6. Bossy

6 BOSSY

Keaton

That motherfucker was going down.

All hell broke loose with his parting words and it had nothing to do with me. Apparently, my girl had been keeping her lack of housing a secret from the women she worked with. To say they were pissed would’ve been like calling Mount Everest a little hill, but they held it in check until the diner was mostly empty and we’d all been properly introduced. Then they made their thoughts on the situation known…loudly.

“Why on earth would you hide something like this from us?” Shirley asked, hurt and anger evident on her wrinkled face.

“I was embarrassed, okay?”

“No, it’s not okay, Henley. You should have told us the instant that pompous jerk started bothering you. We could’ve helped.”

“I thought he was harmless.”

“Hmph,” Betsy grumped.

Henley tentatively reached across the table where they’d settled, placing her hand on top of Mitzy’s, who was drumming out an angry rhythm with her fingers.

“Please don’t be mad at me.”

I was leaning against a counter, surrounded by my team…my friends. It was far enough away to give Henley the space she needed to explain her actions, yet close enough to intervene if things turned ugly. When her voice cracked on the last word, I lurched forward, ready to scoop her up and spirit her away from whatever caused her pain, except Lanie blocked my path with a hand to my chest.

“They’re not going to hurt her, Keaton. They love her. Just give them a minute.”

Logically, I knew she was right. The issue was, logic didn’t play a starring role in my head at the moment. All I wanted was to keep her safe, and I couldn’t do that from ten feet away. I took a step, only to be halted by the sudden feel of cold, hard steel around my left wrist.

“What the fuck, Lanie?”

“You weren’t listening.” She shrugged.

“So you decided handcuffing me to an immovable object was a better solution?”

Looking down, I pulled against the restraints, which were anchored to a wooden bar running underneath the counter, wincing when they bit into the skin of my wrist.

“Actually, it was Noah’s idea. I just executed it to perfection,” Koen stated, obviously pleased with himself.

“Thanks, asshole,” Noah muttered.

“You’re all assholes,” I groused, reaching into my front pocket to retrieve the handcuff key we all carried. Once I’d unlocked myself from the harsh device, I slumped against the counter. “But thank you for stopping me.”

Peering across the room, I watched as Shirley, Mitzy, and Betsy pulled Henley into a loving embrace; tears flowing down each of their faces.

“You’ll come live with me and Sal.” Shirley patted her cheek once they broke apart.

“No, that’s not?—”

“Actually,” Lanie cut in. “She’s moving in with me.”

“Really, I’m?—”

“Baby.”

“Could you all stop interrupting me for five flipping seconds?” She stomped her foot, narrowing her jeweled eyes on me.

“Sorry.” I held my hands up in surrender.

The last thing I wanted to do was piss her off, however, the level of my concern reached DEFCON 4 when that cocksucker spouted off. He knew where she’d been sleeping; had probably been keeping tabs on her for a while which meant—now more than ever—her safety was paramount.

She rubbed her thumb against her left hip, something I’d seen her do twice now, and pivoted to face Lanie. “If you’re sure I won’t be in the way, I’d love to stay with you. With two conditions, of course.”

“Hit me with ’em,” Lanie beamed.

“I pay for half of everything.”

“A third.” She held up her hand, stopping Henley before she could argue. “Nonnegotiable. The idea here is to get you back on your feet, not strap you down.”

“Do they teach you all how to be bossy at FBI school?”

“Pretty much. What’s number two?”

“Will you teach me how to protect myself?”

“Hell yes. Every girl should know basic self-defense.”

“Okay, then when can I move in? ”

“Tonight.” I moved in behind her, placing my hands on her slim hips.

“See? Bossy.”

Once everything was settled, Henley and the other women went back to work while my team and I ordered our lunch to go. When the food was ready, the rest of my group headed to our ride, their arms loaded down with a multitude of plastic bags, while I stopped at the front counter.

“Hey.” Henley looked up from the register, biting her bottom lip shyly as she took me in. “I’m not sure what time I’ll be home, but I don’t think it’ll be any later than six.”

“I’m off at four, so I’ll just meet you there.”

“Your phone is charged, right?”

She scrunched her nose. “I’ll plug it in.”

