Shielding Kinley

by Susan Stoker

  He heard his mom sigh in contentment. “Thank you for the tour,” she told Kinley after she’d brought the phone back up to look into the camera. “You have no idea what this has meant to me. I’m gonna get there someday, but seeing it today, and hearing you tell me all about it, was special.”

  Lefty saw Kinley had no idea how to respond, so he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, reaching out and taking the phone from her. “Anything you want to know about anything, Kinley can probably tell you,” he told his mom. “She’s super smart.”

  “What I want to know is when my boy is going to find the time to come visit his parents,” Molly quipped.

  Lefty chuckled. “Hopefully soon, Mom.”

  She looked at Kinley. “That’s what he always says. I bet you don’t tell your parents that.”

  “I don’t have any,” Kinley said bluntly.

  “Oh. Well, crud, I put my foot in it, didn’t I?” his mom said with a little head shake. “In that case, maybe you should come visit me and Kaden. Since our son is neglecting us, we can show you around San Francisco. We’d love to have you. Any friend of Gage’s is a friend of ours. Have you ever been here? We can get tickets to Alcatraz. It’s fascinating. And the sea lions down at the pier are a not-to-be-missed sight—”

  “Mom,” he interrupted.

  “What?”

  “Slow your roll,” he told her.

  He was surprised when he heard a soft giggle from Kinley. He looked at her with one brow raised.

  “Slow your roll? Did you really just tell your mother that?” she asked.

  “He did,” his mom complained. “See how abusive he is?” But she was laughing when she’d said it. “I like you, Kinley. And I was serious about you coming out to visit. I can’t imagine how it feels to have lost your parents, and I’m more than willing to be a surrogate mom for you.”

  “You are not allowed to adopt Kinley, Mom,” Lefty said sternly. Kinley looked up at him, and continued, “You can befriend her, share beauty tips, and corrupt her into not showering for weeks at a time, but under no circumstances are you and Dad allowed to adopt her.”

  “Why not?” Molly asked.

  Lefty merely raised his eyebrows.

  “Oooooh!” his mom said. “Right. Okay, no adoptions, because it would be awkward if you started dating your sister, wouldn’t it?”

  “Mom!” Lefty shook his head. “You’re impossible.”

  “I learned it from my kid,” she said with a smile, then turned her attention back to Kinley. “I’m serious, hon. If you need a break from all the assholes in DC, you’re more than welcome to visit us. And before you ask, Gage already told us a little about you, how he met you in Africa and how you work in DC. We’ve got more than enough room in our house for you to stay for however long you want. My husband will bore you to death by showing you his sports memorabilia room—don’t believe him when he tells you it’s Gage’s inheritance…it’s all junk—and I’ll take you out one night to the Castro District and we’ll party at the gay bars down there. It’s super fun, and those boys are so entertaining.”

  “Okay, that’s it. I’m hanging up now,” Lefty said.

  Kinley put her hand on his forearm, and he knew he’d stand there and listen to his mom talking about getting drunk in a gay nightclub all day if Kinley wanted him to.

  “Thanks,” she said. “I’ve never been to San Francisco. If you…if you and your husband ever come out to DC, I’m happy to be your tour guide. I haven’t seen everything myself, as I tend to stay inside a lot, but I can see if I can find the good gay bars and take you out.”

  Molly Haskins threw her head back and laughed hysterically. “I’d love that, thank you, Kinley. Son, take me off video chat and speaker.”

  Lefty did so and brought his cell up to his ear. “Hey, Mom.”

  “I like her,” she said immediately. “She’s different than any woman you’ve dated before. She’s smart and funny and too good for the likes of you.”

  Lefty almost choked. “Thanks, Mom,” he drawled.

  “Tread lightly with her,” she suggested. “She’s shy, and I’m guessing she’s not used to someone like you.”

  “Someone like me?” Lefty asked.

  “Yeah. Someone good. Who will treat her like a princess and who doesn’t want to hurt her.”

  It felt great to know his mom saw him that way. “I will.”

  “Good. And make sure she knows I was serious about the invite to come out here. And if she wasn’t serious about Kaden and I going to DC, let me know. Because I’m so planning that trip.”

  “Okay.”

  “And, Gage?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks for sharing Notre Dame with me. Meant the world.”

  Lefty closed his eyes and sighed. “Love you, Mama.”

  “Love you too, son. Now…off with you. Go save the world or something.”

  “Will do. I’ll call when I’m back in the States.”

  “See that you do,” she said. “Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  Lefty clicked off the phone and found Kinley staring at him, curiosity shining in her eyes. “She likes you, wanted to make sure I knew that. And she told me that you’re too good for me.”

  “No, she didn’t,” Kinley protested.

  Lefty took her hand in his once more and started walking slowly back toward the area where her hotel and the conference was located. “She did,” he said. “And she also wanted me to find out if you were serious about playing tour guide for them if they come to Washington, DC.”

  Kinley shrugged. “Yeah, although I’d suck at it since I haven’t seen much myself, beyond the museums. But I can do some research if I know what they’re most interested in. I can find out which museums they’d like and get tickets. I might even be able to finagle a tour of the White House if they’d like that.”

