Chapter 15
Fifteen
GENEVIEVE
G enevieve woke up the next morning to a cold, empty bed. Men! Of course, she could hardly blame him. Brendan was probably elbows deep in a plan to get them out of this mess before the sun had even risen. Ambitious a bit? But she’d known that when she’d asked him to become her ally, and now she was falling for him.
Nibbling on her lip, Genevieve stared at the golden light fixture above her. How did she feel about that? Did she want forever? She couldn’t imagine ever walking away from him, so there was her answer. She crammed her eyes shut. Please let him fall for me, too . Dealing with heartbreak after the intensity of the last several years would crush her.
She sighed, forcing herself out of the pillow-soft king-sized bed. After taking a soothing shower, she searched through her black duffel for some comfortable clothes, selecting denim jeggings and a baby blue blouse, and padded out barefoot into the living room. The cuts on her feet ached but no more than her eyes and ears.
“Hi.” Brendan closed his laptop and set it on the coffee table. Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, he motioned his hand out, offering for her to join him on the light pink sofa. “Did you sleep well?”
“Great, considering.”
He studied her expression, a concerned look crossing his face. “Considering?”
“Relax, Brendan. You said you’re crazy about me?”
He nodded.
“Well, I’m crazy about you too. I loved everything we did last night.”
His eyebrows shot up, and he beamed an adorable smile. “Good to hear.”
She shimmied into the sofa cushions and placed her feet on his lap. “Considering my mom is still missing, my feet, ears, and eyes ache—oh, and Jed and his entourage are still after us—considering all that. Any updates?”
“Quill is downstairs working with Manning’s team on our plan to bury Marshal.” Brendan caressed the top of her feet, sending electrical tingles through her while he spoke about her ex, of all things. Did he realize just the touch of his fingertips turned her on? Probably not. “We’ve got some intel on him,” he continued. “It’s just a matter of gathering enough evidence to ensure we have a solid case. I ordered some breakfast for us. Should be here soon.” A knock sounded on the door. “Wow, perfect timing.”
Brendan got up, and her mind screamed in protest at the loss of contact. He wheeled in a cart of food. Genevieve loaded up a plate of eggs and fruit and eased back into the cushions. They ate in silence for a few minutes before she set her plate back on the cart.
“I needed that, thanks.”
Brendan wiped his mouth with a napkin and set his finished plate next to hers. “Me too.”
She pulled a worried lip into her mouth. “Any word on my mom? ”
“Nothing yet. I’m sorry, Gen. I wish I had a different answer for you.”
She nodded. “How are you holding up?”
“Me?” Brendan tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“I basically upended your life. You’ve been racing cars, throwing flash grenades, running from bullets, dealing with criminals, and making alliances with casino powerhouses. All of that is intense, as is the legal stuff, I’m sure.” She sighed. “I churned up Quill’s life, too. I’m going to have to thank him next time I see him.”
Brendan grasped her hand, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “Other than that, we don’t have this resolved yet, I’m fine. I want to end it so we can move on with our lives. When everyone is safe, I’ll be happy. All I want is to be with you and live in peace. As for Quill,”—he shook his head, chuckling softly—“there’s no need to worry about him. Seriously, he’s having fun. He enjoys the intensity of all this.”
She huffed out a long breath. “Well, he can have it. I’ve had enough of it.”
Brendan brushed his fingers across her knuckles, sending a swarm of butterflies through her stomach. “What do you want after we resolve this?”
She blinked. “What?”
“Our future. What’s your dream?” His fingers increased their pace, strumming in nervous repetition across the back of her hand while he waited for her response. So cute!
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I haven’t given it much thought. My life has been escaping Jed Marshall for so many years now.”
Brendan pinched his features. Clearly, he’d meant to get her focus off Jed and on their future together, but she was just being honest, and truthfully, she didn’t really know. She hadn’t imagined ever breaking free of Jed.
“Okay, here goes.” She drew in a calming breath and closed her eyes, trying to imagine a future of her choice. “Off the top of my head, I’d say spend time with you and my mom. Make some friends. Work at a non-profit women’s shelter.” She opened her eyes and met his enraptured gaze.
“That paints a wonderful picture of the future. So no more advertising manager then?”