“Good. If anything feels off, call me.”

“Got it.”

“Better yet”—I reached into my pocket, pulling out my key ring and taking off the one for my apartment—“wait inside. If you text me when you get there, I’ll shut off the alarm remotely.”

“Keaton,” she sighed.

Damn, I loved the way my name fell from her lips.

“Do it for my peace of mind, Little Bird. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“See you in a few hours, baby.”

Turns out, I was way off in my estimation, thanks to a last-minute briefing the mayor of Huntington insisted upon. He wanted updates on our case, which pissed Waverly off to no end. By the time he left our little office, she was on the verge of a rampage. Making nice with local politicians may have been in her job description as RAC, but it was not her forte. In fact, she despised them. To her, they were all corrupt in some way, shape, or form. There was a story there, of that I was certain.

“Who the fuck does he think he is; questioning our every move like he has the first damn clue how to run an investigation? Fucking idiot,” she announced loudly, storming to her office and slamming the door.

“Fun times,” Duncan muttered, closing his own door with a soft click.

I finally parked in front of my building sometime after seven. Both Noah and Koen had offered their assistance with the move, but considering all of Henley’s possessions fit inside her shitty blue car, the extra bodies would’ve only gotten in the way.

It had taken every ounce of strength I had to walk away earlier after facing off with that son of a bitch. The only consolation was knowing she had a group of people who had her back. Still, they weren’t me and I couldn’t stop thinking I’d left her wide open…vulnerable in some way.

Looking up toward my apartment then, my chest warmed seeing all the lights on; knowing Henley was waiting for me inside. An overwhelming sense of rightness settled deep in my gut. This was where she belonged. Here, with me, not a few blocks away. We needed time though. Time to get to know one another; to fully trust in the relationship we were building. And time for me to gain the courage to tell her about my past.

Walking through the entryway, the delicious aroma of oregano and garlic assaulted me, then as I moved farther inside, I was treated to the most heavenly sight. Henley standing barefoot in my home, stirring a pot on the stove in the kitchen .

Home.

Funny how I’d never considered my apartment as anything more than a place to lay my head. Sure, I’d spent a ridiculous amount of money between the mortgage and the furnishings, but what good did that do when you didn’t have anyone to share it with.

“Oh.” She startled when I cleared my throat. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Whatever you’re cooking smells amazing.”

Closing the distance between us, I cradled her face between the palms of my hands, pressing my lips to hers.

“Spaghetti,” she breathed when we parted. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Never, baby.”

“It’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

“I’m going to change.”

Leaving her with another brief kiss, I jogged up the steps, quickly switching into a pair of black sweats and an old T-shirt, before rejoining her at the table. The meal was good; the company even better, which I told her repeatedly while we cleaned up the dishes afterward. She lit up with my praise, so much so it was disturbingly apparent she wasn’t used to getting compliments. I swore, then and there, not another day would pass where she didn’t know how amazing she was.

Lanie’s townhouse was in a decent neighborhood with a small park in the center. There were plenty of spaces available out front to park, which made it easier to haul Henley’s small load inside. Regardless, it only took two trips.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Lanie chirped as she ushered us down a short hallway, which led to the living room where she plopped down on what looked to be an oversized bean bag sofa. Besides the big screen TV mounted on the wall and a wooden coffee table, the rest of the room was empty.

“Did you get robbed?” I asked, setting down a box which held a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, and a couple other grocery items.

“You don’t like my new furniture?”

“That’s not furniture, Lanie.”

“What are you talking about? I think it’s awesome.” Henley joined her, the beans shifting around to accommodate her frame.

“Thank you. At least someone here besides me has good taste.”

“I’ll remind you of that when it busts open and you call me to help pick up ten million tiny foam balls.”

“Whatever. I haven’t decided how I want to decorate yet, so?—”

“So you figured you’d relive your youth?”

She flipped me off, then the girls ignored my presence for the next ten minutes while I carried Henley’s meager possessions to her new bedroom on the second floor. There was only a full-size bed and a dresser inside, but she’d burst into tears when Lanie had taken us on a tour when we’d first arrived. Seeing her so happy over something so simple shredded me. My girl deserved the world and, by God, I was going to give it to her.