  Lefty stopped and brought his free hand up to her neck, as he’d done earlier during breakfast—and felt electricity shoot through his body in an arc. “If they come out to visit, all they’ll be interested in is getting to know you, Kinley. You can take them to a museum if you want, or some of the monuments, but all they’ll care about is spending time with you.”

  “But…I don’t even know them,” she protested.

  “You just spent thirty minutes giving my mother the thrill of her life,” Lefty told her. “You have no idea how deep her obsession with Notre Dame goes. When you said you cried watching the footage of the church burning, I knew you and her would get along perfectly. And I was right. Thank you for not thinking my mom’s crazy for loving that heap of stone as much as she does.”

  “She’s not crazy,” Kinley protested. “I liked her.”

  “Good. Because she liked you too. And I was serious, don’t you dare sign any paperwork letting them adopt you. It would be embarrassing for me to be dating my stepsister.”

  Amazingly, Kinley giggled, but she quickly sobered. “They won’t want to adopt me. No one wants me.”

  “Wrong,” Lefty said with heat. “I want you as my friend. Gillian, Trigger’s fiancée, will want you as her friend as soon as she meets you. The rest of the guys on my team want you as their friend. Hell, even Jangles and his team like you. You aren’t alone anymore, Kinley, understand?”

  She stared at him for so long, Lefty was afraid he’d pushed too hard. That she’d agree just to get him to shut up. But instead, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded.

  “Look at me, Kins.” She opened her eyes immediately. “You need me, I’m there, no questions asked,” Lefty told her. “Even if you just need someone to complain to about your day. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she whispered. “But you should know something.”

  “What?”

  “Donald Duck is more interesting and has more personality than Mickey Mouse.”

  Lefty snorted. “As if,” he said, dropping his hand from her neck and pulling her into his side. He had to let go of her hand to do it,
but she felt good plastered against him.

  “It’s true. He’s funnier and has a much stronger presence on screen than Mickey,” Kinley said with a small grin.

  As they walked back to the conference, Lefty realized that he’d had more fun in the last five or so hours than he’d had in a very long time. He’d liked Kinley when he’d met her in the middle of a crisis, but hanging out with her in a relaxed atmosphere, even he was almost surprised at how attracted he was to her.

  They bantered back and forth throughout a short lunch at another café, and he’d learned more about who Kinley was as a person when she ordered a takeout lunch and gave it to a homeless man she’d seen sitting on a bench across from the café.

  Knowing he’d have little to no time with her once she went back to work, he stopped her just outside the building where the conference was taking place.

  “You’re going to talk to me when you get home, right?” he asked, the sting of being ignored still fresh in his mind.

  “I promise,” Kinley said, grabbing his hand and squeezing. It was the first time she’d touched him. “As I said earlier, I’ll try to get better at checking my email and texts, but it might take me a while to get into a routine with that. I’m just not used to talking to other people.”

  “Okay, I can be patient. And if I get sent on a mission, I’ll be sure to tell you how long I think I’ll be gone. It’ll always be a guess though,” he warned her.

  “I understand,” she said, and Lefty had the feeling she really did.

  “I don’t know when our paths will cross again, but I’m looking forward to it,” he told her.

  “Me too,” she said shyly. “I can’t promise I’ll be the best friend, simply because I don’t know how, but I’m going to try.”

  “You just be you,” Lefty told her. “That’s all I want.”

  “Okay,” she said shyly.

  “Okay,” Lefty repeated. He wanted to kiss her, but it didn’t feel right. He brought their joined hands up to his mouth instead and kissed her fingers. “Be careful out there, Kins. Watch your back, and if you need me, all you have to do is reach out.”

  “Thanks,” she said.

  They stood on the sidewalk for a long moment, staring at each other, before Lefty forced himself to let go of her hand. He took a step back. She gave him a small wave and backed up, as well. She bumped into the door and wrinkled her nose at her clumsiness. Then she turned and disappeared into the building.

  Taking a deep breath, Lefty turned and headed for the hotel. For the first time that morning, he saw Merlin leaning against a building nearby. He’d said he was going to follow them, and it was apparent he had. The other man nodded and joined him as Lefty passed him.

  “You guys seemed to have a good time today,” he noted.

  “We did,” Lefty agreed.

  “I’ve never really seen her smile,” Merlin observed. “You’re good for her.”

  Lefty appreciated the man’s insight. He wasn’t so sure Merlin was correct, but it was too late now. He’d gotten his wish to know Kinley better, and now he couldn’t picture his life without her in it in some way…even if that was only as a friend.

  They walked in silence the rest of the way to the hotel. Lefty needed to relieve his teammate and find out what Johnathan Winkler’s schedule was for the rest of the day. He hoped to have a chance to see Kinley again, but even if he didn’t, he felt much better about where they stood with each other. He just prayed that she’d keep her word and talk to him when she got home.

  Chapter Four

  That night, Kinley stood by the window in her small hotel room and stared blankly out at the alley. The afternoon had been difficult. Partly because she wished she was still roaming around Paris with Gage.

