“I call bullshit, but you can fess up to me later or tell me why you’re ignoring me. Either way, you’ll tell me.”
She didn’t say anything. Her hands were crossed in her lap, and if he didn’t know any better, she was a tight squeeze away from white-knuckled.
Winters let her ignore him. It gave him time to plan his afternoon with Titan. They had a shit ton to hash out, starting with the NOC list and ending with Mia’s sweet ass no longer in the line of danger.
He barreled down the familiar roads, tapping the steering wheel. Her safety was paramount, and there was nothing they could do to protect her without engaging the enemy. They needed to cut the head off the beast, not deal with the pansy teams that kept up their mediocre attacks.
He cleared his throat. “You’ve got about five seconds, Mia, to fess up. Three. Two. One. All right, we’ll talk later.”
The car slowed, and they pulled up to a brick fenced property with a wrought iron gate. Old, thick trees lined the property, and a green canopy was draped over the driveway. It was nice to be home, but even better that she was there with him. Though that struck him as odd since she hadn’t strung a sentence together with more than three words in it since she fell asleep in his arms the night before.
“When you said home, did you mean estate?” Mia’s jaw hung open.
“The good guy business pays well. I like my privacy, and it’s safe.”
“I can tell.” Her jaw still gaped.
It would’ve been a lie if he denied the masculine pride coursing through him at her reaction. She was impressed and, for the first time when it came to a woman, he cared.
“You can make yourself comfortable while I meet with the team for a while. I promise you, there’s nowhere safer. And my mom will whip up a mean meal. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes. The works. You can meet Clara.” He snuck a glance at Mia. Open up a little, would you? He shook his head. Now, he sounded like a whiny teenage girl. Awesome. “Are you overwhelmed yet?”
“No. Not overwhelmed. Just do what you need to do so I can get back to my life. Please.”
He shook his head again. Her life would never be the same for the simple fact that she’d been kidnapped, and she saw violence firsthand. She was a psychologist. She should know that. That stuff messed with minds. He lived through it all the time, and it was a heavy, dark burden.
“I’ll get it figured out.”
Winters rolled up to the front of the white colonial house. His mom opened the door with a baby on her hip, waving the young child’s arm. She was mouthing hellos for Clara toward the car, but the baby looked more interested in tearing her silver-haired bun out of place.
He caught Mia cringing, and her hands ran the length of her thighs. “Oh God, Colby. This is a bad idea. Horrible. I don’t even have shoes on. What is your mother going to think? I’ve worn these clothes for days. I can’t let her see me like this. I can’t let anyone see me like this.”
“Well, you can’t hide in the car. And she won’t care. Hell, she won’t even notice.”
“Of course she’ll notice. I’m not wearing shoes. My shirt is basically scotch taped together. Anyone would notice.”
“This is the most you’ve said in hours. Since you woke up.”
A flush crossed her cheeks. All he wanted was for her to lean into him. To kiss him. He wanted her to stop torturing him. That wasn’t too much to ask.
She was the therapist. Maybe she compartmentalized or whatever. Boxed up their night and forgot about it. Other than the blush on her face and neck, Mia didn’t seem the least interested in him or having another go at it in the future. It was infuriating.
Unable to hold back, his hand glanced off her pink cheek with a caress. Something he was getting much better at since they’d met. She was so soft, and whether she’d acknowledge him as a man or not, he couldn’t stop from stroking her.
He took her hand, squeezed it, then got out of the car. He kissed his mom on the cheek and swept the baby into his arms, holding her up over her head. Clara giggled and kicked in excitement. Her blonde curls and smile warmed his heart every time.
He heard Mia walk up from behind him. Her bare feet shuffled on a few loose stones on the driveway, and her arms wrapped across her stomach.
“Mom, this is Mia. Mia, my mom.” Winters made the introductions, momentarily ignoring both women and focusing on Clara. It’d been far too long since he held her. It was an automatic; he held the baby, and the world sank away. His eyes slipped shut, and he drank in Clara’s hug, her innocent scent of shampoo and baby powder.
