“Then why don’t they ever make a move?” Kelly seethed with frustration, shocking Caitlyn with her sudden outburst. “Why don’t they ask me out? Why don’t they ever touch me? Kiss me? Buy me damned roses?” Her mouth opened and shut as she stared in horror at Caitlyn. “Oh, my God. Tell me I didn’t just say ‘they’ all over the place.”
“Oh, no. You yelled ‘they’ a lot.” Caitlyn grinned with smug satisfaction. Finally.
“I’m not some wild woman. I meant he, not they. It’s just hard to choose between them,” Kelly babbled, looking upset. “But Ace and Zack --”
“Are a set. Relax, Kelly. I’m not judging you.” Hell, no, I’m not. Not when I had sex with all five of them. A secret I’m taking to my grave. Talk about a wild woman. “Love --
affection,” she corrected before Kelly could interrupt, “is what it is. The guys have fallen hard. They’re probably just waiting for a signal from you. You barely look at them. When you do, you’re riding them for one infraction or another. Granted, they’re slobs, but you can’t be mad at them all the time. And Stephen’s existence in your life isn’t exactly welcoming them, you know?”
Kelly sagged into a chair. “Well, what should I do? I look at them, I want them. It’s that simple. Though I pretty much stay away from all the Circ stuff Doc’s involved in, I know there’s some kind of mating heat that takes the guys away for days.” She swallowed audibly.
“They’ve seriously trashed my house a time or two when the urge hits and they can’t come back here for whatever reason. I know that much. It makes me wish I could be the one to help them. I wonder who they’re with, and it kills me.” Kelly stared with misery at Caitlyn.
She has no idea the guys take care of each other. Oh, boy.
“All I can say is that if you have questions, ask them,” Caitlyn offered, hoping Kelly would take her up on the suggestion. “I know I’m new, but I have eyes. Those two are so into you, it’s not funny. If you gave them the slightest notion you wanted them, they’d be all over you. Seriously.”
Kelly bit her lip. “You think? But look at them. They could have anyone they wanted.
They’re so hot.” She groaned and rapped her head back against the wall. “Why would they want me?”
“Are you kidding?” Caitlyn stared in astonishment. “Kelly, everyone who looks at you takes a second and third glance. Dark red hair and blue eyes? Guys love red hair. And you have boobs!”
Kelly blushed. “Cut it out.”
“Well, they’re bigger than mine. I’ve seen both Zack and Ace staring at those buggers when you aren’t looking.”
“Shut up. Those buggers. Geez.” Kelly laughed for some time, relaxing into the chair.
“You’re good for my confidence. I knew I liked you.” She pursed her lips. “It’s been a while since you’ve been anywhere but the compound. Isn’t that bugging you?”
“You have no idea. But Roane told me not to leave. I think he’s worried the PPA might bother me again.”
“Really?” Kelly arched a delicate brow. “I may not be involved with Doc’s lab findings, but I do provide a measure of security when the guys aren’t here. I’m as aware of the threat as they are. You can’t stay locked up forever. Look, I’m an expert marksman with the tranq gun, as well as my own nine mil.” Kelly grinned. “Military family, what can I say? How about we do a little shopping today?” She dug into her pocket and held up one of Roane’s credit cards. “Roane’s treat.”
“Kelly! I can’t take Roane’s money.”
“Yes, you can. He told me to buy you whatever you needed. While he’s gone, I have orders to get you jewelry and flowers and whatever else I think you might like,” Kelly said with a sly grin.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“I just happen to know that Roane is desperate to hear three little words from you. He’s been poring through women’s magazines and hitting me up for help at every opportunity.” Kelly laughed again. “It does my heart good to see Mr. Hard-ass falling over himself to hear the words ‘I love you.’ And you had no clue?”
“Ah, no.” Dazed, Caitlyn wondered how she could have been so blind.
“So let’s celebrate with some shopping.”
“But…” Her independence reasserted itself. After all the lessons she’d gone through in changing , in how to control her beast, could she really still fear thugs like Simon and Vincent? She imagined taking them apart with her strength. Then there was the matter of Kelly’s gun… “Okay. Maybe you can show me where you got your hair done.” She looked at her nails. “A manicure wouldn’t be too out of the question, either.” Kelly hooted. “Now you’re talking my language. I’ll leave Doc a note.” Kelly stood and moved to the door. “Trust me, Caitlyn. You need this. I know the danger out there, but you can’t let them rule your life. Not if you want to be in control of it.”
“I agree. And with what Doc and the guys have taught me, if the PPA wants to screw with me, they’re in for a real treat.” She lifted a hand and changed it into a clawed weapon.
“Man. I’ll say.” Kelly stared, wide-eyed. “Here’s a thought. Maybe we shouldn’t go for a color on those nails. Pink claws just wouldn’t be as threatening, you know?”
“How about blue? Or steel gray?”
“Much better.”
They stared at each other and burst into laughter. The ache around Caitlyn’s heart eased. When Roane returned, she’d have a heart-to-heart with the big guy. It was time to stop straddling the fence. To love or not to love was no longer an option.
A week later…
“Seriously, Roane. Flowers?” Derrick complained as they readied to take out the subject they’d been watching. Confirming her location had taken a little time, especially since the PPA had been swarming all over the city. They even had a contingent of agents around the woman’s secluded house in the woods. “You’re pussing out, big time.”
“Shut up, D. I think it’s refreshing to see Roane courting,” Hale said with a shit-eating grin.
Ace snickered beside him, and Roane closed his eyes, praying for patience.
“Did she say it yet?” Zack asked from behind them.
As the group changed and dressed in their battle armor, made out of a light Kevlar blend courtesy of Doc, Roane clenched his jaw tight to keep from roaring his displeasure with the entire situation.
Away from Caitlyn for the first time since they’d mated, he felt out of sorts, lost, and on edge with everyone and everything. Like an idiot, he’d contemplated his relationship with Caitlyn to death. They hadn’t been together long enough. She was a new Circ, likely still in shock about how her world had changed. The threat of danger loomed over her with the PPA’s constant presence. They had fantastic sex. He courted her at every opportunity, and the woman still hadn’t told him what he wanted to hear. None of which accounted for how much he fucking loved the female. God. The way she organized everything of hers in his -- their -- room to the nth degree. Her penchant for chocolate and horror movies. The way she stroked him with her thumb when they held hands. She wasn’t moody at all. An adaptable woman with a temperament that totally complemented his own. Not to mention that just breathing in her scent gave him a hard-on from hell.
Was it any wonder he loved her?
He fumed as he checked the gun at his side, a specially constructed weapon that fit his overlarge grip.
He’d given her time, hadn’t he? How fucking hard was it to say “I love you, Roane. You are my everything?” Maybe that was pushing it, but couldn’t Caitlyn see how he felt? He’d given her damned flowers. He’d picked his shit up around her, tried to calm down the swearing, and even did her fucking laundry.