She looked up at him in shock, trying to ignore the warmth of his fingers on her arm. “You’ve been here all day?”
“Yup. Six hours.”
Sighing hugely and closing her eyes, Kassie tried to bring back her anger from that morning when she’d emailed him. But she simply didn’t have the energy. “Fine. But I’m really tired, so it’ll have to be quick.”
He nodded, but didn’t say anything.
Kassie moved her arm so his hand fell away and entered her apartment. He followed behind and she could feel his eyes on her as she threw her keys into a bowl on a table right inside the door. “Please lock it behind you,” she told him, still not looking at him, and wandered farther into her space.
It wasn’t much, but it was affordable. A small but functional kitchen, sofa, coffee table, decent-sized television, and a bookcase full of books. When her life went to shit, she’d always been able to fall back on books to get her through. Pictures of her family were everywhere, as was evidence that a less-than-neat woman lived there.
Junk mail on the coffee table, dirty dishes in the sink, a blanket scrunched up at the end of the couch, two pairs of shoes lying haphazardly on the floor near the couch, and half-burnt candles here and there. Kassie mentally shrugged. Whatever. It wasn’t like she’d invited him over.
She put the bag with the evidence she’d showed the detective and her parents on the floor by the couch. Her purse landed next to it. Then she sat, feeling as if the weight of the world was on her. It wasn’t exactly the strong, take-no-shit attitude she should be showing Hollywood, but she just didn’t have it in her at the moment.
The gray suede cushions enveloped her and she sighed in relief. The sofa had been one of the first things she’d bought when she moved in, and she hadn’t regretted the purchase for one second. It had been expensive, but it was extremely comfortable and exactly what she needed at that moment.
Closing her eyes, Kassie pretended she was alone. Pretended that her life wasn’t in the toilet. That her little sister hadn’t cried her eyes out after finding out a creepy, slimy asshole was spying on her and wanted to do her harm.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
Hollywood’s voice burst the little solitude bubble she was pretending she was in. Opening her eyes, she turned her head and saw him standing next to the arm of the couch looking down at her with concern.
“No. Can we get this over with?”
Hollywood walked around the low coffee table in front of the couch and sat next to her. He turned toward her, hitching one leg up, his knee touching her thigh. He reached out and grabbed her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers as he’d done the night before. Except now, instead of feeling safe, Kassie felt trapped.
She tugged at her hand, but he tightened his grip. “Relax, Kassie.”
“Relax? No way.” She tugged again, frustrated that he wouldn’t let go. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Let go of me, Hollywood.”
“No. And you don’t have to say anything. I do. I was an ass last night. In my defense, you surprised me, but that’s not an excuse. You have to understand that I view Jacks just like I see any terrorist. ISIS, Taliban, extremist…you name it. Seriously, that’s how I see him. And there I was, enjoying the shit out of our first date, wondering how in the world I’d managed to find you, loving how perfect you seemed to be for me, when you dropped your little bombshell.”
Kassie whimpered and pulled harder, and Hollywood merely tightened his hold on her. She didn’t want to hear this. She really didn’t. She reached over with her free hand to try to pry his fingers away. But he merely put his other hand on top of both of hers, easily stopping her. He spoke faster, as if he sensed she was on the verge of losing it.
“I can’t deny I was pissed, but I was upset because of the connection I’d felt between us. Then I woke up this morning feeling as if I’d lost something precious. That I’d made a big mistake. I spoke with my friends and they helped me figure out what I already knew. Kassie…” He paused and looked into her eyes. “I know you didn’t have to tell me why you messaged the first time. The fact that you did shows me how much integrity you have. If I gave you a chance to explain last night, I know I would’ve settled my shit and realized how brave you actually are.”
Kassie closed her eyes, scared to give in. She was hanging on by a thread. The entire day had been too much. She felt his fingers tuck a piece of hair behind her ear as he spoke.
