Her face was on fire, and she wished she was hot enough to melt and disappear into concrete. Her father’s gaze burned with a question even without her having to look at him. And she couldn’t look at John because that would be akin to screaming … it’s his fault.
“Well, gentlemen,” John drawled, crouching in front of the test kits, and collecting them into a compartment of his giant duffel. “The show and tell is over. Nadia and I have work to do.”
“Now, wait a moment.” Stephen yanked John by his sleeve.
“Dad!”
“Your daughter is an adult.” John stared at him steadily. “When she’s ready to share, she will.”
He shook off her father’s hand and stepped protectively beside her, shielding her not only from her dad, but from the curious stares of Arthur, Clyde, and the rest of her neighbors who had come out of their apartments and seemed to have a radar for gossip.
John ushered her to the third floor, and Nadia didn’t care that she meekly let him.
Mortified didn’t even begin to describe how she was feeling.
The CIA man who was branded as her potential baby daddy fished out the keys from the side pocket of her backpack, opened the door, and turned off her alarm without asking her for the code.
Nadia wasn’t surprised.
When he shut the world outside behind them, she zombie-walked to the couch in the living room, collapsing into it, and buried her face in her hands. “Thanks for rescuing me from what could be the most embarrassing moment of my life.”
“There’s nothing embarrassing about it.”
John stood in front of her in his usual arms-crossed stance. She was beginning to see this was his stance of patience, where he didn’t see any problems, but he was willing to listen to other people’s concerns.
His calm demeanor at handling the situation started to send blood back into her brain.
“Look, I understand your father’s outrage,” John sighed.
Nadia gave a small smile. “He knew I was torn up over something I did for you.”
“The Mexico op?”
“Yes. I just wasn’t the same after that.”
“I’m sorry I was such a fucking ass about it.”
She raised a brow.
“Not about the sex,” he huffed. “But what I said to you.”
“What you said was true.”
“It was explained to me that how you reacted was because you care.”
At this Nadia’s smile grew wide and genuine. “Oh, who explained that?”
“Roarke said it, and then later when we were in the Ukrainian cell, Bristow and I could only talk about some things. We spoke in vague terms, in case the cell was bugged. I didn’t want those assholes to find out about you.”
She sobered at this. “I’m sorry that happened. I was so mean to you when you came back.”
“With reason.”
Nadia nodded. One thing she also learned about John was that he didn’t like to waste time rehashing things ad nauseam. She glanced over at the door. “You know our reprieve won’t last, right? They’ll come knocking on that door any minute now.”
“Oh, I know. They probably called for reinforcements. Like that lumbering Scot for instance,” John said dryly.
“Dugal,” Nadia groaned. She stood and sized up the man before her. “I think he can do real damage to you. He’s pretty scrappy. I think he took those Braveheart reenactments to heart.” She frowned. “And you’re hurt.”
“Just bruised ribs. I’ll survive. He’s also got twenty years on me,” John said in an amused tone. “I’ll be fine.”
“We can say … the pregnancy tests were Gabby’s.”
“Too late for that.”
“You shouldn’t have admitted it immediately,” she groused.
“I didn’t exactly admit it,” he shot back. “And you were just standing there frozen and tongue-tied.”
“Well, what do you expect? My dad just found out I had sex in the last few weeks.”
“I’m sure he didn’t expect you to be a virgin or celibate,” he scoffed. “His outrage was because it was me. He doesn’t trust me.”
“I should have my head examined when nobody seems to be trusting me to be with you.”
“It’s about my job.”
Nadia nodded and grinned. “I know. I’m a big girl and I—” she slapped a palm to her forehead as another thought struck her. “I wonder if Dad thinks we had unprotected sex.” All her life she hadn’t wanted to disappoint Stephen. It wasn’t because he demanded she follow any rules, but it was because he’d done so much for her as a single dad that it was instinctive to make him proud of her. “I mean, I’m even on birth control … I was just so stressed in the last two months. I haven’t been taking it regularly. Shit—”
John gathered her into his arms and gave her a gentle shake. “Hey … hey…” he repeated until she could focus on him. “Don’t overthink it. No birth control is a hundred percent. Let’s leave the reason at that.”
