His smile dimmed. “Do I have to be nice about it?”
Chuckling, I pushed back the covers as he moved around the bed and together, we put the sheets to right, folding and tucking everything back where it went. “Well, I do need him in one piece and hopefully focused, so maybe try nice first?”
The wicked little curve at the corners of his mouth as he focused on the bed told me all I needed to know. Men. I was still grinning when I walked into the bathroom and I met my smiling gaze in the mirror.
Something had changed. My lips gradually flattened and my cheeks relaxed as I studied my reflection. The hint of shadows beneath my eyes said I hadn’t gotten quite enough sleep, as did the hint of redness around the sclera. But both of those could be dealt with easily. Something else had changed and I couldn’t put my finger on it.
A yelp from beyond the bedroom had me half-turning, but Fletcher’s string of invectives about the potency of Rick’s cock had me grinning all over again. I could definitely dispute Fletcher’s accusations, but I’d let them sort it out.
I needed to stop lagging around and get ready. With that mental slap, I stripped before climbing into the shower. The initial spray of cold water did more to wake me up than anything else. Today was not the day for fooling around. As promised, when I got out of the shower, a steaming cup of coffee waited for me.
Fifteen minutes later, I descended the steps dressed in a pair of jeans, boots and a basic black t-shirt. I’d braided my hair after I dried it and I’d used only a trace of cosmetics, just enough to shape my eyes differently and add a little contouring. It was amazing how far a little would go.
Fletcher was already seated at the bar, glaring at Rick who was wiping down the stove, ignoring him. The smell of fresh-baked pastries and coffee perfumed the air. “Never leave me,” I said as I slid into my seat, just as Rick took my empty mug to refill it.
“I won’t,” he promised almost solemnly to my breathless invitation.
“Me neither,” Fletcher said. “But only if you look at me the way you’re looking at him. Or is that look for the coffee?”
A towel hit Fletcher in the face before I could say anything and I laughed. “Enough, boys,” I said still chuckling, as I dug into the fluffy pastry that turned out to be a croissant stuffed with ham, cheese, and egg. “We have work to do today.”
Fletcher threw the towel back at Rick and he snaked it out of the air. Their glares at each other were impossible to miss, but they also lacked some of the venom present before. An improvement, but still they were a huge distraction.
Massive.
I focused on eating and even devoured the second croissant Rick slid in front of me after I finished the first. Fletcher dug into his own food and Rick even joined us. No one spoke until I was through my second cup of coffee. When I glanced up, I had their full attention.
“Today is going to be a long day.” Maybe that was stating the obvious, but they needed to understand. Both of them. “Fletcher, you’ll be going with me and Rick—you’ll take care of the rest?”
Rick paused in eating the last bite of his croissant. After a second of open mouth gaping, he set it back down on his plate. “You want me to stay here?”
The hurt in his voice nearly had me backtracking. Without needing to ask, I knew it was because I decided to take Fletcher and leave Rick here. He was already so protective of me, and he wasn’t even trying to hide the slight twitch in his hand that hadn’t been there before.
But as I’d told him the other night, I couldn’t placate him every time he felt insecure. At some point, he’d have to trust me.
“Yes, what we started working on yesterday is important and time is always of the essence. If you find anything worth sharing, I want you to call me. And I’ll have my phone on me at all times. If anything goes awry, I’ll send you a text.” I used the most soothing voice I had to put him at ease.
It seemed to work because his posture deflated and he nodded. “I can do that.”
Fletcher took a few quick looks between Rick and me before settling his brilliant blue gaze on me. “Wait. You’re saying I get to go on a field trip today?” The mock excitement had me rolling my eyes.
“Yes, with your computer. If we run across anything of interest, I want you to be able to look into it while we’re there,” I said as I stacked my mug on my empty plate. Rick really was a godsend when it came to cooking. I’d also put on a few pounds since he’d been here because of all the delicious food he was feeding me.
“That’s reasonable. I have my road warrior laptop with me.” His gaze cut to Rick and for the briefest moment, I thought he was going to make some smartass comment to rub in the fact that Rick was staying here. I mean, his discomfort was all over his face.
Fletcher surprised me. Because he turned back to me and waited.
“Road warrior?” Rick took the bait.
Shrugging, Fletcher gulped down the last bit of coffee in his mug. “It’s a smaller laptop made for easier travelling. It’s no less powerful, just more suited for road trips.”
“Then it’s settled. We’ll be leaving just as soon as you're ready.” Standing, I took my dishes over to the sink and started running the hot water to wash them.
“I’ll take care of those once you’re gone. Don’t worry about it.” Rick pressed a warm hand against my waist as he leaned around me to turn off the water. The familiar touch incited a burst of tingles along my spine. They traveled down my arms before disappearing altogether.
As the days wore on, Rick grew more comfortable with the house and more comfortable with me. And I had to admit, I was starting to like it too much.
“I can take—” Another hand cupped my arm, and it was decidedly not Rick’s. Without thinking, I grabbed the hand, bending the first two fingers back until Fletcher squealed. He lowered to the floor, trying to find an angle to lessen the pain.