by Lexi Blake
She forced herself to give him a smile she hoped portrayed a confidence she didn’t feel. “Thanks.”
“We have to deal with the fact that someone needs to be in that building with Noelle,” Kyle said, breaking the odd connection she’d felt. “After today, you can’t deny that.”
Hutch stood again, his hand raking over his golden brown hair in obvious frustration. “Agreed. But I’ll do it. I didn’t like how she looked at you.”
“Ah, but it was the way she looked at me that means I’m the one who can get in,” Kyle replied softly. “If you try to hire on right now, it could take weeks.”
He was right about that. “I don’t think we’re hiring in tech support. I did hear something about security needing a couple of guys.”
Kyle stared at Hutch. “Hiring you on will take too long, and she basically offered me a job on the spot. I know I’m not the tech guy, but you can teach me what you need me to do and I’ll be there if Noelle needs someone. She already thinks I’m your brother. It won’t be odd for me to walk my brother’s girlfriend in and out of the building.”
Hutch’s phone pinged and he sighed. “I’ve got to go down and get the pizza. I’ll be right back.” He frowned Noelle’s way, a deeply forbidding look. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Where would she go? “All right.”
He’d obviously had a day. Perhaps he was the one who needed a big hug, but that look had told her he didn’t want it from her.
The door closed behind him and she turned to Kyle. “Is he mad at me for getting attacked?”
Kyle sat back. “Nah. He’s mad because his dinner date got canceled.”
“He had a date?” Wow. She didn’t like how that felt. He hadn’t had pictures of a girlfriend in his office, but then he hadn’t had framed pictures at all.
“Yep. He had it all planned, and I’m almost certain he tried to figure a way to cut me out. He was eyeing that fast-food place pretty closely earlier,” Kyle replied. “Lucky for me MaeBe picked up the chicken breasts and bought three, or Hutch would have used that as an excuse to shove me out the door.”
She was confused. “He was bringing a date here?”
A brow rose over Kyle’s eyes. They were a brilliant green, the most striking feature on the man. “Come on, smart chick. You can do this.”
She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She wasn’t about to believe that. “He was only making dinner. That wasn’t for me. I bet he took one look at my sad refrigerator and decided I can make nothing but cookies and cinnamon rolls. He realized if he didn’t want frozen lasagna, he had to do it himself.”
Kyle’s eyes were gorgeous, but she preferred Hutch’s. There was a warmth to Hutch’s eyes, a pull to his stare that dragged her in even when he was frowning at her.
“Trust me. Hutch has eaten MREs that would make that sad lasagna look like a four-course meal. Nah, he was trying to show off,” Kyle replied. “And then he realized how late it was, and that was why he ordered the pizza on our way back here. He’s going to have to call Big Tag and tell him he almost lost you, and Big Tag can be a lot to handle. I also think meeting Jessica Layne freaked him out a bit. But mostly it’s about not getting the time he wanted with you, and you should think about that.”
She shook her head. “He’s being nice to make up for being a jerk in the beginning.”
“I don’t think that’s what he’s doing. I think he’s attracted to you, and this is his way of making a play. Again, you should think about whether you want him to do that because he’s got some baggage, and he’s proving that right now. I’m going to take that job whether he wants me to or not, and he’s going to flip his shit. You should stay out of that fight when it comes, by the way.”
“Why?” It made sense to her that if they could get one of them on at Genedyne, they should. “Why will he be angry? I know Jessica has a bad rep, and she’s earned it on some level, but I don’t think she’s going to assault you. She might objectify you.”
Kyle’s lips curled up. “Yeah, I think I can handle that.” He sobered. “Hutch can’t, and you should understand that. He would never play a chick for information, and he wouldn’t do it to make your working relationship easier. Ever. Believe it or not he’s actually trying to protect me by not letting me take the job and I find that…oddly refreshing. I’m not the dude most bosses think they need to protect.”
“What does he think Jessica will do to you?”
