by Honor James
“Especially if we are able to get really dark windows for our car as well. I think that would be wonderful.” She would enjoy every single part of it. “Then we could maybe get naked in back and I could ride you while we are headed in to work. Now that sounds wonderful.”
“Now that definitely has some potential. Though we may need to think about a slightly different vehicle. We can’t tint up the front windows at all, so we need to consider if people can see in from different angles. We may need to research a few, consider the angles, and even see some of them up close and personal to get a feel for them.”
“I’m sure that no matter what we will figure out how to work out together. We will find a vehicle that will work, right? Even if we have to shop for a long time we will figure it out.” Besides, that meant that they would be able to test out the vehicles. They would be able to try out how every single one of them would work out together.
“I don’t think they let you do that on test drives,” Elliott said. “Could I get a hand over here? The bottom of this box feels like it’s about to fall out, which means our breakfast bites the dust on the front step, and we’re so damn close.”
Clara moved to Elliott’s side and looked up at him. “Okay, how can we help you?” They were moving for the doors, Craig ahead of them so that he could get the doors for them, but in the meantime she wanted to know how to help Elliott.
“I can’t see anything around this thing, so just make sure I’m not about to trip over anything in my path.” Smiling at her, he moved through the door, thanking Craig as he went. “When we get up to the staff conference room, maybe grab some mugs. Hopefully Michael, or Harker, put on a fresh pot of coffee for us to go along with the meal.”
“I hope that you brought enough food for everyone? I didn’t think about it until just this moment. We did get enough food for everyone, right?” If not she was sure that there would be some fights breaking out.
“Michael put in the order so I’m sure there’s more than enough. Elevator door if you would, love,” he said with a smile. “Given what it weighs, there’s a ton or two in here. The owner gave me a rough rundown of the goodies, and even I could feel my arteries were clogging up.”
“I bet that it’s going to taste delicious.” She loved food, they both knew it. “Hopefully they got enough for me and my big appetite as well because I’m a little starving.” Elliott had always teased her as a child because she could eat more than he could and was always skinny as a stick.
“Worked up a bit of hunger did you?” he asked. Laughing, he leaned the box on the handrail in the elevator. “Don’t worry, I think Michael took into account a lot of very large appetites. Though the three out playing “follow the douchebag” may lose out given we’ll likely plow through everything long before they get back.”
“They should stop and grab food on the way in,” she told him as she pushed the button for the floor that they needed. “I think that way they will for sure be able to have enough food as well. Either that or we need to set aside food for them.”
“I’m sure they’ll grab something on the way back,” he told her. “They know the rules, and food is never set aside unless the missing parties are out on an emergency. Other than that they are either here to eat it, or they lose out.”
“He’s right,” Craig told her as they stepped off the elevator and headed for the staff conference room. “Been a standing rule since we first became a unit.”
“But wouldn’t this be considered an emergency? I mean for them to be doing this because of me? Now I feel bad,” she muttered with a frown. “Seriously, I’m feeling bad now. They are going to miss really good food because of me.”
“Not an emergency,” Craig said. “They would have volunteered knowing Michael was going to be ordering in food, so don’t feel bad for them. A family member being ill, or injured is an emergency. Even their toilet bowl exploding at home would be an emergency. But beyond that, nothing else really counts unless we put it to the vote. Has to be majority not including the person, or persons involved in said emergency.”
“Okay, as long as you are certain,” she said hopefully. “I just really don’t want them to be upset with me because of them missing what smells to be an amazing meal.” She had smelled the scents while in the elevator and it made her mouth water all the more.
The others were waiting for them in the conference room, a carafe of coffee and mugs already on the table. Elliott set the box down and pulled the top layer consisting of paper plates, napkins, and plastic utensils out. Then he dug out the various other boxes, popping them open as he set, or slid, them onto the table.
She could see there were sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs, flapjacks, hash browns, little containers of butter, some different syrups, and even ketchup packets. Once everything was on the table, Elliott ditched the box. Craig pulled out a chair for her to sit in before he grabbed the carafe of coffee and began to pour for them all.
She didn’t hesitate. Instead she began to fill up one of the plates with food for herself, moving the platters down the line as she pulled food off of them much like you would do at Thanksgiving dinner.
Once everyone had a plate of food they all dug in. The conversation was light, mostly around the redesign Michael’s wife, Gigi, was doing in one of the rooms of their home. The guys were giving him flack for the fact they’d caught her in the office a few days ago making him pick a shade of white she’d be using for the trim.
“So why is she redoing one of the rooms?” Clara asked between bites. “And I didn’t know that there were other shades of white paint. Shoes, yes, clothes, absolutely, but paint?” She was not so much into decorating as she was her shoes and clothes. She loved those things.
“She has a hate-on for the wallpaper that is in the room. Two months ago she got the brilliant idea, dead of the fucking night, to start going at it to get it down. Pretty sure her swearing woke not only me, but all our neighbors up, too. And we do not have any really close neighbors. I ended up staying up with her to help. About four in the morning I turn to ask her a question and she’d gone and crawled back into bed. Long story short there are apparently several dozen different shades of white from the cold to the warm, and everything the fuck in between,” Michael said. Which of course set the other guys off laughing hysterically, likely due to the truly disgusted look the man was wearing.
