by Joss Wood
Tally pushed and Flick pulled and Rufus returned to all fours. Tally rubbed her forearm across her cheek and grimaced.
“Sorry,” Flick apologized. “He likes you.”
“It’s okay.” Tally bent down and rubbed Rufus’s ear. Rufus immediately released an emphatic groan.
Flick blushed. “Oh, God, he’s so embarrassing.”
Tally’s smile was far too wicked for a teenager. “Is that good for you, boy? Huh? Is it?”
Flick told Rufus to lie down and miraculously he did. The fact that he expected a cookie for listening did not escape her notice.
Tally, dressed in a long black T-shirt and cycling pants, adjusted her gym bag on her shoulder. “I’ve finished cataloging the first bedroom.”
“Good job.”
“Kai gave me a laptop with Internet connection so I can research the items as I come across them. I thought I found an Alicia Leal—she’s a Cuban artist, do you know her?”
Flick smiled at her enthusiasm. “Can’t say that I do.”
“Fantastic colors, but it was a fake. I have hopes that a vase might actually be a Lalique.”
She had heard of Lalique. “Cool.” Flick bit the inside of her lip. “Has anyone seen you at Gina’s?”
Tally shook her head. “I use the woods to get to the house, like you suggested, and go in the back door. I’m only there during the day so I don’t use any lights. Someone came to the house the other day but I just stayed in the room and kept quiet and they eventually left.”
Flick winced. “Shit, it must’ve been Pippa. She pops in now and again to check up on the place. If you’re caught there, tell whoever it is to call me, immediately.”
“I wasn’t scared,” Tally replied . “I was under a huge desk—even if they came into the room, they wouldn’t have found me.”
“Still, if you are scared, you don’t have to do this. It’s a big house and it’s not fun being in it on your own.”
Tally looked at her as if she’d fallen out of a pawpaw tree. “Are you kidding? It’s the best job ever! I love the cataloging, love the stuff I’m finding. Finding out about the furniture, the art. It’s seriously cool.” Tally shrugged. “Things don’t scare me, people do.”
Tally bumped her shoulder into Flick’s and Flick turned her head to look at her, raising an eyebrow.
“That’s why Kai started self-defense classes for women, isn’t it? He wants me to get over my fear of guys.”
Okay, Tally was one smart chicken. There was no point in trying to lie to her; she’d see straight through it. “Yeah. Are you mad?”
Tally thought for a moment. “How can I be? He’s got a good heart. And maybe it will help.”
Tally wasn’t a drama queen. She was smart and wise.
“Aren’t you going to ask what happened?” Tally demanded as they approached the front entrance of Caswallawn.
Flick shook her head. “Kai and I both think that if you want us to know you’ll tell us.”
Tally sent her a surprised look and Flick didn’t miss the flash of relief she saw in her eyes. “Thank you.”
“No worries. If you want to talk, either of us will listen.” Flick tugged Rufus through the door and into the fancy reception area of Caswallawn. With its gray-blue walls, long aluminum desk, and elegant chairs it looked sleek, minimalistic, and very businesslike.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, dogs aren’t allowed on the premises,” the receptionist told her, eying Rufus with trepidation.
“Hi, you’re new. Where’s Martha?” Flick asked, trying to hold Rufus as he strained toward the door that led to the training rooms and the gym.
“On vacation. I’m a temp.”
“Well we’re here for self-defense classes and Rufus is usually allowed to go where he wants.” Flick stumbled after Rufus. “I know the way.”
The woman stood up and slapped her hands on the desk and stood her ground. “I have a note here. No dogs are allowed in; especially that one and especially not in the gym.”
Flick frowned. “Rufus has been banned? Why?”
“Well, apparently Kai took him for a run and decided to do a gym session afterward. He tied the dog’s leash to the rowing machine, which was next to a punching bag.” The temp’s yellow-tipped fingers fluttered against her blindingly white shirt.
Flick scrunched her eyes, her hand on the handle of the door. She pulled a face, knowing what was coming next. “He chewed it and Kai banned him.”
