by Zara Chase
“Why are you going to so much trouble on my account?”
“Why?” He seemed surprised by the question. “Why would we not? You need help and we’re in a position to provide it for you.”
“Hmm.” She thought there was more to it than that. She had noticed a shadow pass through Vasco’s eyes whenever her grasping family was mentioned and wondered if this was personal for him.
“So, will you come?” He tilted his head and sent her a puerile smile that melted her insides. Why was she even hesitating? What was the worst that could happen? Most women in her position would grasp the opportunity, and any body parts up for grabs, with both hands. “We can be real good fun. I promise.”
She just bet they could. “I suppose, if you put it like that. I don’t have much work at the moment, and what I do have I can take with me. Perhaps a change of scene will inspire me to wax lyrical about toilet cleaner.”
“Come again?”
She smiled. “Never mind. You really don’t want to know. I’ll throw a few things in a bag.” She walked toward the doorway, then paused as a thought occurred to her. “Oh, what about Marley?”
“He’s invited, too, obviously.”
“Okay, but one more thing. I won’t need to wear Lycra, will I?” She shuddered. “I should hate to give your gym a bad name.”
Vasco roared with laughter. “Baby, you see some of the sights we see every day, and you’ll stop worrying. Besides, I already told you, you don’t need to step foot in the gym, unless you want to.”
“Can’t see that happening. Exercise and I aren’t comfortable bedfellows.”
“Oh yeah.” His face lit up with an enticingly heated grin and she knew she’d said the wrong thing. “So what does make you comfortable in bed?”
“Hot cocoa and a good book.”
She heard his throaty chuckle, and thought he muttered something about that being a crying shame, as she ran to her bedroom. Flirting with an expert, which she realized with a jolt was what she had been doing, was exhausting. It was also a game she’d never win. She pulled a bag from her closet and started throwing clothes into it before she lost her nerve. Now she was out of reach of Vasco’s marauding hands, she could think a little more rationally, but not to the extent that she could figure out why the guys were insisting she went back with them. They were going above and beyond…way beyond.
“Just go with the flow,” she said aloud, wondering what clothes to take with her. Casual, she figured. Well, apart from her new dress, she didn’t have much else. She grabbed a few toiletries from her bathroom, zipped up the bag, and was as ready as she would ever be. She heard the front door open and the next moment Marley launched himself onto the bed. She absently stroked his ears, aware of the guys talking in muted tones in the other room. She moved closer to the door and heard Ty give a little whoop when Vasco told him she’d agreed to go with them. Like there was any serious doubt about that. Why was Ty so pleased, though?
Bottom line, she liked the guys, but didn’t altogether trust them. But, for once, she would live for the moment and see what shook loose. They had made her feel special tonight, and for that alone she owed them. She wondered if she ought to change out of her dress. Probably not suitable for where she was going. They she recalled how impressed the guys seemed by it, how good it felt to be admired, and defiantly left it on.
“All set,” she said, wandering back into the main room.
Vasco grabbed the bag from her hand. “I’ve got that,” he said.
“And I’ve got Marley’s bed and toys,” Ty added, winking at her. “So glad you agreed to come, babe.”
“Vasco was very persuasive.”
Ty chuckled. “I’ll just bet he was.”
“Don’t forget your laptop and any papers you might need. And to leave something to interest your intruder.”
Sorrel would have forgotten, for which she held the pair of them entirely responsible. Having them in her space was overwhelming. They were so big, so masculine, so drop-dead gorgeous that she kept thinking she was imagining things. But no, they were there, large as life and twice as dangerous.
And she was going to be their houseguest. Surreal!
“Right, then, that looks like everything,” Vasco said. “Let’s go.”
She found herself carrying nothing but her purse as the guys took everything else from her, including Marley, who appeared enamored of them. They waited with her, protective as she locked the front door, then threw her things onto the back seat of the truck and helped her into the front. Marley jumped onto her lap, Ty slid behind the wheel, and Vasco got in on her opposite side.