“I don’t think so. I want to be an ally for those who have no one to turn to—specifically for domestic abuse victims who are fighting battles for their independence. Without my mom and then you…” She shook her head, swallowing through the clog of emotion in her throat. “I need to give back to others. When I was sitting out on the chair by the pool last night, I realized I had hope for the first time in a long time because I had allies. What about all those people who have no one? I want to give them hope, too.”
He nodded. “That sounds incredible, Gen.”
Her heart pitter-pattered at his acceptance of her dreams, coupled with his endearing use of her nickname. It felt so intimate. “And kids,” she added softly. “I’d like to have at least two, but not for a while. I want time to focus on me”—she smiled—“and you.” The look of sheer warmth in his eyes touched her to the core. “What about you, Brendan? What’s your dream?”
“You, me, family and friends, and however many kids you want whenever you want them.”
“And your job?”
“I like my business and finance programs.” He shrugged. “I’ll probably spend less time working, though.”
She laughed. “It’s not like you need more money, right?”
“It’s not about the money. I enjoy the challenge of it.”
“I’m not judging you. You’re sexy as sin as a CEO.” She stiffened as a thought occurred to her. “Am I about the challenge, too?” She braced herself, praying that the answer was no—that the answer was deeper .
“No.” A slow smile spread across his face. “I love you, Genevieve. That’s all it will ever be about with you.”
Her breath hitched. She now trusted another soul—a brilliant man who loved her unconditionally—and she believed him without question. It was just as her mom had said… You look for a man willing to make sacrifices for you. Incredibly selfless sacrifices—actions that are not necessarily best for him but that are best for you. When both people begin doing that in a relationship, it’s real.
Genevieve would have taken a bullet for him on that sidewalk. She wouldn’t have let him die for her. Maybe it was the intensity of their situation that sped her feelings along, but she knew how she felt. He was worth it.
“I love you too, Brendan.”
He drew in a startled breath. Staring at her wide-eyed, he said, “I didn’t expect that. I thought I was in deeper than you.”
She smirked. “Did you now?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Why is it a surprise? We’re sitting here talking about the future and kids?—”
“That’s all wonderful. I like dreaming about the future with you.” Brendan split a wide grin. “But it’s not the same as the woman I love holding my eyes and giving me a confident declaration that she loves me in return. You meant what you just said to me. I saw it in your eyes.”
Genevieve nibbled on her lip. She did mean it. He was right. This was crazy. She went from running for her life to anchoring down the man of her dreams in less than two days. She crawled across the couch and hovered over him. Gently, she brushed her lips over his. His kiss was responsive but not as confident as when he acted on impulse.
“Where’s my cocky man?”
Brendan nodded. “Sorry, my brain was getting in the way.” He gripped the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. “Want something from me?” he whispered boldly against her lips. “Name it, Gen.”
“I want all of you.”
He let out a passionate groan in response.
Heat pulsed through her belly down to her core. She really shouldn’t have stirred the both of them up, though, because they had more pressing matters than sex during prime daylight hours. Reluctantly, she pulled away, bracing herself for his response. “But first, I want you to teach me how to fight.”
He tensed beneath her, narrowing his steaming-hot cocoa-brown eyes at her. “ What? ”
“You said there’s a security training center here? I want to work every day we’re here on fighting, defending, shooting, weaponry?—”
“Like hell.”
She raised a brow. “That’s my expression, you know?”
“Seems we’re sharing it now more than we should. I don’t know what’s going on inside that crafty mind of yours, but?—”
“Would you really leave me defenseless if Jed gets his hands on me again?”
“Marshal’s never getting his hands on you again,” Brendan ground out. “I’ll kill him before he does.” He stood up and began to pace. “I don’t like the implications of you learning to fight, but I don’t have to. Like hell is my initial reaction, but what you choose to do will never be my decision. Just know, the only reason I don’t like it is because I don’t want you to have to.”
He prodded through his briefcase and pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll give Manning a call and have him set up a schedule at the training center for you, but a security guard will have to teach you whatever you want to learn. I won’t be an effective teacher for you because my heart won’t be in it. I’d just picture you in danger the whole time if I tried. ”
“You could teach me, though?” she asked, more out of curiosity than anything. She didn’t really care if he taught her or someone else.
