Ten minutes later, the officers returned following a brief confab in the entryway. “Now, Miss McCarthy, are you sure you didn’t just misplace this pair of underwear?” Officer MacMillan asked, eyebrows lifted.
My hackles raised at his condescending tone. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that this guy didn’t know me or my character. “I’m sure, sir. And there were things moved around in my room.”
The older officer tapped his notepad on his thigh. “Well, there is zero sign of forced entry. You got a lot of spare keys floating around?”
“Just me, my roommate, and our housekeeper, who has worked for Taylor for over three years.”
“Well, maybe your roommate was nosing around and is too embarrassed to admit it. We’ll file a report, but there’s nothing else we can do.”
I squeezed Austin’s knee in frustration. “Couldn’t you at least dust for fingerprints?”
Officer MacMillan chuckled. “Honey, this is LA. We don’t spend resources like that on a missing pair of underwear.”
Austin pushed to his feet then. “I think you can leave now, but I’d like to get your badge number before you go.” He had been mostly silent throughout the meeting, but now I could feel anger coming off him in waves.
Officer MacMillan smugly tossed a business card onto the coffee table. “My badge number’s on the card. You know she’s probably just doing this to get your attention.” And with that, he turned and left. Hot tears of frustration streamed down my cheeks as I gripped the couch cushion I was sitting on.
The younger officer lingered, looking uncomfortable and waiting until his partner was out of earshot. “I’m sorry about him. He’s old school, and his time on the job has made him a cynic. I’ll make sure a report gets filed. It honestly sounds like it could be a case of stalking, so maybe think about changing locks, stay alert, and call if anything else happens.”
Austin jerked his chin in the boy-man’s direction, and he left. Austin followed him out, there was the sound of a lock clicking, and then he was back. “Stay here for just a minute, I’m going to make a couple calls.” Pulling the blanket off the back of the couch, I tucked into a ball. I could hear the muffled sounds of Austin talking to someone, but couldn’t make out what he was saying.
A few minutes later, he came back and sat on the coffee table, knees bracketing my legs. “I talked to a locksmith, they’ll be here in an hour to change all your locks. The boys are picking up pizza and bringing overnight stuff. We’re gonna have ourselves a slumber party, and if you’re lucky, I might even let you paint Ford’s toenails.”
A faint smile came to my lips at that mental image. Austin stood and reached out a hand. “Come on, let’s strip your bed and wash your sheets. Once those are done, we can start washing all your clothes.” I just blinked up at him. How did he know that this was just the thing I needed? He bent down and grabbed my wrist when I didn’t move. “I know it will make you feel less skeeved out if we wash everything.”
I smiled for real then, feeling as if I had taken a solid hit to the solar plexus in the best possible way. This man was kind, caring, and was going to help me wash every item of clothing I owned because I was a freaked-out germaphobe. It was then that I knew I was going to let him back in. All the way in. I was going to jump off the high dive and take the risk of a big ol’ ugly and painful belly flop because he was worth the risk.
I stopped walking, and because Austin still had a hold of my wrist, he stopped, too. I leaned forward and pressed a kiss through his t-shirt to his left pec, right where his heart might be. Feeling his sharp intake of breath, I tipped my head back to look him in the eyes. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“Anything for you,” he whispered back.
28
Austin
Sunlight filtered through the palm trees as I stood in my open entryway, waiting for Liam to get out of his overpriced sportscar. “Thanks for doing this,” I called as he shut his door.
“No problem. I’m happy to help. Having some of this stuff in place will make me feel a hell of a lot better about Carter and Taylor living in that house by themselves.”
My gut tightened at the reminder of Friday’s events. I hated the idea of Carter being alone for a second and hoped that getting some things in place to help her defend herself would ease my mind. “You and me both. All the supplies are in the garage, but do you want to come in for a quick drink first before I have to head to the gym?”
“Sounds good. It’s hot as hell out there, and it’s only April.”
I ushered Liam inside and into the oversized gourmet kitchen, grabbing him a beer and me a water. “Here you go.”
