Chapter Nine

C arson was pissed off at himself for so many reasons when it came to Layne. For all the time that lapsed between them when they could have been together. For the miscommunication, misunderstanding.

But his current grievance—overlooking his empty gas tank and needing to fill up the minute he rolled into Willowbrook—was a rookie mistake he would not make again.

From a security standpoint, the situation was far from ideal. Standing at the gas pump, while Layne sat in the passenger seat, he kept a sniper's eye on his surroundings.

When a small SUV pulled up to the pump beside him, he narrowed a glare at the driver even as he assessed the threat they posed.

Through the window glass, the woman's face lit up in a smile.

"Fuck," he grated out. Could their luck get any worse?

A woman with streaky blonde hair jumped out of her car and threw him a wave. "Hey, Carson! Wow. I haven't seen you in ages!"

His own smile—the one he did not feel like giving anybody—stretched tight. His lips felt like rubber bands about to snap. "Hi, Marilyn."

In a very blatant study of his physique, she looked him over. Then she darted to the side and peered into the cab of his truck.

Hell. Maybe he should shoot her as a threat. One of his brothers would help him ditch the body. Or at the very least he could send her on a long vacation. To another country.

Her already-wide smile grew clown-sized, accentuated by her pink lipstick. "Oh my god! Is that Layne London in your truck? You two again? I knew you'd reconnect. You look so good together!"

Since the age of fifteen, Carson had been comfortable in his skin. But right this second, he couldn't feel more awkward.

Deciding he had filled his gas tank enough to get by—or at least drive across the Wyoming border—he replaced the nozzle on the pump.

"Take care, Marilyn." Without a backward glance, he jumped into the truck and gunned it out of the parking lot.

Across the console, Layne blinked at him. "Was that…"

"Marilyn. Yeah."

"Well, that's a blast from the past. What did she say to you?"

He swung his stare to hers. "You don't really want to know."

"Carson Malone." Her tone came with a warning note that he recalled from the old days when she demanded something from him.

And he was always helpless to deny her, no matter what it was.

"She said we look good together."

Her jaw dropped, her hazel eyes wide. "Oh. Well then." She twisted her face toward the passenger window and they rode in silence the rest of the way to their destination.

The date he'd arranged on the fly hadn't come without a steep price. He had to get Willow to make the arrangements, and his little sister could hold down a second job as an extortionist. What he had to promise in exchange for her making a few phone calls was highway robbery. And from her own brother too.

When he pulled into the parking lot of the Italian restaurant that was Layne's old favorite, she let out a gasp. "Carson! What are we doing here? Wait—the parking lot's empty. The restaurant is closed."

"It's closed for us."

Her eyes widened even more. " For us?"

"Yup." He drove around to the back and parked close enough to the door that he could usher her straight inside with barely a footstep out in the open.

They entered through the staff entrance and were immediately met by the single waitress there to serve them.

"Mr. Malone." She offered a nod to Layne in greeting but didn't address her by name if she knew her. "Your table is ready. Right this way."

The rich scents of basil and garlic filled the air. The single cook he'd allowed to remain in the establishment to prepare their meal was making Layne's favorite dish, eggplant parmesan.

When she didn't move to follow the waitress, Carson rested a hand on her lower back to guide her forward. After he told her they were going out, she'd changed into a simple black dress.

He was far too aware of how the cloth hugged her curves. Curves he'd gripped as he plunged inside her twice now.

His gaze swept upward to her nape. She'd twisted her hair in a simple knot on the back of her head and secured it with invisible pins. The sumptuous spot on her neck made his mouth water to kiss it. When he did, he knew exactly how she'd wiggle against him.

As he guided her into the nook where private parties were held, he caught sight of his brother, Oaks, seated at a table in the back of the restaurant. Next to him sat Colt. Both of them had shifted their chairs so their backs were to the wall.

Colt gave him a two-finger salute, and Carson raised his jaw in acknowledgement. When he texted for them to provide backup tonight, they hadn't complained. They had his six. Always had and always would.

The only brother he ever butted heads with was Gray. At thirty, the asshole thought he had the whole world at his command, though he had a few things to learn. It didn't help that Gray was damn good at everything he ever tried and each win made him even cockier.

If Gray had come to guard the restaurant, Carson would definitely catch flak from him afterward.

Once he drew out a wooden chair for Layne to slip into, he placed his own back to the wall and swept his stare over the empty restaurant.

The waitress placed glasses of ice water in front of them. "I'll be right back with your bottle of wine, Mr. Malone."

Layne's brows shot up. She met Carson's stare. "Wine? This sounds like a date."

He shrugged. "I like the finer things in life."

"Since when?"

