by Lexi Blake
“So you went home this time and reconnected with him?”
This was where Cara’s advice might help. “Yeah. We were both at the same restaurant my first night in town and we ended up sitting at the bar together. I went back to his place. It was like a flash fire. It was like no time had passed at all, but it was also different.”
“It was hotter because you’re both older and more experienced.”
Noelle nodded. “Yeah.”
Cara gave her a smile. “So the sex is good.”
She sighed, a sound of pure longing. “It’s amazing.”
Cara’s gaze went to the balcony, her nose wrinkling. “Really? He seems like a nice guy, but a little on the nerdy side. Don’t get me wrong, he’s adorable. But I’m surprised you’re with him instead of Kyle. I guess I like them hot and broody.”
“Hutch is totally hot. Trust me. If you’d ever had that man’s mouth on you, you would know how sexy he is.” Undercover sexy. He made her dinner and treated her like a princess and then spread her legs and fucked her like his favorite sex toy. He talked science and computers and board games and ordered her to ride his cock until she couldn’t take it anymore and she called out his name while she came.
Was she making a terrible mistake? Should she throw out the whole training class thing and give him what he wanted? She got the feeling if she was willing to give up the class, he would give a relationship a try.
Cara smiled. “Okay. I’ve known the type. Is he better than he was in high school?”
Noelle shook her head. “We didn’t have sex then.”
“Ah, this is a one-that-got-away situation. That can be intense,” Cara conceded. “But why the quick move in? You seem so careful. I’m sorry I came on strong, but I’m worried about you.”
“Worried?”
“You have a lot of pressure on you right now. I mean between that fire at the lab and your research, you’ve got a lot on your plate,” Cara pointed out. “They haven’t figured out what happened in Madison’s lab, right?”
She’d talked to Cara a lot about her situation at work. “It was reported as an accident. That’s how the authorities are treating it.”
“Yes. I find it interesting that they filed the paperwork and closed the investigation so quickly.”
“How would you know that?”
Cara shrugged. “Noelle, I’m a reporter and your friend. I know you’ve been worried about how Madison died. It’s so typically Noelle that you would worry about a person who was terrible to you.”
“Jessica told me Madison was careless.”
“From what you’ve told me, she was working with some highly unstable materials,” Cara pointed out.
“She was, but she knew how to work with them.” It was what didn’t make sense. All the rumors she was hearing lacked logic for her. “Madison was mean, but she was smart. She wasn’t a careless person. Discipline was a big thing with her. She had a schedule and she kept it to the point of dropping out in the middle of a meeting because she went to the gym every single day. She never missed a workout or was late to a meeting. She ran her lab like a well-oiled machine. Probably better than I do because I let my techs manipulate me with sob stories I know can’t be true. Billy can’t have had the same cat die four times.”
Cara gave her a smile. “You’ve got a soft heart.”
“Madison didn’t, but if there was one thing she deeply believed in it was her own self-preservation. She wouldn’t do anything that would cause her to gain a couple of pounds, much less do an experiment alone in a lab that normally requires at least two extra sets of hands.” She’d gone over all of this with Hutch, who’d had her write down the questions she had about the accident. He’d told her not only would it help him but that it might calm her mind to actually write them down. It had. She’d spent time writing up her questions and her thoughts about Madison. Madison had been a careful woman, organized to the point that her lists had a list. “I also find it odd that she was there so late at night.”
“And that she managed to turn the security cameras off around her lab.” Cara crossed one leg over the other, a thoughtful expression on her face. “That’s what the reports said. She used her own passcodes to override the system.”
Suspicion sprang up in Noelle’s head. “How do you know all of this?”
“Like I said, I’m a reporter,” Cara replied. “And this is an interesting story. Also, I’m worried that you’re getting pulled into it. Look, I know we haven’t been close for long, but I really like you, Noelle. Something is off about this whole thing. You have to understand that the authorities closed the investigation in a week. That should have taken months.”
Noelle could think of a couple of reasons why they’d rushed a report. “Jessica’s got pull. She told me today that she’s worried about how a long investigation might upset investors.”
“Did she tell you if she bribed them? The police? OSHA?”
“Whoa, she didn’t say anything of the kind.” She’d told all of this to Hutch and Kyle. “She told me she was happy they’d cleared it up quickly. I guess it was plain that it was an accident.”
Cara stared at her and Noelle could see the reporter in her friend. “But I thought you said it wasn’t plain to you.”
“I didn’t know you were looking into it. I guess now I feel kind of weird talking to you about it.” She wasn’t sure what Hutch would want her to say.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel awkward,” Cara offered. “I’m trying to look out for you. I hope you know that. I don’t have many friends. I might be a little abrasive.”
“No, you’re not.” Cara was aggressive sometimes, but it came with her job. “I like you, too. But I don’t think you have to worry about me.”
“I would worry about anyone close to Jessica Layne,” Cara admitted. “While you were in Papillon, I did some research on her. More than the usual surface stuff. There are some people who think she didn’t earn her degree. She was set to graduate with a business degree and then in the course of two semesters made the switch and suddenly had a bachelor’s in science.”
“She’s got a genius-level IQ.”
