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“Alright, I get it. She’s secret sex for now, but you’ll tell me eventually. We’re best friends. We basically tell each other everything.”
Not everything.
We used to, but then I went overseas, and the life I knew got blown to pieces. I hadn’t told him the truth about what happened over there, and like a good friend, he hadn’t pushed. I knew that conversation would come sooner or later, but it wasn’t one I was ready to have now.
And I sure as shit wasn’t ready to talk about Jenna.
“How are things going at Carmichael Security?” he asked.
Carmichael Security was an elite security firm here in LA. As soon as the owner, Raf, had heard about the military operations I was a part of, he’d hired me on the spot. All he needed was my DD-214 to ensure that I was in fact honorably discharged and wasn’t lying about my military background. I also had to pass a psych eval and thorough background check. He was allowing me to work on a probationary period until those things were checked off, which meant I was always working with a supervisor instead of solo. I still couldn’t get over the fact my supervisor was Jenna’s uncle.
“So far, so good.” The pay was good and the work was easy compared to what I was used to.
“Are you excited about it?” Grant asked.
I finished my coffee and then set my empty mug down on the end table. “I don’t know. I never really planned for life after the military.”
I didn’t think there wouldbelife after the military. I planned to stay in until death or retirement, but I took those options off the table after the ambush. I couldn’t do it any longer. Maybe that made me weak, but I couldn’t get out of the army fast enough after that shitshow overseas. The problem was, I wasn’t good at much else, so doing bodyguard work made the most amount of sense.
“How are you doing with all that? We haven’t really had a chance to talk.”
I tilted my head and offered him a smirk. “Yeah, well, you know I’ve never been a big talker.”
It was true. Growing up with two parents who had passive-aggressive down to a T, I’d learned to keep my shit locked down and mind my own business. They rarely talked to me, and I rarely talked to them. The only person I’d ever confided in was Grant, but there were some things I could no longer share with him. I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to. Hell, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to share them with anyone.
Jenna was the first person I’d wanted to share them with, but the thought alone of letting the words spill free was enough for them to get locked in my throat.
Maybe that mission had fucked me up worse than I realized.
He frowned. “I hope you’re talking to someone at least. Are you still seeing that therapist?”
He was going to keep pushing if I didn’t shut this down, and clearly he wasn’t taking the hint, which meant it was time to change the direction of our conversation, and there was one topic I knew for certain Grant couldn’t stop talking about. “So, how are things going with your boss?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.
His frown morphed to disappointment before he cleared his throat and looked down at the coffee table between us. “There’s a rumor going around she’s getting divorced.”
Well, now that was interesting.
Grant had been secretly in love with his boss, Shannon Perry, since the moment he met her. But she’d been married even then and he was not the kind of guy to poach another man’s woman. So he dated women who clearly did nothing for him, while he pined for the woman he saw day in and day out. I was pretty sure Grant had made a careful study of Shannon over the two years he’d worked for her.
“You think it’s true?”
He slanted his gaze at me. “Does it make me an awful person if I hope it is?”
“Absolutely.”
He threw a napkin at me, but my comment did the trick and a small smile lifted his lips. “How could he be dumb enough to let her go? I mean, she’s fucking incredible. She?—”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard the speech about how amazing she is, starting this company from the ground up and yada yada yada. Get to the good stuff. Are you going to find out if it’s true so you can make your move?”
He hesitated only briefly and then his smile grew like the Grinch who stole Christmas. “I mean, if he’s going to be dumb enough to let her go, I’m going to be smart enough to make her mine.”
“Atta boy.”
* * *
I fucking hated ties. They made me feel like I was being choked by an article of clothing, and loosening them never seemed to help. I didn’t have to wear them for every job, but most of the time I did. It was so far the biggest complaint I had about my job, but Raf was a stickler about looking professional.
But then Jenna’s door swung open and her gaze devoured me in my suit. Maybe ties weren’t that bad after all if this was the reaction I got.
