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“When the rain started, roaches slithered out of every hole.” She winces and shudders. “I was in the shower, and one creeped up from the drain. I ran out and found them on the walls. One even crawled across my sheets.”
My mother’s fear of insects is real. Logically, it’s not a genuine threat, but it seems that way to her, so I understand what Kate is feeling. “Do you want me to kill them for you?”
She shakes her head. “I called the front desk. They sent maintenance up with a can of insect spray, but even he seemed shocked by the sheer number of them. He sprayed everywhere, and now the fumes… I can’t breathe in there.”
“I don’t want you to even try.” Josh leads her to the nearest chair and sits her down before sinking into the one beside her. “Neither does Marcus. You can stay here as long as you need, right?”
He sends me a pointed glare. I bite back a curse. Having her here when we’re all half-dressed is such a bad fucking idea. Still, she’s rattled, so what the hell can I say? “Right. Why don’t you give me your room key? I’ll go down there in a few minutes to see if the coast is clear.”
Maybe it will keep me from kissing her breathless, stripping her bare, and working my stiff cock as deep into her sweet little pussy as she can handle. But no promises.
“Y-you don’t have to. It’s not your problem, and I’m sorry to intrude. I didn’t know where else to go. When I saw those disgusting suckers everywhere, I just grabbed my purse and—” She looks down at herself, then bites her lip. “I should have changed, but I was freaked out the roaches might be in my suitcase, too. Then the fumes…”
I’m not only pissed off that the maintenance guy fumigated her room and expected her to breathe that air, but I hate that he saw her half exposed and vulnerable. No man should see her that way except Josh and me.
Gotta stop thinking such dangerous shit…
“It’s okay.” My best friend takes her hand. “Deep breath. In”—he demonstrates—“and out. Good. Just like that. It’s going to be okay. Marcus and I are here for you.”
With a shaky exhalation, she presses a hand to her chest. “Thank you. I’m really sorry. I know they’re just bugs and I’m much bigger than they are, but…”
“Don’t apologize.” He takes her hand. “Just sit. Relax. You want to talk about something else?”
“Please.”
Her trembling voice gets to me.
Despite all my sage warnings to Josh, I’m getting possessive. I can’t seem to stop.
I grab a T-shirt from my suitcase. “Give me your key. I’ll check out your room.”
“Really, I don’t want to trouble you.” She hesitates, and her eyes soften. “And I wish you wouldn’t go.”
Those pretty blue eyes of hers tell me she feels safer when I’m here. Fuck if that doesn’t feed my need to protect—and my desire to touch her.
Recklessly, I toss the shirt back in my bag. “Then I won’t.”
“Let’s get your mind off it, sweetheart,” Josh suggests. “Let’s talk about the property. Do you have any other thoughts?”
She gives us a short, jerky nod. “A lot. But I left my notes in my room. We need to understand zoning and any environmental-based restrictions or impacts…”
“And?” my buddy prompts.
“Sorry.” She shakes her head. “My head just isn’t focused on work.”
“It can wait until tomorrow.” Josh squeezes her hand. “What do you normally do when you’re afraid?”
Kate hesitates, then responds with a self-deprecating smile. “This is the first time I haven’t had my dad nearby. Since I was a kid, he’s pulled me onto his lap and cuddled me. Somehow, that makes my world okay again. I didn’t realize until now how much I was going to miss that when I moved away.”
“Can you call him?” I say, hoping to preempt Josh’s instinct to give her what she needs.
It’s my instinct, too.
She pulls her phone from her purse and glances at the screen. Her eyes well up. “It’s nearly midnight in Phoenix. He’s already in bed. He works so hard, and I hate to disturb him.” She sniffles. “I’m really sorry. You two must think I’m a wreck. Ninety-nine percent of the time I’m a strong, independent woman, but—”
“Stop apologizing. We don’t think you’re a wreck,” Josh assures. “We all have fears. We all have our moments. It’s also been a long day with the flight and the time change. None of us are at our strongest when we’re tired.”
Kate nods, but it’s obvious she’s still emotional and beating herself up over it. Sometimes, words help people find their center again.