“I think that might be another of her myths,” Cara argued. “She’s excellent about building a narrative around herself and her company. Up until now you’ve flown under her radar.”
“Why wouldn’t I continue to?”
That seemed to make Cara stop. “I guess you could. I guess that’s what I’m saying. She’s dangerous.”
That’s what everyone told her. “I’d like to see your research.”
Cara nodded. “Good. I’d like to share it with you. Maybe we can have dinner and go over it Thursday night.”
“I can’t. I’ve got a thing Thursday.” She still wasn’t willing to share the Sanctum part of her life with her friend. She wished she hadn’t been forced to share it with Hutch. It should be private until she decided she knew what she was doing. Still, she would need a good excuse. “We’re all going out on Thursday to meet a friend from home. She’s coming up to a conference and that’s the only night she’s got for dinner.”
Cara finished her glass, setting it down on the table. “Well, then maybe we can do it some other time.” She stood up. “Just know that if you want to talk about anything, I’m next door. I hope you know what you’re doing with this guy.”
Cara held out a hand, not asking Noelle to get up. Cara seemed good about knowing when she wasn’t feeling great. One of the things that made her like the woman was the fact that she didn’t make a big deal out of it. Cara, like Hutch, treated her like a normal person.
Because she was normal. She could hear Hutch in her head. She was a perfectly normal Noelle, and that was all anyone could expect of her.
It was good to be reminded from time to time.
“I do, too.” Noelle squeezed Cara’s hand before she let it go.
She was going to hold the line. She didn’t know Hutch and couldn’t trust that anything between them was real.
If she threw herself into a relationship with a man she didn’t know and tossed out her chance to explore something she thought could be good for her, then she would be the fool. She’d seen how that could work out.
Of course, she’d also seen how fast her dad had fallen for her stepmom. But they were older, they’d made all their mistakes and were ready to truly commit. How many of her friends had she seen get their hearts broken because they’d picked the wrong guy? Even Cara admitted she’d had a bad breakup.
“Do you ever think of him?” Noelle asked as Cara started for the door.
Cara turned, her hand on the knob. “Of my ex?”
“You were supposed to get married, right?”
“Yeah. I took a job he wasn’t happy about,” Cara admitted. “He couldn’t handle the fact that I switched companies. Uhm, newspapers. He was a reporter, too, but he preferred to stay and write about local stories. I was more ambitious, and he thought that made me a bad person. Like I’m supposed to stay loyal to my team at all times.”
“There’s a difference between loyalty and accepting good opportunities. I mean you didn’t step on anyone’s toes, right?”
Cara shook her head. “I didn’t. All of our friends were happy for me. That’s the sad part. He was the only one who didn’t understand. Be careful with your guy. He might seem great now, but you’re going places, Noelle. Guys can have fragile egos about things like the women in their lives making more money and being more respected than they are. Jessica Layne at least has one thing right. She said she wouldn’t ever marry because she wouldn’t find a man who could handle her ambition and drive. At the end of the day, they all still want a woman who cooks and cleans and takes care of them. Call me. Maybe we can have lunch. I missed you while you were in Louisiana.”
She nodded again and then Cara was gone and she was left with a whole lot to think about.
The door to the balcony came open as she started to get up. She needed to lock the door.
“Hey, I’ll get it.” Hutch hurried to turn the dead bolt. “You okay? That looked intense.”
It had been for a moment, but now she felt a sense of warmth because she’d missed Cara, too. “She’s researching Jessica. She’s worried about me.”
“Or she’s working on a story.” Kyle closed the balcony door, the bottle of Scotch and a glass in his hands. “I want to look into her.”
“You do that.” Hutch sat down on the couch across from her. He didn’t look Kyle’s way, though the words were meant for him. “Now, I think it’s late for you to make cookies, but I did pick up some gummy bears, and I’ve heard they go with that wine.”
Damn, but he made her smile. “You’re an expert on wine now?”
He shook his head. “Not at all, but I do candy pairings. Let’s put our feet up and watch some TV. I sat in a chair all day, and I honestly think Kyle’s head is too thick to learn a board game tonight.”
“You know I went to college, right? I’m not dumb,” Kyle complained. “I can win games. But I would rather work. Are you two doing it tonight or do I have to sleep on the couch?”
Noelle felt her face flush.
Hutch stood. “I’ll sleep out here. Grandpa Kyle wants to go to bed, and I’m not sending us all to sleep because he needs his beauty rest. There’s a new Star Trek on tonight.”
She loved the new Star Trek show. Naturally he was a Star Trek guy. But she didn’t want him to give up his room. “It’s okay. I can watch it online.”
Hutch shook his head. “Kyle’s already gone. I won’t get that space back. It’s okay. I don’t sleep much anyway. All right. Let’s eat some gummy bears and watch some Trek.”
It was only later, when she was in her lonely bed, that she realized Hutch had suggested they stay on the couch because he’d figured out her back had ached from all the walking, that sitting in a chair and playing a game might stress it further.
She didn’t get much sleep that night either.