Kyle seemed to think about that for a moment, probably deciding how much to tell her. “About ten years ago Hutch went through something pretty awful. I wasn’t around at that time, but I’ve heard the stories and I know what Hutch did for my family. I think he should tell you what he wants you to know, but understand that he doesn’t play around with a woman’s feelings. Ever. And he’s not smooth enough to think feeding you might make the job go easier. He’s apologized and you accepted. For him that’s over and done with, and now he can move on to what he wants next.”
“And what’s that?”
“Again, use that big old brain of yours.”
She huffed. “He does not want me. That’s ridiculous.”
Kyle shrugged. “You can believe me or not, but watch him over the next couple of days. See how he treats you. He could have come back and done his dinner thing, but he was worried it would take too long and you would get hungry. You mentioned you felt a little weak. He chucked all his plans and got food here as quickly as possible.”
He’d been at her side the entire time, not letting go of her hand. He’d even insisted that Kyle drive while he’d sat in the back with her.
It had been easy to let Hutch take over. She was still scared, still confused, but there was a core of strength she’d found because she hadn’t been alone. He’d taken charge and she’d let him. And she’d stood up to him when he’d wanted her hauled to the hospital.
Her mind went back to that moment in the parking garage when Hutch had made Kyle back off. Wasn’t that what she’d been looking for? It was hard to find a guy who didn’t see her as weak but also acknowledged she needed help from time to time. One who let her set the pace she was comfortable with, but also challenged her when she needed it.
“So give it some thought. Like I said, he’s a good guy, but he’s got some issues.” He sat back again. “When are you going to tell him where you’re going on Thursday? Unless you’ve changed your mind about Sanctum’s training program?”
She glanced at the door, hoping Hutch wasn’t close. “How do you know that?”
“I’m supposed to start on Thursday, too,” he admitted. “If you’re still going, I can go. If not, I’ll join the next class, no problem. Naturally, I snuck a look at the list. Your name is on it. If you’re interested, they did not put the two of us together. You’re with some dude I don’t know named Jeff.”
She felt an odd rush of relief. A man named Kai Ferguson put partners together. She’d had an interview with the man who ran the Ferguson Clinic, a therapy and wellness center that was next to Sanctum. The way the process had been described to her, she would be placed with a Dom in training and they would go through the course together. They could have as much or as little physical contact as they liked, but sex was absolutely not allowed in the club until the process was done. Nothing said she couldn’t see him outside the club. In fact, they would have homework they would have to do together. Her aunt had talked about how much fun she’d had during those weeks—though not around her husband because he had not been her training Dom.
Suddenly that didn’t seem like something she would likely do. Only the night before she’d been lying in bed thinking about the fact that she might be attracted to her training Dom and they might agree to sleep together for the training period. Just have a good time and explore the lifestyle. It wouldn’t be a big deal. It wouldn’t be some crazy love affair. It would be sex and fun and mutual interest.
How could she possibly entertain the idea of sleeping with a guy when she was interested in another man? Or
maybe she should realize that feeling this close to a man in such a ridiculously short period of time was a big old red flag.
Hadn’t her dad known pretty quickly he was crazy about Lila Daley? It hadn’t taken more than a couple of weeks for him to ask Lila to marry him. Shouldn’t she give that a chance?
Or she should accept that she was lonely and he was lovely and kind and he made her feel safe when she’d so recently found out she was in danger.
She couldn’t trust this feeling. Not at all.
“So you’re not going to tell him?” Kyle’s question reminded her she wasn’t alone.
“He’ll find out soon enough.” Or maybe he didn’t have to at all. “Why does he have to go with me? If you’re there he doesn’t have to. I certainly don’t expect him to spend every minute with me. He should have a life.”
“I think he’s going to want to go.”
The door came open and Hutch walked in carrying a large pizza. “All right we’ve got half meat lovers, and half sausage with peppers and onions. There’s a salad in the fridge. The chicken will keep until tomorrow night. There’s wine, too. I didn’t know if you would like red or white. Unless you don’t drink.”
