Tough as Nails (COBRA Securities Book 10)

by Velvet Vaughn

  “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” a young boy chanted at the same time a stunning blond gasped, “My God, they are real!”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Hillary couldn’t catch her breath. Reed had just sucked every oxygen molecule from her body. Good Lord, the man could kiss. When their lips touched, it was an explosion of sparks and heat and lust. Overwhelming lust. His lips were soft but firm and so talented, she could happily spend the rest of her life kissing him.

  He could’ve tackled her to the floor, ripped off her clothes and slid into her without a peep of protest. She’d wanted him more than anything. Reality came crashing back. He was her client. She worked for him. Nothing could happen between them. It was a line she didn’t cross, yet she’d come dangerously close to not only crossing it, but erasing it completely.

  She heard Reed open the door and then a young voice was babbling “Oh my gosh,” while a feminine one shrieked “My God, they are real!”

  Hillary dropped her spatula. Kai! Kayla! She rushed to the door to see her roommate openly ogling a flustered Reed, with coworkers Sawyer Oldham and Wyatt Hollister standing behind looking amused. Kai Costa was rolling on the ground with his buddy Kota.

  “What are you guys doing here?”

  “Hum, what?” Kayla asked distractedly, not taking her eyes from Reed’s abs.

  Reed’s panicked gaze met hers. “I take it you know them?”

  “Of course, she knows us,” Kai announced, leaping up to hug her. “And we know who you are, Mr. Reed, er Steele er…”

  “Reed’s fine,” he smiled. “What’s your name?”

  “Kai! Kai Costa.” He thrust out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” He pumped Reed’s hand enthusiastically and Reed smiled. “Mr. Steele, er Reed, do you know what you get when you cross a tree with a baseball player?”

  Hillary shared a smile with her coworkers. Kai was such a sweet kid and they all adored him. He memorized jokes so he could cheer someone up if they were sad. He couldn’t stand for anyone to be hurting. He had the biggest heart of anyone she knew. And he was adorably flustered meeting Reed.

  Reed glanced at her with a twinkle in his eye before he shook his head at Kai. “I give up. What do you get when you cross a tree with a baseball player?”

  Kai doubled over in laughter before he could deliver the punch line, which happened more often than not. Wyatt and Sawyer laughed with him. Kayla was still staring at Reed’s abs.

  “Babe Root!” Kai chortled and dropped to the floor. Kota barked and pounced on him.

  Reed laughed, his eyes meeting hers. “He’s adorable.”

  “That he is. Kai’s dad is a coworker, and so are these three. Sawyer Oldham.” Reed and Sawyer shook hands. “Wyatt Hollister.” Wyatt held up a fist for a bump.

  “Good at ya, mate.”

  Hillary threw her arm over Kayla’s shoulder. “And this is my roommate, Kayla Hepburn.”

  “So nice to meet you,” she purred when Reed shook her hand. Hillary squeezed her arm, silently telling her to knock it off.

  “Nice to meet all of you. If you’ll excuse me, I’m just going to go grab a shirt.”

  “Please don’t on our account,” Kayla called after him. Hillary smacked her on the back of the head. “What?”

  “Behave.”

  “I am!” she insisted. “I refrained from touching, though I wanted to. Look,” she pulled out her cell. “I surreptitiously snapped a couple of pics. Jade and Layla won’t let me come home without them.”

  “Kayla!”

  “What?” Her friend gazed at the picture and sighed. “He is one fine specimen.”

  Hillary couldn’t disagree. And she planned on swiping Kayla’s phone and forwarding the picture to her own email account. She looked up at her male coworkers. “What are you guys doing here?”

  “We brought the security equipment,” Sawyer said. “Well, technically Holly brought it to you.” He pointed at Wyatt with his thumb. “He was set to fly it over so the rest of us hopped on board for the ride.”

  “I was shocked when I found the stowaways,” Wyatt announced with mock outrage. “Someone is meeting us at the house to install it in a few hours.”

  “That may have to wait.” She told them about Mack Arnold.

  “We wondered about the police cars,” Kayla said.

