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“Your tongue down Lake’s throat,” Kasey called out at the same time Cabot was saying, “Davey Reynolds.”
I couldn’t argue that both were good indicators. “Yeah, we’re fired, but it doesn’t really change anything.”
“Except we’re not getting paid anymore,” Cabot mumbled and I felt the air chill beside me.
I wasn’t a shrink or anywhere close to as adept at understanding the human mind as Fitz, but I had learned quite a bit about Lake Harrington. She felt unseen and ignored by the people around her, a loneliness that caused her to act out with the last family she had. To feel like she’d made friends within Remington meant the world to her. I saw it in the way she coddled Turner, and the way she mourned for Daniels and Lambert. And with one failed attempt at a joke, I could almost taste the devastation in the air as she shuffled back and out of my peripheral view. She could bite back at her father, but words from a person she’d been open with and trusted? I wanted to kill Aiden Cabot at that moment.
He seemed to see the way she’d folded in on herself, and Cabot was crossing the room toward her, actually pushing me out of the way when I tried to step in front of Lake. I didn’t want him to do any more damage and was ready to slug him in the face when Kasey put a hand on my shoulder and shook his head. Turning back to glare daggers at Cabot, I watched as he bent low to catch her eye without touching her to make her look up and into his eyes.
“Baby girl, I am so sorry.” Any hint of playfulness was gone from his tone and I’d never actually seen Cabot look so genuinely remorseful. “I was making a joke. You and I both know I would take a bullet for you. Since Fitz took the first one, I call dibs on the second.”
Her hand shot out and she shoved him so quickly that Cabot stumbled back and Kasey and I took a step back in surprise. “Aiden, that’s not even funny!”
“Which part? The money or the bullet?”
“Both!” We all said in unison.
“Well,” Cabot said with an eye roll. “How about you forgive me for first and appreciate the sentiment of the second?”
And just like that, Aiden Cabot, who could tempt a pacifist to take a swing, was back in Lake’s good graces as she curled her arms around his waist and mumbled into his chest about being an asshole. Could she be any damn sweeter?
I couldn’t stop the nervous energy that had me grabbing her by the hand and pulling her from the office, leaving a grinning Cabot and Kasey behind. I slammed my fist onto the button to call the elevator and tapped the fingers of my free hand restlessly. I could sense the curious gaze of Lake on the side of my face, but I was too busy contemplating taking the stairs to reassure her of anything.
A second before I could hoist her over my shoulder and take the stairs two at a time, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. I silently cursed the heavens as Jones looked between the two of us before settling on our clasped hands. No way was I going to sit awkwardly in an elevator with Jones and Lake. I had also used the last of my patience on that thought.
“Take the next one,” I growled at Jones and he immediately side stepped Lake to get off the elevator, briefly taking in the unexpected detour of the boss’s office floor.
I pulled Lake into the elevator and pressed the button for my floor, thankful that it was below Jones’ and we wouldn’t be waiting as the damn thing opened for no reason. I wanted no distractions from the need to touch her and be inside her. The second I had heard the word “fired”, my attraction to Lake had finally broken the chain and ran wild. Someone had fired the start pistol on this, and I had catching up to do.
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LAKE
The entire afternoon had given me emotional whiplash and I was completely ready to get off the ride, until the elevator doors closed and we were alone in the small box that felt even smaller with the tension rolling off Decker.
“That was rude to-” my reprimand of his actions towards Jones was completely silenced by his mouth on mine. Heat flashed instantly through my veins and all thoughts except “more” were completely drained from my mind. His kiss was soft but urgent, coaxing my lips open with his until his tongue was sliding deliciously against mine.
Decker pressed me back against the wall of the elevator, his mouth dropping from mine only to leave soft and tempting kisses along my jaw and down my neck. My head fell back as I was set ablaze with each touch of his lips on my skin.
The ding of the elevator reaching our floor was the only thing that seemed to register enough in his mind to slow his actions because the man before me straightened and turned toward the door, pulling me down the hall at, one could only describe as, a power walk. The next few moments were a blur of tangled limbs and kisses as we clumsily moved toward the hall.
At the first door, Decker threw the door open and pulled me into his room and when his kisses went back to my neck, I fought to keep my eyes open long enough to take in the one space I hadn’t ventured into since coming here. The walls were a battleship gray with lighter gray trim, but it was the dark wood and deep blues that made up the room that had me freezing to take in the space. The king sized bed was high off the ground and I wondered for a moment if I’d even be able to climb on without a ladder. Because there was no doubt after seeing the look in Decker’s eyes as he sat back and let me fight my own battle that I would be in that bed.
Sensing my lack of eager reciprocation, he pulled back and looked down at me, trying to find the answer to why we stopped without having to ask the question. His eyes met mine and the look he saw had a cocky little smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.
“Thank you,” I said suddenly, lust making my words gravelly.
The cocky smirk was replaced with a raised eyebrow of confusion before he finally asked, “Thank you for what?”
“Taking a seat when I needed you to,” I replied with a hint of tease as I backed him up to the edge of his bed. I wasn’t stupid enough to think I could move this man an inch without him allowing it, but damn, when his ass hit the mattress, I felt victory like never before.
I looked into his eyes and paused all movement completely. There was a fierce look on his face that I couldn’t quite place. Instinct wanted to call it pride, but I could never be so bold as to assume he’d be proud of anything involving me. After all, I worked hard to disappoint.
“Lake,” he said, as if hearing my very thoughts. “I will always stand in front of you to protect you from physical danger, but I will never keep you from fighting your own battles.”
And my fucking heart was a lost cause.
For a moment I tried to covertly work out the logistics of this damn bed. I knew on sight that my short legs wouldn’t be able to make it onto this bed without scrambling like an idiot. And Decker just sat with his tall legs, making it look so effortless.