Blondie shook her head. “He didn’t, McDougal did. He said that if he ever sees that dog again he’ll turn it into mincemeat.” Ooh, she and McDougal would be having words soon! Nobody threatened her dog. Tally’s shoulders shook with laughter and she held out her hand for Rufus’s leash. “There’s an obstacle course round the back. I’ll take him and tie him to a pole.”
Flick handed her the leash, danger flashing in her eyes. “Thanks. While you do that I’m going to have a couple of words with that rude Scot.”
“Mac?” Tally giggled as a blush stained her cheeks. “He’s a sweetie.”
Flick noticed the blush, and if Mac hadn’t dissed her dog, she would’ve kissed him for making Tally feel comfortable enough around a man to feel attracted. But despite Tally’s approval, she remained unmoved.
“No one,” Flick said through gritted teeth, “threatens my dog.”
***
Flick opened the door to the gym and immediately saw a bank of prime male flesh, in various states of undress, standing around the raised boxing ring. On the other side of the ring, a group of ten women stood, including some from the retiree crowd, their attention divided between what was happening in the ring and the gorgeous, ripped male torsos surrounding them.
The women of Mercy, whatever their age, did appreciate a hot man.
“You’re useless, Manning. Get with the program.”
Sawyer! Yay, Sawyer was back. Flick skipped across the gym and pushed her way past the Caswallawn employees—okay, goosing that guy’s butt had been an honest mistake—and plastered herself to Sawyer’s side.
“Hey, you.” Sawyer gave her a one-armed hug. “I wondered if you’d show.”
“Good to have you back.” Flick stood on her tiptoes to drop a light kiss on Sawyer’s cheek.
“Will you feckin’ concentrate?”
Flick jumped a foot in the air at the bellow coming from the inside of the ring. She turned to look and winced at the carnage inside. The redheaded Scot was standing over Kai, hands on his hips, looking thoroughly pissed off and Kai was staring at her, his golden eyes furious. A trickle of blood stained his chin from a cut in his bottom lip and she could see the start of a bruise on his shoulder. He was getting the crap beaten out of him.
Kai staggered to his feet and lifted a finger in her direction. “Do not kiss him again,” he growled. Flick thought about telling him to go to hell but Kai just turned his back to her and sent Mac a ferocious look. “Bring it on, dickwad.”
“I’m going to kick your ass!”
“You can try,” Kai retorted.
Flick looked at Sawyer, who was wearing a strange, speculative look. “Why is he doing this?”
“He lost a bet, remember? Pippa beat him at pool. I made them postpone the fight until I got back because I wanted to watch Kai getting his ass handed to him.”
Male friendships were so weird. Flick winced as Kai flew over Mac’s shoulder to land flat on his back. He immediately sprang up and blocked a punch Mac threw at his nose. “This is insane. Can you stop it?”
“Why would I want to do that?” Sawyer demanded.
“Because he’s getting hurt.” Flick winced as Kai flung Mac away and wiped away blood from a cut in his eyebrow.
“Hurt? He’s barely scratched,” Sawyer responded, deeply unsympathetic. “Kai’s amazing at hand-to-hand but Mac is even better. You should be happy that
your man can hold his own.”
“He’s not my man,” Flick muttered.
“Really? ’Cause I hear that you’ve been staying at his place most nights.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.” Maybe if she kept repeating it she would start to believe it.
Sawyer gripped her chin and made her look at him. “Do you know what you are doing, Felicity?”
Hell, no. “Sure,” she replied, lying through her teeth. She had no friggin’ idea what she was doing at any given moment. On the mat, Kai grabbed Mac’s wrist and spun him around, but somehow the Scot managed to land a kick in Kai’s ribs. Kai grunted and his eyes flicked to her, and then he was flying through the air to bounce off the ropes.
Mac got up and into his face. “Either you concentrate or we end this, right here, right now.”
Kai lifted his hand. “Okay, point taken.”
