“Paragraph three,” Barb prompted, tapping a red-manicured fingernail on the tabletop.
Claire felt all the blood drain from her face as she read over the morality clause imbedded into the contract. She remembered reading it five years ago, and every subsequent year when her contract had been renewed, but she’d never in a million years dreamed she’d be accused of breaching that clause.
“As you can see, you agreed to conduct yourself in a certain manner, and that any behavior reflecting negatively on the company would be grounds for termination.” Barb paused. “I’m afraid that openly living and engaging in a sexual relationship with two men reflects negatively on the company. We have an image to maintain, Claire. The clients who hire us expect qualified, upstanding professionals to assess their business needs.”
She felt numb. And nauseous. And her fucking tongue still throbbed from that burning-hot coffee.
Swallowing hard, she met her boss’s eyes and spoke in a dull tone. “What exactly are you saying, Barb?”
“What I’m saying, darling, is that I’m going to have to let you go.”
When Aidan got home from the base that evening and saw Claire’s face, he immediately knew something bad had gone down. Even from across the room, Aidan could see the tears clinging to her thick eyelashes.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded.
Since Dylan was behind him and had yet to glimpse Claire’s expression, the SEAL thought Aidan was talking to him and replied in a bewildered tone. “What are you talking about, man? Everything’s fi—” He halted when he spotted Claire, then said, “What’s wrong?”
“I just got fired,” she said flatly.
They were at her side in an instant, sandwiching her on the couch, bodies angled so they could both see her face.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Dylan asked.
She opened her mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again and a whole lotta words poured out. Aidan listened in stupefied silence as she told them everything her boss had said. He wasn’t prone to violent thoughts, but at that moment, he wanted to rip Chris Wade’s head right off his shoulders and punt it into a tar pit.
Too far. Dylan’s brother had gone too fucking far by speaking to Claire’s boss, and Aidan’s vision turned into a red mist of fury as he listened to her soft sobs.
“My brother told your boss you were engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship?” Dylan’s voice was harder than steel, green eyes glittering with the same rage boiling in Aidan’s gut.
She nodded wordlessly.
Raking both hands through his hair, Dylan released a string of curses that finally ended with, “I don’t even know who he is anymore. I never dreamed he would stoop this low.”
“God, what am I going to do? I can’t believe I lost my job,” Claire moaned.
As she buried her face in her hands, Aidan’s heart cracked in two. He wasted no time drawing her close, while Dylan stroked Claire’s back in reassurance.
“It’ll be okay,” Dylan murmured. “Everything will be okay.”
Aidan’s heart splintered a little bit more each time Claire let out another quiet sob. He tightened his grip and held her against his chest, and in the back of his mind he wondered why it was so damn easy to show her physical affection when he kept everyone else at arm’s length. Including Dylan. Especially Dylan.
Inhaling an unsteady breath, he met the other man’s gaze over Claire’s head and saw his own concern reflected back at him. But he also discerned a flicker of longing, which only deepened when Dylan’s eyes rested on the hand Aidan was using to stroke Claire’s hair.
Damn it, he hated seeing that look of yearning on Dylan’s face. He knew the other man was unhappy with Aidan’s inability to vocalize his feelings, to be tender and affectionate outside the bedroom, but every time he opened his mouth to try to tell Dylan how he felt, his throat closed up and he couldn’t get the words out.
But now was not the time to dwell on his own inadequacies. Claire needed him. Claire needed them.
It was a while before she finally calmed down, and when she lifted her head, Aidan was floored by the intensity blazing in her big brown eyes.
“I’m fine. I’m going to be fine,” she said firmly, but he knew she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince them. “I’m smart and ambitious and qualified, and I’ll be able to find another job, no problem.”
“Or—” Dylan spoke tentatively, “—you could open your own consulting firm.”
Claire faltered. “I…don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
“Why not?” Aidan said quietly. “You’ve always wanted to go solo, and now you’ve got the chance. You have the experience, you have the contacts. Why not give it a shot?”