I kept telling myself I was fine as I kept an eye on the time and watched the hour pass and still no sign of my brother. I was starting to pray to anyone that Kit stayed in that room as I threw panicked looks between the front door and the room Kit disappeared into.
Another half hour, and still nothing as I kept a worried eye on both doors.
Then, because the world loved to kick me when I was down, I just registered that my brother walked in the front door as my eyes slid to the other door and I saw Kit walk out of the room.
My heart stammered to a stop and I actually stood up like that was going to somehow stop the train wreck I could see forming in front of me.
I muttered to myself as my gaze flickered between both men. “No. Please, no. If you were going to grant me anything. Do not let Christopher Barrett Grayson see me like this. I know I will never have a chance in hell with him, but some dignity after everything would be swell…” I mumbled as I watched them both inconveniently turn to each other and a flash of recognition crossed Kit’s face.
“Hawk?” Kit called and my brother raised a hand in greeting.
Oddly, Kit’s expression then dropped into a frown as they strode towards each other. I couldn’t see my brother’s face as they met and got into what looked like a very serious discussion until my brother shook his head. For the first time in my entire life, I watched as Kit’s face fell into surprised confusion, then his eyes started roaming. And I was still standing up like an idiot.
Kit’s eyes finally fell on me and there was no avoiding the train wreck now.
I watched Kit nod in my direction, and my brother turned. The unfamiliar stress on his face melted as he saw me. He hurried over, but I could barely keep my eyes off Kit no matter how much I tried to make them stay.
“Bert. You okay?” my brother asked as he wrapped me up in his arms.
“I… Can we not talk about it now, Pat?” I replied, my eyes finally sliding off Kit entirely in awkwardness.
Patrick pushed me to arm’s length and looked at me. “Chaos won’t let me out of the meeting this afternoon, but I can drop you? Or you can take the car?”
I blinked, hoping to everything that was holy that my cheeks weren’t as red as they felt. Like a complete dweeb, I pushed my glasses up my nose. “Whatever’s better. But I can’t stay with you–”
“Stay?” Kit asked. “Why would she need to stay with you?”
His voice hadn’t lost any of that deep, gravelly quality that slid over your skin like a forbidden caress. And forbidden is exactly what he would have been had I even registered on his radar, so I cleared my throat to answer. But Patrick got in ahead of me.
“She’s moving out of her place.”
“Right now?” Kit asked and I watched his eyes glance down at my suitcase.
I nodded and – for the love of God, Amber! – pushed my glasses up my nose again. “Yeah. Right now. Left lots of my stuff behind, right now.”
“Too right, too. If I see that fucker, I’m going to drag him to the deepest, darkest fucking hole in the fucking world,” Patrick growled. And I was pretty sure he’d had one of those when the boys were special ops.
“What happened?” Kit snapped with this weirdly business-like efficiency.
“Amber’s just walked in on her roommate – you remember Dannie? – and boyfriend fucking.”
I grimaced as I looked around. “Language, Pat,” I whispered, avoiding the look Kit shot me.
Despite how angry my big brother was about my boyfriend and best friend sleeping with each other behind my back, he sniggered. “You priss.”
I wrinkled my nose at him, as antagonistic as I ever got. “Just goes to show a nice suit does not a gentleman make.”
Patrick smirked. “And good manners does not a lady make.”
“Regardless, if you haven’t got time to take me to Mum and Dad’s–”
“Ah, not so much. You can hang at mine?”
I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Um. I’ve just pulled an all-nighter–”
“I can tell,” Patrick chuckled.
“You can shut up,” I mumbled as I looked at Kit out of the corner of my eyes. “I just need a hot shower and a sleep. And I’m not sleeping in your bed, thank you.”
I knew what he got up to in his bed and not even clean sheets was going to make me go anywhere near it.
“I have a perfectly suitable couch,” Patrick said, pretending to be affronted.
“Your couch is for show, Pat. I’m not sleeping on that again without…how much was it?”
“Half a case of beer,” he sniggered.
I nodded, “Yeah, that,” and snuck a look over to see Kit’s eyebrow rise in surprise.
Patrick chuckled again. “Okay. Well, you’ll have to take the car–”
“I am not driving that monster again! You remember how much paint you lost last time?” I said, panicking.
Patrick’s grin was merciless. “Yes. I do. And Chaos will well remember the bill he had to pay for it.”
Now, I know I flushed as my eyes slid over to Kit again.
“She can stay with me,” was all he said and it took me a moment to realise what those words had actually been implying.
“What?” I asked as Patrick looked half-way between shocked and pleased, and said, “You sure?”
I was staring straight at Kit’s face, in close proximity, in a way I had never done ever. God, his eyes were still that deep, rich brown.
Kit shrugged. “Why not? I’ve got plenty of space and I’m barely there.” He looked to me and I could only hold his gaze for less than a millisecond. “You can get meals up or go to the restaurant whenever you like. It’ll be like living alone most days.”
Restaurant? Meals up? He didn’t live at the Mayhew did he?
