Protect and Serve (Stripped Down Prequel Book 3) Page 5

  Oh yeah. Tonight. Their date.

  And he said it in front of her brothers. And no one’s head blew off.

  That was encouraging.

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Me too.” He bent forward to kiss her good-bye but a low growl emanating from the vicinity of Hades’ minions forestalled him and he pecked her on the cheek instead.

  “Coward,” she whispered and, for some reason, he grinned.

  “I’ll see you around six,” he said. And then he was gone.

  When the front door closed on him, she whirled on her brothers. “What did you say to him?”

  “Who, us?”

  “We didn’t say anything.”

  “Oh right. So why did he skitter out of here like a prisoner granted a reprieve?”

  “I have no idea. Do you, Cody?”

  “No idea. He’s still taking you out tonight.”

  “Right.” Cade affected a toothy grin. “Not exactly a reprieve.”

  She smacked each one of them on the shoulder in turn. They hardly flinched. “You be nice to this one,” she hissed. “I like him.”

  “How much do you like him?” Cody asked, his eyes narrowing.

  “It’s none of your business how much I like him.” It was no one’s business. Hell, she didn’t even want to explore her feelings too closely. Not yet. This thing had just started and she already felt over her head…but in a good way. “Just leave us alone.”

  She spun around and marched toward the stairs, seeking the solitude of her room. Sometimes having brothers was such a pain.

  Behind her, they continued talking, making sure it was loud enough for her to hear as she stomped up the steps.

  “I think she likes him,” Cade said.

  “Yeah. Looks like Claire has a boyfriend.”

  “Finally.”

  “Right?”

  “Maybe it’s for the best. If they’re dating, she may not get so many tickets.”

  “You know, I didn’t think of that. It might not be so bad having a cop in the family.”

  And on.

  And on.

  It didn’t stop until she reached her room and slammed the door.

  And even then, she could hear them laughing.

  Chapter Eight

  He picked her up at six on the dot, as though he’d been waiting there on the porch for the clock to tick down. It pleased her, because she didn’t much care for men who were always late, like her brothers.

  Oh, they were on time to see her off, standing there in the foyer, nonchalantly perusing their cuticles. Lisa was there too, but from what Claire could tell, she was only there so she could laugh at Cade.

  When the doorbell rang, four heads snapped up.

  Claire leaped for the door and faced her brothers, wielding her purse like a whip. “Back. Back, I say!”

  “Aww,” Cade muttered. “You’re no fun.”

  Claire opened the door, but only a crack, and peered out.

  Her breath caught in her throat. Charlie was dressed in a suit. Nothing fancy, nothing from Paris or Milan, but a nice suit with a tie and everything, and he looked delicious standing there with both hands behind his back. He cocked his head and smiled at her.

  “You’re going to need to open the door wider.”

  “What?”

  “I mean, I love your curves and all, but you won’t fit through that.”

  Oh. The crack.

  “I can’t. They’re here,” she whispered.

  “Who?”

  “All of them. Hovering.”

  “Tell them they’re not invited.”

  As though that would work.

  He whipped a bouquet of flowers from behind him. “I brought you something.” Oh, tulips. Her favorite. “And this.” With the other hand he presented a box of chocolates.

  “Am I supposed to choose?”

  He laughed. “No. But if you had to, which would it be?”

  She stared at the gifts for a long while, then pointed at the chocolates. “But only because I can pick my own flowers.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Hello. What’s going on out there?” Cade ripped the door from her death grip and set his gaze on Charlie. “Whoa. You clean up nice.”

  “Yeah,” said Cody, leaning over Cade’s shoulder. “Who’da thunk it.” His gaze flicked to the flowers. “Oh. Are those for me? You shouldn’t have.”

  “Now, now, you two. Enough.” Thank God for Lisa. She pushed forward and took the flowers. “I’ll put these in water,” she said. And then she grabbed the chocolates as well. “I’ll take these for you too.” Her smile was far too innocent.