“I’m sorry you’ve been living with Jacks hanging over your head. I’m sorry he put his hands on you. And I’m really sorry you’re dealing with his friend. Let me help you, Kassie.”
“Why?” she whispered.
“Why do I want to help you?” Hollywood clarified.
Kassie nodded and opened her eyes. She had to see his face when he answered. Surely she’d be able to tell if he was genuine or blowing smoke up her ass.
He didn’t shy away from looking her straight in the eyes as he spoke. “Because I’ve never felt a connection with another woman the way I do with you. A year ago I might not’ve realized what we had. But since I’ve seen my friends experience true love, I’m not willing to give up what I feel in my heart is the same thing. In the past, if someone had told me they’d done what you did, I would’ve blown them off and not thought about them again. But I literally can’t do that with you. You’ve somehow crawled inside me and taken root.”
Ignoring the “true love” statement—no way was she touching that one—her lips quirked involuntarily. “So I’m a virus? That’s what you’re saying?”
He smiled back. “No, sweetheart. I’m just saying that as hard as I tried to write you off last night, I couldn’t. We got to know each other pretty well with only emails back and forth. Meeting you last night solidified the fact that there’s something special between us. I’m thinking you feel it just as strongly as I do, otherwise you wouldn’t have risked telling me about Jacks. You get me and I you. I don’t want to throw that away. So you messaged me because Jacks told you to. Whatever. If I didn’t hate that motherfucker so much, I’d thank him.”
Kassie looked up at the man next to her with big eyes. She couldn’t believe he’d gone from completely pissed off and never wanting to see her again last night to saying that he thought they clicked. “I’m perfectly willing to work with you and your friends to tell you what I know about Richard and what he’s planning, even though I have no idea what he’s planning. But I’ll be the go-between and give you any information you want. I’ll feed false info to him and I’ll even be bait if that’s what it takes. I’ll do all of that without being your friend, Hollywood. I hate what he did to Emily and her daughter. You don’t have to give me pretty words and pretend to like me just to get to Richard.”
Now he looked pissed. Kassie should’ve been scared of him, but she knew he wouldn’t touch her in anger. Last night had proved that. He’d been furious, but hadn’t hit, grabbed, shoved, or otherwise done anything physical to hurt her.
“I’m not telling you how much I like you to get you to be bait. Jesus, Kassie, I can be an ass, but I’m not that much of one. I’m not here because I want you as a go-between either. Me and my friends can take care of that asshole without your involvement. I want to get to know you better. Take you out to dinner. Watch movies with you. Get to know Karina. Watch her cheer in games. The bottom line is that I want Kassie Anderson. No hidden agenda, sweetheart. Just two people dating and hopefully getting closer.”
“Oh.” It was a lame response, but it was all she could come up with.
“Is that an ‘oh, yes,’ or an ‘oh, no?’” Hollywood asked.
“I guess…yes.”
“Even though it’s not a hundred percent yes, I’ll take it,” Hollywood told her. “Now, are you hungry? I’m starving. I didn’t want to take the chance you’d show up if I left to grab lunch.”
“Didn’t my neighbors say anything? I can’t imagine they’d like you lurking in the hallway all day,” Kassie asked, trying
really hard not to feel bad that he’d been there so long.
“A couple of people asked who I was and what I was doing there.” Hollywood shrugged. “I told them I was your boyfriend and we’d had a disagreement. I was here to grovel for your forgiveness. They seemed to be okay with that response, a few even giving me tips on how best to get back in your good graces.”
“I don’t even want to know,” Kassie mumbled.
“Roses, make dinner for you, foot massage, and letting you tie me to the bed so you can have your wicked way with me,” Hollywood informed her with a straight face.
Kassie’s chin dropped. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. I don’t have any flowers with me, and I don’t think we’re quite ready for bedroom gymnastics, although I have to say, the thought of being at your mercy isn’t a turn off, just so you know, as long as turnabout is on the table where that’s concerned. But I can make something for dinner if you don’t mind. And I’ve never done it, but I could probably manage a halfway decent foot massage as well.”