After a long hug, he saw his mother extend her hand to Mia, confusion and surprise on her face. Funny how similar the expression was to when he knocked on his mom’s door, baby in tow.
“Mia, nice to meet you. You can call me Judith.”
Judith flashed an inquisitive eye at her son, having never met any client or woman in his life before. Most certainly not at his house, with his daughter. A flush heated his face, imperceptible to anyone but his mother. He wasn’t a mama’s boy. Never had been. But their relationship had changed to friend-like, or even mentor-mentoree, after he arrived on her doorstep, holding a baby two-handed like she was a nuclear bomb, and kicking along the bag of diapers Child Protective Services gave him.
He had been terrified. And his mother, bless her heart, didn’t call him on it. She simply started to help. She could diaper the hell out of a baby, showing him that while it seemed duct tape was the only way a diaper would stay secure, the tabs on the side did just fine.
She knew Titan Group skirted the edge of legal. She knew that he was in danger each time he left for a job. He told her as much. But hell, he’d made some major changes after Clara arrived. Decisions were now made on more than mission-critical information. He had to base them on a baby. He had to get home to Clara at the end of each op. He had to establish routines and schedules. And he had to plan for a babysitter. It was comical. Shopping for formula and smashed peas while wearing tactical gear was quite possibly his latest favorite pastime. The looks he got were nothing short of alarmed. If he were feeling particularly in need of a laugh, he’d smear on camouflage face paint.
Nothing in his life had been stable until Clara came along. And even now, stable was a stretch. But for Clara’s sake, he did what he could to provide her a settled home. And his mother was his saving grace.
She didn’t appear to notice Mia’s bare feet or tattered clothes. But, oh, he knew better. She was discreet. That was for sure. The woman didn’t miss a beat. Lord only knew what she thought, and he was certain to hear about it later. Would she go the interrogation route, or infiltrate behind enemy lines, asking Mia subtle questions?
Maybe he should have placed a warning phone call. Right now, that was a blinding flash of obviousness. Too late. He hadn’t wanted to do that in front of Mia, and after everything that happened the last time he left Mia alone to call home, he sure as shit wasn’t going to do that again.
With the baby on his hip, Winters watched Mia stand next to his mother. His mom’s head tilted a degree sideways. One eyebrow raised slight enough so that only he noticed. It was a warning sign of the impending Q & A session.
Mia, on the other hand, had to work her blinkers and fight off her wide-eyed observation of him and Clara. Her demeanor made him uncharacteristically warm and hazy. Or was that fuzzy? It was such a bizarre feeling. He couldn’t define it.
“Mom, would you mind cooking up some lunch? I’m dying for something home cooked, and I think Mia could use a real meal. I think she’s had a bag of pretzels in the past twenty four hours.”
Mia’s face flushed. “Oh, I can help. I don’t need to be tended to—”
“You’d never know it, but Mia’s been shot at a few times, not to mention a nasty bout with some tear gas. Though that was my fault.” Truth be told, he was proud of his girl for taking it like she did. Winters winked at Mia but still spoke to his mom. “I think she could use some of your famous cooking. And, Mia, you need to rest
. I’m going to need your help later. So eat, then sleep. I have to head out for a while, but we’ll take care of it all. Is that okay?”
Her mouth opened, closed, and opened again, but nothing came out. Her fingers touched her lips, a gesture as lost as the words she couldn’t find. She shuffled a bare foot back and forth on the driveway, then nodded. Pebbled rocks bent to the will of her painted toes.
His mom started back into the house. “Colby, I’ll let you get your friend settled, and I’ll be in the kitchen. I might have some clothes that’ll fit, Mia, if you want. I’ll leave them at the foot of the stairs. I’m sure Colby will direct you to the nearest shower.”
“Yes, thank you.” She smiled, conveying her appreciation.
Winters balanced Clara on his hip, and, with his free hand, took Mia’s chin, directing her gaze to him. His stare tracked her, despite Clara’s every attempt to remove his sunglasses. “You need to relax. You’re not an imposition or a headache. If anything, you’re a pleasant surprise.”