“Right,” Ty said cheerfully as he fired up the engine. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Sure, Sorrel thought, still a little overwhelmed, but what show precisely was he referring to?
Chapter Seven
Traffic was light and Ty made the eighty-mile trip in just over an hour. None of them spoke much, but the radio, tuned to a country station, cut through any tension there might otherwise have been. Tension created by Sorrel, who clearly couldn’t decide if she’d done the right thing. Hardly surprising, Ty thought, given she’d only known him and Vasco for five minutes. They could be ax murderers, white slavers or, like the rest of her family, fortune hunters. He could easily imagine such thoughts filtering through her brain, and hoped they could put her at her ease. Damn it, she had so much going for her, but any self-confidence she might have possessed had been whittled away, simply because she didn’t like the way she looked.
Ty hoped like heck they could persuade her to play with them, even though he shouldn’t be thinking that way. She was a client, the daughter of a military colleague, and it would be taking advantage of her vulnerability, her dependence upon them, her desperation for approval. Even so, his mind wouldn’t stop veering in that direction. He knew without having to ask that Vasco was thinking the same way. She was special, no question—the more so because she didn’t know it.
“We’re just entering Port Angeles now,” Ty told her, his voice breaking through the deep silence and the dog’s snores. The little guy was curled up in Sorrel’s lap, dead to the world. “Our city proudly boasts the largest prehistoric Indian village and burial ground found in the States.” Shit, he sounded like a tour guide. “Still, I guess you must already know that, being born and raised in Seattle.”
“I haven’t been out this way for a while,” she said, yawning. “But I do remember some pretty countryside.”
“Oh yeah.” It was Vasco who answered her. “Majestic Olympic mountains, rain forests, pristine wilderness coastline. Nature of steroids. We got it all.”
“You’re not city dwellers?”
“We can do cities, if we need to,” Ty said, “but we like open spaces and fresh air better.”
“My dad was like that,” she said. “He didn’t used to be, but the military changed him and he started to feel claustrophobic in the city. I guess the things he saw, and stuff…”
“Yeah, we can relate to that.” Ty swung the truck into the lot behind the gym, situated several blocks back from the famous pier in an industrial part of town that didn’t make the tourist guides. “Right, here we are. Home sweet home.”
He and Vasco grabbed her stuff from the rear seat while Marley roamed the lot, lifting his leg frequently, getting acquainted with his surroundings. Sorrel stared up at the outside of the building, which probably didn’t inspire confidence, and almost certainly wasn’t what she expected. Hopefully it wouldn’t cause her to have second or third thoughts about her decision to join them.
“It’s not the best part of town,” Vasco said, walking up behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder. “But it’s safe.”
“I wasn’t judging. It’s just not what I expected.”
“It’s a converted warehouse,” Ty told her as Vasco ran his electronic card through the reader and the door beeped open.
“Doesn’t that mean anyone with a membership card can get in any time?�
�� she asked, presumably picking up on Vasco’s remark about safety.
“No, we close at ten at night, in about fifteen minutes to be precise. Once we lock the doors, the alarm goes on and the security system won’t let anyone without a master key in or out.”
“Oh, I see.” But she still seemed dubious, especially when a guy with bulging biceps and a menacing expression crashed through the door, nodded to them and jumped into a car. “I guess that’s all right then.”
“We’ve got you, babe,” Vasco said softly.
“I know, and I guess this place is safer than my apartment, given that someone appears to be in and out of it at will.”
“Not for much longer,” Ty said, scowling.
They stepped into the open-plan gym, with the pipework exposed on the ceilings from when it used to be a grain store. Now it was all expensive wooden floors, lots of mirrors, and even more expensive equipment. She looked around with apparent interest, but seemed a little overawed. If she really never had been in a gym before, it would be a lot to take in. One or two late-night gym rats were hard at work, sweating away with loose weights and on some of the machines.
