by Lea Hart
“I was just making conversation.”
“To answer your question, it was fun. I met a nice man who I might meet for coffee later this week.” She collapsed into her chair and grinned. “I have a good feeling about him.”
“Really…”
Leaning back, she crossed her arms. “Is it that hard to believe that someone would want to spend time with me?”
“No, not at all.” He walked over and leaned his hip against the desk. “You are smart, beautiful, and funny. There isn’t a man alive who wouldn’t give his left nut to spend time with you.”
“Just the left one and not the right?” When he looked embarrassed, she patted his leg and then laughed. “Thank you, Brady. That was a very…interesting compliment.”
“It sounded a lot better in my head.”
“No worries.” A monitor beeped again and she glanced over his shoulder and sighed. “I better get back to work. I’m leaving at a normal hour from here on out, so I have to learn how to cram twelve hours’ worth of work into eight.”
“Sounds challenging,” he responded. “Why the change?”
Lifting a pen off her desk, she rolled it through her fingers. “I’m jump-starting my social life and I have a date every night this week. I signed up with a dating site last month and I’ve come up with seven potential candidates.”
The look of horror that crossed his rugged features almost made her laugh. “I didn’t just tell you I was going on a crime spree. Don’t look so disgusted.”
When he ran his hand over his jaw, she heard the scrape of stubble and wondered what it would feel like against her cheek. Down her neck. Between her legs. Which were not thoughts she should be having, considering she had a date with…what the hell was his name? Leaning forward, she moved her mouse around and clicked on the spreadsheet she’d made earlier. Kevin. Kevin the pharmacist was her date this evening. By all accounts, he was a lovely man who had no criminal record, weird habits, or odd sexual appetites. At least nothing she could uncover from the background check she’d done on him. The fact that he’d answered cats over dogs was worrying but not enough to deter her.
“I’m not disgusted or horrified. I’m perplexed,” he responded as he leaned his face in his hand and studied her closely.
Not blinking, she held his gaze and wondered if they were playing some weird game of chicken. Not one to give up, she stared back and felt a little frisson of excitement run over her skin as his eyes bore into hers.
“You are the whole package, Claire.”
“And…”
“Nothing. I guess I’m just out of it and don’t understand why a woman like you would choose online dating. I thought that sort of thing was for weirdos and losers.”
“That is the furthest thing from the truth. One in five relationships results from people meeting online. It’s a great way to suss out potential mates and cut out the riffraff. Time is precious and going on a bunch of dates only to find out you have nothing in common is a waste of time.”
“What about good ol’ chemistry? Where does that play into online dating?”
“Chemistry has nothing to do with it. Compatibility and shared interests are where it’s at.”
He leaned forward, pushed some hair behind her ear and shook his head. “I must be old-fashioned because I don’t want to spend time with someone who doesn’t make me want to act like an idiot.”
“I’ve done the acting like an idiot dating and I’m ready to try something new. Something that doesn’t leave me a weeping mess on my couch. Rational dating is a much better option.” Leaning away from Brady, she checked her computer again so she could remember her date’s name. “With Kevin, the pharmacist.”
“When you’re done with seven days of rational dating, how about you give me a chance to take you out on a non-rational date?”
“Why?”
“Because…” He lifted her hand and held it gently. “Chemistry beats the shit out of compatibility any day.”
Chemistry. She loved it but it had never really worked out for her. All those crazy feelings had never transformed into anything she could hold on to. And that’s exactly what she wanted: something that didn’t slip through her fingers…just when things were getting good.
The world of hookups and meet-ups had never worked out and that’s why she had decided to try the online dating thing. It seemed she had a better chance of finding out what someone was looking for before she wasted her time or, worse, got attached. “I’m going to stick with compatibility for a while and see what I come up with.”
“Maybe we’re compatible.”
“Maybe.” Running her finger over his hand, she wondered where he’d gotten the long scar that crossed his skin. “Do you have a good story to go with the scar?”
“I have a lot of scars and a lot of stories. Doubt any of them are very good. But if you’ll let me take you to dinner after you’re done with the bozos, I’ll come up with one.”
“Well…maybe.”
“I’m going to turn that maybe into a hell yeah before the week is over.” He stood, lifted her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips across her skin. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine as a picture of the two of them walking along the beach flitted across her mind. Holy catastrophe, she’d gone from a maybe to a full-blown Hallmark moment in less than a minute. If that didn’t tell her to keep her distance, she didn’t know what did.
What kind of magic did this man possess? Five minutes in his company and she was filling her mind with romantic fantasies. If he stuck around any longer, she’d probably have pictures of him dancing naked running through her mind.
Slipping her hand away, she cleared her throat. Time to get her head back in the game. Rational, sensible dating wasn’t something she should give up on before she even started. Moving her hair off her shoulder, she gave him a small smile and stood. “Better get to work. Lots to do.”
Walking around him, she headed over to her monitor, crossed her arms, and studied the information scrolling across the screen. When he stepped next to her, she almost jumped out of her skin. “Lord, don’t sneak up on me.”