“Okay.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“Whose balls should I string up and feed to the crows?”
Dugal Cameron bellowed from the backdoor of Nadia’s apartment.
Garrison winced at the visual and wondered if he’d been transported into medieval times. “I guess your Scot is home,” he told Nadia when she rushed to his side.
To keep her mind from stressing over what transpired in front of Clyde’s apartment, he encouraged Nadia to start deciphering the Crown-Key source code. It also helped that the detectives required her help, so that kept her busy all afternoon while John caught up with his own correspondence which had piled up in the past two weeks.
“Let me take care of this,” she said as she moved past him, but he hooked his thumb in the waistband of her shorts and drew her back.
“Hell no,” he said firmly, turning her around and putting his hands on her shoulders.
“John, now is not the time to act all macho.”
“I disagree. Look, I know it feels as if I’m running roughshod over you, but, right now, out there”— he pointed at the door—“are guys who are waiting for me to man up. Letting you take care of it is not going to make them leave us alone. They need to know I can take care of you.” He paused. “Come what may.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Okay, but just so we’re clear, we’re still on a trial basis, pregnant or not.”
John accepted this. Knew he had work ahead of him to convince her to take a chance on him, that he had to be patient. But the green-eyed monster inside him was growing in leaps and bounds and it was roaring for him to make her his.
“John?”
He gave a brief shake of his head to snap himself out of his compartments, their walls becoming more permeable in the last few weeks.
The Scot was still bellowing by the door but had tried a different tack. “Nadia, we would like to meet your boyfriend. The guys and I have a few questions to ask him.”
“Christ.” John wondered if Chinese water torture would be easier.
“Now are you going to let me do the talking?”
His brows drew together. “Fuck no.” He crossed the kitchen and threw open the door.
He was taller than the Scot by a few inches and, although the other man was wider and appeared beefier, John was more muscular and toned. Dugal’s eyes widened when he laid eyes on him. He doubted the Scot had seen him before. Did the man expect hipster geek or maybe someone like Kelso? He squashed the thought of the detective from his head. Jealousy not only extended to romantic love, but it also applied to anyone who was taking care of Nadia, apparently. And it appeared he had to share her with these grumpy old folks of SkyeLark apartment. Well, at least they were grumpy to him.
“You must be Dugal.” Like he did when he met Clyde, John extended his hand. “John Garrison.” The other man had mastered the unwavering stare, but he returned it with interest.
The handshake lasted more than it should have, and John smiled briefly when Dug
al squeezed his hand for good measure. The Scot’s blue gaze slitted. “You’re Nadia’s boyfriend?” he asked, releasing his hand.
“No,” he answered, deliberately baiting the other man who scowled at him. “I am the man Nadia is seeing.” And fucking … or will be fucking soon enough.
The Scot crossed his arms over his chest, punching up his massive biceps and forearms probably from years of butchering or maybe bludgeoning imaginary foes in reenactments. “Aye, you may be. But know that lass is precious, and we won’t let just any man have her.”
“All right, guys.” Nadia bumped her hip against John to make room beside him, but he slung an arm around her and kept her plastered to his side, all the while holding the Scot’s stare.
“If my honor is at stake,” Nadia said. “I intend to be part of the conversation.”
“You don’t have to marry him, you know,” Dugal said.
“Oh my God, you stop it right now, Dugal Cameron.” She wiggled out from John’s embrace and invaded the scary-looking Scotsman’s space. John wouldn’t mind having him around for her added protection. According to his file, he was skilled with the battle ax and sword.
“Just saying,” Dugal grumbled.
“Shoo.” It was cute to see Nadia manhandle her burly neighbor, spinning him around and giving him a shove. Maybe she could handle them better.
