He should move. Put Allison down. He knew that.
But he couldn't. Not yet. He needed to hold her, at least for a little longer.
She finally shifted against him. Took a deep breath and slowly raised her head. Wide eyes met his, her gaze filled with pure emotion, hiding nothing.
"You should put me down." Her voice was soft, filled with the same contentment coursing through his entire body.
"I know."
She curled her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth against his, nibbled his lower lip then pulled away. "You're going to fall."
"I already have."
Chapter Twenty-Five
"You look preoccupied."
Allison blinked, realized she'd been staring at the computer monitor for the last thirty minutes without really seeing it, then looked over at Linda. The woman was watching her, shrewd gray eyes sparkling with amusement.
Allison reached for a file and opened it in front of her. "Sorry, I guess I was zoning out."
"Or daydreaming?"
"Um, yeah. Maybe. Sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? Dreams are important, Allison. Even the ones we have during the day. Without dreams, we have nothing to pin our hopes on."
"I know, but you're not paying me to daydream, not when there's paperwork to be done."
"There will always be paperwork. It's one of life's greatest certainties. It's also one of the most boring ones." Linda rocked back in the chair, the springs squeaking with each gentle motion. "I'd rather hear about the reason you keep smiling."
Heat rushed to Allison's face. She looked away from the knowing expression on Linda's face and busied herself with straightening the stack of files on her desk. "Am I?"
"You know you are. And something tells me it has something to do with the gentleman who dropped you off this morning."
"Maybe."
"Who is he?"
"A friend."
"Oh Allison, please. I may be getting older but I'm not blind. A friend doesn't put a smile like that on your face."
Was everything she felt showing on her face? It must be for Linda to so easily notice it—unless Allison was simply too obvious. Not that it was her fault. After last night, she couldn't contain all the happy emotions bubbling inside her. She felt warm and giddy and excited all at once, which was so unlike her that she didn't know how to keep everything bottled up. What she felt for Colter was real. And now that she'd admitted her feelings out loud—both to him and herself—she didn't want to hide them. Colter hadn't come right out and told her how he felt, not directly, but what he'd said had been enough. Fantasy had suddenly become reality and her entire future stretched out in front of her, filled with sunshine and promise.
She knew she sounded like one of those hokey greeting cards but she couldn't help it. All she wanted to do was jump up and down and squeal with delight but she couldn't, not here. Especially not here, where what they did was so serious. Part of her felt guilty, worried that being so happy was almost mocking the women they helped, women who had been through so much and hadn't experienced happiness in so long, if ever.
If Linda thought the same thing, she wasn't showing it. A small smile curled her mouth and warmed gray eyes that had seen a lifetime of misery. There was no judgment on her face, no recrimination against Allison's happiness. There was just acceptance, even a hint of joy.
"Tell me about him."
Allison hesitated, glanced down at the stack of files with a nagging sense of guilt. Linda sighed and pushed away from the desk, walked over to Allison and spun her chair around.
"The paperwork can wait, Allison. The chance to celebrate happiness should always come first, especially here. Now. Tell me about your friend."
Allison threw one last glance at the paperwork, told herself she'd stay later to finish it if she had to, then forced herself to ignore it. "His name is Colter."
"And how long have you known him?"
"A little over a year." The truth, even though they hadn't seen each other much during that time. "He's a friend of my brother's. They work together."
"Doing security, right? Isn't that what you said your brother did?"
"Yeah, mostly. Cover Six Security. It's, um, specialized security or something." Linda didn't need to know the details, not that Allison really had any to share. She just knew that some of what they did involved guns and bad guys and blowing stuff up. At least, Ryder blew stuff up. She wasn't sure what everyone else did. "They were all in the military together."
"He sounds interesting. I wish you would have brought him in this morning, I would have liked to meet him."
Colter had wanted to come in, too. At least, he'd wanted to walk her to the door. But she hadn't let him, had insisted he stay in his truck. It wasn't like anything was going to happen to her on during the short walk to the side door. And part of her had been wary of giving anyone the wrong impression.
Apparently, that worry had been a useless one.
"Maybe you can meet him later. He'll be picking me up after work."
"Then I hope I'll be here when he shows up."
"Full schedule?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Isn't it always?" Linda reached for her planner and flipped it open. "I need to drop Rosa and Kendall off, then I have a meeting in Towson with a potential donor. I'm supposed to meet Mr. Crocker here at one to discuss a work program, then I have another meeting in Essex at three."
"Sounds like a full day."
"Yes, unfortunately. But you'll have the place to yourself and get to work in peace."
"Good. That means I can finally put a dent in the paperwork."
"Positive thinking. I love it." Linda grabbed the overflowing tote bag from the floor and swung it over her shoulder. "Hopefully the meeting in Towson won't take too long and I can grab us some lunch on the way back."
"You know you just jinxed yourself, right?"
"Probably. If I don't make it back in time for some reason—"
"Don't worry, I'll make sure Mr. Crocker waits for you."
"Thank you, Allison. Hopefully it won't be an issue but I'll call and let you know if I'll be late."
