“Thanks for sticking with me at the hospital,” he managed without slurring or laughing as she coaxed a pillow into a burgundy case. When the nurses showed up to bandage him, the squad had stepped out, securing the hallway and other avenues to his room. “The team would’ve stayed in the private room so I wouldn’t be alone, but having only you with me was a lot more relaxing.”

  Doreen chuckled. “So, you said. Repeatedly. To anyone who opened the door.”

  The tips of his ears warmed. “I can only remember bits and pieces.”

  “I didn’t think your friends were going to allow you to leave the hospital with me. Talk about protective. They set you up in a private room, guarded you like you’re the president, and acted like I planned to kill you or something.”

  “Not you, my uncle.” Ted traced the edge of the dresser. Many divots showcased the piece had history. “I guess I’m a big deal in my world.” His finger rubbed a particularly deep mark. “I’m also under Delta’s protection.”

  Doreen sighed. “You’ve said so many things that don’t make sense.”

  Ted snorted. “That’s normal for me. Most people don’t understand me. I don’t mean to talk over their heads, but I keep doing it.” His eyes drifted over her face. “You are so beautiful.”

  She flopped the pillow onto the bed, her cheeks turning an adorable pink. “Ahhh, you informed all of the nurses of that too.”

  He snickered. “It’s still true.”

  “I can see why the doctor asked if someone could watch over you tonight.” Doreen laughed.

  “Yeah.” Ted joined in, loving the way their joy mingled together. “I’m so glad you let me stay with you. The construction at home is very loud, and so are Grady and Wraith when they get going—which is why I refuse to stay at their house anymore.” Delta Squad—minus Grady and Wraith—had recently bought the home next to Grady’s but the floorplans needed reconfiguration to fit their needs, hence the constant construction. He studied the bedroom. Simple, clean lines in the square room kept with the rustic aesthetic of the farmhouse her parents had built with the help of family. “It’s quiet here.”

  “Wait until five a.m.,” she answered dryly. “The animals will make sure you don’t sleep in. Is Talon truly going to sleep outside all night?”

  “Probably.” A thought occurred to him. “Hey, is Parker asleep?” He craned his head toward the hall, then grabbed the dresser when the world spun. “Whoa.” He blinked and slowed his movement, looking for the kid’s mop of brown hair to pop up any second.

  “He’d better be—it’s after ten. But I doubt it.”

  “Where—”

  “He’s staying with a friend all weekend.”

  “His friend or yours?”

  Strained chuckle. “Both. Neighbor two farms up has a daughter a year younger. The Sanders watch him whenever my parents can’t. Since I was supposed to be tied up with work stuff tonight and my parents are currently on vacation in Alabama, the Sanders had no problem allowing him to stay until Sunday night.”

  Ted stared, losing himself in her beauty. He could watch her talk all day. “Am I being too painfully honest?”

  Her gorgeous smile slipped. “I think maybe yes, but I haven’t understood half of what you said. You’ve used ‘team’ instead of coworkers. Who’s Delta? Why are you under their protection? What uncle wants you dead—and why? What do you mean ‘my world’? You also mentioned something about security clearance, but why would a tech repair guy have that?”

  “It’s a secret.” He looked down at his feet—which seemed oddly far away—and then shifted his gaze to the walls. Anything to avoid meeting her eyes. Oh, look, the flowers in the wallpaper match the sheets.

  “Can you share anything with me?” Doreen asked.

  His eyes, drawn back to her against his will, noted her fiddling with the bottom of her sweater like she was nervous. What did she have to be anxious about? He was the one making an idiot of himself.

  “It doesn’t have to be a big secret,” she pressed. “Just something to make me feel less left out.”

  Ted swayed and racked his floating mind. “Um.” What would make her think I’m cool? “Oh. Magician calls me an intellectual badass because I’m a savant when it comes to computers.”

  Doreen stilled.

  “I have friends in the highest places, if you know what I mean. One recommendation from me opens doors because I’ve worked with every government agency we’ve got.”

  “Really?” Her pupils resembled oversized cartoon drawings.