Cute. John grinned.
He hadn’t associated that description to a woman in a long time. Cute had no place in his world. It was linked to a lightness of feeling and a smile on his face.
“I brought dinner from the butcher shop,” Dugal said as he lumbered off. “A stew Colin made. We’re setting up at Stephen’s place.”
“I’m not sure—”
“We’ll be there in five minutes,” Garrison answered.
“John, we have work to do.” Nadia cocked her head at him and frowned.
“And you need to eat,” he countered, and then tipped his chin to where the older guy disappeared. “They just need to be assured that you’re fine.”
“When did you suddenly become this considerate?”
He smiled faintly. “No idea.” But he did. His parents. His mother in particular. Fiona Mason taught her son how to treat a girl right. And that you needed to respect the feelings of the people who cared about her. Over the past few weeks, as Nadia seemed to occupy more of his mind space, it felt like a stranger had taken over the control of his thoughts and his actions. But since returning from Ukraine, John was realizing it wasn’t a stranger at all, but the shadow of the man he used to be.
It was a curious and terrifying thought.
“So, how long have you known Nadia?” Arthur asked.
“Over a year,” John answered.
Nadia felt like she was in an awkward scene of “Meet the Parents.” When she and John arrived at her father’s apartment, four pairs of eyes glared in his direction. She had no doubt that John could handle the scrutiny, but she was still amazed at how he deflected their displeasure as though they weren’t using him as target practice. Even Kelso, on occasion, couldn’t hide his irritation when Dugal wouldn’t stop harping about the fake protein shit.
“And what exactly do you do?” Dugal stuffed a piece of buttered roll into his mouth. Nadia took that time to serve herself with Scottish beef stew to avoid witnessing the interrogation.
“I’m with Cybercrime at Homeland Security,” John replied affably while taking a swig of the stout that Arthur suggested would go with the main dish.
Her dad cleared his throat but didn’t say anything. The corners of his mouth were pinched, and she tried to catch his eyes, wanting to let him know she was fine, but Stephen mostly kept his eyes averted.
“I call bullshit on that,” Dugal scoffed. “You don’t look like you work on that cyber stuff.”
John raised a brow. “What makes you say that?”
“You don’t look as smart as our girl,” Clyde piped in. “I agree, Cameron. I think he’s making it up to look good to us.”
“Nobody is as smart as Nadia.” John smiled. “Which is why our department needs her expertise and assigned me to her. And to protect her as well.”
Well played, Mr. Garrison.
“Oh-ho-ho,” Dugal chuckled. “Good answer, my man. So, are you firearms-trained?”
“All of us are,” Nadia said. “You know that.”
“Yes, but can he shoot while under pressure?” Clyde wanted to know.
“What does that have to do with him being our girl’s boyfriend?” Arthur asked.
“He said he’s not her boyfriend,” Dugal said.
The three men at the table gave a start, swinging their condemning gazes to the man on the hot seat.
John sighed.
Dugal grinned. “He says he’s her man.”
“Oh, that does sound better,” Arthur murmured. “One shouldn’t use the word boyfriend when the man is past twenty-five.”
Nadia always wondered about that, but Clyde answered the question in her mind. “It’s because men were usually husbands by that age in my time.”
Huh, that made sense. She finally relaxed enough to taste the stew. The sauce was velvet on her tongue, and the beef was fall-apart tender. “This tastes incredible. Give my compliments to Colin.”
A devilish gleam entered Dugal’s eyes. “See, lass, I told you Colin is the man for ye.” He glanced at John. “Strapping lad, my Colin.” He smirked. “Closer to Nadia’s age too. How old are ye?”
For the first time since Dugal had been needling John, his affable expression disappeared and his eyes hardened. “Forty-two.”
Nadia had never been sure about John’s age. His beard and hair were threaded with gray, and lines scored the edges of his eyes, but Nadia thought it was due to the challenges of his job because she could attest that his body and stamina belonged to a man in his prime. Of course, prime being relative. A piece of beef lodged in her throat, and she started choking as all things sexual starring John Garrison flashed through her mind. Her face warmed and it had nothing to do with the stew.