  “Don’t eat them,” Claire said.

  “Oh, I would never do that,” Lisa quipped.

  “Me either.”

  Claire glowered at Cade.

  Cody smirked. “I would.”

  “There’d better be candy left when I get back.” She hoped her growl was menacing enough. Probably not, because as they closed the door in her face, all their attention was on the gold box with the pretty red ribbon.

  Claire frowned. “Vultures.”

  Charlie chucked. “If that’s all it takes to get you to myself, I’ll bring chocolates every time.”

  Every time? Her heart lifted at the reference to future dates. Future anything. “Raw steaks would work too. We could throw them into the fray and escape while they were distracted.”

  His chuckle became a laugh. “They are a bit like slavering dogs.”

  “I noticed.”

  He held out an arm. “Are you ready to go?”

  “And how.”

  He was a gentleman, opening the car door for her and making sure her dress didn’t get caught when he closed it. When he slid into the driver’s seat, he smiled. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

  “I see you shaved.”

  “And showered.”

  “So civilized.”

  “I was covered in body glitter and goo.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know why they do that. I don’t think glitter is manly in the least.”

  “I am gratified to hear it.”

  They bantered like that all the way into town. It was comfortable and extremely enjoyable, but Claire was distracted by the scent of his cologne, which made her head spin. His presence had an effect on her too. Like there was some cosmic power, some energy, pulling them closer.

  There was also a comforting familiarity, as though there were not ten years gaping between them. As though they’d always been friends and were now exploring something more.

  He parked in front of Bubba’s and came around to open her door, but stopped to pick up a small package in the backseat first. “What is that?” she asked as he took her hand to help her out.

  “You’ll see,” he said with a wink.

  Jesse was on duty on the restaurant side of the business. When she saw Charlie, she broke into a grin. “Good evening, Officer Dunham,” she said. “Your table is ready.” She led them to one of the booths on the side and waved them in.

  But before he sat, Charlie pulled something out of the bag he’d brought. “Could you clear the table for a sec?” he asked.

  Jesse nodded and removed the ketchup, sugar bowl and other condiments and napkin holder and then, to Claire’s surprise, Charlie whipped out a pristine linen tablecloth and settled it on the tabletop. Ah, but he wasn’t done. He extracted a candle and set it on the table too.

  He stepped back to survey his work. “There,” he said. “Practically Tavern on the Green.”

  Well, not hardly, but it was adorable. She loved that he’d gone to the effort.

  When they were both seated, and Jesse had repositioned all the tableware, he grinned at Claire. It made a shiver dance down her spine. “Do you need a menu?”

  She shook her head. She had no idea why she suddenly felt shy. Certainly the accoutrements of a fancy date hadn’t done that.

  “A wine list?”

  She sputtered
a laugh and her reserve melted. He had a way of doing that, with a look or a quip. Making her feel utterly at home. She glanced at Jesse. “Do you have any Château Lafite?”

  Jesse’s nose curled. “Chateau la what?”

  Charlie chuckled. “Two beers, please.” He smiled at Claire. “Are you ready to order?”

  “I was born ready.” She checked to make sure Jesse had her pad out before she began. “I would like a double bacon cheeseburger, medium, with sharp cheddar—none of that American crap—grilled onions and fresh avocado on the side.”

  Jesse nodded and turned to Charlie.

  He pointed to Claire. “I’ll have what she’s having.”

  “Fries?”

  Claire frowned. “Should I get fries or onion rings?”

  “Why don’t you get one and I’ll get the other and we can share?”

  She stared at him. Oh God. He was, possibly, the perfect man. “In that case, bring some ranch dressing for dipping sauce too.”

  “Any dessert?”

  Their gazes tangled. Charlie reached over and took Claire’s hand. “Why don’t we wait to decide on dessert?”

  Holy crap. There was so much subtext in that one sentence. “Okay.”

  Okay to all of it.