Mac jerked a thumb in her direction. “Should she leave?”
Flick bristled. “What did I do wrong?” she demanded.
“You’re distracting him,” Mac growled.
Flick hopped onto the side of the ring and held the top rope. “I’m just standing here and if he’s distracted then it’s his problem. And while I have your attention, if you ever threaten my dog again, I’ll turn you into mincemeat! And you can’t make me leave.”
Laughter rumbled through Sawyer, and Flick turned her head to glare at him.
“Actually he can. This is Mac’s gym and he runs it and has the final say on who stays and who goes,” Sawyer said.
Mac held her stare and a twitch of his lips suggested that he found her vaguely amusing. How annoying. The Scot turned his attention back to Kai. “Let’s go, pretty boy. Let’s show your girlie what you’re made of.”
“Right now, he looks like he’s made of wet noodles,” Sawyer jeered. Flick jumped down to the floor and Flick plowed a small fist into his ribs.
“Ow!” Sawyer rubbed his side as Kai and Mac traded blows. “What’s going on with you and Pippa?”
“We’re currently not talking. What’s happening with Doug?”
“He’s out on bail. Trying to stay sober and also trying to remember what the hell happened that night,” Sawyer said, his face and tone grim.
Mac’s fist hit Kai’s ribs. “Ouch, that had to hurt,” Sawyer said, smiling.
“This is crazy. Maybe they should stop.”
Sawyer shook his head and grinned. “Not a chance. This is the most fun I’ve had for ages. By the way, how the hell did you persuade Kai to give a self-defense class?”
“He hasn’t told you about Tally?” Flick asked.
“I walked in about five minutes before you arrived,” Sawyer explained.
“It’s a long, long story. A lot has happened since you left.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” Sawyer replied. “You and Pippa are fighting and neither of you are willing to tell me why. And you’re sleeping with Kai, who has taken a mysterious teenager under his wing. I leave and this place goes to hell.”
Aaahhhrrroooooooooooo!
Along with everyone else in the gym, Flick whipped around when she heard the howl. She stood on her tiptoes to see her dog bounding through the door that led to the training fields behind the building, trailing his leash. Tally ran in behind him, flushed and out of breath. Rufus’s ears were flapping, and drool dripped onto the floor as he bounded across the room. Flick didn’t think he could go that fast. She opened her mouth to yell at him but before she could, he leaped into the fray and the men jumped to get out of his way. Thank God for their training or else Rufus would’ve flattened them. Somehow he managed, with little grace, to wiggle his way through the ropes and he planted himself over a prone Kai, two feet on either side of him, teeth bared at Mac.
“Crap on a cracker,” Mac shouted. “I thought I banned this dog! What is it doing in here?”
Kai reached up and snagged his hand under Rufus’s collar and Flick knew that he had him under control. Kai scooted backward, stood up, and after a swift, terse command, had Rufus sitting at his side. Huh. How did he make that happen?
“I hate that dog! It ate my punching bag. It sheds, it drools,” Mac shouted, his face as red as his hair.
Rufus responded by lifting his chin, releasing one bark, and vomiting his chocolate chip cookie and his evening meal all over Mac’s bare feet. People groaned and scattered.
Kai lifted his eyebrows at her. “Your dog, your job, sweetheart.”
“Yeah, but he was protecting you.” It was a weak excuse but worth the effort.
“Nice try, but not going to happen,” Kai replied, touching his still-bleeding lip. “I’ll show you where we keep the cleaning materials.”
***
Flick slapped Kai’s hand off her nipple before dipping a Q-tip into the peroxide solution and lifting it to the corner of Kai’s mouth. He whimpered and she rolled her eyes at him. “You can take a pounding in the ring but you can’t take a little peroxide?”
Kai was sitting at his kitchen table, his legs stretched out in front of him. He placed his hand on her knee. It stayed there for about two seconds before he moved it upward, up toward ground zero. His fingers brushed her clit through the fabric and Flick shuddered. He pressed the fabric of her gym pants into her and she could feel the heat of his thumb on her bud. Damn, she wanted him. She always wanted him.
