by Dale Mayer
“Better save some water,” he said. “Tanks like me take a lot to clean up.”
“Better get there fast,” she said. “I’m not even sure I remember what hot water feels like.”
She followed Charles upstairs, and instead of going left, he took a right. He opened the door to a bedroom that looked out over the backyard. It was a beautiful room with a very Victorian style and a four-poster bed. She stopped and gazed at the bed. “What’s wrong with me? This is absolutely gorgeous.”
“How very American. Why would anything have to be wrong with you in order to enjoy something our ancestors knew very well how to build and enjoy themselves?” Charles’s tone was laughing, yet curious.
She turned and smiled at him. “So true. It’s missing a princess dress, and a part of me just seems to think that would be perfect right now. And yet the other part of me says, I should be an adult and let all this go. It’s like a dream for a child, and I’m supposed to be all grown-up.”
He patted her on the shoulder and said, “No, my dear. It’s for discerning people who enjoy the good things in life and who want the very best sleep they can get. Now the bathroom is through there.” He motioned to the small door on the far side that she hadn’t seen until now. “I understand you have no clothing so we will need to make arrangements for that. However, in the meantime, I’m hoping something in those drawers will fit at least temporarily. Feel free to look.”
Walking toward the bedroom door, he added, “Towels are in the bathroom. Please make yourself at home.” With a smile he stepped from the room and closed the door behind him.
She did a twirl, then added a little skip and a hop. She was so damn happy to be here.
This room was fantastic. She couldn’t imagine actually having something like this for herself all the time. But for right now, the little girl inside jumped for joy. Her dad would frown and call this frivolous and a waste of money.
She couldn’t agree more. And she loved every penny spent on it.
With a huge grin, she headed to the bathroom and the hot water waiting for her. She could finally soak the dried blood off her hair and clean the wound on her forehead. Thankfully it was minor. She didn’t know what the hot water system was like here, but she knew one thing. Stone was right. It would take a lot of water to clean his body. She wanted to get in her shower first.
Of course, if she wanted to be frugal and save money for her host, she could have invited Stone to share the shower with her.
That would be fun.
More fun would be the look on his face. Her grin widened. Just the thought of all that heavy muscle was enough to make her body warm. He was deadly.
Since when did she go for the strong silent type?
Since she’d met Stone.
*
“Interesting woman,” Harrison said at Stone’s side.
“That she is.” Stone turned and faced the rest of the crew. “Are we waiting for anything or can we head to our rooms and grab showers? Of course a change of clothes would be nice.”
“Our bags won’t be here for a few hours,” Levi said. “With any luck they will arrive by the time we wake up in the morning. Charles knows they are on the way.” He stood up, reaching out a hand for Ice.
Stone studied the pallor on her face and realized they were all feeling the time change.
“We’re heading to bed,” Levi said easily. “We’ll see you in the morning.”
Stone watched as his two best friends headed up the stairs. He was happy for them. They were finally working things out. They’d always been a matched set. But happily for them, they’d become stronger than ever.
What a joy to be with them now. It hadn’t been bad before, but it hurt seeing them at a crossroad. The team wanted to help them but was unable to do anything but stand by in silent support and hope they worked their issues out.
Stone wanted to take off his prosthesis and ease up his leg. With a wave at the rest of the guys, he climbed the stairs. They’d all be following him soon enough. He headed into the same room he had had the last time.
Charles was old military. He’d inherited this place from his parents. It hadn’t taken long for all his old buddies to find out the space was available for those in need. No questions asked.
Even better, Charles collected great intel for them. He had a lot of connections in London. They often had to call on him for information. Some kind of arrangement had been reached between Levi and Charles; Stone didn’t know exactly what it was, but there never seemed to be any hardship, so obviously the agreement worked for them both.
Stone and Levi had been tight in the military; the men in a unit are like none other. Stone considered himself lucky to have been under Levi’s command and had never once blamed him for the mess they’d ended up in. Not his fault.
Betrayal happened. In pulling this company together, Levi had breathed new life into his unit. Even bringing Stone in—trusting that he’d get himself on his feet and still be a viable member of the team.
He’d do anything for Levi and the others. But it had been a damn hard fight to get back here. On the outside he seemed like Mr. Invincible. On the inside he knew he was a mess. He walked into his room relieved nobody else would be sharing it with him this time.
He could use the private space. He quickly stripped off his clothing and sat down on the bed. He removed his prosthesis and shuddered with relief. No matter how short or long a time he wore it, it was always a relief to take it off.
In his gear was a salve for the stump, but he’d do without it for the night. He needed a shower first. Standing up, he hopped lightly to the bathroom and stepped inside.
With the hot water pouring down his back, he let his stress ease, and slowly relaxed. Only afterward, standing in front of the mirror and shaving, he thought he heard a knock on his door.
“Hang on,” he called. He quickly slipped on his prosthesis and walked to the door, a towel around his waist. He opened it to find Lissa, wearing a robe of some kind.
“Oh, hi.” She looked apologetic. “I’m across the hallway. I thought it was your room but wasn’t sure.”