“You okay, Nadia?” her dad asked when she finally stopped coughing. There was a somberness in his face, a worry. Oh, God, she needed to talk to Stephen. Assure him she was fine. She’d planned to drop by his apartment earlier to personally talk to him, but John had been a tyrant about keeping her mind off the pregnancy tests incident, and the detectives had also been on her ass.
“My Colin is thirty-four.”
John seemed to recover from his earlier annoyance, and he grinned one of Bristow’s shit-eating grins and raised his beer to the Scot. “But the experience of a mature man is like fine vintage.” He tilted his head back and drained his beer.
“True that,” Clyde murmured and raised his beer too. “Maybe we should be drinking wine.”
Dugal grunted in agreement.
Arthur, eager to ply the table with more alcohol, got up from his chair and went to the kitchen.
Nadia stifled a laugh. Somehow John managed to turn the conversation back to his advantage, while at the same time compliment the men at the table. She stole a glance at Stephen. Even he had a ghost of a smile on his face.
The opening of the Napa Valley cabernet shut the interrogation down when the men started to compete regarding their knowledge of California wines. She was impressed with John’s wine IQ, and he seemed to hit it off with Arthur when it came to the tasting notes and the nose of that particular vintage he uncorked. Clyde kept nodding his head while Dugal kept interjecting that Scotland had wine too—the fruity variety.
As for Nadia, she chose a non-alcoholic beverage at the start of dinner because she wanted to get more work done tonight, and partly because she didn’t want to get into an argument with any of the guys. No one seemed to want to touch on the subject of her potential pregnancy. She had a feeling her dad had put a gag order on the MoMoS.
Gah, how she wished this uncertainty would all be over.
“Help me with the dishes?” Stephen asked her.
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John made to get up, but her father gestured for him to sit. “No, John. Sit. Enjoy the wine. My daughter and I haven’t had a chance to catch up after all this excitement started.”
“Sure.” His tone was uncertain as he cast Nadia a questioning look.
She gave one shake of her head, and started clearing the table, and followed her father to the kitchen.
After donning vinyl gloves, Nadia started rinsing the dirty plates, handing them to her dad who put them in the dishwasher. It was their routine, something familiar they did as they discussed events of the day.
“Are you really okay, sonyashnik?” her father asked.
“Absolutely.” She glanced at him briefly and smiled before returning her attention to the dishes. “It was just embarrassing you know, having your father know about your sex life.” Might as well mention the elephant in the room.
Her dad chuckled. “Yes. I keep on forgetting that you’re not sixteen anymore.”
“Yes, Dad, you didn’t have to intimidate my boyfriends.”
“They were kids, and it was easy.” He stared at the dinner table. “But John is a man who lives dangerously. I worry for you.”
“He’s not going to hurt me.”
“He already did.”
“That was a confusing time. Garrison was being Garrison.”
“And now?” her dad asked incredulously.
“Let me clarify. John was being the no-bullshit CIA officer. That John sitting at that table?” She gave her dad her befuddled look. “You wouldn’t actually believe this, but I think there’s a human underneath that skin.”
“Like the Locke Demon?” her dad asked.
Nadia snorted a laugh and then caught herself. Was that why she was so enamored by the breakout creature of the Hodgetown series? “Yes, exactly like our Locke friend.”
Her dad studied John again as if seeing him in a different light. “Now that you put it that way. It’s possible.”
15
“What did you tell Stephen?” John asked when they returned to her apartment. “He seemed to be more … accepting that I’m sleeping with you.”
Nadia laughed. “Honestly? I still think he doesn’t like the idea of a guy sleeping with his daughter. But I was able to explain to him that there’s more to you than a cold CIA operative.”
Her Covert Protector (Rogue Protectors Book 4) Page 14