Liam took a swig of the dark ale. “So, how’s training going?”
My hands tightened around my bottle of water. “It’s going.” The truth was, I had been distracted as hell. My training was suffering, and I’d fallen behind on the day-to-day aspects of running the gym. I’d spent the entire weekend with Carter and wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, but that meant cancelling two training sessions and a meeting with one of my fighters.
Liam studied my face. “You seem stressed. What’s going on?”
“You mean besides the girl I love thinking someone broke into her house and stole her fucking underwear?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Fair point. But there’s something else.”
I cracked my neck. “I’m just trying to figure out how to balance training, the gym, and Carter, without one of those things falling through the cracks.”
Liam straightened on his stool. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you? Because I may not be able to kick your ass, but I will seriously hire a hitman to murder you if you hurt Carter again.”
My skin prickled at the insult. “Fuck, no. I’m just not used to having to juggle so much.” I paused, thinking about how my nerve endings had felt itchy all day. “And I want today to go well.”
Liam started a slow chuckle that turned into cackling. “You’re nervous? Austin ‘Bulldog’ Lyons is scared of taking a girl on a date.”
I scowled. “Screw you, man.” I was planning to surprise Carter with our first official date this afternoon, but my stomach had been in knots since I’d decided on a plan of attack. I wasn’t good at this kind of thing. I had grown up with my last girlfriend, so I hadn’t really had to think about wooing her beyond getting her a corsage for prom. Could I even call Carter my girlfriend? Fuck, I was heading into pussy territory, and fast.
Liam doubled over, barely able to get his words out. “The look on your face! Fucking priceless!”
I chucked my half-full water bottle at him in response.
“Shit!” Liam caught the bottle as it bounced off his shoulder. “There’s no need for violence. Tell Dr. Liam what’s got you doubting yourself.”
I shook my head but couldn’t help the small grin. Liam was a nut, but he was also the crazy person who had an inside track to Carter’s mind. I walked him through my plan for the afternoon. As I talked, his shit-eating grin got wider and wider. “She’s going to love this. I gotta admit, I’m impressed with you pulling out all the stops already.”
“I told you I was going after my girl. I’m not messing around.” And I wasn’t. It was killing me to take things as slowly as I had been, but Carter’s breakdown the night I had brought her home had shown me just how much I’d hurt her. How scared she was to fully let me back in. I needed to take things at a snail’s pace. And I could do that. I could do anything as long as it got me my Firecracker in the end.
What I didn’t want was to backtrack on any of the progress we’d made. “You sure it’s not too much? I don’t want to overdo it and send her running for the hills.”
“Are you kidding me? She’s going to love it.”
I blew out a long breath. “All right.” All I could do was trust that Liam wouldn’t steer me wrong, and send up a prayer that I wouldn’t screw this up. I glanced at my watch. “Shit, I gotta get to the gym. I have a meeting about the media day we’
re doing for Eric’s fight.” I hated when we had to let the press vultures into the gym to open workouts, but they promoted the fights, so there was no way around it. The fans usually made it fun, though, keeping the energy levels up throughout the workout. This would be my first really massive media day as a coach, and I wanted to make sure all of the attention was focused on my fighter, Eric.
“Eric’s looking good. Think he’ll come out with a win?” Liam asked.
“I think there’s a real good chance. For a new fighter, he’s got some major skills. With a few more fights on the big stage, he’ll get used to the pressure and really be able to dominate his weight class.” I grabbed my wallet and keys. “Come on, all the stuff is in the garage. Just lock up when you’re done. Thanks again for helping me out, man.”
“Anytime. Good luck this afternoon. Just remember to pop a mint before you go in for the kiss!” Liam said with a chuckle.
I drilled him with a half-hearted hook to his side. “Yeah, yeah.” I slipped out my front door and into my SUV. I could do this, I was a grown-ass man, I would not bow to the pressures of a first date.