Linda grabbed the keys off her desk and hurried into the other room, calling for Rosa and Kendall. A few minutes later, Allison heard the muted buzzer as the front door opened, followed by the small click as it closed.
She turned back to the computer, grabbed the file she had opened earlier, and went to work.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Colter stalked across the conference room, hands curled by his side. He reached the far wall, stopped to turn, then resumed his pacing. Two sets of eyes followed him, faces filled with varying degrees of amusement.
"Why are you so fucking jumpy?"
Colter paused to level a steely glare at Ox then kept moving. "I'm not jumpy."
"Okay. Restless then."
"I'm not restless."
"Yeah? Then why the hell are you wearing a groove in the fucking carpet?"
"He's worried I'm going to kick his ass." Ryder propped his feet on the table with a thunk and clasped his hands behind his head. "I told him I wouldn't but if he keeps pacing like this, I might have to, just to get him to sit down."
"I'm not restless."
"Now he's repeating himself." Ox nudged Ryder's leg. "Go ahead. Kick his ass and make him stop."
"I would but then Allison might get upset. For some reason, I think she likes him."
"You should still kick his ass, just on principle. She's your sister. He knows better."
Colter paused, stared at both men in silent warning. The ribbing had started right after Boomer had cornered him in his office. The conversation had been a short one that involved some pushing and shoving and a few growled threats and counter-threats. It had ended when Boomer clapped him on the back and told him he was now holding Colter responsible for anything that happened to Allison.
It wasn't exactly what Colter had been expecting, not after the implied threats Boomer had issued last year. He s
hould be relieved. He was relieved. At least now he could explore whatever this was between Allison and him without the guilt that had been eating away at him since the first time he'd kissed her, more than a year ago. And he didn't have to worry about looking over his shoulder, either, wondering what Boomer knew, if he knew anything at all.
Because apparently, Boomer knew everything. And for reasons Colter didn't understand, his friend was fine with it.
So yeah, he should be relieved. But he couldn't shake the edgy restlessness nipping at his heels. It was like he was waiting for something to happen. Waiting for the world to fall out from under him. It made no sense. Was he so unaccustomed to being happy that he was subconsciously waiting for something bad to happen to take it all away?
No, that was ridiculous. He wasn't the brooding type, not usually. Quiet, yes, especially compared to some of the other guys, but not brooding. And he hadn't been unhappy so this feeling should have nothing to do with Allison.
Except part of him knew it did. There was no rationale for thinking like that. No logical reason for the edginess or restlessness. Unless he was worried Allison would change her mind about how she felt?
No, she wouldn't. Or if she did, it sure as hell wouldn't have happened in the few hours since he'd dropped her off. He knew he could figure it out, he just needed time to himself and some peace and quiet.
He was getting none of those things here, not with the two men who insisted on needling him nearby. Maybe if he went into the back under the guise of working out, they'd leave him alone. Going through his routine would center him and help clear his mind, help him focus.
Colter turned toward the door just as it opened. He bit back an oath, wondering who the hell was coming to give him a hard time next, then stopped in his tracks when Mac walked in. It wasn't the sight of the bigger man that stopped him, or even the network of thick scars marring the lower half of his jaw.
It was the goofy expression on the man's face, and the sight of the small baby dwarfed in the big man's arms that stopped him.
"Look, Lucas. Here are the rest of your uncles. Do you remember them? There's Uncle Ox. And Uncle Boomer. And Uncle Ninja. Can you say hi, Lucas?" Mac held the baby up, lightly bouncing him in his arms as he moved from man to man, showing him off like he was introducing them for the first time.
Lucas looked as wholly unimpressed as he had every other time, his big head wobbling against Mac's hand as a tiny drop of drool fell from the baby's mouth. Mac grabbed a white rag from his pocket, ran it across the baby's mouth, then shoved it into a different pocket.
"That can't be sanitary."
"What?" Mac looked at Ox then down at his pocket. "It's his drool rag. He's teething."
"Your son has a drool rag?" Boomer dropped his feet to the floor and straightened. "Why am I not surprised?"
"You'll be surprised when I come over there and rip your head off. Won't he Lucas?" The words might have been more threatening if Mac hadn't said them in a gravelly sing-song voice. What was more surprising than Mac's voice was the fact that the baby actually cooed, almost like he was laughing.
A few seconds later, a horrible stench filled the room.
A pained expression crossed Mac's face and he turned toward the woman who had entered the room behind him. "Babe—"
"You can handle it, Mac. You've had six months' worth of practice."
"But don't you want to grab this one?"
"And let you miss out on the fun? No." TR shrugged the colorful bag from her shoulder and passed it to her husband. "All yours."
Mac accepted the bag from her, took a quilted pad from the back pocket and placed it on the table before laying his son on top of it. A few quick flips of his fingers and the baby's pants were down around his ankles, the diaper pulled loose. Ox jumped to his feet, one hand pressed across his nose and mouth.
"Holy shit. What the hell are you feeding that kid?"
"Cereal."