“No sneaking, Claire.” He lifted her face with his finger and waited until she looked him in the eye. He must’ve been satisfied because he finally spoke. “Call me if you need anything. Don’t call an Uber to come and get you. Call me. Anytime.”
“Don’t think that will be necessary.” Straightening her T-shirt, she smirked. “I’m driving myself, anyway. Everyone knows you don’t get in a stranger’s car.”
He nodded and then headed toward the door. “Smart move. But if you feel uncomfortable or even bored, call me.”
“Okay.” She lifted her hand and waved as he walked out. Leaning over the table, she let out a breath. “Have mercy upon my soul and my wayward libido,” she whispered. Damn Brady and his chemistry. It was the last thing she needed as she embarked on her dating adventure. Clearing her mind, she took five deep yoga breaths. “Nope, not going to let it cloud my mind,” she instructed herself. “No way.”
CHAPTER THREE
Tuesday, July 18th
Brady glanced over at Brock and had a pretty good idea of what he was thinking, which was one of the many advantages of working with your big brother. Smirking to himself, he watched him stand and speak to a man at the end of the bar.
Bingo.
They were currently on a personal protection assignment for an actress who had come to town to speak with his girlfriend, Lilly, about one of her books. Shaking his head, he waited for Brock to settle himself back in his chair before speaking. “The guy isn’t a threat and you can’t give people a hard time for staring.”
“It’s not polite,” Brock succinctly replied.
Brady snorted and wondered when the cool operator his brother had once been was going to reappear. Ever since Lilly had been threatened earlier in the year, he’d been hyper vigilant. The fact that they were sitting in Lilly’s sister Lucy’s restaurant in the middle of the day didn’t mak
e any difference about how closely he kept an eye on things. Worst thing they were going to deal with today was some rude fans. Not a psycho who wanted to shoot up the place.
The woman they were protecting was Erin Phillips, and she had a lot of enthusiastic fans. She had starred in a sci-fi series a couple of years ago and some people had a hard time separating the character she played from the actual person she was. Which made for some interesting encounters with the public, but so far not dangerous.
Erin’s personal bodyguard nodded his acknowledgment from his seat against the wall. Damian Kirk was a retired Ranger and probably appreciated Brock’s vigilance because it was easier to stop something before it got started.
Brady watched Brock study the guy who’d been staring and wondered what he planned to do. Love hadn’t made his brother real reasonable and he figured if Brock could figure out a way to get Lilly wrapped up in a safe bubble, he would. And her being around someone who had eager fans was about the exact opposite of what he was comfortable with. Not that he could do anything about it. Lilly was her own boss and there was no way she would put up with Brock dictating her movements. Which meant his brother kept his mouth shut and prayed she didn’t figure out how closely he guarded her.
Seeing Brock fall ass-over-teakettle in love had been damn entertaining, and Brady was grateful that he’d finally found happiness. A happiness that Brady wouldn’t mind finding himself. He didn’t know if it was possible, but at least now he’d have the time to find out.
His retirement from HRT had made him reassess what he was looking for in life with fresh eyes. And one of the things he wanted to have was someone to call his own. Someone to build something with. His dedication to the bureau hadn’t left time for much of a personal life and he was ready to make it a top priority.
Leaving the FBI hadn’t been easy, but he hadn’t really had a choice because his shattered knee had taken him out of the field. And, the desk job they’d offered hadn’t appealed to him enough to stick around. So here he was, back home working side by side with some of the best men he’d ever met. TRG had been a great fit so far and he only expected it to get better as time went on. If he could add some personal happiness to the mix, he’d be set.
His phone buzzed and he pulled it out to check the incoming message. Claire’s face popped up on the screen and he found himself smiling. His girl genius hadn’t totally shut him down yesterday and he took that as a positive sign. What he didn’t consider a positive sign was how happy she appeared this morning. Apparently, the stupid pharmacist she had dinner with last night wasn’t a total dud. How that was possible he had no idea.
One date down, six more to go before she would be free. Why she was considering any of the bozos as real candidates wasn’t anything he was ever going to understand. So what if they had answered the questionnaires correctly? That didn’t mean a thing if there was no chemistry. And as far as he was concerned, he and Claire had it. When her breath had hitched as he tucked her hair behind her ear, he knew she wasn’t impervious to his charms. Which meant all he needed was a chance.
Reading the text she sent, he realized he might have a small one when he went by her office later to pick up the information she had for him. He typed a quick response and told her he would be by in a couple of hours. He was going to be off duty soon, so he was going to have plenty of time to make it in to TRG before she left for date number two.
The fact that she had a spreadsheet on the men she was seeing told him he probably had very little to worry about. If someone caught your attention, there was no way you wouldn’t be able to remember his name.
Hell, he remembered everything about Claire. Her scent, the sound of her laughter, the way her hair fell over her shoulder when she tilted her head. There wasn’t a detail he couldn’t immediately recall and describe perfectly. And that included the way she’d looked in her dress the other night. He’d been torturing himself with those images for days, which meant his patience about when they could spend some time together wasn’t going to last long.