  When Jesse left, they fell silent, but there was no awkwardness, nothing lacking in their exchange. They held hands and looked into each other’s eyes. His lips quirked and she had to respond with a smile.

  It was just perfect.

  Maybe not perfect. The lights overhead were bright and blaring and someone had put Slim Whitman on the jukebox in the bar, so there was yodeling, but it was pretty close.

  Charlie ran his thumb over her palm and it made goosebumps rise on her skin.

  “Something I’ve been wondering about,” he said in a low voice.

  She edged closer, over the table. “Mmm hmm?”

  When he met her gaze, his was intense. “Your brothers said you’ve been hurt by men.”

  “What?” She snorted a laugh. “Men have been hurt by my brothers. Maybe that’s what they meant.”

  “So you haven’t been hurt?”

  She shrugged. “I haven’t cared enough to get hurt.” God. Was she really admitting that? To him? Here? In the middle of Bubbas’s?

  And what was that look in his eye?

  That simmering…anticipation.

  Surely he couldn’t know how she felt about him. Already. It was far too early to let him know the truth of that.

  But she had the sinking suspicion he did. The only thing that saved her was the fragile inkling that he felt the same.

  Charlie stared at Claire, hope a wild thing in his chest. “Never? You’ve never been in love?”

  She looked down and studied the tablecloth. “Not really. I’ve dated a bit. And then there was that thing with Dustin…”

  Ah. Dustin. “And why didn’t it work out?” Not that he really wanted to know. But he did.

  “Well…” She looked around. Probably to make sure Dustin wasn’t hovering. He had a tendency to do that. It didn’t help that he worked in the only decent bar and grill in town. “Most importantly, I didn’t have those kinds of feelings for him. He was nice and all, but, you know. It just wasn’t there.”

  Oh he knew. He’d met lots of women in his life. None of them had made him feel…excited. None of them but Claire.

  “Aside from that, he was…a little too possessive.”

  “Possessive?”

  “Domineering. Bossy. He wanted to control my life.”

  Hell. His stomach plunged. “You don’t like dominant guys?”

  She snorted. “Not like that.”

  “What did he do? Specifically?”

  “He tracked me by GPS. Checked my emails. Followed me. Like everywhere.”

  “Oh? No…whips and chains?” He didn’t know why he made the joke. This was hardly a laughing matter.

  “Thank God no one gave him that idea. I wouldn’t have put it past him to kidnap me and lock me in his basement.”

  His gut surged. Every corpuscle sizzled with the urge to protect her. “Would he?”

  She huffed a laugh, but it wasn’t sincere. “No. Of course not.” Then she leaned in closer and whispered, “He knows my brothers would kill him.”

  “Hmm.” Charlie wasn’t convinced. Dustin hadn’t seemed like a guy who’d gotten the message last night. “Well, if he ever bothers you, let me know.”

  She patted his hand. “I will. But he won’t. It’s over.”

  “Good to know. So…” He looked down. The words he wanted to say stuck in his throat.

  She tipped her head down until she could see his eyes. “So…what?”

  Heat walked up his cheeks. “I…ah…” Fuck. Might as well blurt it out. “I really like you, Claire.”

  It was gratifying to see her flush as well. “I…ah…like you too.” He had the sense she was toying with him, but in a very gentle way. The tender way a cat plays with a mouse when she’s full.

  “I hope that we can—”

  A shadow fell over the table, scuttling his proposition. Which sucked.

  “Well, hey there.” As friendly as the words were, Dustin’s tone had a serrated edge. He smiled at Claire and then shot Charlie something with teeth as well, but it was far from convivial.

  “Hey, Dustin. How are you?” Yeah, no wonder he thought he still had a chance with her, with her talking to him and all.

  “What’s going on here?” Dustin waved to the candle and the tablecloth.

  “We’re on a date.” Okay. Maybe he hadn’t needed to grind it out like that. But be real. They were holding hands. Staring into each other’s eyes. This wasn’t two old friends comparing fishing holes over a couple beers.