"Made from what? Sauerkraut?" Ox hurried to the door, paused long enough to give TR a sideways hug, then made his escape.
"Coward!"
"Nothing cowardly about a strategic retreat," Ox called back to her, his voice already fading. Colter glanced at the door, calculating his own chances of escape before TR moved in front of it, blocking his exit. Pale blue eyes moved from him to Boomer then back again.
"He didn't kill you. Good."
"Why would you think he'd kill me?"
"Because Allison is his sister. Not that he should have a problem with it but still."
Colter stared at her in amazement. "How did you hear already?"
"Because my wife is all-powerful. She knows everything." Mac fastened the fresh diaper, yanked the baby's pants back up, then expertly wadded the dirty diaper into a sealed ball and held it out for TR.
"That, and I talked to Hannah last night." TR stepped past Mac and pulled Lucas into her arms, intently ignoring the dirty diaper in Mac's hand. "And for what it's worth, I approve."
"But you've never met her."
"No, but you have that look in your eye."
"What look is that?"
TR started to answer, only to be interrupted when Chaos entered the room, a grin on his face. "Careful, Ninja, or you'll be forced to listen to her lecture about soulmates. If I were you, I'd make my escape now."
Colter took one look at the determination on TR's face and did just as Chaos suggested.
He escaped.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Someone yanked on the door, hard enough to rattle it in the frame. Allison had been so absorbed in her work that the noise startled her and she jumped. The pen in her hand sailed through the air, landing somewhere behind her. She swallowed against the surprise lodged in her throat and stared at the door as it rattled again. A second later, there was a loud knock. Sharp. Impatient. Like whoever was out there wasn't used to being made to wait.
Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall and she frowned. It was only twelve-thirty, there shouldn't be anyone out there. Linda had called and told her she was running late, which Allison had expected. Mr. Crocker wasn't due for another thirty minutes and they weren't expecting any deliveries. Even if they had been, deliveries wouldn't be dropped off here, they'd go to the box Linda had rented.
Another knock, this one even more impatient. Allison pushed away from the desk and peered out the door, trying to get a look at whoever was out there. From this angle, she could only make out a man's shoulder and arm, covered in expensive wool material.
She finally stood, approached the door with caution as she peered outside. The man turned and she jumped, startled by the sudden move. Then she laughed, the sound breathless, and swore at herself for overreacting.
She smiled at Mr. Crocker then held up one finger, silently signaling him to wait. The irritation she thought she had seen on his face disappeared, a smile taking its place. He nodded at her, his hand hovering near the door handle as she stretched across Linda's desk and hit the button that would unlock the door.
"Mr. Crocker, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize it was you."
He shut the door behind him, the smile still in place as he turned to face her. Her imagination must be working overtime because she thought she saw anger flash in his hazel eyes. No, surely that was her imagination because his smile widened as he brushed off her apology.
"No apology necessary, Allison. I realize I'm early." He glanced around the office, a small frown creasing his face. "You're here alone?"
"For right now, yes. Linda's other meeting took a little longer than she expected and she's running late." Allison ran one hand along her leg, wondering why she was suddenly nervous.
Because Mr. Crocker was an important man, that was why. Having his help would be a huge benefit for Forging Change—and for the women they helped.
She stood a little straighter and offered him what she hoped was a professional smile. "Would you like something to drink? Some water or soda?"
"No, thank you."
"Okay." She hes
itated, shifted her weight from one foot to the other then motioned to the expensive wool coat he was wearing. "Can I take your coat?"
"No, that won't be necessary."
Which meant he was probably planning on leaving since Linda wasn't here. It didn't make sense to her—he was the one who had shown up early—but she couldn't let him leave. There was too much riding on his help.
"Is there anything I can help you with? Maybe there are some questions I can answer. Or some information I can give you?"
He offered her another smile, this one a little wider than before but less amused. Did he think she was groveling? Probably. And maybe she was but as far as she was concerned, it was for a good reason.
"There is one question you can answer for me."
"Yes, of course. Anything. Ask away."
"Have you had lunch yet today?"
She blinked, not certain she had heard him correctly even though her hearing was fine. "Um, no. Not yet."
"Haven't called for delivery or anything like that?"
She tried to hide her frown, thought that maybe she wasn't as successful as she thought she'd been. "No. I was just going to grab something from the kitchen."
"Then you should come with me. We can go have lunch together."
Allison opened her mouth. Closed it with a snap. Shook her head. "Thank you, but I don't think—"
She was going to say she didn't think it was appropriate but she never got to finish because he reached into his pocket and pulled out two items. The first one frightened her but the second one was even more terrifying on a level she didn't want to admit.
A pink hat, dirty and stained from the time its owner had spent on the streets. She knew that hat. Knew it because she'd been the one to give it to Shonda.
Allison stared at the hat, momentarily stunned by the sight of it in Mr. Crocker's hand. He had Shonda's hat. But why? It didn't make sense. There was no reason for him to have it.
Then her mind finally registered the gun in his hand, held so casually and pointed at the floor.
The Savior: COLTER (Cover Six Security Book 6) Page 14