He finished butchering a chicken, then added it to the Dutch oven to simmer.
“Now, a little wine,” he said, pouring almost half a bottle into the pot.
She laughed. When he wasn’t beating her ass, he really was quite amusing and easy to be with.
“Whatever it is, it smells divine. At this point, I think I should disclose, I’m a lousy cook.”
“It is coq au vin, which is just snooty chicken stew with vegetables and wine. And if you don’t like to cook, I’ll do it. I enjoy it.”
“Where did you learn?”
“Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. I took some time off between the government and Wild Mustang. I was going to just bum around Europe, but I needed more structure, so I went to culinary school and used the time and discipline to clear my head. It helped.”
“Ever think of making it a career?” she asked, intrigued by this newest piece of information.
“Not really. I’m good at what I do with the firm, maybe the best, and it’s important. Maybe someday that’ll change, but for now, I just enjoy cooking for friends. I was honored when Willa asked me to help her with the cooking for her and Mac’s wedding. That was one of the best celebrations I’ve ever been to. Just family and those friends we call family, but we partied until after midnight.”
“You must not go to many weddings. That’s not all that late.”
“It is when it started at nine in the morning, and Mac and Willa left to spend the weekend in New Orleans at seven that night. God, the next morning, my face hurt, I’d laughed so much,” he said, the memory of the event warming his eyes.
“You really are the most complex human being I’ve ever met.”
“Me? Sweetheart, I’m the most transparent, straightforward guy you’ll ever meet.”
“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but you come off as this macho, tough guy who is always going to be the dominant partner, then I find out you went to a French cooking school, which means you lived in Paris for a while…”
“I could get lost in the Louvre for days.”
“See what I mean? Part of me feels like I’ve known you forever, that my soul has been waiting to be reunited with yours. Then you throw me for a loop. Would you want to live in Paris again?”
He shook his head as he sat on the end of the couch and rested her head in his lap.
“Maybe some little town in France, but not Paris. I always felt like a fish out of water. I could do London, though, or any of the other capitals in Britain. If you want warmer weather, my choices would be Mesa or Tuscany… New Orleans, if you want a vibrant city.”
“Could you do that, choose to work wherever?”
“Mac has talked about opening an office in Europe, so that wouldn’t be an issue, and New Orleans isn’t so far I couldn’t figure it out. Besides, Mac is big on being with the woman you love. He and Willa were separated for five years. I think it may be his only regret.”
“You envy him.”
“No. I wouldn’t want to take his woman.”
“That’s jealousy—I want what you have. You want him to have his but want one of your own.”
He nodded. “You’re right. I envy him… and John… and now Croft. We’re an odd bunch of guys.”
“I’ll say,” she teased.
“Usually, when you have a group of guys, where there are married and single ones, the single guys are always talking about going out and scoring with women, and the married guys are happy, but a part of them misses those days. In our group, the single guys are all whiney about not being able to find their Willa, Mandy, or Finn. And the married or committed guys look at the single ones and think ‘chump.’”
Zara was thoroughly enjoying getting to know this side of not only Noah but the other men who were a part of the private security firm with a reputation second to none.
“So, you think Croft and Finn will get married?”
“Only if Finn ever wants to sit down again.”
“Obnoxious, insufferable, arrogant, and—”
“Yours,” he reminded her.
She nodded, finally accepting the truth.
“Yes, and mine.”
Chapter 13
Dinner was beginning to tempt them both with its aroma.
“Why don’t you sit here while I take a look around?” Noah said, hating to burst the little bubble they seemed to have created since their arrival.
“Did you hear something? Are you worried?”
“No, sweetheart, I’m just a cautious man. The security cameras and alarms are installed. Thom will be here tomorrow afternoon to fine-tune things and add some automation to some of the programs and protocols. He’ll also encrypt all the systems.”
“I would offer to come with you, but I doubt you’d let me, and I’m awfully comfy here on the couch.”
He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Then, just hang out, and I’ll bring you your dinner when I get back.”
Noah left her where she was. He wasn’t sure if she’d thought through the fact she wouldn’t be able to sit comfortably for several days. Just before he closed the door behind him, he heard, “Shit! Sonofabitch!”
He was glad she couldn’t see him grin. Despite what he’d said to Zara, he meant to caution Thom about teasing her in any way. His Zara was a fiercely proud woman, and no man, save himself, would do anything to humble or disrespect her. He knew what he demanded of her was difficult and contrary to everything she believed about herself, but he also knew she would be safe and loved for the rest of her life. He would see to that. His cock ached for her and began to stiffen as if to remind him her safety wasn’t the only thing he’d be seeing to on a daily basis.
The cottage was strategically placed, with a cliff at their back and two sides. Beyond the front was a stone wall, then an open beach. There were no other cottages or residences of any kind anywhere close. Thom had done well.
He checked the outer buildings; no escape vehicle yet, but he figured Thom would bring that to them. There were plenty of munitions already stowed away. He’d found one automatic rifle in the pantry and two automatic handguns—one tucked under the kitchen’s butcherblock island and the other under the coffee table. He’d check under the bed and in the nightstands later. He wished he could keep that information from Zara, but if it all went to hell in a handbasket, her knowing might be the difference between life and death.
Noah was certain, at this point, they were secure, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t want the alarms set, so if anyone violated their perimeter, he could ensure her safety. He looked up at the towering cliffs and the small hillock that led to them on one side. The wildflowers were in bloom, so he took the time to pick and fashion a small bouquet for her. She deserved only the best, but for now, this was all he had.
He opened the door and barely missed getting hit as some kind of flying crockery smashed against the door frame. Apparently, it was taking Zara a bit longer to accept that when she’d earned herself a welting, she would feel the aftermath for several days. He opened the door again only to have another piece of pottery smash against the door itself.
“You bastard!”