He couldn't tell her that after their father died, he and his siblings sold the ranch in Texas—and the more desirable rights to the oil and gas on the land—to a big outfit. He and his siblings took the cash pot and split it evenly among them.

He was good at making cash multiply. So much so that he was almost embarrassed by how easy it was to build wealth. Even before the government contracts for the vets' therapy ranch ever came rolling in, he'd made his first million.

He didn't answer Layne's question. Thankfully, the waitress saved him from doing so when she returned with an uncorked bottle of white wine.

She poured two glasses and left them alone.

Layne wrapped her slender fingers around the fragile stem of her glass and brought it to her lips. He did the same, raising it in toast. "To good food."

"To old friends."

Her tribute stole the breath from him. To cover his discomposure, he took a sip of wine. "It's not bourbon, but it's a good vintage," he said with a sigh.

She shook her head. "You know wine now?" She glanced around the empty place. "And you're able to buy out an entire restaurant on a busy Saturday night?"

He leveled a stare at her.

"I'm starting to think you're much more of a bigwig around here than I thought."

"People do things when you ask them to."

"Not for everyone."

Once again, the waitress saved him from answering when she brought a basket of garlic sticks and set it on the table between them.

Layne looked at the bread and slid her gaze to him. He already anticipated her response.

"Eat the breadsticks, Layne."

With a small smile, she plucked one eagerly from the basket.

Watching her take a bite—and hearing her moan—made all the trouble of organizing this outing worth it.

It damn near killed him when the woman he'd once loved, heart and soul, gave him a sweet smile.

* * * * *

When Carson pulled out of the parking lot of the restaurant, a set of headlights lit up the side mirror.

The car followed closely, mirroring every turn he made on their way into Willowbrook.

"Um…Carson?"

"Yeah, doll."

The pet name he used to call her rolled off his tongue with casual nonchalance. She was torn between looking at his face to see if he realized his slip and keeping an eye on the car behind them.

"A car is following us."

He flicked his gaze to the rearview mirror. "That's my brothers."

"Oh." Neither Oaks nor Colt had spoken to her while they feasted on breadsticks, salad and eggplant parmesan, with a thick-cut steak on the side for Carson. She'd been so caught up in the atmosphere…and her handsome companion…that she'd almost forgotten about the Malone brothers even being in the restaurant.

"Where are we going now?"

"You'll see."

In the dim light of the dashboard, she made out the slight tilt to the corner of his hard lips. The smile was almost cocky. Not that she was surprised. This older, tougher, hard-as-steel version of Carson had an attitude that she'd only seen a glimmer of in the boy she once knew.

She cut her gaze over the angled lines of his face, down the front of his rock-hard chest and all the way down his muscled arms to his long fingers wrapped around the steering wheel.

Her insides gripped at the memory of those fingers on her skin. Inside her.

He hadn't made any attempt to touch her after their last encounter. It was for the best.

But her stupid brain kept conjuring him in her dreams. Every single night since he'd given her the last orgasm, her dreams had consisted of pure, carnal lust…and Carson.

It didn't help that she'd been reading his letters either. In each one, she heard the echoes of the relationship they'd once had. The love and desire sat thick on the page.

The man walked back into her life as if he'd never left. Only he'd brought a lot of mystery with him. The small hints he gave about his past in the military—and as a prisoner—brought a cloud of concern over Layne. But the shock of him buying out the whole restaurant just to ensure she was safe blew her mind.

That Carson possessed the clout and the money wasn't something she'd ever pictured when she thought about him.

The car continued to tail behind them, and now she relaxed in her seat knowing that she was extra-safe from the man who was watching her.

Her insides chilled at the thought. If she ever set eyes on that painting again, she'd build a huge bonfire just to throw it in, rare artwork or not.

She sank into dark thoughts that abruptly came to a halt when Carson pulled into an alley.

She gulped. "What are we doing?"

"Don't sound so worried, Layne. I'll protect you." He turned his head to meet her gaze. The pulse of awareness in her chest—and between her thighs—shouted that she did trust him.

With more than her life.

He parked in the alley. His brothers drew up behind and cut their headlights.

"Sit still. I'll come around and get you out." When he slipped out of the truck, his shirt tugged over his waistband, revealing the small, sleek outline of the weapon he carried.

When he opened her door, they were on eye level. He extended a palm to her, and she placed hers over it. As his warm fingers clamped around them, her insides tingled.

He drew her out of the seat and helped her down from the high, lifted truck. In the darkness, she made out the figures of Oaks and Colt standing sentry a few feet away.

As they drew closer to Carson's brothers, she saw that they flanked a door in the side of a building.

She racked her brain to recall what alley they were parked in. During the day, Willowbrook was friendly and familiar to her. She rarely journeyed into town at night, which rendered everything more difficult to make out.