“Chaos, mate. You seriously sure?” Patrick asked in that way he had where I knew he was about to say yes for me like I was still thirteen and incapable of making my own choices.
I blinked but no words wanted to come out.
I could not live with Kit Grayson. It was bad enough waking up from a dirty dream where he’d had his hands all over me. I couldn’t actually see him. In person. In his house.
“Sister of my brother,” he said as though that explained everything. “Amber’s free to stay as long as she wants.”
“Done. Thanks, man,” Patrick laughed and I opened my mouth completely pointlessly as they shook hands. “Now, I’ll have more excuses to see you,” he said happily as he looked at me.
Why was all I was doing nodding dumbly? I had so many questions. More objections. But nodding seemed all I was capable of.
“We can take her up now and then head off?” Kit asked, sounding like he couldn’t really care less about me now Patrick’s crisis was over.
I nodded. “Yeah. Sure.”
“Sweet!” Patrick nodded.
He grabbed my suitcase as Kit strode powerfully over to the lady at the front desk.
It seemed like all those years had not dulled his effect on the female species.
She – her name tag read Sally – batted her eyes at him. “How can I help you Mr Grayson?” she cooed, her eyes taking in me and Patrick and the suitcase.
“I need another key to the lift for my friend,” he said curtly, pointing at me.
Sally baulked and I was willing to bet in however many years Kit had lived here he had never asked for a second key. And if he had, it wouldn’t have been for a woman. I’d bet everything I owned. And just at that moment, that wasn’t very much.
But she was a professional and she did as he asked. She got a card out and did something with a machine before sliding it over to him with a coquettish smile. Kit only nodded perfunctorily to her and kicked his head for us to follow him.
For some reason, I looked behind me and saw Johnson at the door. He gave me an encouraging smile and a wave. Then, there was a refraction of light off the door beside him and he was gone by the time my ey
es cleared.
I followed my brother and his best friend into the lift. There was a guy standing in there in the Mayhew’s uniform who nodded to Kit, but otherwise ignored us. As the doors closed, Kit held the key up to me in two fingers and I took it, careful not to touch his skin with mine.
“Press the ‘P’, then swipe the card at that panel,” he instructed in that curt tone that I guessed meant he was already regretting this.
I did as he said and the lift must have been moving because the numbers started scrolling. It was nothing like the lift I’d lived with for three years, which rattled and clanged and jerked you around so much you got whiplash.
Patrick nudged me. “Fucking nice, having your own key,” he muttered as though it was some great conspiracy. “Me and the boys need Donald here to let us up.”
“Yeah, well. If she’s living there she’ll want more freedom to come and go than I’m willing to let you wankers have,” Kit shot back at him.
Finally, the numbers stopped and the doors slid open.
“Have a nice day, Mr Grayson,” Donald said.
Patrick started wheeling my suitcase out and Kit went to follow him, then stopped.
“Ah. Don, this is Amber Grace. She’s going to be staying with me for the foreseeable future.”
I know we both saw the surprise on Donald’s face at the word ‘foreseeable’. It made me feel something too, I just wasn’t sure what.
“Don’t worry, Donald!” Patrick called. “She’s just my sister. Player’s still gonna play!” I heard him chuckle to himself.
Donald got control over his facial expression and nodded to me. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss...?” As usual, someone was having trouble believing Grace could be a last name.
“Grace, yes,” Kit said.
Donald nodded again. “Miss Grace.”
“Likewise,” I said, then followed Kit out of the lift.
“What room do you want her in?” Patrick yelled as I looked around in shock.
“South,” Kit replied, then they both wandered in different directions, leaving me gaping like a fish.
I’d expected to exit the lift in a hallway like was normal. And I suppose in a way this was a hallway. It just happened to be a private hallway like Mum and Dad’s front hall and opened out into a huge open plan room that ended in what looked like floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows. I hesitantly walked forward as I took in everything.
The penthouse – because what else did ‘P’ stand for? – was painted in fresh white with grey accents in various shades, smattered with metallic shines of copper and dark iron here and there. It was minimal living at best.
Kit’s couches looked even less comfortable than Patrick’s and the huge fire under the even bigger TV suggested this room wasn’t used so much as it was meant to be admired. I felt like I’d fallen into one of the most expensive lifestyle magazines on the planet.
A noise to my left made me look at a huge galley kitchen where Kit was standing at a coffee machine. The cupboards were white and the top was white-flecked black granite or marble or something. The dining table was huge as well – a great glass and metal construction with dark grey upholstered chairs to sit at least twelve.
But it was the view that got me. I found myself at the window and had to stop myself pressing my hands against the glass. The room faced the opposite side of the building than the road across which I’d lived until a few minutes ago. And under us was serious beauty. It was still early enough that the sun was on its climb over the buildings and shining off the struts of the huge bridge across the river in the background. On either side of the river, grass and trees spread out and I could just make out people hurrying about their days.
“Carmel will clean whatever hand prints she finds,” a smooth voice said to my left and I snuck a look up at Kit.
He was holding a mug out to me and I took it, not caring if it was to my taste or not.