29
Carter
I popped the tab on my second Diet Coke of the day, and it was only noon. Monday was hitting me hard. After my terrifying Friday, the weekend had taken a turn for the better. The boys had all demanded that they spend the entire weekend with me since Taylor was out of town. Friday night, they were feeling so badly for me that I talked them into face masks and a chick flick. Saturday, I went with them to their flag football game, where Austin had proceeded to growl at any guy who spoke to me. Liam and Ford thought it was hilarious. Sunday, I cooked a massive brunch, and the boys watched sports while I graded papers. It was heaven, but I was exhausted and struggling today.
I pulled my lunch bag from the file drawer on my desk and unwrapped my sandwich. I had taken to eating in my classroom in an effort to avoid any potentially awkward run-ins with Kyle. Taylor usually joined me, but she had lunchroom duty today. A knock sounded on my door that had me sending a silent prayer heavenward that Kyle hadn’t come to search me out.
“Come in.” A dark, buzzed head appeared in the cracked door, his eyes sweeping the room. When he saw that I was alone, he opened the door fully. “What are you doing here?” I stood from my desk and crossed to Austin, wrapping my arms around his waist. His shirt was warm from the sun, and I burrowed my cheek deeper into his chest.
“I brought you some presents.”
I pulled back and saw that he was carrying a medium-sized gift bag. “I like presents.”
He shot me a devastating grin that had my lower belly clenching. “You get most of them now, but one has to wait until after our date.”
My cheeks rose as a smile spread across my own face. “Date?”
Austin gestured for me to sit back down at my desk. “Yes, I’m taking you on our first official date this afternoon. Hurry home after school, and I’ll pick you up around four. And wear something comfortable, like jeans.”
My smile got bigger. “Okay. Now, gimme.” I made grabby hands at the bag he was holding.
“Spoiled rotten, I tell you.” He reached into the bag and pulled out a Taser, pepper spray, and what looked like some sort of brass knuckles with two spikes—all of the items pink. “I thought if they looked a least a little girlie, you’d be more likely to use them.”
My jaw hung open. “What, no bazooka? Armed battalion?”
He tapped my nose. “Don’t tempt me. Just do me a favor and carry them. Put one of them in your hand when you’re walking to and from your car.”
I could see the concern in his eyes and the hard-set line of his shoulders. He was worried about me. That was about the only thing that could have gotten me to carry this ridiculous stuff. “Okay, but if I accidentally maim some poor old lady or poke my own eye out with one of those spikes, you’re paying the medical bills.”
A smile came back to Austin’s lips. “You’ve got yourself a deal. I’ve got to get back to the gym, but I’ll see you a little later.” He leaned across the desk and kissed my forehead. The contact carried with it a promise of much more to come. Tingles shot to my nipples, and I sucked in a breath.
When he pulled away, I could see heat in his eyes. As he made his way to the door, I saw Kyle peeking in through the window, but he quickly jumped back when our eyes met. I felt bad, but maybe this was for the best. If he saw me with someone else, perhaps he would finally realize that there was no chance for us. Austin turned as he reached for the doorknob, oblivious to Kyle’s spying. “Bye, beautiful.”
A blush filled my cheeks as I got out a hushed, “Bye, Austin.” He was gone, and I was a bumbling mess for the rest of the day: dropping erasers, knocking over the cup of pens on my desk. I think my students thought I was drunk.
When the last bell finally rang at 3:15 p.m., I gathered up my belongings as quickly as possible and made a beeline for home. As soon as I arrived, I tore through my room, pulling my favorite skinny jeans from my dresser and tossing shirts all around until I settled on a white eyelet blouse with ruffled sleeves that made my boobs look great. I dashed into the bathroom to freshen up my makeup and hair. The gate buzzer went off just as I finished gliding some pale pink gloss across my lips. Slipping my feet into a pair of gold sandals, I grabbed my purse.