  Dustin blanched and his cheek worked. “A date?” He frowned at Claire. “I thought you were seeing someone.”

  Charlie leaned forward. “She is.”

  “What? Him?”

  “Dustin—” There she went, being nice again.

  He had to interrupt. “Yes, me. Now, could you skedaddle, please? We’re in the middle of a conversation.” He smiled, or something like it, but only for Claire’s benefit.

  Dustin’s eyes narrowed, and he made a sound, something like a growl, but he spun on his heel and stormed back into the bar.

  “Shame on you,” Claire whispered when he was gone.

  “Shame on me? What did I do?”

  “You were so mean to him.”

  “He wasn’t responding to nice. Or did you miss that? And on that note, why are you so nice to him?”

  “Because I am a human person. I try to treat everyone with respect.”

  “I appreciate that, Claire, but some guys think nice is an invitation.”

  “Nonsense.”

  “If you really want to get rid of this guy, you need to send him a clear message.”

  “I don’t want to hurt his feelings.”

  “Men need clear messages. We’re too deluded by lust to comprehend subtle.”

  “I beg to differ.”

  He was about to correct her, when something touched his leg, then skated up his thigh and nestled in his lap. Her bare foot.

  He nearly swallowed his tongue.

  She stared at him with wide eyes and the hint of a smile. “Some men are very good at picking up on subtle clues, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Needless to say, dinner was difficult. He could barely eat a bite.

  Oh, Claire had a wonderful time. It was fun teasing Charlie, watching that muscle in his cheek bunch, or his eyes cross as she stroked him relentlessly. He didn’t even complain when she ate all his onion rings. After their kerfuffle about Dustin, they started talking about other things. His adventures overseas, her boring life, their thoughts on the coming election. And yeah. There, they had to agree to disagree, but it was still fun debating things.

  She wasn’t even too annoyed when Cody, Lisa and Cade barged in and took the table across from them. In fact, it was fun, because it was obvious
her brothers were trying to listen in and Charlie was a past master at speaking in double entendres. Before the evening was over, her stomach ached from laughing so hard.

  But then, when she stood and her head went woozy and a sharp pain skewered her gut, she realized it hadn’t all been the laughter. She glanced up at Charlie as another horrible cramp made her double over.

  “Claire!” he cried, catching her before she fell.

  “What is it?” Cody’s voice wavered somewhere over her head.

  “Pain.” A croak. All she could manage. Sweat popped out on her brow, chills racked her and then unbearable heat. Her belly churned. “Oh God,” she moaned.

  “We need to get her to the hospital,” Charlie said, but that was the last thing she heard. Before everything went black.

  She woke up in a hospital bed with a sore throat, feeling weak as a kitten. To her surprise, daylight shone through the window. It hurt her eyes so she closed her lids.

  “What do you mean they can’t tell?”

  Ah. Charlie was here. She yearned for his touch, but she could barely move, much less speak.

  “I mean, there wasn’t anything in her stomach they could identify that would cause this.”

  “Food poisoning doesn’t work that quickly, Cade.”

  “What else could it have been?” So Cody was here as well. They all sounded terribly concerned.

  “I don’t know. But it scared the shit out of me.” She’d never heard such a tone in Charlie’s voice. A hint of panic and…fury.

  “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Lisa said. Damn, was everyone here?

  “Could it have been an allergic reaction?” Yup. Porsche too.

  How was a woman supposed to get any rest?

  “She’s not allergic to burgers and fries. She’s eaten Bubba’s food for years. This has never happened before.” Okay, the voices were all starting to melt together. She was having a hard time telling who was who.

  “Well, I’m going to get to the bottom of this,” Charlie snapped. Yeah. His voice stood out.

  “How can you when the doctor found no traces of anything but food in her stomach?”

  “I don’t know. But I will.” Someone touched her. Squeezed her hand. “By God, I will.”

  With that comfort, she released her waning hold on consciousness and drifted off to sleep. But one thought circled in her brain.