  He nodded. “Yeah. Parker reminds me of younger me. I remember what it’s like to be advanced at his age. How rough it was in school and how isolated I felt. Parker should have every opportunity to figure out his passion and encouraged to go for it.”

  Tears pooled at the corners of Doreen’s eyes as a trembling hand covered her mouth.

  “Crap. I just said something wrong, didn’t I?” Ted rubbed his buzzing forehead. “Damn drugs. They should tell people about the serious side effect of diarrhea of the mouth.”

  A giggle escaped through her fingers, leaving him confused.

  Ted marched... well, more like carefully walked with determination not to fall or wobble. He threw caution to the wind and channeled Theodore, brazenly stopping inside her space. His five-seven height topped hers perfectly by a few inches. He’d finally found his match. His other half.

  He had a point he was trying to make. What was it? “I’m a very wealthy man.” He brushed a clump of hair off her shoulder, then buried his fingers at her nape. Silky strands tickled his skin, begging him to finger-comb the straight, chocolate-brown tresses. The scents of vanilla and sugar rose off her skin, driving him nuts. He had trouble holding onto a thought and it was only partially because of the painkillers. Just keep going. Maybe you’ll remember the point. “I annually pull in an upper six-figure salary and have an investment portfolio that remains in the seven-figure bracket.”

  She visibly swallowed and a shiver stole over her. “I don’t know what to say. You’re not making sense. You don’t work for Sun Bright, then?”

  The jade in her irises sucked him in and he got lost in their exotic color.

  “Ted?”

  Her mouth snagged his attention, and he couldn’t stop staring at her plump lips. “I know the first kiss is supposed to come after the date, but I’m having trouble concentrating on anything else. Can I kiss you now?”

  Heat flared, then darkened the jade and her gaze latched onto his lips. Her pink tongue crept out, wetting her bottom lip, and he groaned softly.

  “Can you... I mean”—she flushed— “should you... won’t it hurt?”

  “No.” Like he’d care if it did. Her lips were calling to him like a siren’s song.

  Warm fingers gently grazed his biceps and she lifted her face. He pressed his mouth to hers... and the world fell away. The wonder of the drugs allowed him to sink into the sensation without mewling in pain from his injured... everything.

  Using his free hand, he clasped her waist and encouraged her to lean in close. She flowed into his arms, and he moaned at her ample breasts pressed against his chest. The fire inside him reached inferno levels and his hold on her nape tightened. Tipping his head, he nibbled on her soft, full bottom lip until the seam parted with a sigh. Capturing the breath of air, he took advantage of the invitation and met her tongue with his. Explosions, fireworks, and raw lust charged through his blood. He couldn’t get enough of her taste.

  Her hand squeezed his bicep as the other smoothed down his back.

  More. He wanted more. Craved more. Wrenching his mouth away, he pressed his forehead against hers, panting. His brain spun in his skull and he felt drunk on her.

  If he hadn’t thought it before, he knew for sure now. One day in the near future, he was going to ask this woman to marry him. He had watched his friends, Cappy, Michelle, Grady, and Wraith, fight their feelings, but he had no use for that. He knew in his soul Doreen was meant to be his, he just had to get her to believe the same about him.

  As much as he didn’t want to, he eased away. The drugs and lust begged him to kiss her again, but he attempted to maintain control. Pulling his phone out of his pants pocket, he scrolled through the contacts until he reached Talon’s number. “I’m not going to stay here tonight.”

  Confusion and hurt blotted out the twinkle in her irises.

  “Oh, geez. That didn’t come out right. I’m sorry.” He cleared his throat. “I just meant you are an incredibly special woman, and my thoughts aren’t the clearest right now. I don’t want to do anything to screw this up.”

  She bit her lip.

  “I’d like to take you out on dates, get to know you, and spend time with Parker.”

  Light filtered back into her eyes as she cupped his cheek. “I’d love that.”

  “Then it’s settled.” He hoped Talon hadn’t brought his Ninja motorcycle. Clinging to the back of the bike was not something he could manage now. “If you’re available, I’d love to take you out tomorrow night.”