“You should be sound asleep.” He stood quietly studying her.
She winced. “I know, and I hate to bother you, but is there any place to get food?” She leaned forward and said in a low voice, “I have to eat often or my blood sugar drops and I pass out.”
“Oh, not good. How bad is it, right now?”
“Bad enough.” She looked down toward the stairs. “I was kind of hoping that maybe if you’re familiar this area, you knew a place to go and get something to eat. The other problem is, I honestly don’t have any money.” This time her tone of voice was apologetic, almost ashamed.
He reached out a hand and rubbed her shoulder. “It’s all right. I’m sure we can get some food downstairs.” He stepped back slightly. “Give me a minute to get changed.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it,” she said in a small voice, looking around. “I’d ask Charles, but I don’t have a clue where to find him.”
“Not to worry. Just give me a minute.” He didn’t want to close the door in her face, but he was hardly dressed to bring her inside the room.
She stood with her arms wrapped around her chest, but finally she nodded. “Go. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” he said, “but I won’t be long.” He closed the door and walked to where his clothes lay on the ground. He didn’t have a spare set, but he gave his a quick shake, slipped on his jeans, put on his T-shirt and shoes, and headed to the doorway. He opened the door and stepped out.
The hallway was empty.
He frowned, hating the instant suspicion. Where was she? Why was she not here? And had something happened to her?
Which was her bedroom? He frowned as he studied the rooms, trying to remember which one was the most unused. She’d said she was across the hallway from him.
He walked there and knocked on the door. No answer.
; Dammit, where was she?
Suddenly the door opened in front of him.
And there she was. A bright smile on her face.
Chapter 6
Lissa smiled up at Stone. “Thank you,” she said. “I felt stupid standing in the hallway alone so I went to my room to wait.”
“No worries. I was just concerned something had happened to you.” He motioned to the stairway. “Shall we?”
She walked down the stairs ahead of him. At the bottom she waited for him to join her. “Where to?”
He motioned to a doorway on the left. “We’ll go through here. The kitchen is on the other side.”
“Are you sure it’s okay if we scavenge for food?” She looked around. “I feel like I’m sneaking around a stranger’s house, and that makes me very uncomfortable. Wouldn’t it be better to go out and grab a meal?”
He laughed. “It’s fine. I’m sure Charles probably hears us even now. He’s likely to be in the kitchen, waiting for us.”
“Oh, dear. That would make me feel even worse,” she exclaimed quietly. “I don’t want to disturb the poor man. We already woke him up in the middle of the night to get in.”
“Not to worry.” Charles suddenly stood in front of them. Dressed in a smoking jacket and pajama pants with big slippers, he looked distinguished and … adorable.
“I’m sorry if we woke you,” she whispered. Not what she wanted to do at all. This had gone from embarrassing to selfish. “We should have just stepped out and found a place to eat.”
“That wouldn’t have worked. The security is tight in this place.” Charles offered a small smile. “I change it regularly so you’d have set off the alarms and woken me anyway.” He motioned in front of him. “There are, however, meat pies and multiple other dishes in there.”
As they entered the kitchen, he said, “You weren’t the only ones hungry.” He walked to the fridge. “Some of the men needed to eat before they went to bed as well. In fact, I apologize. I should have offered you something as soon as you arrived. I am sorry for the oversight.”
She sat down and watched as he pulled out food from some of the cupboards and fridge. And there was a lot of it. “Do you think we should ask anyone else?” she murmured to Stone. “I would feel bad if others went to bed hungry.”
His smile was slow to come but when it did finally shine, it was a thing of beauty.
She forgot to chew she was so enraptured. When she finally remembered, she swallowed hard and said, “You should come with a warning.”
He stopped chewing and stared at her.
She laughed. “I guess that surprised you.” She nodded her thanks as Charles brought a glass of milk to her. She smiled at the childhood treat. “Are you sure you won’t join us, Charles?”
“No, my dear, I ate hours ago.”
Of course he did. He ate at a normal mealtime before his company ruined his evening. She forked another bite of meat pie. “This is delicious.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. It was freshly made today. A touch strong on the nutmeg, do you think?”
“It’s wonderful,” she murmured around a mouthful of meat and spices wrapped in pastry. “Lovely.”
He smiled quietly and cut her a second piece, placing it on her plate without asking.
So focused on her food, she didn’t realize when Charles left.
Finally she laid down her fork and leaned back, contented. “That was so good.”
Stone was still eating his third piece of meat pie. She watched the big man as he took bite after bite. He was careful and methodical but also showed appreciation for every piece.
He was a fascinating male. She picked up her glass of milk and took a sip, then quickly collected the dishes she’d used and carried them to the sink. She suspected a dishwasher was here, but she’d rather do them by hand. She cleaned up her dishes, then returned for the few Stone had used.
“Are you done?” she asked, studying the empty plate in front of him.
“Stuffed.” He lifted his plate and used the table to stand.
Interesting. He’d made several other moves that she’d seen but hadn’t really noticed as being different. The little incidences were adding up—in a good way. Then she remembered seeing him limp every so often.