“Impressive,” she said. “Although I don’t have anything to compare it to. I am absolutely not going to ask what some of those instruments of torture are supposed to do to a body.”
Vasco laughed. “Probably best not to,” he said.
“Did you guys set this operation up from scratch?”
“Yep,” Vasco replied, scooping Marley up before he got squashed by a treadmill he seemed fascinated by. “We had to sell our souls to the city to get the necessary permits, but it’s working out.”
Jenner came up to them, looking trim and very pretty in tight-fitting Lycra. Ty noticed Sorrel’s face fall.
“Hey, Jenner,” Vasco said. “Any problems?”
“No, we’ve been quite busy, though.”
“That’s good,” Ty replied. “Say, this is Sorrel. She’s staying here with us for a while.” Jenner’s brows elevated fractionally, presumably because he and Vasco never invited anyone to share their personal space. “Sorrel, this is Jenner, the manager of the gym and our right-hand person. This place would fall apart without her.”
“Ah, so this would be a good time to ask for a raise then?”
“Sorry.” Vasco placed a hand to his ear. “It’s kinda loud in here. Did someone say something?”
Ty laughed along with everyone else, but knew Jenner had a point. They paid her as much as they could afford, which was way less than she was worth, and way more than they paid themselves. She had personal reasons for staying with them, when she could do way better elsewhere. They had promised to pay her more just as soon as they turned a profit, and kept Jenner appraised of their financial situation every step of the way. So far she had remained completely loyal and showed no signs of jumping a ship that was barely remaining afloat. If that day ever came, God alone knew how they would replace her.
“Oh well, it was worth a try.” Smiling, Jenner extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, Sorrel. Welcome to the mad house.”
“Nice meeting you, too,” she replied, still looking adorably crestfallen. They really would have to work on her self-confidence.
“Who’s this guy?” Jenner asked, turning toward the squirming dog in Vasco’s arms and tickling his ears. She received a hand-licking for her trouble.
“That’s Marley,” Ty told her. “He’s a houseguest, too.”
“Welcome, Marley,” she replied, laughing.
“You can get off, if you like,” Vasco said. “We’ll close off.”
“It’s okay. Beth’s got my car. She’s picking me up.”
“Okay, if you’re sure,” Ty replied. They had never left her to lock up alone before. “One of us will come back down and set the alarm once you’ve gone.”
“No problem.” She turned away upon hearing one of the clients call to her. “Catch you later, Sorrel.”
“Yeah, sure.” Sorrel watched her walk away. “She seems nice.”
“She is,” Ty said, sliding an arm around Sorrel’s waist. “And in case you’re wondering, Beth is her significant other.”
“Oh, I see.” Ty shared a glance with Vasco, amused when her face flushed bright crimson. “Actually, I wasn’t. It’s none of my business.”
“Liar!” Ty chuckled. “Come on, let’s get you upstairs.”
“You could have phrased that better, buddy,” Vasco remarked, still looking amused.
“Sorrel knows what I meant, don’t you, babe?”
“I haven’t known what either of you mean since meeting you, if you want the truth. I think you speak a different language to me.”
Ty chuckled. “Darlin’, you have no idea.”
Ty, still with his arm on her waist, guided her to the wide spiral staircase that led to the next floor. Since it was an old building with tall ceilings, there were a lot of stairs, and they were steep. Ty and Vasco thought nothing of flying up and down them twenty times a day, often taking them two steps at a time without feeling the effect. By the time they got to the next level, though, Sorrel was breathing hard.
“This floor is all exercise rooms, for classes and stuff, plus changing rooms, steam rooms and sauna and our office,” Ty explained.
“I have to climb another staircase?” she asked, sounding as appalled as she looked. “My thighs are already protesting. Isn’t there an elevator?”
“Want me to give you a fireman’s lift?” Ty asked, grinning.
“My thighs suddenly feel like they’ve recovered,” she said with another cute blush. “Lead the way, slave driver.”