  And maybe by then, the pain medication gave him insight into handling all the secrets he kept from his future wife. The major secrets about his clandestine work for SBG and the government were one thing, but he also hid The Institution’s infiltration into her employer’s files. And how he already knew her identity before they “met.” Those last two directly affected her and she might hate him for lying.

  Striding out the front door, he squashed the urge to run back inside and confess everything. Once he wasn’t under the influence, he’d figure out a way to tell her without losing her. He hoped. No, he begged.

  9

  Ted marched through the five-star French restaurant, Le Abri, barely perceiving the wood, wrought iron, embellished glass, and linens blending to make up its lavish décor. His focus narrowed to one thing: reach Doreen and beg for forgiveness for running behind schedule on their first date. If the maître d’ didn’t hurry up, he’d grab the man’s tuxedo-clad shoulders, push him out of the way, and start running until he found her.

  Usually, a person had to wait weeks before securing a table at the ultra-trendy restaurant, but Ted had asked Romeo for help, and somehow the man had delivered.

  “Here you are, sir.” The maître d’ stepped aside and waved toward an intimate, white-clothed table sporting fresh fall flowers in a bud vase and two pillar candles burning.

  Doreen snapped her head up from staring at her phone, then her eyebrows shot up. She pushed her chair back and stood uncertainly. “Ted?”

  His brain short-circuited, the disconnect having nothing to do with the aching, throbbing pain constantly with him all day. After the initial doses at the hospital, he’d refused to take any pain medication, needing all his faculties to write the code for the complex program he planned to deploy tomorrow to catch the entire web of The Institution locations. That, and he wanted to remember the first date with his future bride.

  “You look amazing,” he breathed, swallowing against his suddenly dry mouth. The silky, dark-purple dress tastefully hugged her curves and brought out the jade in her irises. She had swept her hair up in a twisty arrangement and added long, dangling earrings that brushed against her skin with each movement. “I mean, wow.”

  A blush stole over her cheeks and she grinned before confusion swept over her expression again. “Ted, you, uh, look... different.”

  He ducked his head and nodded. “Yeah.” Touching his face, he lifted his eyes to explain. “Um. I didn’t want to embarrass you on our first date, so I asked Mag—April to dip into her theater background and work her stage makeup magic.”

  “She fixes computers, is scarily good at self-defense, and knows how to do cosmetic makeovers?” Doreen studied the makeup expertly applied to hide the gruesome bruises that had darkened overnight.

  Ted fiddled with the button on the suit Romeo had helped him buy the other day. “Yeah. She, uh, has quite a few skills.” He captured her hand. “I am so sorry I’m late. Between this”—he motioned to his face with his free hand— “and coding a multi-layered program from scratch that has to be ready by tomorrow morning, I lost track of time. I’m sorry.”

  Doreen squeezed his palm. “You’re only a few minutes late.” Her blush deepened. “I, um, might have gotten here a bit early, which is not your fault . . .”

  The vise clamping around Ted’s chest sprang free and he inhaled with relief. “I looked forward to seeing you all day too.”

  “Here you are, sir, madam,” the maître d’ intoned just behind Ted.

  Doreen’s mouth slammed shut and she blinked. “Hey,” she leaned forward and whispered. “Don’t look back, but Romeo and Magician are seated right behind you. Did you know they were dining here tonight?”

  Everything inside Ted halted like a scratched record. Oh, crap. She knew Romeo’s codename? Shit. Shit. Shit. He vaguely remembered slipping at the doctor’s office with Magician’s, but nothing surfaced about Romeo’s. Dammit. He must have mentioned it while he was on the pain meds.

  “Did you, ah...” How did he ask this? “In all the commotion yesterday, I didn’t realize you were introduced to Romeo—”

  She waved a hand as if no big deal. “Oh, I remembered hearing what everyone called him last night.”

  Oh, man. His throat dried as a presence loomed directly behind him.

  Fuck. The operative probably overheard Doreen mention his and Magician’s codenames.

  “Don’t keep her standing, Ted. Help her with her chair,” Romeo hissed in his ear, then turned away.

  Scrambling forward, he grabbed the back of her chair. “Here, let me help you with this.”

  A surprised smile lit up Doreen’s face and she demurely sat. “Thank you, Ted.”