  “Do you need help here? I just finished a case so I’m free,” Sawyer offered.

  “Thanks, but not yet. The coroner temporarily ruled Mr. Arnold’s death as an accident. The other incidents could just be a vagrant upset he’s being forced from the house.”

  “Maybe there’s a reason someone keeps breaking in,” Wyatt surmised.

  “That’s what we figured, too. As soon as the police release the house, Reed and I are going to clear it out to see if we can find anything of value.”

  “We can help,” Kai offered. “Can’t we, Sawyer?”

  Sawyer smiled and ruffled his hair. “We can. We don’t have to head back until the morning.”

  “With all of us helping, it’ll get done faster,” Kayla said.

  Wyatt rubbed his hands together. “And we can grill prawns fresh from the ocean for dinner.”

  “Yeah, yeah!” Kai added. “Well, maybe not grilled prawns.” He wrinkled his nose. “What are prawns?”

  Wyatt chuckled. “You Yanks call them shrimp.”

  “Hey, I’m not a Yankee fan! That’s just insulting.” He turned to Hillary. “Can we stay, please?” Reed walked back into the room and Kai rushed him. “We’re going to stay and help you, Reed.”

  Reed glanced at her in question. “Help me what?”

  “They offered to help clear out the house.”

  “Oh, hey, that’s great. Thank you. The show will pay you for your time.”

  Kayla waved a hand. “You don’t need to pay us.”

  “Kayla, I had another answer all ready,” Kai grumbled, crossing his arms. Everyone laughed and he beamed.

  “I heard someone mention seafood on the grill,” Reed said. “I can take care of that.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Reed sorted through a box of papers, scanning each one for anything of value. He’d been overwhelmed by Hillary’s coworkers offering to stay and help with the tedious task. The job would go much faster. The two men, Wyatt and Sawyer, offered to handle the furniture and heavy lifting since his busted arm limited his effectiveness. It was a huge help. Hillary and her roommate, Kayla, were packing up plates, lamps and anything of value that could be donated to local veterans’ charities, including the one nice item in the house: a giant screen television.

  Hillary’s roommate was striking, with caramel colored hair highlighted with blond and light blue eyes. She was an outrageous flirt, but being an expert on the subject, he could tell it was all for show. As fascinating as she was, it was Hillary who continually drew his attention. The two women were looking at something and laughing, apparently as close as sisters. He’d had those kinds of friendships with his baseball teammates. He missed the camaraderie, the closeness.

  Two men arrived to install the security system and were currently working on wiring the upstairs. Since all the windows were slated to be replaced, they would be coming back in a couple of weeks to rewire the new ones.

  “Ready for the next one?”

  “Yep.”

  Kai had appointed himself Reed’s personal helper and as soon as Reed filled a trash bag full of paper, Kai carted it off to add to the recycle pile. The kid was incredibly strong for his age and he was a bundle of energy. He dropped down on the floor beside Reed and sorted through stacks of magazines. They would be added to the recycle pile as well.

  “Hey, guys.”

  He looked up into Hillary’s smiling face, his gaze zeroing in on her lips. They were perfectly pink and shiny, as if she’d just licked them. He wanted to taste them again.

  “How’s it going over here?”

  “Good,” he and Kai answered at the same time. Kai stuck out his hand for a fist bump. They ad
ded a little finger explosion to the end, complete with sound effects. Hillary’s smile widened.

  “Kai, do you mind taking Kota for a walk?”

  Kai popped to his feet. “Sure. Kota, walk.” Kota scrambled to his feet and trotted over. Kai scratched his head and then snapped on the leash. He started out the door but smacked his forehead and turned back. “Almost forgot the poop bags.” He grabbed the plastic baggie and jogged out the door.

  “Stay close,” Kayla warned. “I want to be able to see you when I look out the window.”

  “Yes, mom,” he sing-songed, then saluted.

  Reed chuckled. “He’s something.”

  “Is he bothering you?” Hillary asked, taking a seat beside him on the beat-up sofa.

  “Are you kidding? He’s the most amazing kid I’ve ever met.”