“Pleasant isn’t how I’d describe myself right now.” She swallowed hard enough that he could see it. Her fingers pleated the bottom of her torn-and-repaired shirt.
“Here I go. I’m an old MP3 stuck on repeat. What’s wrong?”
Mia sucked her bottom lip and remained quiet. Had she been through interrogation resistance training?
“All right, doll. I’m going to show you around. You have the roam of the place, comfy bed, and a hot shower. Mom will stay here with Clara while I’m gone. She’s more than happy to help you with anything you want. Really, she’s easygoing. I promise.”
Winters dropped his hand from her chin and interlaced his fingers with hers. Clara squealed and grasped at the rough hair on his face. With a lesser degree of hesitation in her drudging gait, Mia followed him into the house and into an expansive foyer with marble floors and rich colored wallpaper. She immediately eyed his security system panel next to the front door and security cameras.
“Don’t let it bother you. It’s for safety and protection. I can be paranoid about my family’s safety. I’m a big believer in ‘you can never be too careful’.”
“Colby?”
He turned to face her, squeezing her hand tight. “Yeah?”
Mia sighed, but it sounded like the nervous whimper of a scared puppy. A scared, cute puppy. “I don’t do family well. I don’t have one. I don’t know how to handle one. I—uh—can’t remember the last time I held a man’s hand, walking around his house, with his mom in the kitchen.” Mia’s palm went clammy in his hand. Her gaze bounced round the room, maybe looking for an escape route.
Well, shit. That was her problem? Never in a million years would he have guessed that. But he’d keep that to himself.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“I warned you this might be awkward.” Winters gave a reassuring laugh and winked. Anything to help bring her out of her shell. He needed his Mia back. Not the silent, stone-cold Jane Doe who’d ridden in the car with him the last hundred or so miles. No, he wanted the spitfire, crazed woman who’d run them off the road and tried again and again to nail him in the balls.
She turned to him and gave a placating, unsure-of-her-survival smile.
“No one’s asking anything of you. This is just my reality. And like I said, it’s also the safest place to keep you until all of this is sorted out. My two worlds collided. Work and non-work.” He shook her hand with a slight swing. “There’s nothing to overthink. Can you shake off the nerves?”
He was hot again with a pleasantly uncomfortable, terribly unfamiliar feeling that had him questioning his judgment. Fuck it. He squeezed her hand with more want than comfort. He’d been squeezing that hand over and over since they’d gotten out of the car. He couldn’t help it.
“It’s simple. Everything collided back on that exit ramp. And in that motel room.” His heartbeat galloped. Was that trepidation or lust? “I don’t know what to tell you. And you haven’t said much. So let’s start simple. Do you want me to let go of your hand?”
His heart thumped in his chest. Once. Twice. If she didn’t respond soon, he’d punch out of this conversation with more than a little wounded pride.
“No.” She shook her head.
He didn’t care if she looked like she was going to puke. He wasn’t letting go of her hand. Someone would have to put crosshairs on him before he would break away. Even then, the move would be duck and cover, not catch and release. She was here, safe from the world, and until he knew what to do with her, that was where he wanted her.
“Outstanding. I wasn’t in the mood to let go.” His thumb caressed her tight grip.
It would’ve been easy to hand Clara to his mother, drag Mia to his room, and tear her clothes off her. But it wouldn’t have been right. Besides the absurd awkwardness, his first responsibility was to Clara. He wasn’t about to pawn her off whenever the mood struck. And the mood was always striking where Mia was concerned.
They walked down the hallway and up the stairs, grabbing the clean clothes, a sweatshirt, and flip-flops that Judith had laid out as promised.
Mia looked at him, the most interest he’d seen all day. “I’m going to change now.”
“Anything you want.” Guess he’d have to let her go.
He directed her to the bathroom. After a while, she came out squeaky clean, freshly clothed. The woman squared up quick. Over her shoulder, he saw her clothes stuffed in the trash can. Bet slamming those in the bucket was like scoring the winning basket of a championship game.
He took her hand and led her up the stairs. “So you saw that bathroom.”
“Check.”
“Here’s the toy room.”
