“I’ll be sure to ask him myself,” I replied darkly. I couldn’t wait to get my hands around his scrawny neck.
She looked at me warily. “I don’t want anyone getting hurt on account of me.”
“How would it be on account of you, chief? What did you do?” I demanded, already knowing my answer.
“Well, nothing,” she stammered.
“All right then.” I nodded, taking a sip of my beer.
“Why do you call me that? Chief?” she asked quietly.
I smiled around the rim of my beer before pulling it back to answer her. “Because you’re strong as hell and in charge of yourself in a way I haven’t seen in a long damn time.”
She flushed and wouldn’t meet my gaze.
“Aren’t you?” I pressed. Something instinctively told me I should.
“Christ, I hope so.” She shot a glance at me, her eyes shining with emotion, before looking back at her beer gripped in her hands like it was a lifeline. “It’s all been such a whirlwind. I was just beginning my career, and one minute, my biggest concern was my next adventure, and the next I had an almost three-year-old to raise. I feel like I’ve floundered my way through the last two years trying to make a life for us. My nan was really my only support system. She encouraged me, believed in me, and loved both of us when we needed it most. But she’s gone, and she was really all I had aside from Ri. And I’ve tried so hard to hide from Riley how hard it’s been. Financially, emotionally. All of it,” she admitted in a rush as though I’d broken a dam inside her. “Shit, I don’t know why I said all that.” She groaned in embarrassment.
“Because I wanted to hear it,” I replied evenly. “Were you able to continue with the career you’d started?”
She shook her head. “Not quite. I’d started in outdoor photography, focused on sports mostly. Climbers, runners. Stuff like that. It required a lot of travel and for me to be in excellent shape. Both things I really enjoyed. But once I adopted Riley, it just wasn’t feasible. I switched to commercial photography. There were a lot of jobs in San Francisco, so it was a steady gig and I didn’t have to travel.”
“And now?” I prompted.
“Vegas is a strong market. I’m still processing some shoots from San Francisco, but I already have some leads. So I may not have the adventure part any more, but I’m determined to get the fitness piece back,” she stated firmly.
“You look amazing. In and out of the gym,” I told her, meaning every word. Her lithe form moved so gracefully when she was running, as though it was effortless.
She snorted. “Yeah well, that was the first time I’d tried it in years. But it did feel good. I’m thinking about getting a trainer.”
Every protective instinct in me roared to life as I fought to control my response. “I’ll train you.”
She looked at me in surprise. “You’re a trainer?”
“Not officially. But I’ll train you.” The truth was, another man getting that close to her made my blood boil. And more importantly, there wasn’t anyone better experienced to train her. A fact I hadn’t truly relished until now.
“You sound pretty confident,” she hedged.
“I know what I’m doing as far as the gym goes.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “I own the place and practically live there.” I leaned closer. “Well, before I had a better way to spend my time.”
Her cheeks turned a beautiful pink, and she looked down at her beer.
“But nothing set me up physically more than the Army Rangers,” I continued.
Her eyes shot back to mine. “Wow, I don’t much about the military, but I’ve heard the Rangers are…”
“Bad motherfuckers,” I finished for her. “I didn’t have much in the way of family either,” I continued, sharing something I rarely spoke about. “Enlisting after high school felt like the best possible choice. I found my brothers in war with the Rangers. I found the same in the Knights. I may not have blood ties that many do, but I have a family around me that most could never dream of.”
“Where are your parents?” she asked.
I snorted. “Hell if I know. My mom dumped me in foster care when she couldn’t deal with being a parent. What about yours?”
“Car crash,” she murmured.
My gut churned at her reply. “I’m sorry, chief.”
She looked puzzled. “Why? You suffered the same as I did.”
I chuckled without humor. “No, I really didn’t. I lost parents I never had to begin with. But it wasn’t like that for you, was it?”
She visibly swallowed back emotion as she shook her head. “No, they were wonderful parents.”
“Well then, I’m fucking sorry,” I repeated emphatically, my hand going to the back of her neck, unable to hold myself back from touching her. “We both lost something, but like I said, I never really had it to begin with. And something tells me I was probably better off.”
She looked over at me, her eyes luminous with regret. “It’s still loss all the same.”
I took in what she said, letting myself feel something I’d long since buried. “I guess you’re right. But what I know for sure is, you may feel like you’re fumbling your way through, but from what I can tell? You’re doing a hell of a job with that girl up there.” My eyes briefly swept toward the second level where Riley slept. “Give yourself credit. And take the help you need, when you need it. There’s no shame in it.”
“Thank you,” she murmured. “I should probably turn in. Riley’s been getting up at the crack of dawn and I haven’t been sleeping well.”
I searched her face, seeing nothing but truth in her words, with a bit of longing I’d use to my advantage when the time was right. This was a marathon, not a sprint, and I was content to bide my time. “All right, baby. You have those blankets I used the other night?”
She looked over at me in surprise. “You’re staying?”
“Every damn night till we know this shit is wrapped up. And by then I’m hoping I’ll be upstairs with you.” At the look of shock on her face, I continued, “When you’re ready, chief.”
“I just, um, with Riley I want to be really careful she doesn’t get attached or confused…,” she stammered, her cheeks flushed.
I squeezed the back of her neck gently, pulling her lips to mine. “That’s why I said, when you’re ready,” I breathed against her mouth, taking her lips in a kiss that made my cock swell in my jeans.
The woman undid me like nothing else. Just a touch of her lips and I could think of little else.
“Ooookay.” Her dreamy sigh gave me the most satisfaction I’d had in years, and all I’d done was kiss her. “I’ll just go find your blankets and my legs.”
I chuckled, charmed by her honestly. She was so damn cute, I could barely stand it.
“I don’t think I have any frozen waffles,” she muttered, more to herself than me in mock horror as she rose from the couch.
I watched her with an ear-to-ear grin. “Did you not see the eggs and bacon I slipped into the fridge when I came over?”