Kassie was shaking her head before he’d finished. She refused to think about this gorgeous man in her bed. It wasn’t going to happen. He’d get to know her, find out she was too boring for his tastes, and back off. “I’m tired, Hollywood. As soon as you go, I’m crashing.”
“You need to eat,” he said with concern.
“No, I don’t. It’s not like I’m wasting away. I’ll live if I skip a meal.” She gestured to herself with her chin.
Hollywood frowned for a moment, then strangely asked, “Where were you today?”
“Uh…” Kassie couldn’t think of a response fast enough.
“I waited for you all afternoon. You didn’t have any shopping bags with you when you got here, so you weren’t at the grocery store or mall. Were you with your family?”
He was astute, she’d have to remember that if he stuck around. She nodded. “Yeah, I try to go over there most weekends.”
Hollywood put his hand on the side of her neck, his thumb gently stroking the underside of her jaw, his fingers warm against the sensitive skin behind her ear. “You tell them about Dean and Jacks?”
Kassie nodded. “They weren’t happy.”
“I can imagine. And Karina? She knows to be careful?”
Kassie nodded again, and pressed her lips together to try to stem the tears lurking behind her eyes. The last thing she needed was sympathy. She’d been like that her entire life. Stoic and strong…unless someone showed her compassion. Then she’d lose it.
“Oh, sweetheart. I’m sorry.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back her tears. She waited a beat, then croaked, “It’s fine. I should’ve told them a long time ago.”
“You’ve had a hard day,” Hollywood murmured, pulling her to him.
That was it. She couldn’t hold back the tears if someone offered her a million dollars. Hollywood’s sympathy and the fact he was there in the first place did her in. Her arms were tucked in front of her and she gripped the front of his T-shirt as she cried.
Kassie didn’t really know why she was crying. Stress, not sleeping the night before, the ups and downs of dealing with Hollywood, knowing her sister was freaked…it was all of it.
Hollywood didn’t say a word, just held her to him with one hand on her back and the other brushing her hair soothingly. Over and over. From the top of her head to the middle of her back, then back to the top.
When she thought she’d finally gotten control of herself, and feeling embarrassed, Kassie pulled back. She used her fingers to wipe away the tears from under her eyes and looked anywhere but at him.
“Feel better?”
She shook her head. “Not really. Now I’ve got a head full of snot and still have no idea what to do about Dean.” She couldn’t lie to him at the moment, not with the day she’d had and him showing her sympathy.
He chuckled and shifted to the edge of the couch. “Fair enough. Why don’t you lie down? Rest your eyeballs while I make us something to eat.”
Kassie looked up at Hollywood then. He didn’t look disgusted by her tears or what had to be her incredibly puffy face. He didn’t care that she was still sniffing as if she had allergies from hell. “What are you doing?” she whispered, completely confused.
He leaned down, kissed her forehead, then said, “About to make dinner.”
Kassie shook her head. “No, I mean, here. With me.”
“As I said, making dinner. Lie down, Kassie. Relax.”
“I can’t,” she mumbled, but brought her feet up to the cushions and curled them under her.
“Then don’t. Just lie here and think about all the awesomeness I’m going to make you to eat.”
She smiled at that. “Can you cook?”
“Guess you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?” he returned, his face mirroring her smile.
“It’s a long drive back home for you.” Kassie told him something he undoubtedly already knew.
Hollywood merely shrugged. “Not really, just an hour.”
“That’s a long drive.”
He leaned over her, bracing his hands on the cushion on either side of her shoulders and said softly, “Driving to El Paso is a long drive. An hour up the road is nothing. And so you know, you living down here and me up by Fort Hood isn’t going to keep me from making the effort to see you. If that means I get here at six-thirty at night and leave at ten because I have to get up at oh-four-hundred for PT, then that’s what I’m going to do. I’m perfectly willing to make the two-hour round-trip drive if it means I get to spend even thirty minutes getting to know you.”