They walked into an ice-cold room, only illuminated by a few computer screens. No windows. No furniture. Only shelves with his workstation in the middle.
“Toy room?”
“Grown up toys. Though not the kind that you may think of.” He gave her a devilish grin. “Tools of the trade. Gadgets and gear. This is a tiny listening device. This one looks like a pack of gum, but push two pieces together, and you’ve got a slow burning smoke. Nothing explosive though. All show. I try to keep the C4 far away from the baby.”
She laughed, acting less tense. “Makes sense.”
“This one’s pretty cool. It can make anything safe to drink. And this thing appears to be an outlet cover, but it has a high res camera. Motion activated.”
“You’re a kid in the candy store.”
He shrugged, knowing he shouldn’t show her anything in the room. Covert wasn’t covert if others knew what secret weapons were available. But he wanted to distract her. Hell, he wanted to impress her. Again?
“Now this one.” He peeled a microscopic translucent piece of fabric off wax paper and pressed it to her arm. “The material is a bio-agent. Soon as it comes into contact with your skin, it’ll begin to destroy itself. It’s a tracker. If activated, it’s like a homing beacon.”
“I can’t see it anymore.”
“That’s the point. The enemy can’t remove what they don’t see.”
“Oh.” She giggled, inspecting the near invisible patch.
“That’s funny?”
“No. It’s just all I need for work is my DSM-IV, and you need spy equipment.” She shivered. “Why’s it so cold in here?”
“I like my gadgets, guns, and vehicles a precise sixty-six degrees. I work better when it’s chilly. But you both have to be cold. Resuming our tour…” He walked them into the hall and pointed toward the doors. “There’s my room, across from Clara’s nursery.”
Mia paused at the baby’s room and stared at the lilac colored walls and bright white furniture. It was unlike the hardy décor of the rest of the house. Dark furniture. Thick leather. Heavy carpets. The nursery was as bright and carefree as Clara’s smile. It suited the happy baby. He’d made sure that it was perfect for a precious girl. He would’ve made the walls out of cotton candy and hung twinkle, twinkle lights from the ceiling if he could’ve.
“Guest room. Guest room, again. You can stay here, if you want. It’s got a gorgeous view of the lake out back, and it has its own bathroom. There’s a Jacuzzi tub in my room. Feel free to use that if you want. Lots of whirling, jetting bubbles I hear chicks might like.”
“You hear, huh?”
“Yup.”
“Never had one of your lady friends compliment you on it?” She raised an eyebrow. “Or witness for yourself?”
“Sorry to disappoint. You’re the only woman to step foot in this house who’s not a blood relation.”
He studied her for a second. His skin crawled with the need for her to stay with him, in his bedroom, in his bed. He longed to feel her skin against his again, to watch her sleep-heavy eyes flutter closed while she lay naked against him. But after ignoring him all day, he wasn’t nearing that hope without much more serious consideration.
“Okay, then. A hot tub soak sounds amazing. Your house is gorgeous. Colby, thanks for taking care of me through all of this,” she whispered.
He blew out. There it was again, that indescribable emotion that hit him under the collar and deep in the gut. It was a variation on adrenaline, nothing like a headache, and closer to heartburn.
“You need to relax. Do whatever it takes, all right?”
“I will. But I’d be just fine on a couch with some fast food. I hate that I’m burdening your family. I’ll be out of your hair the moment you think it’s safe.”
Mild disappointment pecked at the thought of her not wanting him. Hell, not mild. Not by a click or two. They were short, slicing stabs of irritation. He wanted her jonesing for him like he was sweating for her. Pure need mixed with something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Enjoyment. Or infatuation? Whatever that sensation was, it was more than welcome and had nothing to do with his couch or sending her packing the second the all-clear rang out.
The ring of his cell phone interrupted the cacophony of thoughts. Phone calls were once in a blue moon. Only when it was a member of Titan or his mother. Without missing a beat, Mia reached over and lifted Clara from him, freeing both his hands in an instant. With a quick nod of thanks, he answered the phone in a curt manner that could sand plaster, then walked to a nearby window.
The Titan Series: Military Romance Boxed Set Page 11