Kyle groaned and pushed himself out of her comfy chair. “I’ll drink whatever she doesn’t.”
She could use some wine. She stood and her back seized up. Before she could fall to her seat, Hutch was there.
“Hey, you okay?” He balanced her, one hand in hers and the other on her back.
She was being ridiculous. She should have gotten in her chair the minute they’d made it home, but she’d pushed it because she didn’t want him to see her in it. That was stupid. She needed a wheelchair from time to time. It made her life easier, and she was grateful for it. A few hours off her feet and a couple of days with her braces and she would be fine with the cane again. Anyone who didn’t like it could bite her butt.
“I should use my wheelchair for the rest of the night. I have to rest my muscles when they get like this.” Tight, painful, but the pain reminded her that once she hadn’t felt anything at all. If she had to spend some time in a wheelchair, she was cool with that.
“It’s in her bedroom against the east wall,” Hutch said.
“I’m on it.” Kyle strode off.
“It’s weird that you know that.”
“I had to go over the place with a fine-tooth comb.” Hutch showed no signs of stepping away. He stayed right there with her. “Listening devices can be anywhere. They’re tricky suckers.”
“You went through my place?”
“That’s what I meant when I said I was going to make sure it was secure.”
“I thought you would check my locks.” She hadn’t considered the fact that he would look for listening devices. “I mean, you looked on the walls and stuff, right? Maybe checked the lighting fixtures?”
A slow smile creased his face. “Are you asking me if I found your body wand?”
She wasn’t going to be ashamed of that either, but she still flushed and was absolutely certain she was a bright shade of red. “You honestly thought there could be a listening device in my nightstand?”
“I’m a thorough guy. And it’s pretty standard. I think every woman I know has one. Here you go.” He turned her toward Kyle.
Silly man. He absolutely shouldn’t have looked in her nightstand. Also, she was a bit resentful about the “standard” comment. Did he think she couldn’t be kinky, too?
Would he be surprised when she changed into her fet wear on Thursday?
He helped her ease down into the small chair she used around the house. Once she’d been in a much bigger one, but this one was easy to maneuver. It was the speedster of wheelchairs. She strapped in and backed up, giving Hutch her sauciest grin. “Well, then I’ll have to hope you didn’t get into the tote bag in my closet because that’s where I keep the fun stuff.”
The sexiest grin lit his face. “I sense a secondary search coming on.”
Kyle sighed. “Can I eat before you two do the sexual tension thing? It’s upsetting my stomach. Sorry. I’ve spent a lot of time with Big Tag lately.”
She wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything.
“Yeah, because watching you flirt with MaeBe was the highlight of my day,” Hutch groaned. He looked down at her. “You got this or you want a ride?”
Her father would have simply started pushing. The last man she’d dated hadn’t liked to be around her when she was in the chair. He’d pretended it wasn’t there.
She liked Hutch’s approach so much more. “Nah, I’m pretty speedy, but I wouldn’t mind a glass of white wine.”
He stepped back and gave her room. “I’ll get it for you.”
“I wasn’t flirting with MaeBe,” Kyle insisted.
He and Hutch started to argue, and the smell of pizza hit her, making her stomach growl.
She settled in at the table. It was nice to have company.
She let go of her worries for a time because she was going to enjoy the moments she had with him.
* * * *
Hutch stepped out on the balcony, giving up any actual hope of getting sleep. It was way past midnight, and he’d already given the guest room to Kyle since he’d known he would be awake for a long time reading up on the woman named Jessica Layne and trying to figure out what she could be investigated for.
A lot. A whole freaking lot, if his instincts were right. He took a deep breath. At some point a mild cold front had come in and the heat of the day had broken, bringing some relief to the night around him. It would blow in and out quickly, and tomorrow would be right back to oppressive heat, but for now he enjoyed the breeze and wondered if Noelle was sleeping. The big balcony overlooking the park opened from both the living room and the master bedroom. The bedroom was dark. She was probably sleeping away.
Or using that body wand of hers and finding some relief that he wasn’t going to find.
