by Anna Blakely
“Sorry.” When his eyes found hers again, he forced a smile and said, “I’m going to go check on the food.” His back was to her before she could even respond.
“What the hell was that?” Gracie mumbled to herself.
She barely knew the guy, yet she’d almost kissed him in the middle of a crowded restaurant. Worse, she’d just agreed to go back to his apartment with him. Alone.
That was like the first rule in single-woman safety one-oh-one.
Sure, he was Kole’s best friend, and it was obvious that Sarah liked him, too. Still…
Walking over to the door where it was a little less crowded, Gracie pulled her phone from her purse and hurried to type out a text to Sarah.
Chu’s is super crowded. Going to Nate’s apartment instead. Just thought I’d let u know. Love u.
She’d just hit ‘send’ when Nate’s voice hit her ear. “What’s the matter, Gracelynn? Don’t you trust me?”
Startled, Gracie jumped, nearly dropping her phone in the process. With a nervous laugh, she turned and faced him. “N-no. Of course, I trust you.”
Some of the other customers had gotten their food and were beginning to eat, so the noise level had dropped.
Speaking more softly than before, Nate smiled and said, “No, you don’t. Not completely. And really”—he shrugged— “you shouldn’t.”
Okay, now she was starting to worry. Her face must have given her away because he chuckled. “Relax, Gracie. I just meant that you’re about to go with a guy you don’t really know to an apartment you’ve never been to before. Alone. Texting Sarah to let her know where you’ll be? Smart. Giving her the restaurant’s name as a last known location? Really smart.”
Embarrassed, Gracie broke eye contact and focused on putting her phone back into her purse. She was still looking down when Nate gently tilted her chin upward with his forefinger and thumb.
“Sweetheart, look at me.” When she followed his soft-spoken order, he said, “We don’t have to go to my place. In fact, we can call this whole thing off right now, if it’s making you uncomfortable.”
Genuine concern filled his eyes as they bore into hers. Suddenly, Gracie felt the exact opposite of uncomfortable. She felt…safe.
“No,” she blurted a little too quickly. “I’m good.”
“You sure? ’Cause I can give you half of what I ordered, walk you to your car, and you can go back home if that’s what you—”
He stopped talking the instant her fingers met his bicep. “I’m sure, Nate. And I’m sorry for getting all weird about it. I guess working for the NSA has made me a bit paranoid. Or I’ve watched too many Criminal Minds episodes. Take your pick.”
With a lopsided grin, which was much too sexy, he assured her, “Nothing to be sorry about, Gracie. Trust me. Experience has taught me you never can be too careful. Now”—Nate held up two bulging sacks that smelled incredibly delicious—“what do ya say we go eat this and plan a kick-ass party?”
Feeling much more relaxed, Gracie held the door open and motioned with her hand. “Lead the way.”
Less than an hour later, they had most of the bachelor-bachelorette party planned. They were all going to meet at a restaurant called The Gardens, then go to a bar called Bucky’s to have a few drinks and hang out.
According to Nate, The Gardens was owned by Trevor Matthew’s wife, Lexi, and was the best restaurant in town.
Gracie had met Trevor last week when Jake was introducing her to the other members of R.I.S.C.’s Alpha Team. Trevor was Jake’s right-hand man, and as with everyone she’d met at the company so far, he seemed very nice. And was very nice-looking.
In fact, she’d noticed right off that everyone on both Alpha and Bravo seemed to be attractive in their own way. At one point, Gracie had considered asking Jake if it was some sort of requirement or something.
Smiling at the thought, Gracie wasn’t paying close enough attention to the piece of sweet and sour pork she’d just picked up. As she was trying to take her last bite, the piece of meat toppled off the edge of her fork and rolled down the front of her white shirt, leaving a trail of the tasty red sauce all the way down the center.
Nate snickered. “Hope that shirt wasn’t special to you.”