“It’s beautiful,” I said softly.
He nodded, staring over all that beauty while I took a moment to stare unabashedly at his. “It is.”
“And you thought my place was sweet, Bert,” Patrick said and I turned to look at him with a small smile.
“It is something.”
“Hey, where’s my coffee?” my brother glared at his best mate.
“Kitchen,” Kit replied then turned his attention back to me. “We’re going to have to head out soon. I don’t know when I’ll be back. But make yourself at home–”
“Fuck knows someone should,” Patrick laughed.
Kit turned his patented brooding glare on him. “Sure. Anyway, there’s an en suite to your room. Carmel stocks all the bathrooms with basics in case the team stay over. Use whatever you want. If there’s anything you can’t find, my bedroom’s through those doors. Bathroom’s the door on the right. Help yourself.” He looked down as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, which was vibrating. “Hawk, can you show her to her room?” He nodded to me then answered the phone, “Grayson,” and walked away.
“Come on, then. He’ll be antsy to get going when he’s done.”
Patrick led me to the opposite side of the penthouse than Kit’s bedroom – probably for the best – and down a hallway.
“So there’s a study of sorts down this way. I know you like using the kitchen table, but it’s there if you want it.”
“Shouldn’t I ask Kit first?”
“Nah, it’s a spare. His office is over the other side. Don’t worry about anything, Chaos and I will take care of it, okay?”
I nodded absently as he waved his arm through a door and I peeked in. “And all this because it was Champers Day,” I sighed as I took in the huge room that I was supposed to call mine.
“What do you mean? Champers Day?” Patrick asked, following me into the room.
There were a couple of doors along one wall, two bedsides and a giant bed covered in plush pillows and covers, a chest of drawers next to the door, and a huge window between me and a balcony. There was a TV above the chest of drawers. Otherwise, the room was basically empty.
“Bert?” Patrick pressed.
I blinked. “Oh, I got my first chapter finished. My supervisor loved it,” I huffed. Like it mattered anymore. My world had imploded and my thesis just felt so unimportant right then.
“What?” Patrick asked and pulled me to face him. “That’s amazing!”
I gave him a sorry excuse for a smile. “That’s why I was working all night–”
“Bert, let’s not pretend you don’t do that far too often.”
My smile grew. “Yeah, okay. But I wanted to get it finished before our meeting and she loved it. It’s by no means perfect yet, but for a draft she loved it.”
Patrick hugged me. “We’ll do Champers Day…” I heard him frown.
“As soon as you’re free,” I finished for him.
“Yes. I’ll ask the boss for some time off.”
“Hawk!” the boss in question called from the other room.
“Right, duty calls. I’ll call you later?”
I nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
He looked me over carefully, but obviously my mask was solid. “Sweet.” He kissed my forehead. “See you later.”
“Bye.”
He hurried out and I looked around my new room with a sigh.
“I’ll be fine,” I told myself.
2
Kit
What the fuck had I done?
The favour for Hawk was nothing. I was more than happy to help my best mate’s little sister out of a jam. But Amber hated me. As in capital ‘H’ hated. Always had and I’d never known why. I knew it didn’t help that I never knew how to talk to her.
Girls I didn’t have a problem with.
It was just one girl.
One super sweet, totally good, crazy serious, studious girl who’d had no time for Hawk and my shenanigans at any age. A girl who’d ignored me or frowned at me and had probably sa
id fifty words directly to me her whole life. She’d been a major part of my life since she was born and I couldn’t picture it without her existing, but we on no level got along. We did not get along to the extent that we hadn’t seen each other in something like eight years despite the fact I worked with her brother and our parents saw each other at least weekly. My dorky little brother – who thought he was basically Chaos 2.0 – saw her more often than I did.
And eight years had done a lot for little Amber Grace. She’d been sixteen when I’d really seen her last, barely entering womanhood. But you could see, even then, that she was going to be a looker. Admittedly, soaking wet in an oversized jumper and her glasses fogging up, she was doing an excellent job of hiding it. But she still had something about her that didn’t need an expensive dress, perfect makeup, or actual sleep to be beautiful. And she always had.
When she wasn’t obviously disapproving of me and Hawk, she’d always managed to intimidate me with how smart and confident she was. But she was still my best mate’s little sister. Offering up my place had been second-nature. I hadn’t even thought about it. I definitely had the space – why had I bought a place with four bedrooms and two offices? Because I could.
It’d be fine. I was barely there, work saw to that. I basically only saw what I’d spent a huge chunk of money on the way to my bed and on the way out again. So Amber and I wouldn’t have to see each other, but I’d know she was safe and comfortable. I could work with that. And I had nothing against her. I just didn’t know what to do in the face of her blatant indifference.
Hawk whacked me and I blinked.
“Where the fuck are you today?” Tank asked with a chuckle.
“He’s probably trying to work out if he left the handcuffs out after he told Bert to help herself to his bathroom,” Hawk chuckled and I frowned at them all.
Chaos & the Geek (Grace Grayson Security Book 1) Page 2