Instead of buzzing Austin in, I simply headed out the door, being extra careful to lock it behind me. His broad frame peeked out from behind the slatted wood gate, and butterflies took flight in my belly. This was it, our first real date. Would he try to kiss me? I really hoped so. All of a sudden, all my fears came rushing back. What if I had changed, and Austin didn’t like the person I was now? What if he realized he wasn’t attracted to me after all? My hand paused on the gate’s doorknob. I didn’t know if I could go through with this.
Austin must have sensed my hesitancy because low and rumbly he said, “Open the door, Firecracker.” I gulped and did as he said. The door swung toward me, and Austin’s eyes travelled up and down my body, stalling on my breasts—thank you eyelet top—and then moved back to my face. “You look gorgeous.”
I, of course, blurted out, “I think I’m going to puke.”
He started laughing so hard he had to brace himself on the gate’s frame. “I don’t think you mean you’re actually sick.”
“No, but I could be,” I said, scowling at him.
Austin reached for me, but I backed away, mad at his insensitive butt for laughing at me. The evasion didn’t last long, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his chest. “There’s no reason to be nervous, baby. You’re my favorite person in the whole world. There’s no way we’re not going to have a blast.” I melted into him at those words; they were just what I needed to hear.
He must have felt the tension bleed from me because he squeezed my shoulder and pulled back, forcing me to meet his eyes. “Everything okay now?” I nodded, cheeks heating at the thought of my freak-out. Austin grabbed my hand, interlocking our fingers, and led me to his car. “You’re so fucking adorable.”
I slipped into the SUV as soon as Austin opened the door, clicking my seatbelt into place and fumbling with my purse strap. Austin got in, cranked the engine, and then reached for my hand again, placing our interwoven fingers on his thigh. He’d never held my hand like this before, and I soaked up the sensations as he traced nonsensical shapes on the back of my hand.
I took in his face as he navigated through traffic: his cut jaw with just the faintest shadow of stubble, nose with just the slightest crook in it from being broken one too many times, deep and dark blue eyes, and a Dodgers baseball cap pulled low on his forehead. He was breathtaking, and he apparently wanted me. I was going for it. Smiling down at my lap I asked, “So, where are we going?”
He turned to glance at me briefly, a devious grin on his handsome face. “It’s a surprise.”
“Come on.”
“You’re just going to have to be patient.”
“Patience
is not my virtue.”
Austin chuckled. “We’ll be there in about ten minutes, so you won’t have to be patient for long.”
I let myself be lulled by Austin’s gentle ministrations on the back of my hand and, before I knew it, we were pulling into the parking lot at Griffith Observatory. “I’ve always wanted to go here, but I’ve never made it.”
He smiled as he swung into a parking spot. “I thought it would be the perfect spot for a picnic.”
I just sat there and blinked at him for a moment. “A picnic? I love picnics!”
“I know you do.” He slipped on the sunglasses that hung from his shirt collar and pulled his hat farther down his forehead. Studying his movements, I realized Austin was trying to disguise himself. When we used to hang out, the odd fight fan would approach him here or there, but I recognized that his entire world had changed within the span of a year.
With a squeeze, he released my hand, hopped down from the Range Rover, and came around to my door to help me out. He then opened the trunk and retrieved an extremely large picnic basket. With his free hand, he grabbed mine and led us toward the massive lawns that overlooked LA.
“It’s beautiful up here,” I said, turning myself towards him. “I think all this time, you were just a closet romantic.”
“Only for you, Firecracker. Only for you.” Austin stopped us when he came to a spot that wasn’t too crowded but had a great view of the city. He set down the picnic basket and pulled out a red plaid blanket, spreading it out over the grass. He gestured for me to sit and started pulling takeout containers from the basket. “I got all your favorites from Joan’s On Third.”
Joan’s made my absolute favorite egg salad and this delicious snap pea and asparagus salad, not to mention their cupcakes. “You are a king among men.” I sighed, then made a grabby hands motion at him and started opening all the packages. My stomach growled so loudly that Austin could hear it, and he started laughing. I smacked his shoulder. He settled in next to me, and we started scooping food onto plates. “How was the gym today?”
Further To Fall Page 16