“Baby,” he sighs, dragging me across his chest, and kisses me senseless.
Chapter 37
Scooter
“It’s going to be fine,” Mia assures me as I get dressed for the meeting with Kincaid.
She’s naked, still lying in bed, and damn if it wasn’t difficult to climb out from under the covers.
“And if it isn’t?” I turn to look at her, loving how her eyes rake down the length of my body.
My cock, having a mind of its own and not caring what the future holds so long as it includes Mia Vazquez, begs me to strip naked and get back under the blankets with her.
“We don’t even have to worry about that,” she says absently, her eyes glued to the strip of skin disappearing as I button up my shirt. “Everything is going to be fine. You’ll still be a member of Cerberus when the meeting is over, so worrying about it is pointless.”
“I wish I had your optimism,” I mutter.
Mia had been my sole focus after she came back from Louisiana, but now I’m forced to reevaluate. I have to be able to split my time and my focus between the woman I can see spending the rest of my life with and my job. It won’t be easy, and I know the original members of Cerberus know that, but if they’ve found a way to balance all aspects of their lives, then I can, too.
“Kiss for good luck?” Mia asks, her eyes finally lifting to mine now that I’m fully dressed.
Leaning forward, I press my lips to hers, but I keep it PG, just a simple brush because I know going any deeper would make me late and seeing as how my job is already on the line, I don’t want to give the guys a further reason to hand me my walking papers.
I slip out of the room, closing the door quickly behind me when I see Jinx leaving his room. To say I’m protective over Mia is an understatement.
Jinx and I make small talk as we head into the kitchen and make cups of coffee. He doesn’t seem at all nervous about what’s about to go down, but I know that has more to do with being uninformed than anything else. Kincaid wouldn’t discuss me staying or getting the boot with anyone other than the guys that were included in the brief meeting yesterday. The guys are professional to a fault.
Jinx claps me on the back when I get up from the table to leave, and I take that as his support for wanting me to stay. As I walk to the conference room, I wonder if the guys were asked their opinions about the outcome of today. If I were in Kincaid’s shoes, I would’ve asked everyone how they felt. I need to have these men’s backs and keep their safety in mind. If they can’t trust me to do that, then I’m useless to the team.
I nod at Kincaid and Shadow as I enter the room, but otherwise, keep silent until the other four guys show up. Once the six original members are all in attendance, the conference door closes us in once again.
My palms sweat, but I somehow keep from wiping them down the legs of my jeans.
“Is Mia being here permanent?” Kincaid asks once everyone takes their respective seats at the table.
“She’s permanent in my life,” I tell him, doing my best not to get defensive. I cleared her coming here before we left Miami, but I didn’t consider that the agreement may have an expiration date. “I can find another place for us to stay if it’s a problem.”
I keep the irritation out of my response, but just barely.
“Her being here isn’t a problem. It never was,” Dominic says. “Where’s your head at?”
I take a minute to reflect before answering because I don’t want to seem too hasty, like I’ve walked in here today with a prepared speech that wouldn’t change no matter what I’d been presented with.
“Mia is happy and healthy,” I begin. I know the issues I’ve had have stemmed from her, so keeping her out of this decision is pointless. “Most of her worries are gone, and that calms a lot of issues for me. I’m man enough to speak up from now on if there’s conflict.”
“You’ve been seeing Dr. Alverez?” Shadow asks from behind his computer.
“Twice a week. I’m working on convincing Mia to see her as well.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Kincaid says as he opens a file on the table. “Dr. Alverez doesn’t see an issue with you returning to work.”
I nod, although I’m surprised. I’ve practically spilled my guts to the good doctor, and I figured she’d think I was legit crazy from confessing all of the things I’ve told her.
“I want you back in the field,” Kincaid says. “All the guys want you back in the field, but we can’t have another incident like what went down in Venezuela. Cerberus is held to a higher standard, and you’ll be expected to meet those standards, or you’re out.”
“I understand.”
Kincaid nods, and just like that, I’m still in and the conversation is over.
The conference room doors swing open, and all the other guys begin filtering in, along with Deacon Black from Blackbridge Security. I keep my head held high as they take their seats. Most of the guys are smiling, but it’s clear they partied into the night last night, and this morning’s meeting is the last thing they were looking forward to. None of them look at me in sympathy, nor do they have contempt in their eyes. Kincaid told me his expectations, and everyone here has absolute faith that I’ll be able to adhere to them.
I do my best to pay attention to the debriefing as they cover what happened in South Africa, but I feel my attention waning already. My thoughts are still back in my room, where Mia is still hopefully naked and waiting for me.
An awkward silence fills the room, dragging me from my thoughts, and I look up from my hands for the first time in a while, noticing a stoic woman standing at the head of the table. Every one of the guys gawks at her, and I was so lost in my own head that I don’t have a clue what’s going on.
“We’re a progressive club,” Kincaid says. “And I have no doubt that each and every one of you will make sure Rivet feels welcome.”
“A woman in the club?” Grinch mumbles beside me. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
I slow blink, unsure of how I should respond. I’m not a sexist man. I spent more than one tour with females in my platoon, but I also know how men are, especially the men of Cerberus who spend their lives saving the fairer sex. We’re wired to save them, protect them, and keep them from harm at all costs. How can these guys focus on the targets when they’re all going to be worried about her welfare?
“Listen,” Rivet says as she takes a step closer, standing more beside Kincaid than behind him. “I know what you’re all thinking. ‘A woman has no place to be in Cerberus.’”
“That is not what I’m thinking right now,” Jinx says with a salacious look in his eyes.
And that’s the other problem with this whole situation. These guys’ adrenaline runs so hard and so hot that fucking anything that’s willing has always been a way to blow off steam. We can be respectful, but this woman is getting right in the crosshairs of a dozen men who are going to, at some point, want to fuck her. Jinx is already there, and it’s not even noon.
Kincaid frowns, his eyes narrowing in on Jinx, but Rivet doesn’t bat an eye.
“I’ve fought in combat, and despite the numerous commendations I’ve received, I’ve worked my ass off to get here. I don’t expect anything to change. I don’t want you assholes watching what you say or toning down your personalities in fear of offending me. I don’t get offended. I can trash talk and tell filthy jokes with the best of them. I’m here to do a job, and if you fuckers give me half a chance, I’ll prove to you that I’ve earned my spot with this organization.”