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Next thing I knew Gemma leaned in carefully because of my huge stomach and wrapped me in a hug before pulling away and then landed a real blow to my mind when she said, “Don’t tell him I said so because he probably would deny it, but it was Kace’s idea. Once he mentioned it we all loved the thought and wanted to pitch in.”
I felt my eyes go wide and my mouth drop open. “Why?” One word, that was all I had been capable of right then.
“Well because you’re one of us now,” she said as if that made all the sense in the world. Then she carried on. “As for Kace, I can’t exactly say.” She looked like she was lost in thought for a moment trying to figure it out or decide what to say and what not to before continuing “Kace is funny and sweet, but when you walked in there was an intensity in him I have never seen before. For whatever reason, things not even his friends know, you must have pulled some real emotion from him.”
The intensity I saw for sure and it was a sweet idea to get me the gift. I hadn’t seen a funny side to him but since we worked together maybe I would in time.
Gemma seemed to realize she may have said too much and jumped to change the subject. “So are you ready to get the grand tour of this big place?”
“I would like that,” I told her. I was anxious to get started and change the conversation myself. It was a little overwhelming and had my mind spinning.
We went through the whole building and it was impressive as heck. Along the way, we ran into Braxton and Gyth so I spoke with them for a few minutes. But someone was missing and I told myself over the next few hours I wasn’t disappointed at all.
I was clearly lying to myself.
Gemma and I had gone over her normal duties and what was expected with the job. It was a lot of information, especially for someone like me with no experience. The minimal time I spent waitressing certainly wouldn’t help. I just hoped I would get the hang of it. I needed to catch on fast so they would want to keep me on.
Braxton had gone over the pay for now and if we got to a point where I went on the permanent payroll then there would be health benefits involved. He also said that they would cover the time when I had the baby and was gone, allowing me to come back after. I needed the money so I agreed, but I was still unsure how I was going to do all of it. How was I going to have a child and be at work in my situation?
My body started shaking and my breathing picked up pace as another panic attack kicked in. I had suffered from enough of them lately and it was not good with the baby.
“Hey, sit down and put your head between your legs,” a deep voice said.
Two things happened at once when I heard him. Kace’s alluring voice sent chills throughout my body and laughter broke free at his command. Didn’t the man see the huge stomach I was sporting, making it pretty impossible to lean over and put my head between my legs? And more laughter came.
He had led me to the chair in the middle of my giggle fit, but that was it. Once I got myself under control, I looked up and into his amazing brown eyes.
“What’s so funny?” he asked me.
Another fit started and it felt so good to let loose. I had to take a few deep breaths to calm down, then I pointed to my belly. “Do you honestly think I could stick my head between my legs right now?”
Gemma slapped him on the arm and called him a dumbass, before turning away to answer the phone that was ringing.
Kace held my gaze. A fluttering started in my belly that had nothing to do with the baby this time and everything to do with the laughter that danced in his eyes, along with something else I couldn’t quite place.
He scared the crap out of me. But not for the same reasons as other men from my past had.
Nope, it felt a whole lot different.
* * *
It was quitting time.
The day buzzed by in a blur of non-stop action as I took in everything and learned what the job would entail. All the guys were busy, but I had seen Braxton and Gyth multiple times throughout the nine hours I had been there. Kace was another story. After our first initial contact, he seemed to be MIA most of the day up until the very end. And although I knew they were scrambling to get stuff done with just the three of them, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was avoiding me.
While I didn’t need the distraction he seemed to bring with him when he was around, I still felt a little disappointed.
One hour of my time was a surprise lunch that Gemma had planned for my first day. She had taken me not far from the office to a little cafe. It was a cute place and had the most amazing sandwiches. It was very sweet of her but I felt odd when she insisted on paying for my food. Another welcome to the clan gift she had said and wasn’t taking no for an answer. She was a small girl, although not as tiny as me, but she was mighty, and feisty too.
Throughout the day I had heard many times during conversations that the guys were hoping to bring on some more people. They had a couple of buddies they had been talking to that were thinking of moving and joining the team. From all they had going on that sounded like it would help immensely. Especially since they’d been asked multiple times to start doing some personal security at parties and other events on top of all the other stuff they already had going.
When I learned who was thinking of moonlighting for them on his off time I started to worry. And then shortly after the man himself walked in. Lyric was a cop, and I didn’t trust any cop. Just seeing him sent me into a tailspin and I couldn’t stop fidgeting as he approached the front desk. My heart was about to beat right out of my chest and my throat closed up with fear.
“Hey, it’s Teal right?” His voice was deep, like Kace’s. But Lyric’s sent a wave of panic through me, while Kace’s voice soothed and made me feel protected. Neither made sense since I didn’t know either of them. Why would Kace make me feel safe? As for Lyric, it was probably wrong to feel the way I did just because he was a cop, but I couldn’t stop my mind and body from reacting the way it did.
I couldn’t get a word out at all and my body started to shake. Just when I thought I would pass out, Kace walked through the doors. My eyes snapped to him and in a flash, he was at the desk intervening. He took over with Lyric and for that I was thankful, but I felt dumb as heck.
“It is five so I will get Lyric settled in and you can wrap things up for the day.” Kace’s tone was gentle, but his eyes were fierce and left mine during the exchange.