  “More so than you know.” She told him how Kai risked his life to save his now-stepsister from a convicted murderer, hell-bent on destroying the girl’s mother.

  “Oh, wow, I remember that story. He chased after the girl when she was kidnapped and then got her away from the man. They hid out in a cave or something until they were rescued. That’s him?”

  “Yes. And it was a hole in the ground, actually.”

  “Damn,” Reed murmured. He remembered seeing the news coverage and at the time thinking what an amazing boy to be so young and so brave. Not many people would go against an armed escaped convict, no matter their age. “The kid’s a true hero.” He stood and padded to the windows, watching dog and boy play in the sand.

  Hillary came up beside him. “He tried to save another girl from a kidnapping. He attacked the man and the guy punched him and cracked his rib but he ignored the pain and hung on. He’d have stopped him if the guy’s shoe hadn’t come off, allowing him to escape.”

  Reed exhaled. “I’m seriously developing a case of hero-worship for this kid.”

  Hillary smiled and placed a hand on his arm. “He deserves it. And thank you for laughing at his endless jokes.”

  Reed looked at her and chuckled. “They’re funny.”

  Hillary gazed out the window again. “That’s another thing about Kai…he has the biggest heart. He doesn’t like for people to be sad, so he memorizes jokes to make them laugh.”

  “Damn,” he murmured again. They watched as Kai held on to Kota’s leash with one hand and waved at seagulls with the other. After they flew off, Kai stuck the leash in his mouth and started walking on his hands.

  “Show-off,” Sawyer called out from upstairs where he and Wyatt were disassembling beds. Kai waved his feet at him.

  A knock sounded at the door. “I’ll get it,” Kayla announced and then she called out for Reed. He turned to see Connie standing in the doorway. When he phoned to tell his producer that Hillary’s coworkers volunteered to help clear out the house, she insisted on taking care of dinner arrangements.

  He walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “How’s the vacation going?”

  “It would be better if someone didn’t insist on sabotaging our show.”

  “Yeah, that is a buzz-kill.” He introduced her to Kayla and then Sawyer and Wyatt when they trotted downstairs carrying a box-spring mattress.

  Connie’s shrewd gaze encompassed the group. “My, my, I could put each one of you on television right now,” she murmured. “Thank you all for doing this. You’ve taken a huge load off our shoulders.”

  Kai came racing back inside with Kota and slid to a stop when he realized they had company. Reed introduced him and he politely shook Connie’s hand. Connie was completely charmed. When he skipped off to get a bottle of water, Reed murmured, “Remind me to tell you about him sometime. The story would make a hell of a movie.”

  Connie thanked them again and then asked Reed to escort her to her car. “I’ve made all the arrangements for dinner.”

  “You didn’t need to go to any trouble. They just wanted to grill on the beach.”

  “That’s what they’ll get. I have a caterer coming to set up a tent outside. They’ll be grilling seafood, steaks, burgers, chicken, whatever anyone wants. All the sides. Open bar. Enjoy.” She slid inside her SUV.

  Reed propped his broken arm on top of the open door. “You didn’t have to go to that much trouble, Connie. That had to be hard to arrange on short notice.”

  “Are you kidding? If they hadn’t offered to help, I’d have felt obligated to come over and you know how much I abhor physical labor.”

  Reed laughed and bent to kiss her cheek. “I hope you bring the family by for some food. Your kids would love it.”

  She looked pleased to be asked, even though she made all the arrangements. “Thank you, we just might take you up on it.”

  He waved as she pulled away. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck tingled and he had the overwhelming sensation that he was being watched. He spun around, hoping to find Hillary gazing out at him, but there was no one there. He scanned the area, but it was empty. That didn’t stop the chill that raced down his spine.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Hillary said goodbye to Connie and watched as Reed escorted her outside. Kayla walked up to stand beside her. “I about had a heart attack when I answered the door to see Halle Berry standing on the porch.”

  Hillary laughed. “I know, right? She looks just like her.” She’d thought the same thing the first time she met Connie Ellis. The television industry was perfect for her, but Hillary thought she should be in front of the camera instead of behind the scenes.