I’d just finished depositing the last few items onto the mattress, including an old backpack which had seen better days, when something hard hit the top of my foot. Peering down, I saw an older model iPhone, making me wonder why Henley was using the crappy flip phone if she had one of these. It wasn’t until I picked it up and flipped it over did I see the spiderweb crack taking up the full surface of the screen .

Unsure if the fall and my foot had been the cause of the damage, I kept hold of the battered phone as I made my way back down the carpet-covered stairs.

Lanie and Henley were exactly where I’d left them; side by side on the ridiculous excuse for a sofa with their heads smashed together. They were giggling like a couple of teenage girls who’d known each other for years instead of minutes. When Lanie first offered her spare room, my biggest concern was their personalities wouldn’t mesh. Henley was much more reserved in comparison to my quirky friend, but with the way they’d already ganged up on me over my “lack of taste,” I had a whole new set of worries.

“What are you two laughing about?” I crossed the room, sitting on the edge of the coffee table.

“Nothing,” they said together.

“Oh my God. Where did you find that?” Henley scrambled off the bean bag, snatching the phone out of my hand and holding it against her chest as if it were a precious heirloom.

“It fell out of one of your bags.”

Her watery gaze came to mine and I barely heard her over the sound of my heart thundering away in my chest. “I thought I lost it.”

There was so much devastation in those five words, coupled with the tears tracking down her beautiful face, my need to comfort her overrode any confusion to her reaction. Sliding to my knees, I folded her in my arms where she quietly fell apart.

Long minutes passed before she pulled away.

“Baby.” I brushed away the wetness from her cheeks with my thumbs.

“Sorry,” she sniffed .

“You don’t ever have to apologize to us.” Lanie joined us on the floor, placing a hand on her shoulder for support.

“It was my mom’s phone,” she started, “Even after it broke, I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. All of my memories of her are on here.”

I nodded in understanding, then smiled when a thought occurred to me.

“Nelson.”

“Nelson,” Lanie agreed.

“Who’s Nelson?”

“He’s a tech genius, baby. If anyone can retrieve the data on this phone, it’s Nelson Travers.”

“Really? Where do we find him?”

Hope bloomed in her bloodshot eyes and I prayed I hadn’t just set her up for disappointment.

“He works with us.”

Henley

If I closed my eyes, I could almost picture the scar that bisected her right eyebrow or the way her bottom lip dipped slightly on one side when she smiled. Almost . While I held the greatest memories of my mom in my heart, it wasn’t the same as being able to pull up a picture of her beautiful face.

After the battle with Chase, I’d withdrawn the badly broken phone from my pocket, pissed over not having proof of the attack. Then, reality crashed through the anger, melting it away into utter despair. His selfish, horrifying actions had not only caused physical pain, they’d erased a lifetime of adventures. Every birthday. Every Christmas. Gone in the blink of an eye.

“Do you really think he’ll be able to help?”

I hadn’t moved out of the comfort of Keaton’s hold. There was something indescribable about the way his presence made me feel, which was insane given our short history together, but I wasn’t about to question it.

“There’s only one way to find out. Will you let me take this to him?” He touched the phone still gripped in my hand.

I knew what he was asking and my answer came immediately.

“I trust you.”

“Thank you, baby.” He kissed me lightly.

Most of my life, I’d leapt to conclusions where wealth was concerned; judging people based on the size of their bank account. My warped thought process began when I found out how terribly my maternal grandparents treated my mom when they discovered she was pregnant. Until Keaton, with his ridiculously expensive car and pricey apartment, I’d never met anyone who challenged those deep-seated opinions. Yet here I was, trusting him with not only my past, but my future and maybe even…my heart.

“I’m gonna get out of here and let you ladies get settled.” He rose off the floor, bringing me with him. “Walk me out?”

“I’ve got neighbors, so keep the PDA to a minimum, please,” Lanie spouted.

“I’ll see what we can do.” He winked at me, then threaded his fingers through mine as we exited the townhouse.

“I want to see you again tomorrow.” He crowded me into the side of his SUV, wrapping his arms loosely around my waist. “But I’m not sure how late we’ll be working. This case is brutal.”