Clearing his throat, he shoved his phone back in his pocket and scrubbed his mind clean. The last thing he needed was to be thinking about Claire when he was on duty. Didn’t matter if it was babysitting or not. He glanced over at Lilly and Erin and saw they were still deep in conversation.
Brock had his arms crossed and was studying anybody who walked through the doors. If someone so much as glanced in the women’s direction, he gave them a death glare. Seemed his years with MARSOC had perfected his temerity.
Anyone with a half a brain wasn’t going to mess with Brock and his badass attitude. Not if he wanted to walk away unscathed. Shoving his elbow into his brother’s side, he raised an eyebrow. “Lucy’s going to kill you if you scare away the customers.”
“I’m not scaring away anyone.” He smirked and then sat forward on the stool. “If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear.”
He saw Lucy walk out of the kitchen and approach the women’s table. When she pulled up a chair and joined the conversation, he knew they were going to be there until Hunter and Miles took over. Which was fine by him. Sitting in the French Press restaurant wasn’t a bad way to spend the day. One of the waiters delivered a plate of sliders and told them Lucy wanted them to eat. “Thanks, man,” Brady replied. He lifted one, ate it one bite, and grinned. This was livin’ in high cotton, that was for darn sure. Lucy Bertrand was one of the best chefs in the state, and to be eating her food in the middle of the workday was not a bad way to collect a paycheck.
Brady kept his eye on the women and wondered if they were hatching an evil plan. The way their heads were almost touching and the furtive looks they cast over their shoulders made him think they were up to no good. Which was almost guaranteed if Lilly was involved.
The girl he’d grown up with was known for her love of pranks, and he figured she might not have left it totally behind when she’d become an adult. Just because she was a successful writer didn’t mean that she didn’t like to pull one over on people. If she could come up with some co-conspirators, who knew what she could accomplish?
The three women erupted in laughter and Erin’s bodyguard, Damian, shook his head. Whatever was going on over there didn’t bode well for Brock and whoever was in charge of Erin’s safety. “Has Lilly given up her pranks?”
Brock swiveled his head and raised an eyebrow. “As far as I can tell. I try and keep her occupied so that fertile mind of hers doesn’t come up with any shenanigans.”
“That’s probably best. Though I did enjoy the ones she pulled off in high school. I think the headless-drive-through prank she organized senior year is still discussed in some circles. Also, her old standby of using a strip of Saran Wrap across a doorway and watching people flail as they hit it had a simple elegance that has to be appreciated.”
Shaking his head, Brock turned back toward the group of women. “Lilly doesn’t need any encouragement, so please don’t remind her how good she is at it. The last thing I need is a wife I have to bail out of jail.”
Brady snorted. “She’s not your wife yet.”
“Soon,” Brock replied confidently. “Very soon.”
Lilly must’ve sensed they were talking about her because she lifted her head, waved to Brock, and blew him a kiss. “Does she know about you very soon plan?” Brady asked.
“Nope. I’m a very relaxed and easygoing boyfriend.”
“Doubt it,” Brady mumbled before grabbing another slider and popping it into his mouth.
“Wait until you’re in my shoes. You’re not going to be that much different. I hear you have a certain woman in your sights and I bet once you have her you’ll be ten times worse than me.”
Scoffing, Brady leaned back and shook his head. “I’m the most relaxed out of the Landry brothers. Anyone would agree with me.”
“Yeah, right.”
Brady looked over at his brother and decided not to take up a ten-year-old argument. Truth was, they were all wound a little ti
ght. He’d always attributed it to losing their mama when they did. They had all discovered far too early in life that bad things could happen to good people, and it had made all three of them a tad on the controlling side. Which, if kept in check, could be a good thing.
And therein lay the rub…keeping it in check. Watching his brother, he figured that it was pretty much a daily struggle. Wouldn’t be that way for him when and if he found someone of his own. No way.
CHAPTER FOUR
Thursday, July 20th
Claire walked into the Social Southern Table restaurant and looked around for her friend. Stepping to the left, she spotted her tucked into a booth toward the back. Thankfully, Andi wasn’t on call and, for that, she was grateful. When her date had canceled earlier, she was actually relieved. Turned out dating three days in a row had just about done her in.
Three hours on a date was equivalent to about twelve hours of working, she’d discovered. Nothing in her life had prepared her for the amount of energy it took to meet someone new every night. The getting ready alone was more than she’d bargained for. Never before had she spent so much time fussing with her hair, clothes, and makeup.
And how long she was going to be able to keep it up was anyone’s guess. Having a night off was just what she needed to regroup and recharge for the next set of dates.
Maybe scheduling dates seven days in a row hadn’t been such a good idea after all.
When she’d first come up with the idea, she assumed it would be the fastest way to date as many different men as she could and then determine who was her type. So far, she hadn’t met anyone she wanted to be more than friends with. Which wasn’t awful. It just wasn’t the point of joining an online dating site. At least, not for her.
As she wove around the people in the bar, she heard little snippets of conversation and wondered how many people were here on first dates. It was a special kind of hell going through the initial couple of minutes of making conversation. Chitchatting and trying to determine if you had any interest in the person sitting across from you was not for the faint of heart.