Rolling her own eyes at herself, Gracie shook her head. “Nope, not special.” She glanced down. “Not white anymore, either.”
The two laughed together as Gracie reached for the napkins lying beside one of the sacks. She attempted to wipe the sauce up, but only managed to make things worse.
“Well, it looks like this one’s a lost cause.”
Still laughing at her, Nate stood from the table. “Come on. I’ve got a clean shirt you can borrow.”
“Thanks, but that’s not necessary. My car’s just across the ally, and I’m going straight home from here.”
“Oh, that’d be great,” Nate said sarcastically as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Someone sees you walking down a dark alley with all that red on your shirt, they’re probably going to think you’ve been stabbed or something and freak out. Come on.”
Gracie’s shoulders shook with silent laughter as he led her down the hallway toward what she assumed was his bedroom.
“I guess you’re right. If you really don’t mind me using one of yours, I can wash it when I get home.”
“Wouldn’t have offered if I minded. Give me a sec to get one, and then you can change in the bathroom.”
As she waited in the hallway, Gracie found herself drawn to the other room across from where she stood. Her curiosity had her pushing on the half-open door and going inside.
Rather than a bed and a dresser, as one would expect to find in a spare bedroom, the space looked more like a tiny version of one of the US Cyber Command rooms at the NSA.
She’d never personally been inside one. Her job title didn’t warrant access to it, but she’d walked by as their doors were being opened or closed and had gotten a good enough peek to get the idea.
Gracie couldn’t help but be almost as impressed with the small room she was standing in now.
Along the wall in front of her were two long tables that had been pushed together to make one, large work space. There were five computer monitors, four separate computers, and two keyboards.
Other electronic equipment she didn’t recognize sat about the desk area and two expensive, black leather chairs were pushed in at the center of each table.
On the wall to her left hung a white board. It was currently empty, but Gracie could tell it got put to use often by the black streaks left behind by whatever had been wiped away.
To her right was a smart board and attached to the middle of the ceiling was its projector. They were just like the ones in the conference room at work.
“Maybe you’re the one who can’t be trusted.”
Letting out a tiny squeal, Gracie spun around to find Nate standing behind her, a light grey T-shirt in his hand.
She slapped his arm out of reflex. “Stop doing that!”
“Hey!” Pretending to be hurt, he rubbed his arm with his free hand and pouted. “Sarah never mentioned you were prone to violent outbursts.”
A little embarrassed by her reaction, Gracie played it off by crossing her arms at her chest and lifted her chin. “Only when provoked by sneaky men trying to scare me.”
Laughing, Nate handed her the shirt. “Here. It’s my favorite, so please don’t eat anything red while wearing it.”
Snatching it out of his hand, she playfully narrowed her eyes at him. “Very funny.”
Gracie held the shirt out in front of her. It was plain with the exception of the word ‘Army’ spelled in black across the chest.
“Well, I could probably wear it for a dress, but it’s clean, so I won’t complain.” Glancing back up at him, she offered him a sincere smile. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Just like at the restaurant, they stood there, staring at each other. Gracie wanted nothing more than to reach
up, take his face between her hands, and press her lips against his.
Instead, she blurted, “So, this room is really impressive.”
Nate grinned back at her, his face beaming with pride as if she’d just told him his baby was the most beautiful one she’d ever seen.
“Thank you. It’s nice to finally have someone appreciate my equipment.”
Gracie bit her tongue to keep from making an inappropriate remark. Though she wanted to take advantage of the golden opportunity he’d just laid at her feet, she remained quiet.
Nate puffed out his chest as he walked past her and into the room. “Yep. This is where the magic happens.”
“Interesting.” Gracie purposefully made her tone sound as though she were trying to solve some great mystery.
Nate looked over at her. “What?”
Gracie shrugged casually. “Oh, nothing. It’s just that most men I know would say that the bedroom was wear the magic happened. But for you it’s in here.” She gave the room an assessing glance.
