Knowing she hadn’t chosen to kiss anyone but him in years, maybe ever, spurred his protective tendencies.
“Left them over at the other house. I better go get them. Come on, Laurel.” He reached for her hand, but she didn’t take it. When he spun around, her eyes were glassy and unfocused.Shit!“Laurel! Are you okay?”
She snapped out of wherever she’d gone, blinking as she scanned the room. She touched her lips and smiled faintly at him before shrinking from Sola’s concerned gaze. Right behind her, Kennedy, Devra, and Devon piled into the tiny home.
Fuck their timing.
“I’ll take you home.” Nolan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and prepared to lead her through the throng of curious ladies like a starlet through a sea of paparazzi, but she shook her head.
“Would you mind if we didn’t rush right back into the fire?” She sighed, wormed out from beneath his biceps, then sank onto Devra’s couch. “I think I need a minute to decompress. Things are changing so fast. I’m getting dizzy.”
Kennedy glared at Nolan, then rushed to Laurel’s side. She murmured something to Laurel, who nodded, before she placed her fingers on Laurel’s wrist, measuring her pulse.
Nolan could have already told the doctor that it would be racing. Hell, his was too.
11
Laurel stared at the intersection of her wrist and Kennedy’s slender fingers. How could someone so young be a doctor? Her excitement dampened as she remembered how much of her life had been wasted, out of her control.
She peeked up at Nolan then. He was absolutely right. She’d spent too long stuck in a platonic rut with Jace, simply because it was comfortable and safe. But was she ready to take a risk if it meant she might lose him entirely? And what the hell was she supposed to do about the fact that she suddenly found herself with a crush on not one but two of her roomies, who apparently had a thing for each other too?
Laurel groaned. Why couldn’t life ever be simple?
“Are you okay?” Kennedy asked kindly, her pale blue eyes evaluating each and every clench of Laurel’s jaw.
“Yes, thanks.” Laurel smiled and gently took her arm back. It was new and a little intimidating to have so many people concerned about her wellbeing. Sometimes it could feel invasive, though she knew they didn’t mean it to be. Especially when, at that very moment, she was already doing so much better than she’d ever been before in her lifetime.
Her sister-in-law edged nearer. “Do you want me to call James to come spend some time with you? I’m not sure what’s going on, but it seems like you could use someone in your corner.”
Devon glared at Nolan. She might have been the smallest of the women gathered around, but she was intense. She and Devra stood shoulder to shoulder. The contrast between their blond and black hair was dramatic, and yet each of them was gorgeous. They were made of the same stuff—dignity, power, and self-assuredness.
Laurel hoped one day she could be more like them. Wren too. Jordan’s wife, much taller than her friends, peeked over their shoulders, then scowled at Nolan too.
“Why do you all assume I did something stupid?” He shrugged.
Laurel couldn’t help it—she laughed. “To be fair, Jace started it.”
“See.” Nolan winked at her and she thought, maybe for the first time in forever, that everything was going to be okay. This could be her future, if she adapted and allowed herself to grow. Nolan had been right about that.
“Well, that I believe.” Kennedy shook her head, setting her wavy platinum hair dancing around her. “He has the look of a troublemaker. An awfully sexy one, mind you, but a heartbreaker for sure.”
“Don’t let Marcus hear you talking like that.” Sola nudged her co-worker with her elbow and Kennedy groaned.
“Donotstart acting like Nolan, please. One of him is enough on our team.”
Nolan scooched closer to Sola, probably to take the heat off himself. “You know, she has a point. Why is it that Marcus always ends up covering your ass on missions, huh?”
“We work well together.” Kennedy shrugged. “That doesn’t mean there’s anything else going on. I’ve pretty much sworn off men—they’re more trouble than they’re worth. I have a vibrator. I can take care of myself without the inevitable disappointment.”
Laurel thought she had a point. Maybe with some of their spare cash she should treat herself to a mechanical boyfriend and leave the rest of this stuff alone before she fucked up one of the best things in her life: her partnership with Jace.
Devon cracked up at that. “If you think sex toys can replace a man, or five, who know their way around a woman’s body, you’ve been doing this wrong, friend.”
“Well, I’m not about to argue with that. I suck at dating.” Kennedy’s wry smile brimmed with sadness. “Which is why I certainly wouldn’t screw around with someone I entrust my life to regularly. Could you imagine getting in a fight then being distracted in the middle of one of our ops? I wouldn’t put myself or any of you in a deadly position like that. Our jobs are a little more dangerous than most, you know?”
“You’re right. That sounds like a horrible idea.” Why did Sola seem bummed at the revelation? Maybe she was more into Aarav than she was letting on. Whew. Laurel hated to think it, but she was glad she wasn’t the only one around there with issues. It made her feel less broken, and…oddly…more normal.Huh.
These people were so open and made her comfortable. Before she realized it, she said, “I hear you about swearing off guys. I did the same. I haven’t been with anyone, well, ever, really. You know in a consenting relationship anyway, and now I’m stuck day and night with both Jace and Nolan being all…”