“Can you tell me about it? Or is it like, top secret or classified or whatever it is you FBI guys call it? I mean you don’t have to?—”

He crushed his mouth to mine, silencing me in the best way possible. I groaned when his hands slid down to cup my denim-covered ass, lifting me onto my tiptoes as he kneaded the flesh in time with the strokes of his tongue. The move brought us so close I felt the outline of his hard cock against my stomach.

“You are intoxicating, Henley Graves,” he breathed against my lips. “How can I be so addicted to you already?”

Before I could say I felt the same, he reclaimed my mouth. Desire flamed, hot and heavy, leaving me in a lust-filled haze where nothing else mattered, not even my next breath.

Only Keaton.

Normally, I would have been embarrassed as hell with the way we were more or less pawing at each other out in the open, however, it was dark enough to provide cover from unwanted eyes. I didn’t even recognize the woman I was becoming where this man was concerned, but I liked her. I liked her a lot.

The air sizzled around us, our hunger intensifying to the point we could’ve lit up the night sky with the inferno building between us.

My hands traced a path up his broad chest until my fingers tangled in the hair at the base of his neck. He moaned and the vibration shot straight to my clit. I was so close to exploding, yet he hadn’t even touched me.

“What do you need, baby?” he whispered. “Do you want me to touch you?”

“Please,” I gasped when his teeth grazed the shell of my ear.

“Up,” he grunted, lifting me into his arms while taking a step, putting my back up against his SUV. I circled his hips with my thighs at the same time he reached a hand between us, cupping my center. “So hot. Are you wet for me too, baby?”

“Mmm. Why don’t you find out?”

The bastard chuckled.

“Not out here, Little Bird. The first time I get my hands on your sweet pussy will be somewhere private so I can take my time with you.” His hand moved then, back and forth along the seam of my pants. “But I will make you come.”

He zeroed in on my clit, somehow finding it despite the layer of clothing in the way. The friction from the rough material of my jeans and the slow circular motion of his finger had me seeing stars in a ridiculously short amount of time. My body trembled as the first wave of an orgasm rolled through me.

“Beautiful,” he praised, his movements between my legs slowing but never stopping until I collapsed against his chest.

“That was…I don’t have words.”

“It’s just the beginning, Henley.”

“I like that,” I yawned, suddenly exhausted.

Unwrapping my legs, I slid down the front of him—noting his continued aroused state—until my feet touched the ground.

“Ignore it,” he grumbled, making me laugh, then yawn a second time. “Get inside, baby.”

Raising up, I kissed the underside of his chin.

“Good night, Keaton. Thank you for everything.”

“No need to thank me, Henley. You deserve so much more than life has handed you. I’m just making sure you get it.”

I could feel the warmth of his stare; watching me the whole way until I was safely locked inside my new home. Only then did I hear the rumble of his engine starting and the low purr as it pulled away. I was so entranced in all things Keaton; I didn’t notice Lanie sitting on the steps until she spoke.

“He’s got demons.”

“So do I.”

“The way he looks at you? You’re the only one with the power to erase them all. Don’t let him fuck it up.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Good. Now, do you want Cherry Garcia or Chunky Monkey?”

“Ben and Jerry’s?”

“Is there another kind?”

We spent the next twenty minutes swapping sob stories side by side at the breakfast bar. Lanie consumed the entire pint of ice cream while I opted for only a few bites, explaining how my blood sugars were still a little out of whack, even though I was back on my regular medicine.

I’d always walked a fine line when it came to controlling my diabetes. For the first few years after I was diagnosed, the doctors put me on insulin because no matter how well I stuck to a diet, my numbers were too high. Then I began having episodes where my blood sugar would drop dangerously low, so they switched me over to pills in addition to the slower acting Lantus.

“Are there any signs I should look out for? I mean, I’ve taken the basic lifesaver courses we’re required to have, so we’re good if you have a stroke or heart attack,” Lanie asked after mentioning the night Keaton stumbled upon me on the street.

“He really told you guys about that?”

“Are you kidding? Sure, he felt horrible for assuming you’d overdosed, but it was more than guilt riding him to find you.”

“Wait a minute. He thought what?” I screeched.

“Shit.” She slapped her palm against her forehead. “Any chance you can forget what I just said?”

