“Okay.”
“You aren’t anywhere unless I’m close enough for you to touch me.”
I gulped at any thought of touching him.
“Okay,” I said, but it sounded kind of strangled.
“We straight?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Roxie, listen to me.”
I stared at him. If I listened any closer, my ears would start bleeding.
“I know you’re Hank’s woman and I don’t give a f**k. I also know the stories of the two who came before you, Indy and Jet. You mess around, do something stupid, put my ass on the line, you answer to me. Got that?” I nodded again. I definitely got it.
“You don’t want to answer to me,” he warned.
I suspected he was right but I had to ask, out of curiosity.
“What would…” I cleared my throat, “answering to you entail… exactly?”
“You don’t wanna know,” he replied.
I nodded and decided I didn’t.
He got closer and his indigo eyes went funny.
“I’d never raise my hand to a woman,” he assured me.
I nodded again and let out the breath I was holding.
“Therefore, I’d have to get creative,” he finished.
Good God.
“I promise to be good,” I said quickly.
“One more thing.”
Shit.
“Yes?” I asked, even though I seriously did not want to know.
“For the record, I like Hank,” he said.
“Um…” I muttered, not knowing where he was leading with this and I stil did not want to know. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“Things don’t work out with you and Hank…” I waited while he paused, my eyes wide, my lips parted, my heart thumping.
“You can erase my day.”
Oh… my… God.
He smiled at me in a way that I didn’t know if he was serious or playing with me. Then, he moved out of my space but lifted his hand and touched his finger to the tip of my nose. I blinked again, shocked at his words, shocked at his touch, shocked that it was gentle and sweet. It didn’t go with his badass attitude.
Then he was gone.
I stumbled out of the bookshelves like a dying man in a desert would stumble into an oasis.
“You okay?” Annette asked from across the room.
“No,” I said.
“Cream your pants?” she asked.
The eyes of the two customers at the espresso counter, both male, came to me in avid curiosity.
“I don’t think so,” I answered.
“Oh, you’d know,” Annette replied.
I bumbled over to the couches and col apsed.
“What’d I tel you about this place?” one customer had turned to the other, they were obviously friends. They were both looking at Annette, Daisy, Jet and me sitting on the couches.
“I don’t even like coffee and I’ve decided I’m a regular,” the other one said.
“I don’t make tea!” Tex boomed threateningly at him and he jumped.
I closed my eyes trying to think positively. At least Monty’s day wasn’t going to be boring. Instead of being mortified, I thought of it as my way of paying back Lee’s boys for al the headaches I’d given them.
“I hope you’re having fun!” I shouted to the room.
In my head, I heard them laughing.
What I didn’t know, in a suite of offices in Lower Downtown Denver, they were laughing.
* * * * *
Daisy went out and got us al bagel sandwiches for lunch. Daisy, Annette and Jason decided to stay the day with me at Fortnum’s so I wouldn’t get bored. We spent the early afternoon helping Jane go through boxes and boxes of books. We spent the late afternoon behind the espresso counter while Uncle Tex taught us how to make coffee drinks. It wasn’t rocket science but Uncle Tex was a dril sergeant and Daisy kept gabbing about everything under the sun and over-frothing the milk.
After we learned how to make coffees, Lee and Indy walked in.
Indy smiled at me but I could tel something was wrong.
My first thought was Hank.
My heart clutched and my eyes flew to Lee. Hank was his brother and they were close. If something had happened to Hank, in the line of duty or because of me, I should be able to tel with one look at Lee.
At least I thought so, but Lee’s face was closed tight.
I felt like someone put their hand to my throat and squeezed.
They arrived at the espresso counter and Lee looked at me. “Can I talk to you, please?” he asked.
I swal owed, nodded and walked from behind the espresso counter. He sat on a couch with me and put the sole of his boot up on to the edge of the table. I sat with my legs crossed under me, sideways on the couch, facing him.
I looked at his posture. He was sitting exactly the way Hank was when I first laid eyes on him.
Before I could stop myself, I said, “You’re just like your brother.”
“Sorry?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
Lee watched me closely and I could swear he was reading my mind. Final y, he muttered, “Fucking hel .” His gaze was stil on me.
“What?” I asked.
His eyes crinkled. “I like this,” Lee said, as if to himself, obviously pleased about something, pleased and amused.
“Is Hank okay?” I ignored what he said and got to what I considered was the matter at hand.
Lee’s eyes focused on me again. “Yeah. Why?”
“You looked serious when you walked in. I was, um, worried.”
The corners of Lee’s lips curled up slightly. “He’s fine, busy. He wanted me to come talk to you.”
I nodded. “What do you like?” I asked, going back to what he said earlier.
“Sorry?” he repeated.
“You said, ‘I like this’. What do you like?” He didn’t hesitate but said, straight out, “You’re in love with Hank.”
My eyes bugged out of my head. “What?” my voice was high and didn’t sound like my own.
He leaned into me. “It’s good Roxie.”
I wasn’t sure but I thought I’d started panting.
Lee went on. “Hank dated a girl, in high school, she was sweet but boring as hel . Hank’s women have al been boring. You…” he paused, “aren’t boring.”
Good God.
First, I wasn’t sure I wanted to think about Hank’s women. Second, wel , second was obvious.
“Please, let’s not talk about this,” I begged.
Lee watched me some more and gave in, but he did it with another eye crinkle.