  Once she was settled, he plodded to his seat and situated himself.

  “Your wine, sir.”

  Ted jumped and whipped his gaze up to find a waiter holding a bottle for Ted to inspect.

  “Uh. Sure.” Ted wasn’t much of a drinker and couldn’t tell good wine from bad by the label.

  The waiter dipped his chin, poured a small amount into Ted’s glass then waited.

  Figuring he had to test it, he swallowed the liquid and held in a grimace. Ugh. He did not like red wine, but should he say that? Romeo arranged for it so it must be okay. “Um. It’s fine.”

  Once the waiter poured their glasses and left with their food orders, Ted fingered the stem of his glass. He peered at Doreen but could only see the stupid flowers. Craning his head to the right, he found her in a sliver between the arrangement and the candle. “Do you mind if I move these?” He plucked the flowers up, then searched for a spot. The table wasn’t much bigger than a postage stamp and patrons filled the surrounding tables. “Um.”

  “Here.” She wiggled her reaching fingers.

  He handed the bud vase over.

  She lifted the tablecloth and hid the flowers beneath. “Much better.”

  He couldn’t stop the goofy smile blazing across his face. Man, could she be any more perfect for him?

  Her grin dimmed and she bit her lip. Twice she cleared her throat and his stomach dropped at the tension rising around her. “I have a confession to make.”

  Ted winced. Damn. He really had screwed everything up by being late. “Okay.”

  Picking up her knife, she turned it over and over in her hands. “I’m not even sure if you caught it, but... at the hospital, Talon made a reference about Grady I want to explain. Parker loves going to his adventure center and spends hours on the go-kart tracks and video arcade. I saw Grady as a wonderful role model for Parker. Plus, I... well, I was lonely. Long story short, I pursued him. He hadn’t taken any of my hints, so on Labor Day, I had tried hard to entice him, but he wasn’t interested.” She inhaled, her eyes rigidly fixed on the candle. “I got mad and made a pass at Talon, but he was so caught up in some drama with Grady, he didn’t pay any attention to me.”

  The frozen air in Ted’s lungs wooshed out and he clutched his heart, giddy her confession wasn’t a ‘get lost’ speech. “I already knew,” he replied. “But thank you for telling me yourself. It makes me respect you even more.”

  “You already knew?” The knife paused its rotations.

  Uh oh. Warning! By that tone, admitting Grady and Talon had talked about her would not go over well. And he still hadn’t figured out how to confess his initial reason for approaching her. His feelings were a far cry from those in the bookstore, but he had no idea how to convey that yet. Think of a distraction.

  Something thudded on the floor near him. Romeo whispered the word “Intel,” as he bent to pick up a spoon.

  Shit. Romeo just proved he had no compunction at eavesdropping on Ted’s conversation. And dammit. He didn’t want to be grateful for the idea. Not only would asking her questions about work shift the conversation in a safer direction, but he’d gather useful information. Bruce’s insane reaction yesterday gave Ted a huge clue the man was guilty of something. He suspected colluding with The Institution was it. “Hey, I’ve been wondering. How did Mitchell and Dr. Zedke meet? Whose idea was it that Bruce take over the practice?”

  Doreen’s chin snapped back. She blinked owlishly, then grabbed her wine glass and inhaled a healthy swallow. “Bruce?” she repeated after plopping her glass back down. “Um. They met at a medical convention for physical therapists and instantly became friends. At the time, Bruce lived in Ohio, but when Dr. Zedke mentioned wanting to retire soon, Bruce offered to move to Ridge Creek and integrate into the practice. If everything went well for a year or so, Dr. Zedke would sell him his half of the partnership.”

  Interesting. The synapses in his brain fired, adding this latest information to the puzzle—

  “... questions.”

  “Huh?” he brilliantly asked. “I’m sorry. What?”

  “Listen, I really like you.” Her hopeful expression made King of the World euphoria shoot through him. “But, I have some questions.”

  Euphoria plunged to dread and trepidation.

  The knife began twirling again. “You’ve mentioned the name Delta quite a bit. What does it mean?... And don’t give me a lecture on Greek letters. I’m asking about how it pertains to you.”

 

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