Clara was laughing. “Oh god, she’s pregnant isn’t she? She’s beginning to nest. That’s freaking priceless.” She elbowed Elliott who was closer. “You didn’t tell me that Michael was going to be a father. We could have done up a whole big thing for the poor man.”
All the men, Michael included, were staring at her like she’d just grown another head. Slowly, oh so slowly, their heads swiveled until Michael was pinned under their gazes. But the man was still staring at her.
“What?” she asked with a frown. “Come on, seriously, she’s pregnant. Right?” She looked to Elliott and then Craig. “Is she?” Now she wasn’t so certain. “Everything that he just said sounds like something a pregnant woman would do.”
Michael set his fork down and pushed up from his chair. “Excuse me for just a moment,” he said. Then he tore out of the conference room like the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels.
“Uh, well,” Cutter said. “I suppose we’ll know soon enough. I figure we should be able to hear him freak out from here if it’s true.”
“She would have told him if she were pregnant, right? What if she doesn’t know? Oh god, have I done something wrong by opening my big mouth?”
Elliott rubbed a hand over her arm lightly. “Don’t worry about it,” he said softly. “She would have told him, but she very well may not know either. We’ll find out soon enough I’m sure. Or it could be nothing at all. She might very well have just hated that wallpaper.”
“Trust me, a woman doesn’t wake up in the middle of the night and decide she hates wallpaper. If she hates it she’s going to have that shit removed within days of bei
ng moved into wherever they live. I have a feeling she’s going to have to buy a pregnancy test won’t she?”
“If she doesn’t, Michael damn well will,” Jacobs said. He shook his head slightly. “Feel for him. Though I’m wondering who will be more surprised by his question, him or her.” Picking up his mug he sipped his coffee and then pulled a face. Setting the cup down, he dug out his phone, frowning at the screen before he got to his feet and walked out of the room to take the call.
“I wonder what that face was about,” Clara said as she leaned back in her seat. “And so is Michael the only one who’s in a single relationship? I’ve noticed that several of you guys share the same woman just as Elliott and Craig share me but not Michael. Why?”
Cutter lifted his hand and wiggled his fingers. “Me, too,” he said softly. “Other than that, the rest of these guys are all into mixing things up. As to the why, Michael and I are both incredibly possessive motherfuckers who do not share well. While I’m sure the rest of these guys could be the same way, they don’t appear to be currently. Who knows in the future,” he said with a wink her direction. “Honestly I would have thought Markham would have been in a single relationship. That is one seriously scary possessive man. Yet he seems able to share just fine.”
“He’s a good man, all of you guys are amazing,” she admitted honestly. “As for Markham, he would likely cut the arm off of anyone that touched his woman other than the one he shares with.” It made sense, however. Michael was a possessive man, Cutter as well. She had noticed it when she met the women. The men kept the women close or at least in sight at all times.
“Even then it’s touch and go some days,” Connor said. He grinned at her to let her know he was messing with her. The chuckle he threw in had her rolling her eyes. “Word to the wise, though, never, ever touch his puff pastry. If it has his name on it, it’s his. You touch it he will hunt your ass down to the ends of the earth and put an ungodly hurt on you. I tried it once years ago and I still wake up screaming in the dead of night in memory.”
Craig snickered on one side, while Elliott groaned on her other. “Really, you have to go and tell her shit like that? She was actually thinking he was this spine-covered marshmallow.”
Cutter burst out laughing at that. “Damn, does Markham know she thinks of him like that?”
“Fuck no,” everyone else around the table except her said.
She was laughing, she couldn’t help herself. “Oh god you guys are priceless. Seriously. I would never dream of thinking that any of you were marshmallows. You are all as deadly as they come but you are all also protectors. Each and every single one of you would lay down your lives for the innocent. So while you might all be deadly you are also all cuddly bears at times as well.” The only two she wanted to snuggle with were on each side of her, but that was neither here nor there.
“I like the description of cuddly bears,” Connor said. Pouring more coffee into his mug, he held the carafe up. Craig pushed his mug closer so Connor could top it up. Elliott and Cutter both waved him off. “Though if any of us are getting that soft, we damn well need to get them into the gym,” he added as he settled back into his seat.
“Oh none of you are soft, at all.” She looked over at Elliott and eyed him from top to bottom and all but moaned. “Gracious, there is nothing soft on you, ever.” She knew that she was a horny broad, but who could blame her when she had men she loved and needed in her life.
He shot her a look filled with heat and wiggled his brows enough that the other men chuckled. Leaning over he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Drawing back he, and everyone else, looked to the door when it opened. Jacobs came back in, a very blank look on his face, and settled down in his seat again. He didn’t say anything but even Clara could feel the tension practically vibrating off of him.
Since no one else would ask she did. “Ulysses, are you okay? Is Olive okay?” Ulysses and a man whose name she had already forgotten were watching over her friend. She had no idea why Ulysses was so tense each time he was near Olivia, but there had to be a reason, something she didn’t know about.