She sat down suddenly. “Are you hurt?”
He frowned. Then shook his head. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
When she gazed at his bloody shirt, he smiled and said, “Not to worry. Like you, I don’t have clean clothes to change into.”
“Right. But something is wrong. I noticed it earlier, but wasn’t sure what I was seeing.”
“I’m not sure what you’re seeing now,” he said with a frown furrowing his forehead. “I’m fine.”
She bit her lower lip and nodded. If he didn’t want to talk, she wasn’t going to push it. He was entitled to his secrets. She had a few she didn’t want to drag from the closet either.
He stood straight and said, “Are you ready to sleep now?”
“I think so.”
He held out his hand.
She placed hers in it and let him lead her to the stairs. “I’m not sure I would have found the kitchen on my own.”
“Sure you would have. You traveled halfway around the world to help others. This wouldn’t have been a problem.”
“Maybe, but that seems a full world away now. Something about being kidnapped has me feeling less confident and secure in my own abilities.” She stopped at the top of the stairs and said, “I don’t like it.”
*
Something about the tone of her voice made him look at her twice. “Will you be okay tonight?”
She reached out for her bedroom doorknob and said, “I’d be pretty damn sad if I’m in a house with so many men and not consider myself safe. I’m inside, safe, secure, and surrounded by bodyguards.”
She tossed him an overly bright smile and walked into her room. “Have a good night. See you in the morning.”
She closed the door gently in his face. Frowning, he walked to his bedroom and opened the door. As he went to close it, he found himself studying hers.
Something about this bugged the hell out of him, but he couldn’t figure out what or why. Against his instincts, he went in his room, closed the door behind him, and walked to his bed. Still fully dressed, he lay down on top of the covers, crossing his hands underneath his head, and stared up at the ceiling. She hadn’t acted any odder than she had already, and she wasn’t all that odd. She was just unique.
He liked unique. But something else was there besides that. So what if she was afraid tonight? She should be fine. Like she said, the house was full of bodyguards. And there was no reason to think anybody was after her anyway.
Eventually he drifted off but found himself unable to get into a deep sleep. He rolled over in time to see his doorknob turn. Instantly he was awake and up. Standing behind the door, hidden from whoever was coming in, he waited.
The door opened just enough that it unlatched. But it moved back and forth ever-so-slightly, as if somebody stood on the other side, deciding if they should open it or not. Then he knew.
In a quiet voice he said, “Lissa?”
Instantly the door opened wide, and she poked her head around. “Are you awake?”
The relief in her voice tugged at his heart. He stepped from behind the door, startling her. She took several steps back into the hallway, but he tugged her forward into his room quickly and closed the door behind her. The last thing he wanted was the rest of the house to be awake and aware. “What’s wrong?”
Eyes downcast, she shrugged. He stepped to the side, and the moonlight from the window caught her face, and he could see the shine of her skin. He reached up a hand and stroked the damp tendrils of hair. “You had a nightmare, didn’t you?”
She raised her gaze to him, her lower lip trembling, and nodded. “It just seems so unreal,” she began. “I couldn’t believe all this happened. I had to make sure I wasn’t dreaming and that you were act
ually here. That somebody was here.”
And he realized they’d made a tactical mistake. They should’ve had her share a room with Ice.
She wouldn’t have been alone then. On the other hand maybe this way he’d benefit too.
He wasn’t averse to sharing his bed for the night. Especially if it meant they could both get some decent sleep. He knew that was why he had yet to rest. And he needed to because who knew what tomorrow would bring. He wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulder and tugged her toward the bed.
“You can stay in my bed tonight.”
She stopped and looked at him hopefully. “You sure? You don’t mind?”
Half in exasperation and half in humor he said, “No, I don’t mind. Yes, I’m sure. I offered. And, yes, we’re just going to sleep, even though you didn’t ask.”
He gave her a push toward the bed, and, with a big grin, she rushed to the side he had not been sleeping on, crawling quickly under the covers.
She looked at his still-made side of the bed and asked, “Weren’t you sleeping?”
He walked closer and sat down. For the first time he was feeling a little unsure. He shrugged and said, “Trying to.”
She patted his shoulder. “That’s okay. I’ll keep you safe.”
He gave a bark of laughter and lay down on top of the covers beside her. “I’d like to see that.”
She curled up in a ball beside him and murmured, “You can get under the covers, you know. You would sleep better if you took off your T-shirt.”
He crossed his arms over his belly and said, “I’m fine. Go to sleep.”
“You’re better than fine, but you’d sleep a whole lot better if you took off the prosthetic limb too.” She gave a great big yawn before rolling to face the other side of the room. “I’m beat.”
He lay still as her words whispered into his head. Of course she recognized he was missing a leg. Why did that surprise him? Not many people mentioned it, that’s why. In fact, no one outside the team and Jackson ever did. But then again, he hung around everybody who knew the details. Not like it was a secret back at the compound. Still, he was relieved that she knew and was okay with it.