  Walter hadn’t asked too many questions about her morning, other than to inquire if she was feeling better. The excuse that she’d had menstrual cramps seemed to be really effective, and her boss wasn’t suspicious at all. He had no idea she’d been out enjoying Paris all morning.

  Kinley supposed she should feel guilty about that, but she didn’t. Walter was tough to work for, and every now and then he’d do something that would make her decision to stay or go all the harder. Like when he’d sent her chicken soup when she’d been sick the year before.

  Apparently, Woof had done a good job at being his temporary assistant, even making reservations for him and Drake Stryker, the US Ambassador to France, for dinner. They were spending their last evening in Paris together, and had wanted to go to some fancy restaurant. Making dinner reservations wasn’t in her job description, but Kinley always helped out where she could when they were away from DC. Obviously, Walter was so used to her doing those kinds of tasks for him, he hadn’t hesitated to ask a Delta Force soldier to do the same thing.

  The closing ceremony for the conference was the next morning, and she and her boss were leaving right afterward. Kinley had hoped to get the opportunity to spend more time with Gage, but she hadn’t seen him since she’d left him outside the conference center.

  For the first time in her life, Kinley hadn’t wanted to sit alone in her hotel room. She’d wanted to have dinner with Gage. Talk to him more. Live vicariously through him.

  Sighing, she glanced at her watch. It was one in the morning, and she should be sleeping, but thoughts of Gage kept whirling through her head. She’d been mortified when he’d called his mom, but after learning how much the other woman loved Notre Dame, she’d been happy to give her a tour and tell her as much as she could about the building.

  She’d regretted inviting her to DC as soon as the words were out of her mouth, but now that she’d had time to think about it, she figured there was no way Molly and her husband would ever take her up on the offer. The woman was just being polite.

  Kinley was so lost in her own thoughts, she almost missed the activity in the alley below.

  She’d turned off the lights in her room a while ago, so she could have a better view of the stars, and hadn’t bothered to turn them back on. There was literally nothing else to look at from her hotel room—it wasn’t as if she had any kind of view of the city. When movement caught her eye, Kinley shifted her focus downward.

  A black sedan had pulled into the alley, and she recognized the diplomatic license plate on the back. It took a second for her brain to put two and two together, but when she saw a man heading for the door, it clicked that it was Drake Stryker, the man her boss had spent the evening with.

  But he wasn’t alone.

  He had his hand around the woman’s bicep. It looked like she was completely drunk; she couldn’t walk straight, and she would’ve fallen flat on her face if Drake wasn’t there holding her up. The pair had exited a side door, which Kinley assumed led out of the hotel, but she wasn’t one hundred percent sure.

  The woman was wearing a red tank top and a short skirt. She had messy long brown hair hanging wild around her shoulders. She couldn’t see the woman’s face, as she was looking down at the ground, but Kinley imagined she was most likely beautiful.

  But it was her shoes that really caught Kinley’s attention.

  She’d never been able to wear heels, something that didn’t bother her, except when she saw other women wearing shoes she really loved. And Kinley really, really liked the shoes the woman with Drake was wearing. They were wedges with silver sparkles in the heels. Even though there wasn’t a lot of light in the alley, those shoes still glistened with every step the woman took.

  Drake looked up the alley, then down, then put his arm around the woman. He practically lifted her off her feet to help her into his car. Within seconds, they were inside and the car was slowly driving down the alley. It took a right at the end and was out of sight within seconds.

  Drake Stryker was married, as was her boss, but having affairs wasn’t out of the ordinary in political circles. They were as common as coffee shops. It was a pity that society had changed enough over the years that no one cared if the men and women in charge slept with someone
they weren’t married to. Hiring escorts and sleeping with prostitutes was a little more taboo, but most people simply looked the other way when it happened. It used to bother Kinley a lot, but after so much time working in DC, she’d become immune.

  Kinley sighed once more. She used to want to be just like that woman. Carefree, in charge of her sexuality, and not afraid to have one-night stands if the whim struck her. But the older she got, the more Kinley just wanted to find someone to be able to hang out at home with. Someone who would be happy ordering in and spending an evening watching TV and reading.

  The more time Kinley spent by herself, the more she realized finding someone, anyone, to spend her life with was next to impossible. It wasn’t as if she met any eligible men she was attracted to at her day job, and because she didn’t like bars or online dating sites, and didn’t have any friends to introduce her to men they knew, Kinley suspected she was destined to be a stereotypical spinster of days gone by.

  Turning from the window, she forced herself to walk to her bed and lie down once again. She had to get some sleep. Walter was bound to be cranky tomorrow, especially if he and his friend had just spent the evening with the woman from the alley. Kinley didn’t condone cheating, but what they did was their own business. As long as she got paid, she could turn her head and pretend she didn’t see some of her boss’s indiscretions.

  That blasé attitude toward cheating was another reason Kinley didn’t want anything to do with a man who was involved in politics. She never wanted to be with anyone who would cheat on her. While she could admit she wasn’t the best catch in the world, she would never cheat when she was involved with someone.

  Closing her eyes, Kinley willed her body to shut down. Between the closing ceremony, getting Walter to the airport and checked in, and flying back to the States, tomorrow was going to be a very long, tiring day.