Okay, so maybe she was flirting a little, but come on. There wasn’t a woman out there who could blame her.
“She’s got jokes,” he smiled. “Good to know.”
Giggling at herself, Gracie looked around the room again. “Seriously, though. This is some heavy-duty equipment.”
“You do programming?”
“Me? God, no. But I was around a lot of technology at my previous job. I mean, it’s the NSA, so of course they’re going to have top of the line everything.”
Nate pulled out one of the chairs for her. “Why’d you really leave?”
Confused, Gracie took the offered seat. “I explained all that last night when we were sitting around the fire.”
“I know.” Nate sat down in the other one, turning so they were facing each other. “I just got the impression there was more to the story than you let on.”
“Oh.” Damn. He did have good instincts. Biting her lip, Gracie tucked some hair behind one ear. “Well, you’re not entirely wrong.”
“You want to share? I’m a good listener, and I promise your secret is safe with me.”
Gracie laughed when Nate pretended to zip his lips and then throw away an invisible key.
“It’s really nothing big. Honestly, it’s a little embarrassing.”
“Why’d you leave, Gracelynn?”
Her eyes rose to his. For some reason, hearing her full name falling off his lips made all her girlie parts stand up and take notice. Easy, girl.
Clearing her throat, she said, “I felt like the job was becoming toxic.”
“How so?”
“Everyone was always whispering behind closed doors. If someone was in the break room when I went in for coffee, they’d stop their conversations and hurry to change the subject. That or they’d leave the room altogether.”
The space between Nate’s brow scrunched together with concern, so she tried to explain.
“I know it wasn’t personal. It’s not like they were talking specifically about me or anything. People there had various levels of clearance. With so many employees, it was hard to know who was on your same level and who wasn’t. It was safer just to stop talking and move on, rather than risk being fired or prosecuted for accidentally revealing classified information.”
“So, when you said you wanted to work someplace more personal…”
“That’s what I meant.”
“I know you have a pretty high clearance, but you do realize Jake and the teams…we won’t be able to share everything with you, either, right?”
“I know. But working for R.I.S.C in one office space rather than a building the size of Texas—no offense—is more my style. And the way Sarah talks about Bravo, it seems as if you’re more like family than co-workers.”
“That, we are.”
Gracie smiled. “I could tell that the second I walked outside last night. I know Sarah and Kole think of you all as brothers.”
Nate tipped his chin. “And we love them the same way.”
“See?” she said wistfully. “That’s what I want to be a part of. I saw a similar relationship with the people at the VA hospital where I volunteered.”
That seemed to pique his interest. “I didn’t know you volunteered at the VA.”
She nodded. “For the past year. I’d go there a few times a week. Mostly, I’d just sit and visit with some of the patients who’d been there a while. Too many had no one who could or would come to visit them. No family or friends close by. I got pretty attached to a couple of the patients. It was really hard saying goodbye.”
“I bet. But, if they knew you as well as you seemed to have gotten to know them, I’m sure they understood why you needed to leave.”
Her smile grew. “They did. One of the guys even got together with the nurses and bought me a cake for my last day there. It was nice. Kind of bittersweet.”
“Well, you seem like you’ll be a perfect fit for R.I.S.C.”
“Thanks. I hope you’re right.”
There was a stretch of silence before Nate stood up. “Speaking of work, you have to be at the office tomorrow morning.”
Gracie glanced at her watch. “Oh, my gosh, you’re right. I had no idea it was getting so late.”
“Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Thanks, but you don’t have to do that.” She followed Nate into his living room where she’d sat her purse and keys.
“It’s late, and you’re alone.” He stepped over to his apartment door. “I’m walking you to your car, Gracie.”
Sensing he wasn’t budging on this one, Gracie went to the bathroom, changed into his shirt, and grabbed her things before following him out the door.
