her lunch still scattered across the surface of the table and stared at the wilted food. Rubbing her arms for warmth, she wished fervently she could wrap herself around Reese again.
Reese wanted nothing more than to wrap Mati in his arms again. He just wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to do.
“Here,” he said, pointing her toward the cushioned window seat at the end of the table. The sun was still working its way through the trees and warming that spot. “I’ll be right back.”
He ran to dial up the heat and grab a throw from the living room. He tucked it over her lap when he returned to the kitchen.
“Thanks,” she said, running her hand over the soft knit.
He hadn’t been this nervous around Mati since the first time they’d met.
He hovered awkwardly until Hodges came into the room. He took one look at them and went to the kettle, muttering to himself as he got out mugs and tea bags.
Reese wished he’d thought of that. He wished he could kiss her again.
“How was the flight?” Mati asked, drawing his attention.
Hodges snorted.
Reese ignored him. “It was fine.”
Mati smiled, softening her obvious disbelief. “Thank you for coming home so quickly.”
“Oh…you’re welcome.” He was in his own kitchen and he was fidgeting, for fuck’s sake. With an impatient sigh at his own stupidity, he sat kitty-corner to her. “Actually, I think it might have been our pilot’s first solo flight.”
Mati laughed and tangled her legs with his under the table, making his heart kick over in his chest. He could tell she was gauging his reaction, and he couldn’t fathom what she might glean from the near-panic that was probably on his face.
He didn’t move away, though, despite years of careful self-control insisting he should. She was precious to him, one of the few people he’d allowed to get close, but he’d worked hard to keep the depth of his feelings for her to himself. He didn’t regret that, even now when he wondered if he’d missed the signs.
If there had been any. If he wasn’t reading too much into this.
She smiled and leaned closer. He hesitated, then knocked his knee against hers and smiled back, happy to let her lead. Needing to let her lead.
She ran her foot over his. Reese felt younger and dumber than he had in a long time.
Hodges came to the table with three mugs of hot tea and a plate of Mati’s favorite shortbread cookies. He set it all down and took his seat with a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry to say this, but I have no idea how they got the front door open.”
Reese’s delight chilled considerably. “None?”
Hodges shook his head.
“Could I have left it unlocked?” Mati asked.
“You didn’t,” Hodges said, patting her hand.
“Could they have a physical key?” Reese asked, though it seemed impossible. He and Hodges had the only two copies that weren’t in the safe.
Hodges sighed. “No. I think they had a device to unlock it through the Bluetooth. The log doesn’t make sense, though.”
Unease prickled down Reese’s spine. They’d invested in those locks for a reason, and not just because it was cool to be able to unlock the door with their phones. “They hacked our security?”
“Maybe? I don’t know.” Hodges rubbed his face. “As far as I can tell, they only hacked the front door lock, not the whole system, but I can’t be sure.”
They all looked up at the camera in the corner.
“When will you know more?” Reese asked, his mind spinning with what needed to be done.
“I’ll fix it. You don’t have to worry about that.” Reese opened his mouth to protest, but Hodges cut him off. “But you can’t stay here while I do it.”
Reese didn’t like the sound of that at all. “You think I should go back to Moncton?”
Hodges frowned. “No. Not at first.”
Reese’s heart dropped to his feet when he worked out Hodges’ concern. “You think someone might follow me. Or know that’s where I’d go.”
“I don’t know what to think, but based on what we’ve seen in the past, I don’t think you can take the chance and put them at risk.”
“You’re right, of course,” Reese said, feeling physically ill at the thought of putting Rupert, Callum, or their beautiful children in danger.
“What you’ve seen in the past?” Mati asked.
Reese took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s a long story. I promise you, I never once thought I had put you in harm’s way. I swear. If I thought you—”
“No, of course,” Mati said, putting her hand over his. “Let’s table that until we can figure out the logistics on this.”
Always down to business, his Matilda. Reese relished her ability to cut through chaos and find the path forward, and was grateful for the reprieve.
“I need to go to my apartment to pack,” Mati said.
“We’ll go with you,” Hodges assured her.
Reese frowned, because was Hodges fucking crazy?
“She can’t come with me,” he said to Hodges. Then he turned to Mati. “You can’t come with me.”
“Oh, yes, I can,” she fired back. “Those guys saw me. And I can’t work here until it’s safe, just like you can’t live here. I’m not convinced Hodges should be here either.”
Hodges rolled his eyes. “I’ll sleep in the panic room, does that make you feel better?”
“Yes,” Mati said, calling his bluff.
Reese snorted at the look on Hodges’ face.
Mati glared at Reese. “You know I’m right. You and I can go somewhere we can’t be found while Hodges is working with the police and living in that tiny metal box.” She shot Hodges a dark look.
Hodges rolled his eyes again. “I’ll be fine. And careful.”
“You can’t just take off indefinitely,” Reese said. “What about your family?”
“I have two perfectly capable brothers, both married to even more capable women. They can cover things with my parents while I’m gone.”
Reese knew it wasn’t that simple. He’d witnessed how long and hard Mati had fought to make her brothers take up their share and stop expecting her to do it all because she was the only daughter. She’d made some headway, but it was a work in progress.
He would never use that against her, though. “We don’t even know where we’re going,” he pointed out.
“It doesn’t really matter, does it?”
“Wherever it is, we’re driving there,” he added.
“All the more reason I should go with you. Someone needs to ensure the safety of everyone on the road.”
Hodges grinned. “That’s t
rue.”
“You’re not helping,” Reese said with a glower. Though, he’d walked right into that one. He hadn’t driven in…well, a long time. It would probably be better if he didn’t take it up again on a day like today.
Reese hoped Mati didn’t notice Hodges’ pointed look at their hands, still clasped together on the table. The man was insufferable.
Reese looked at Mati. “I don’t want you to be in any danger.”
“That ship has sailed,” she said. “And for what it’s worth, I don’t want you to be in danger, either.”
Reese bit his cheek to keep from blurting out everything he felt. It was hard when Mati looked at him like that. He ignored Hodges’ long-suffering sigh.
Mati’s eyebrows drew together. “Unless…do you not want to be stuck with me?”
“What? No. No.” Reese squeezed her hand and leaned even closer. How could she think that? “I want you with me. Always.”
Reese snapped his mouth shut.
So much for not blurting it all out.
Mati turned to Hodges. “We’ll take Reese’s car.”
Chapter Four
David staggered into the executive lobby at the headquarters of McCormick Associates at some god-awful hour in the morning and paused outside Chance’s door. Usually, David was okay getting an early start, but last night had been endless.
It had taken hours to get things wrapped up at the hotel and even longer at the station with Andrea and Harold to get the charges filed. When Prentiss’s parents had arrived, distraught, David’s already elevated opinion of Harold had gone up another notch as he took it upon himself to console them.
David appreciated Harold’s reminder of how good people can be, but that was something he wouldn’t be able to savor fully until he was no longer dead on his feet. Once the paperwork had been completed, David had visited with his former colleagues, enjoying the time to catch up despite the heavy weight on his shoulders knowing that he was no longer one of them. That he no longer belonged in the place where he’d always thought he was supposed to be.
Almost worse was that it still didn’t make him regret his decision to leave.
Breaking Out Page 4