  Hillary stumbled when Kayla latched onto her hand and tugged her into the kitchen. Her friend let go and faced her, her gaze expectant. “We haven’t had a chance to talk alone since we arrived. So…”

  Hillary’s brows raised. “So…what?”

  Kayla rolled her eyes. “So…what’s up with you and Mr. Eight Pack Abs of Steele?”

  “Nothing is up. He’s a client, Kay, nothing more. What?” she added when Kayla just smirked at her.

  “Then how come you were all flushed and sweaty and your lips were all dewy and kiss-swollen when we arrived? Hum?”

  Hillary could feel blood rushing back to her cheeks. She spun around and grabbed a stack of dishes to wrap for donation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Kayla gently gripped her arm. “Hey, Hill, it’s me. We tell each other everything.”

  She sighed, her shoulders deflating. She slowly turned and rested her backside against the counter. “I know, and I’m not purposefully keeping anything from you.” She glanced around to make sure they were still alone. “He kissed me, just before you guys knocked on the door.”

  Kayla’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my God, Hill, that’s huge! The man is a delectable hunk of prime male. He’s sex on a stick.”

  Hillary chuckled at Kayla’s favorite saying. “I don’t even know what that means.”

  “It means he’s one smoking hot tamale. How was the kiss?”

  Earth-shattering. Life-changing. “Good.”

  Kayla’s mouth dropped open. “Good? Just good? How disappointing.”

  “Fine, it was amazing, okay? Toe-curling. Spine-tingling. The best kiss I’ve ever had.”

  Kayla sighed, her hand clutching her chest. “I knew he’d be a good kisser.” Her head tilted to one side. “Wait…why aren’t you more excited about this? An amazing kiss from a scrumptious stud is something to celebrate. I’d be running naked down the beach, shouting it to the Heavens.” Her hands fisted on her hips. “And why did you try to keep it from me?”

  “I didn’t purposefully try to keep it from you, Kay. I told you, he’s a client. Nothing more can happen. I won’t let it.” She turned back to wrap the plates.

  Kayla patted her shoulder. “Keep telling yourself that, girlfriend. Meanwhile, I’m going to see if I can coax him to strip off that shirt again.”

  Hillary slapped her arm as she winked and sauntered from the room.

  “Ms. Billings?” She turned to see one of the men who was installing the security syste
m standing in the kitchen doorway. “We’ve got it all set up. If you’re ready, I’ll show you how it works.” After the men explained the unit and gave her the codes, which she would promptly change, she tackled the mess in the house. So far, they hadn’t found anything that would be worth breaking in to find. Sawyer and Wyatt had gotten rid of all the heavy furniture. Some would be donated, but the rest resided in the dumpster outside. They’d checked inside, behind and under drawers for anything of value. Cushions had been searched and any furniture that wasn’t being donated was disassembled. They’d found nothing.

  Reed had arranged for packing boxes and materials to be dropped off, so anything that was salvageable, they’d wrapped and boxed up for a charity to pick up. Dozens of garbage bags had been carted to the dumpster, now overflowing with refuse. Reed had made a call for it to be removed and replaced.

  She was thankful her coworkers offered to stay. It would’ve taken her and Reed a week to go through the house. As it was, they’d have another day or two sorting through papers and documents, but all the heavy lifting was done.

  “Hey, look over there.” Kai pointed out the windows towards the beach. “Someone’s setting up a tent.” She walked over to look and sure enough, a group of people dressed in green shirts and khaki shorts were constructing an open-sided tent in front of her cottage.

  Reed came up beside them. “That’s to thank you all for helping out today.”

  “What is it?” Kai asked, excitement shining in his eyes.

  “A catered dinner of grilled steaks, seafood, burgers you name it, with all of the fixings.”

  “Yum!” Kai pumped his fist in the air and then bumped knuckles with Reed. They’d added even more explosions and finger wiggles. It looked complicated and she couldn’t help but smile.

  “You didn’t have to go to that much trouble,” she protested.

  “Yeah, we’d have been happy roasting frankfurters on the barbie,” Wyatt added.