The next flight opened directly onto their living quarters, a high-ceilinged open-plan space with views over the harbor and the entire town. She went to the windows, looked down and gasped with pleasure.
“Some view,” she said.
“Yeah, but you don’t wanna see the heating bills in winter,” Vasco replied, wincing.
“Well, if you will take on these old buildings.”
She turned in a circle and took a closer look at her surroundings. She was probably disappointed. They had put all their money into turning the gym into a state-of-the-art masterpiece in chrome, steel and teak wood. There was no money left for their own space and it was furnished with a mishmash of castoffs from other times and places. They both thought it was comfortable enough, given how little time they got to spend in it. Seeing it now through Sorrel’s eyes, he guessed it missed the feminine touch. He opened his mouth to defend it, to explain. Then closed it again. It wasn’t that bad.
“Grab a seat, babe,” Ty said. “I guess we could all do with a drink.”
Without waiting for a reply, he went to the kitchen area and opened beers for himself and Vasco. He figured Sorrel for a white wine type of girl. It was what she had asked for in the restaurant, but she’d only had one glass. Another one might help her to relax. She was strung tighter than a bow. He poured her a decent Chardonnay and handed her the glass.
“Thanks,” she said, looking uneasy.
“Welcome to our humble abode,” Vasco said, sending her a scorching smile as he raised his bottle to her.
“Likewise,” Ty said, doing the same thing.
“Thank you.” She smiled as she watched Marley slurp noisily from the water bowl Vasco had put down for him and then commandeer the most comfortable chair in the place by hurling himself into it, curling up in a tight ball and claiming squatter’s rights. “It’s kind of you to invite me. I didn’t realize how badly I needed a change of scene. I can’t think of the last time I took a vacation.”
“That’s what we figured,” Ty replied. “It shows, babe. You work too hard.”
“Listen who’s talking. I get the impression you guys put all your time and energy into this place. And it’s not as if you can get away from it because you live above the shop.”
“Sure we do, but it’s ours, which makes a difference. Anyway, we’re talking about you, and you’re free to relax here.”
Ty winked at her. “No one will bother you. And you can ramble around Port Angeles to your heart’s content.”
“We take groups out to nature trails and stuff during the week,” Vasco told her. “So if you and Marley wanna come along and amble about, you might find that’s a cool way to recharge your batteries.”
“Just so long as you don’t plan on getting me jogging,” she replied, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
“Wouldn’t think of it.” Vasco blew her a kiss. “Excuse me for a moment. I’ll just go down and lock up. Play nice without me.”
“Running up and down those stairs will be enough to keep me fit,” Sorrel said as she watched Vasco disappear. Marley, who had been sound asleep, cocked his head, jumped for his chair and scampered off after Vasco.
“I think my dog must be fickle,” Sorrel said, smiling as she watched him go.
“He’s checking out his new territory, is all.”
“Well rather him than me. I’m out of the habit of stairs, what with my apartment being on the first floor.”
“You’ll feel it for a day or two, then you’ll be fine.”
She appeared dubious. “Easy for you to say.”
Ty didn’t attempt to break the ensuing silence, contenting himself with focusing a probing gaze on her profile, leaving her to decide what she wanted to say to him. He could tell she had questions. All he knew was that it felt natural and right to have her there, sharing their space. Many women had tried, but Vasco and Ty were too private to take the chance. They both knew from bitter experience that once a woman got her foot in the door, getting her out again was not so easily achieved. If they wanted to play, they did it away from home. Sorrel, on the other hand, had made no effort to infiltrate, and yet here she was, and at their invitation. Go figure.
“I need to understand why I’m here,” she finally said, her words echoing his thoughts. “Vasco prevaricated when I asked him. Why are you guys doing so much for me?” She shook her head. “I just don’t get it.”
“We like you,” he replied, because it was the truth. “And you need help with more than just your slogan thief.”