“You were saying?” Kai murmured, his tone teasing.
In retaliation Flick pressed the soaked Q-tip onto the cut above his eye and he yelped like a girl. “Damn! That hurts like a bitch.”
“Don’t look at me for sympathy. I told you not to challenge Pippa at pool.”
Kai linked his hands behind the back of his head, the muscles in his bare chest rippling, and she shook her head at the events of the evening. While she’d cleaned and disinfected the ring, under Mac’s critical eye, Kai had taken Rufus outside and tied him, securely, to a pole. He’d returned to the gym and immediately started the self-defense classes. Flick still wasn’t sure whether she was amused or irritated that he’d thought he could do it shirtless and still have those women listen to him. After ten minutes she’d handed him a shirt, and when he pulled it on, the concentration levels in the class rose considerably.
“I’m surprised at how many women want to learn self-defense,” Kai said.
Flick hooted. “You think that they were there because they wanted to learn to protect themselves? How sweet.”
Kai scowled at her. “Why else would they be there?”
Flick laughed harder. When she thought that she could compose a sentence that made sense, she spoke again. “They were there because you have a nice face and a spectacular body. I admit this reluctantly because the man is a pill, but so does Mac, and Sawyer, and, frankly, all of your bodyguards.”
“They have to maintain a certain level of strength and fitness,” Kai said, dropping his gaze.
“They came there to perv over you and your men. If they learned five percent of what you tried to teach them I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.”
Flick noticed the red stain on his cheeks. “Does that embarrass you? Women thinking you’re hot? Oh, come on, Kai, you must know that you’re a good-looking guy!”
Kai lifted his eyes and she saw an emotion she couldn’t identify. She thought it might be vulnerability but instantly dismissed it. Kai was the least vulnerable man she knew. “Is that why you’re here with me? Because I have a reasonable set of muscles and an okay face? Because I’m a pretty package?” he asked quietly.
She opened her mouth to retort, to tell him that she wasn’t that shallow, but the sadness in his eyes stopped her. She could be flippant and skate over this subject, but she sensed that he wanted, no . . . needed more. She replaced the cap on the peroxide bottle and thought about what she wanted to say. “You have a beautiful body that I adore, and a very, very okay face.”
“I love the package, Manning. It gives me an enormous amount of pleasure. But I also enjoy the fact that you are chronically addicted to my chocolate chip cookies and that you seem to like my dog as much as you like me. It floors me that you can talk about guns and art with equal authority. I admire the fact that you give up your time to instruct a bunch of giggling women so that a young girl might regain her confidence. You’re loyal and funny and, under that grumpy exterior, an incredibly good and kind man.”
“Kind, good. You make me sound like a nun,” Kai scoffed, but his eyes remained on hers, a little hopeful and a lot nervous.
“Kind and good,” Flick reiterated. “There isn’t enough kindness in the world and I think that you embody both virtues.”
“God, Flick, I was a Special Forces soldier and a street rat. I’ve never been fucking kind and good.”
“I think you are.” Flick bent her head and gently kissed the side of his mouth, just brushing his cut. This man needed tenderness like nobody she’d ever met before. “I don’t care about your past. I think this Kai, the one whose lap I’m sitting on, is pretty damn wonderful. The fact that I like the packaging is an added bonus.”
Kai’s hands tightened on her knees as pleasure, emotional pleasure, rippled through him. “You’re nuts.”
“Sure. About you.”
“Flick—”
She heard the warning in his voice, the panic at what she might be suggesting, implying. But this wasn’t a time for words, and she didn’t want to talk anymore. She’d said more than she should have, but she couldn’t help trying to get her point across in another way. She wanted to love this man, just love him, with her hands and mouth and lips and sighs, just for tonight. He was usually the leader in the bedroom but tonight she wanted to slow it down, drag it out. She wanted to express everything she couldn’t say, didn’t want to think, what she still couldn’t understand, in her touch, her kisses.