He lifted his gaze up to meet hers and gave her a small, tight smile and a nod. “All good. As to your friend, no clue,” he said. “I haven’t checked in with Gordon since first thing and all he had to report yet again was the fact he hates the early runs to the flower merchants. Something about her not letting him even get a cup of coffee down before taking off like a bat out of hell.”
“She loves to get the first flowers, the ones she calls the most quality.” Most florists would order in their flowers to be delivered via FedEx, but not Olivia. She went and hand selected every single flower that she put into her shop. It was a matter of pride with her.
“So we have been schooled,” he said. His phone rang again. Looking at the screen, he banged the phone to his forehead before getting up and leaving the room again.
“You know,” Cutter commented. He was rolling his chair slowly to one side, his gaze out the glass doors in the direction Ulysses had just taken. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he had a thing for the lovely Olivia.”
“Could be right,” Craig said. “When he’s not cursing her out, he’s defending her.”
Cutter held up a finger and narrowed his eyes. His lips were moving as he stared hard out the windows. Suddenly his eyes went wide, and he quickly wheeled back into place. “Everyone act natural, I’ll explain everything later,” he said in a low, hissing tone. Jacobs walked back into the room a moment later looking slightly irritated.
She had no idea what Cutter meant by act natural but she just shrugged and finished eating her food. “I so want to try dinner from this place. If breakfast is this good, I can only imagine how good dinner is going to taste.” It would be great and she knew it. She also knew Cutter and knew that when he had been moving his lips he had been reading Jacobs and Olivia’s lips, so he knew what they had been discussing.
“Their chicken Alfredo,” Connor said. He let out a groan and got a happy smile on his face. “To die for. But their dessert selection is amazing, out of this world, and really reasonably priced, too. I occasionally will pick something up there on the way home if we’re running late so no one needs to worry about cooking. I haven’t had a bad meal from there, but I am a little partial to their Alfredo sauce.”
“Don’t tell me that. I love Alfredo sauce. I could eat it by the jar if I had it.” If there was good Alfredo sauce, that was. “Now I want to have dinner there. Elliott, Craig, will you take me there for dinner tonight? I suddenly want to have their Alfredo.” Not at the moment. Right now she was full but later she knew she would be hungry again.
Her men leaned back in their seats to look around her and hold one of their unspoken conversations. A minute later Craig gave her a nod. “Can do,” he told her. “But it might be late, sweetheart. Depending on how things progress today it could be quite late.”
Elliott looked at his watch as he picked his mug up and drained it, setting the empty cup down on the table. “Speaking of which, I need to go and pull up the comms so we can check in with the guys and find out what’s happening.”
“I have cleanup,” Craig said. “Why don’t you go with him for now, Clara? I’ll come find you after I have all this tidied up and the dishwasher going.”
Clara nodded and leaned into Craig. “Kiss me before I leave?” Life was short and she sure as hell wasn’t going to miss a single opportunity to kiss her men at any given moment in time. Besides, if they dawdled a little they might find out from Michael if Gigi was pregnant or not.
Pressing a hand to the table, he leaned in to give her a chaste little peck. He let out a laugh at her expression. “I love it when you get that ‘what the fuck’ look on your face. It’s so damn hot,” he whispered. His other hand came up to grab her hair gently. Tugging her head back a little he kissed her hard.
Clara lost herself to the kiss. She wrapped her hand in his shirt front and clung to him like a lifeline. She moaned into his m
outh while he plundered her in the kiss, and that was exactly what he was doing, plundering her mouth.
Flicking his tongue along the roof of her mouth, he slowly pulled back. “I’ll see you in a few minutes,” he told her, his voice husky. “Get going before I throw you on the table, and fuck you right here.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” she said with a small laugh. She did, however, get up. Her legs were a little shaky but she got up and headed out of the conference room, looking back over her shoulder once before going off to do what she was tasked with doing.
And ran into a hard body. A deep chuckle told her who it was even as Elliott’s hands caught her elbows so she didn’t end up on her ass. “You really shouldn’t be walking in one direction while looking in another,” he told her.
“I can’t help myself. Craig had just kissed me senseless and then made an offer to take me right on the table. I was trying to decide if I wanted to go back and have him do just that or if I wanted to go and do what I was told to do.”
“Understandable, but none of that on the table. Michael would shit bricks if he caught you, or found out about it later. Keep it in the offices, just not Michael’s,” he told her. Shifting his hand on her arm, he hooked his through hers and tugged her along the hallway toward his office. “We have things to do, sweetheart. So calm down your hormones for a little bit, at least until Yoshi comes to drag you off to do all sorts of interesting things to your lovely self.”
“He really does such lovely things to my body just as you do to mine. The way that both of you touch me, it’s as if you both know exactly what I need before I know what I need.” Her hand was in his and gave it a squeeze. “You are too good to me and for me, you know that, right?”
“Hardly,” he said. “I only treat you as I think you should be treated. With all my love and respect for who you are. Besides, we spent too many years apart, Clara. No way in hell am I wasting even more time not showing you how much I love you.” Tugging her into his office, he nudged the door closed and headed for his chair. Sitting, he pulled her to sit in his lap, his arms moving to hold her close to him.