Chapter Ten
Hutch looked up from his laptop. He sat in one of the comfy chairs in the men’s locker room at Sanctum. Years ago, Big Tag had turned the communal space into a massive man cave. There were three different TVs that usually played various sports. There was a fridge that was filled with water, soda, and beer. He would often walk in and find his friends playing video games. Like Theo Taggart and Michael Malone were doing at this moment. They were happily shooting each other in the latest sci-fi game.
The locker room was buzzing for a nonplay night. Some of the more experienced Doms had come to help with the first night of training, and some had simply come to check out the dumbass newbies. The Doms, that was. There would be a hell of a lot of ribbing going on.
Wade Rycroft was currently helping his youngest brother, though he was sure West Rycroft could put on a set of leathers without the help. Wade was the head of the bodyguard unit at McKay-Taggart. He used to run Sanctum, but he’d given up that job years before when he took over the unit and needed more time to spend with his wife and daughter.
“I’m good, brother. I didn’t need you to come down here,” West insisted.
“It’s not a problem,” he heard Wade reply. “I’ll introduce you around and get you familiar with the place.”
“I thought that was why I’m taking the training class. Also, the tops went through orientation last week. The big guy showed us around and pretty much threatened to murder us if we did anything wrong.”
Ah, some things never changed. Sanctum ran one or two training classes a year, and Big Tag loved to fuck with the baby Doms.
West Rycroft rounded the corner, followed by his brother. The big cowboy had moved to Dallas recently. He was six foot three and all muscle, with longish sandy hair and a handsome face. He was all masculinity. He probably didn’t cook or play board games or watch Star Trek. He lassoed things, and women thought he was manly because of it.
Was West Rycroft what Noelle was looking for? Was he her training Dom, and she was about to lose her mind over her gorgeous, masculine partner?
The friend zone sucked, and he was pretty sure that was where he was now.
Hutch glanced up at Wade. “Do you want me to take a picture? Baby Boy’s first day at Dom school?”
Wade snorted, but West shook his head vigorously. “Don’t even tempt him. I swear he’s hovering over me like a mother hen or some shit. I’m a grown-ass man. I can handle a damn training class. I do not need my brother to hold my hand.”
Wade stared at him pointedly. “I’m here because you forgot your kit.”
Theo chuckled and then sighed because Michael murdered him on screen. He turned West’s way. “Don’t even bother, man. Older brothers can’t help themselves. And whatever you do don’t get yourself kidnapped and mind wiped. I swear you’ll never hear the end of it.”
West shook his head like he was trying to figure out if Theo was joking. “I’ll remember that.”
Hutch could have told him Theo wasn’t joking at all, but he kind of liked having the other man a little off-center. “You should understand that if Noelle LaVigne is your training partner and you hurt her, your brother won’t be able to save you. It’s nothing personal. It’s a lecture I’m giving every single one of you. Welcome to Sanctum.”
West’s eyes rolled. “Yeah, like I’m afraid of tech support.”
Wade’s hand came out and smacked the back of his brother’s head. “First of all, don’t think he can’t kill you. He’s been in and out of the field for years and you’re brand new. Secondly, he’s been through more dangerous shit than you could believe. Third, he won’t merely beat the crap out of you. He’ll wreck your life with a couple of keystrokes. You want to be put on a no-fly list? Because he can do that.”
West put a hand to the back of his head. “I was joking. Damn, man. I thought that’s what everyone did here. Sorry, Hutch. I’ll look out for your girl.”
“Ah, that’s the problem,” a familiar voice said. “She’s not his girl and it’s made him cranky.”
&n
bsp; Kyle leaned against the lockers. He, too, looked all big and muscley in a pair of leathers. Still, Noelle showed no signs of having a thing for Kyle, so he kind of hoped the gods had put them together. He didn’t see Kyle making a move on her.
“She’s my friend and I care about her,” Hutch explained.
That got Michael’s attention. “Dude, are you fucking the client? Did you miss the lecture? Big Tag puts it in all the training materials. Thou shalt not fuck the client.”
“Oh, he’s not fucking her now,” Kyle replied with a smirk. “He’s cooking dinner for her, making her lunch, watching TV with her, and he sleeps on her couch.”
Michael winced. “Sorry. Wow. So you slept with her and now you’re still working with her but she’s about to meet her training Dom, who is not you. That is some serious awkward.”
Said the man who still worked with his ex-fiancée. “Pretty much.”
He’d honestly thought Noelle would invite him back to bed. That first night after they’d sat up watching TV, there had been a moment when the world seemed to still and he could feel the air crackling between them. He’d known he was going to kiss her.
She’d said good night and run to her bedroom.
He’d sat on the balcony for the longest time, but the door hadn’t opened.
Still, he caught her looking his way, and it wasn’t with distaste. Would that change when she met her training Dom? Would all that sweet feminine energy and smarts be directed the new guy’s way?
The only time he managed to get his hands on her was when he showed up to take her to lunch. Kyle had started driving her to and from work.
“I told you I’ll look after her.” Kyle pushed off the lockers. “She’ll be fine.”
“I thought we weren’t supposed to sleep with the clients,” West said, his voice hushed but absolutely audible to everyone in the damn room. “Not that I want to. The one client I’ve had was an old dude.”
