The early evening had passed quickly, and surprisingly, when the woman woke, it wasn’t Rowan who seemed to give her the most comfort, but Cam. Realizing quickly that she wasn’t needed, Ro had asked to be brought back to the kitchen so she could keep Allison company while she prepped for a second dinner service. Maybe she could even offer to chop something. Or help with whatever menial task Ro could actually complete in a competent fashion.
A crew of the men stomped through the mess hall door as Allison hefted a steaming cast iron stockpot of venison stew onto the counter between the kitchen and the dining area. The late supper was to feed those who’d taken on extra watch shifts after the sensors had triggered. From her perch on the stool by the sink, Ro craned her neck to see if Graham or Zach had returned with the group. She spied Jonah, Beau, and another man she hadn’t met. She tried to hide her disappointment behind a sunny smile. She thought at least one of them would be by soon … and give her some sense of whether they’d be collecting on their bargain tonight. The shiver of anticipation coursed through her, dampening her dejection. The tingly feeling in her lady parts wouldn’t be denied. She was actually looking forward to paying her dues, so to speak. But she just wanted to know, dammit. She needed a sign that tonight was the night.
Ro slid off the stool and tested out how it felt to put weight on both of her ankles. The sharp stab of pain had her quickly redistributing her weight onto her good leg.
“Please tell me I didn’t just see that,” Zach drawled. “And here I thought you were an intelligent woman.”
The voice coming from behind her had Ro jerking around instinctively, and she felt the telltale wobble that came right before she lost her balance.
“Fuck, woman.” Zach rushed forward, his hands curling around her waist and hoisting her up before she face-planted on the scarred plank floor.
“I gotcha, babe,” Zach murmured, face buried in Ro’s neck, his arms wrapped tightly around her. “You need to be more careful.”
“You startled me. You move like a goddamn ghost. I didn’t even know you were there.”
“You were trying to walk when you know you shouldn’t be,” he countered.
Ro pulled back to meet his gaze and was surprised by the sly smile creeping across his face.
“Why do I have the feeling that smile means bad things for me,” Ro wondered aloud.
“Because he knows that you just gave us a good excuse to teach you the error of your ways,” Graham’s low, gravelly voice added.
Ro looked up, shocked to see Graham standing just inside the back screen door that Zach must have entered through. She’d been so wrapped up in Zach that she hadn’t even noticed Graham entering. Either that, or he was ninja silent like Zach. Or maybe that was Force Recon silent. Hell. Living with commandos apparently meant you couldn’t get away with anything. Except she wasn’t living with them. No. She was just passing some time before she got on her way. She pushed the thought away as Graham’s words tumbled through her head.
“Wait, what?”
Graham stalked toward her and simply said, “You’ll see. Later.” He jerked his chin at Zach. “Let’s eat. Gonna need the energy tonight.”
Well, that answered her question.
Ro was sure every eye was on the three of them as they made their way across the compound to Graham and Zach’s cabin. Ro remembered the judgmental gazes that had followed her through the hallways of the firm. The difference this time? Ro didn’t care. They could all fuck a duck if they had a problem with it. But still, Ro’s anxiety increased with every step they took toward the cabin. It wasn’t fear of them, she instinctively knew. Some of it was fear of the unknown. Fear that was colored with the hang-ups she’d been carrying for weeks now. But more than that, it was fear that what she was about to do would change the course of her life irrevocably. Fear that once she’d taken this step, she couldn’t take it back. That she wouldn’t want to take it back. That she’d want to grab it with both hands and let the easy camaraderie and promise of pleasure pull her from her path. But she wouldn’t. She couldn’t. This was a fling. Nothing more. Nothing less. And she was going to start enjoying it. Right. Now.
As Graham carried her up the porch steps, Ro snuggled into the crook of his neck and nipped at his jaw. He slowed before gripping her tighter and shouldering open the door, striding straight to the bedroom. She flicked out her tongue to lick the spot she’d bitten.
Graham tossed her in the middle of the king size bed.
“Hey!” Laughing, Ro flung both arms out to steady herself. “Precious cargo here, boys.”
Graham reached down to light the oil lamp and pulled his pistol from its holster on his belt and set it on the nightstand, within easy reach of the bed.
“And don’t we know it.” Graham looked at her, his chocolate brown eyes blazing.
Zach dropped to his knees on the opposite side of the bed, his playful expression turning uncharacteristically serious for a moment.
“Babe, you sure you’re ready for this? Because we’re not going to push you if you’re not.”
Ro responded by sitting up, leaning over, and grabbing a handful of Zach’s t-shirt, dragging him closer.