“That’s insane,” she told Hollywood.
“Nope. It’s determination,” he retorted, kissed her on the forehead once more, then straightened. “Close your eyes, Kass. I’ve got food to make.”
With nothing else to do, Kassie did as Hollywood demanded.
Chapter 9
“Hey, Hollywood,” Kass said in his ear.
It had been two weeks since the Army Ball.
He’d stayed that first night at her apartment and made an easy dinner of spaghetti and homemade garlic bread. They’d exchanged small talk as they’d eaten. She told him she’d been to the police station, and updated him on everything Dean had said and done since Jacks had been arrested. Hollywood once again had felt guilty he hadn’t let her talk the night before, but firmly put it aside. He was there now. He’d do everything he could to keep her safe.
And he had. He’d asked Beth, the same woman who had gotten Kassie’s address for him and now worked for his friend, Tex, to find out what she could about Dean. He’d talked to his commanding officer about the situation with Jacks communicating with Dean and threatening Kassie from behind bars, to see if there was anything he could do about it, and Hollywood made a point to try to make sure Kassie never felt as if she was fighting this by herself. He hated that she’d felt alone with no options.
He’d also talked to Emily about Kassie, and she didn’t hold any hard feelings about the other woman. She’d explained how she’d felt when Jacks had been blackmailing her…how she didn’t think she’d had any options other than to pay him the money he’d demanded. Jacks might be an asshole, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew by threatening the most vulnerable person in Emily’s life, and now Kassie’s, that they would do what he wanted.
Hollywood had seen or talked to Kassie every day since he’d made her dinner two weeks ago. Some days he’d done just what he told her he would, driven up after work to visit with her for a few hours before heading back home. Other days, if he or Kassie worked late, he settled for talking to her on the phone. And he’d emailed and texted her every day, several times in fact. Just saying hi, telling her about his day, and generally touching base.
The tenuous bond they’d formed had grown. Kassie was the first person he wanted to talk to when he got up and the last before he went to sleep. Hollywood hated that she lived down in Austin, but he hoped once he helped get Jacks and Dean o
ff her back, he might be able to convince her to move up to Temple. It was a long shot, but he’d never felt as protective, concerned, or as excited about a woman before. Kassie was quickly becoming the most important person in his life. It was crazy, but his soul seemed to settle when he was with her.
She was it for him. He knew it down to the marrow of his bones. He wanted to ask her to move in with him, but just because he knew she was the woman meant for him, didn’t mean she felt the same way. It was more than obvious she’d take some convincing, but Hollywood was up to the challenge. He’d court her every day for years if the end result was her wearing his ring on her finger.
This weekend Kassie was coming up for the first time. She’d been complaining about how stressed she was. So Hollywood had arranged with Fletch for her to stay in the apartment over his garage. She had the weekend off from work and he wanted her to be able to really relax and not worry for at least two days.
He wanted her to stay at his place, but even though they were growing closer, he didn’t want to pressure her into doing anything she wasn’t ready for. Hollywood knew she was fast becoming vital to his well-being, but she probably wasn’t there yet. Especially not after everything with her ex. It was a testament to how stressed Kassie was that she’d agreed to the trip without too much cajoling.
Hollywood didn’t have a lot planned for them to do over the weekend, it was enough that he’d get to spend more than a few hours with her at a time, but one thing they did need to do was meet with the other guys and discuss the Jacks situation. Dean had been out of town, but when he got back, Hollywood had a feeling things would escalate quickly…especially once Dean found out how close he and Kassie had gotten while he’d been gone. The plan for her to spy on him and the rest of his team hadn’t exactly gone as Dean and Jacks had planned.
“Hey, Kass,” he responded, holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder. “Where are you?”
“I just left. I should be there in an hour or so. Is that okay?”
“Of course,” Hollywood reassured her. “You’re coming straight to my place, right?”
Rescuing Kassie: Delta Force Heroes, Book 5 Page 9