“Some things. I’ve been learning myself for the past couple of years.”
“Why?”
“Because of you.”
She inhaled sharply.
“I’ve been in deeper than you for a while. I knew someone was spooking you from the moment you walked into my office. I also knew that I wanted to be with you then. I’ve never been a man to explore different options. That’s why I didn’t bother with college. I know what I want, and if at all possible, I make it happen.”
“You hired me because you wanted to be with me?” she squeaked out. Was she okay with that?
“Full transparency, yes, because, as I told you before, I would have had HR do a comprehensive background check if it was anyone but you. But if it makes you feel better, I believed you were qualified for the job when you answered the interview questions.”
Genevieve glared at him, pursing her lips.
He brushed his fingers along his jaw. “You’re freaking me out, Gen. Did I just screw up my chances with you?”
“No, it’s just a lot to take in. For someone so logical, you zeroed in on wanting to be with me without using your head.”
Brendan grabbed the back of his neck, digging his fingers in like she’d noticed he did when he was stressed. Without a steering wheel to grip, it seemed to be his other release. “I hope you don’t feel like you owe me anything because I hired you or because I’m helping you out right now. You know, as in you’re with me because you know that I have feelings for you and feel pressured to”—his features scrunched—“reciprocate.”
“What? No. I told you I love you, and I mean it. I just honestly think you’re out of your mind. You can have practically any woman you want. Why not date around? Why did you want me when I walked into your office? I don’t buy the whole ‘I don’t need to explore different options argument.’ That’s insane. There’s no logical reason for you to get attached to me that quickly.” She twisted her finger and pointed it at herself. “ I certainly didn’t get attached to you that quickly.”
Brendan let out a breath of relief as if what he was worried about had evaporated. Smirking, he challenged, “No?”
“No.”
He crossed his arms. “Maybe, maybe not. The more I get to know you, the more I think you’ve been attached for a while, too. I think you cared just as much as I did, even then.” He cocked his head, narrowing his eyes as if studying her reaction. “I think perhaps you also wanted me from the time we met, even if it was subconsciously due to what you were going through. Why else would you come specifically to me when you needed an ally? There are dozens of other people at BC King you could have turned to. You trusted me .”
She jutted out her chin. “If you’re so sure about my feelings for you, then why would you question whether you’d screwed up your chances with me?”
“Because I worry that if you think something I do or say is even remotely controlling, you’ll feel trapped and run. You’re bound to be resistant to attachment even if you do want me the way I want you. I’m gaining confidence, though. The revelation that you love me helps. Full transparency again, though, I think you admitted that to me before you were ready. You’re jumping in so quickly because you fear losing me. I’m not going anywhere, Gen. Take your time.”
“Yeah, well, full transparency back, I don’t think you would have had the guts to try for a relationship with me unless I made the first move. You certainly wouldn’t have admitted that you wanted to be with me if I hadn’t pushed you along. I think the intimacy with me scares you because you’re not as confident as you pretend to be. You’re afraid of what you feel and how badly you want something that you can’t control.”
She expected him to lash back out—heck, to perhaps even be a little hurt, churning with emotions the way she was, but he just flashed a cheeky smile and nodded. “We’re perfect for each other, aren’t we?”
“Dammit, you’re a piece of work,” Genevieve spat. “The honeymoon phase of our relationship is obviously already over, but everything else about us moves within hours, so why not? I’m going downstairs to find Manning. I’ll set up my own training, thank you very much.” She hesitated before leaving. She’d been through enough to know that every time she walked out a door, it might be the last time she saw someone she cared about. “I love you, Brendan. Don’t do anything stupid.”
He nodded at her with an expression that was far too pleased. “I love you too, Gen. Ditto—don’t do anything stupid.”
A soft giggle escaped her throat at their sparring of phrases. Well, perhaps the honeymoon phase wasn’t over for him. He didn’t seem to run as hot and cold as she did, and shoot, she’d been blind and let him one-up her. Not that she hadn’t learned some things, too, but he’d purposely told her. He was both clearing the air and poking at her for information, and she’d played right into it—telling him exactly what he wanted to know—that she was in just as deep as he was. If he wasn’t fully confident before, she had no idea what came next in their relationship, but she sure as heck was excited to find out.