He stared out over the quiet park, a Red Vine in his mouth, dangling like a cigarette. When he got insomnia, he tended to chew on a Red Vine. Or when he was thinking. Or playing games.
He pretty much just liked Red Vines.
A soft sound drew his attention behind him as the sliding door to the master bedroom came open and Noelle was suddenly standing there wearing a pair of pajama shorts and a T-shirt that proclaimed she was Ready to Snooze. Her hair was up in a messy bun on top of her head and she was soft and sexy, and he bit down on that damn candy.
“Hey, are you all right?” Noelle asked, stepping onto the balcony.
Her balcony was like an outdoor living room, complete with a couple of small rattan sofas and a coffee table he’d been using as a desk for the last hour. “Yeah. I’m good. Sorry if I woke you.”
“You didn’t. I wasn’t sleeping. Too much on my mind. I was going to sneak out for a snack, but I was afraid I would wake up Kyle.”
He could help with that. As long as she wanted to snack on Red Vines. “I’ve got extras. Or you can go to the kitchen without worry. I gave Kyle the guest bedroom. I knew I would be up working late. I came out here for some fresh air.”
She stepped onto the balcony, her hand going to the back of the nearest sofa, and he realized she’d arranged the furniture so she would always have something to hold onto. She wouldn’t need her cane or the braces in her closet out here. She’d made a space where she could move easily.
Noelle LaVigne adapted.
Could she adapt to him?
She took the piece of candy he offered her and unwrapped it. “Do you always carry a bunch of candy around? Are you always ready to offer someone a sweet?”
“Well, that makes me sound like a perv.”
She blinked up at him as she took a bite. “I was just asking. I don’t know many guys who have candy on their desks or in their pockets.”
“It’s in my bag. I get snacky from time to time, and my snacks resemble a five-year-old’s. I am a walking, talking example of what happens when you’re too rigid with k
ids. I rarely got candy when I was young. My dad liked to control pretty much everything in our lives, and diet was part of it.” He felt the need to explain so she wouldn’t think he carried around candy to tempt kids or something. “The rare times I got to see my grandma, she would sneak me candy.”
He missed that smiling old lady. She’d been his mom’s mom, and when she’d died a light had gone out in his life.
“Your dad was hard on you?”
His nightmarish relationship with his father would be difficult to explain to someone whose dad had loved her, still loved her. It could be tough to make someone with a functional family understand what it was to be truly alone in the world at such a young age.
“My father was an abusive prick who broke my mom’s spirit until one day she took a tumble down the stairs. I often wonder if she fell because of the sprained ankle she was nursing or if she stood there at the top of the stairs and realized nothing would get any better and let herself go.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I’m weirdly contemplative tonight.”
Normally he would be sitting in front of a monitor playing online games with his buddies.
“Because of Jessica?” She sat down on the sofa across from him. “Sorry. Kyle mentioned something about her being a trigger.”
He chuckled, but it wasn’t an amused sound. “I hate that word. Trigger. To some people it’s come to mean a person’s not strong enough to handle life. I’ve often found those people haven’t had much trouble with life, though they think they’re tough. It’s funny. When Tag asks me if something’s going to trigger me, he’s the one sarcastic asshole in the world who isn’t being a jerk. He knows what a trigger is and that even when we don’t mean to pull it, we still do so much fucking damage.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it in a bad way. If there’s anyone who understands what a trigger is, it’s me. I still freak out in storms sometimes. Especially if I’m driving and it catches me unaware. It’s one of the many reasons I don’t like to drive.” She looked up at him, her eyes shining in the starlight. “I would never make fun of anyone who gets emotional because of something that happened to them. I got caught in a storm driving from Papillon back to Austin a couple of years ago. I got so scared I blacked out. I apparently managed to get to the side of the road and park the car, but I swear one minute I was driving in the afternoon and the rain started to fall, and then I heard the thunder crack and I was fifteen and sitting next to my mother watching the lights come at me and feeling my body break.”