As they walked, it was hard not to notice how alert Nate was. Even while carrying on a casual conversation, his head was on an almost constant-swivel as they made their way to where she was parked. She also hadn’t missed the slight bulge against his lower back.
Knowing he had a gun tucked in his waistband didn’t bother her. Despite her moment of unfounded paranoia in the restaurant earlier, nothing about this man scared her. On the contrary, being with Nate made her feel safe. Protected.
“I’m assuming this is you?” Nate nodded to her car. It was the only one in the parking lot.
“Great deduction skills, Mr. Carter. You should really think about getting a job as a security specialist or something.” Gracie smirked at her own sarcasm as she unlocked her car and opened her door.
“You know”—Nate leaned his hip against the driver’s fender and crossed his arms at his chest—“when I first met you last night, I thought you were this sweet, innocent, young woman.”
Gracie did her best to ignore the way his biceps bulged beneath his sleeves. “And now?”
“Now…” He stood straight and moved closer to her. With the open door between them, Nate brought his hand toward her and carefully brushed some hair from her forehead. “Now, I think there’s a lot more to you than meets the eye.”
The same electric current she’d felt before rushed through her veins. Gracie couldn’t remember ever having such an intense reaction to a man.
Nate started to lean in, but just when their lips were about to touch, he stopped himself. Pulling back quickly, he dropped his hand as if it were on fire and looked away.
“Thanks for meeting me tonight. I think Kole and Sarah will like what we have planned for them.”
Totally thrown by his sudden change in demeanor, Gracie stumbled over her reply. “Uh…yeah. I-I do, too.”
“Drive carefully going home.”
“I will.” Still thoroughly confused, Grace sat in her driver’s seat and started the car’s ignition. “Thanks for dinner.”
He gave her a tight smile. “Goodnight, Gracie.”
Looking up at him one last time, she did her best to smile back. “Goodnight, Nate.”
With that, she pulled out of the parking lot and drove off, refusing to look in the mirror to see if he was watching he
r as she went.
Chapter 3
Hours later, Gracie woke to a loud chiming rolling through her apartment. It took her several seconds to realize it was her doorbell.
Groaning, she threw off her covers and sleepily made her way to her door. After checking the peephole, she unlatched the deadbolt, released the lock on the doorknob, and opened the door.
“Why on God’s green earth are you ringing my doorbell at…” she turned to look at the clock on her wall. “Oh, shit! Is that really the time?”
“Yep. Looks like someone overslept.”
Sounding way too cheerful for this time of day, Sarah stepped into the apartment. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a perfectly executed chignon bun, and her makeup was flawless.
Wearing a grey pencil skirt and matching jacket, Sarah’s heels clicked on the wood floor as she walked over toward Gracie’s couch. “Better get a move on, or we’re both going to be late.”
Gracie shut the door and turned back to her sister. “Why are you here before work?”
Sitting on the arm of the couch, Sarah smiled. “I wanted to surprise you by taking you for coffee first. Since you and I both work in the same building now, I thought it would be nice to ride together once in a while.” Sarah looked at her watch. “If you hurry, we can still beat the coffee shop rush before we have to be there.”
Gracie smiled. “That was sweet of you. I showered before bed last night, so I’ll just throw on some clothes and run a brush through my hair. I can do my makeup in the car, since you’re driving.”
“I’ll wait here.”
Gracie rushed toward her bedroom but was stopped when her sister grabbed her forearm as she passed.
“Whoa. Stop right there.”
The order took Gracie by surprise. “What?”
“Where did you get that shirt?”
Crap. She’d completely forgotten what she was wearing. “It’s Nate’s. He let me borrow it.”
“I know whose it is,” Sarah said sharply. “I was there when he got that.” She bobbed her chin toward a small, faded stain near the hem. “Gracie, why do you have on Nate’s favorite shirt? And why did you sleep in it?” Sarah’s big, blue eyes widened then. Her head turned toward the end of the hall as she whispered. “Oh, my God…is he still here?”