“Not likely,” I snorted.

“Well, fuck. Let me explain then.”

“Really, there’s no need.” I placed my hand on top of hers. “Young girl in a college town passed out cold on the street? I can only imagine how awful it looked.”

“You get it.”

“I do. Doesn’t mean I won’t tease him mercilessly when the opportunity presents itself though.”

“Yup.” She grinned, a satisfied look in her eye as she gathered our trash. “We’re gonna get along just fine.”

Keaton: Good morning, beautiful.

Me: 44 444

Keaton: Baby, is that code for something?

“Dammit. Stupid phone,” I grumbled, dialing his number. He answered on the first ring.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. There’s no keypad, so you have to hit the number associated with the letter. You know? Pushing number four twice equals an H and three times gives you an I. Apparently, not today though.”

“Jesus Christ, it’s not 1996. I’m getting you a real phone and putting you on my plan today. ”

“The hell you are.”

Was he for real?

“I am,” he demanded.

Snapping the phone closed, I grimaced when it immediately started ringing. Was I being childish? Absolutely, but I didn’t think I was being unreasonable. I wasn’t about to let him run roughshod over my life simply because he had more cents than sense.

The ringing stopped and started up again, except it wasn’t coming from the cheap Walmart device in my hand. I heard footsteps coming down the hall, then my new roommate’s voice outside my room before she knocked.

“Yeah, I’ll try, though I should let your dumbass sweat it out a while longer.”

Opening the door, I was greeted with a mug of coffee being waved in front of my nose by a wide awake and fully dressed Lanie. I took a sip of liquid heaven, motioned her inside, and had to stop myself just shy of moaning when the rich flavors burst on my tongue.

“Have mercy, what kind of beans are these?”

“Good, right? It’s a Costa Rican blend with nuts and caramel. Here.” She pushed her phone into my hand. “K wants to talk to you.”

Lifting it to my ear, I uttered, “Yes?”

“Let me explain, Little Bird,” he rushed. “If something were to happen to you, I’d never be able to forgive myself.”

My blistering temper deflated with the sincerity of his words, the near desperate plea in his voice. Lowering myself to the edge of the bed, reality hit me upside the head like a two-by-four. I’d done it again. Dammit. I was letting past experiences shut off my stubborn mind to the possibility he was being more than a high-handed wealthy man throwing money around .

“You and I…we’re building something special here, baby.”

“It’s too soon,” I argued.

“Bullshit. When it’s right, time doesn’t matter. Stop thinking in terms of what society says is normal. Does this feel wrong to you?”

I shook my head, then realized he couldn’t see me. “No, and that scares me.”

“It scares me too, Henley. I’m in uncharted territory here, which is why you’ll have to give me some leeway when it comes to protecting you.”

“And I assume part of this leeway includes a new phone?”

“It’d be helpful.”

Gah! This man would be my undoing.

“If I say yes, I want you to promise me something.”

He didn’t hesitate. “Anything. Just name it.”

“In the future, we make these types of decisions together.”

“I can agree to that.”

“Then, okay.”

“Thank you, baby.” His heavy exhale and the jingle of keys played in the background. “I’ve gotta run.”

“Go catch the bad guys.”

Lowering my hand, I scrambled to keep a grip on the phone when Lanie cleared her throat from across the room where she’d propped herself against the dresser. I’d been so entranced in the call I’d completely forgotten about my audience. Embarrassment flooded my cheeks, thinking about the conversation she’d overheard. While it wasn’t X-rated, it was still intimate and not what she signed up for when she agreed to let me live with her .

“Sorry about all that.” I padded across the carpeted floor, holding out the borrowed phone.

“Why are you apologizing? Personally, I think you should’ve made him grovel more. The nerve of him wanting to spend money on you.” She raised a sarcastic brow.

“I don’t need him to take care of me though.”

“See, that’s where you’re missing the point.” She turned, exiting the room and leaving me baffled.

It took a few seconds for my brain to catch up before I rushed out into the hallway.

“What point?” I hollered as she stalked down the steps.

“There’s a big difference between him needing to look after you because he thinks you’re incapable, and wanting to do it because he cares deeply about you. Trust me, it’s the latter.”