Carson led her by the hand to the door. When he rapped on it once, she heard the hollow thump echo inside.

"What is this—the 1920s? Are we going to a speakeasy?"

He chuckled.

The door opened. When he led her into a dim space, she made out the golden lights hanging in intervals on the wall.

"The movie theater!" She spun to face him.

His smile took her breath away. "I remember how much you always loved coming here."

"I did! I do."

The old Willowbrook theater boasted all its original interior décor. From the midnight blue velvet-upholstered seats to the ornate moldings around the ceiling, the place was a time capsule. Add in the sumptuous scent of freshly popped popcorn and Layne couldn't be more charmed by how thoughtful Carson was.

When she complained about being stuck in the house, and feeling claustrophobic, she thought he might just let her swim a few laps in the pool while he sat in a lounge chair and watched over her. She'd never expected anything like this.

Again, she looked around, surprised. "The place is empty."

He issued a quiet grunt as if that was answer enough. When he took off down the aisle to one of the seats toward the front, she tugged at his hand.

He paused, facing her. Hovering over her, his huge shoulders acted as a shield so wide, she couldn't make out the massive screen.

He took off walking again and ushered her into a seat, forcing her to give him the aisle. Once his brothers took up their positions—one across the aisle from them and the other two rows behind—she realized Carson had selected the seat with her safety in mind.

"Carson. Nobody is here."

"Looks like it's just you and me then."

"But it's a new release."

He only stared at her, firm lips giving nothing away.

"You did this, didn't you? How much money do you have ?"

"Enough." He didn't look pleased by the admission.

His father never flaunted their money, but Layne knew wealth. She'd grown up seeing it all over the world. Never had she guessed that the Malones were rolling in it.

As if Carson could hear the questions thundering through her mind, he let out a sigh. "We sold the ranch in Texas. What we made off it, we split evenly between all us kids. We've spent a few years figuring out how to increase the wealth. It's made us all comfortable. But then Colt landed a deal with the government to run training ops for top-secret government projects. And Oaks got lined up with another agency to administer therapy and care to vets wounded in action. Those side hustles really helped keep the lights on."

She gaped at him. "Keep the lights on?" Stunned by the new information on the Malone family, she shook her head. "And you started the security agency."

"That's right."

"I had no idea that you had all this going on. I'd heard that your family was back in the area, but I thought you were just running cattle on the ranch."

"We do that too. In our spare time."

"Spare time! How can you even have any?"

He chuckled. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Oaks, casually reclining with one leg crossed over his knee, hide his reaction by scuffing his knuckles over his jaw.

At that moment, a door next to the big screen opened, and a young woman pushed a snack cart toward them. The wave of buttery popcorn aroma hit Layne. Though she was full from dinner, the scent enticed her like no food had in years.

Her last two years of skipping carbs to retain her flat stomach and keep her hips from getting any wider vanished in the face of a big tub of her favorite childhood snack.

She groaned. "You're never going to have to worry about me leaving the ranch. I won't fit out the door if I keep eating like this."

He plucked the bucket off the cart and placed it in her hands. "Eat the popcorn, Layne."

Then he took two sodas from the woman and placed them in the cupholders on each side of their seats.

After the woman had doled out snacks to his brothers as well, she vanished with the cart again. Layne slipped a puffy kernel between her lips and moaned. "Tell me more about this therapy for vets."

He gave her his full attention. And when Carson's electric gray eyes landed on a woman, she paid attention. Layne had seen it time and again. Heck, the theater worker had just given him a once-over like he was her favorite treat. And he'd completely ignored the attention.

That in itself was sexy as hell.

With one thick finger, he broke open the box of candy and popped two in his mouth. As he chewed, he gave her a thoughtful look. "You know that most of us Malones entered the military after high school. Denver and Theo are still enlisted."

"I'd heard rumors but didn't know the particulars."

"Well, it's not an easy life. Not all of us come out of it unscathed. We see our military brothers as a precious resource. Nobody should be discarded."

She nodded, chewing her popcorn. "Least of all people who have served their country."

His lack of a response wasn't lost on her. It seemed like every time Carson didn't answer her, it was because he was passionate about the topic or it struck some emotion he didn't know how to express.

Or he doesn't trust me enough to express.

Her stomach dipped with the thought. After all they'd been through, she wanted Carson to trust her. She meant the toast she'd made at the restaurant.

"To old friends" came with a strong link to their past.

But she couldn't deny the new feelings stirring inside her at the man Carson had become.

Lifting the popcorn bucket, she held it out to him on offer. She stared into his eyes. "To new friends."

A gleam flashed in the depths of his eyes. He reached into the bucket and took a big handful. Popping one into his mouth…and then one into hers.