CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Charley slowly opened her eyes as she rolled to her back.
She stared at the ceiling fan above Pierce’s bed as it turned. The sheets around her were warm and soft. The pillow she was lying on smelled like Pierce. It was a mix of soap and a clean linen scent. And something that always made her think of salt air.
She was surprised how good she felt after the shit storm of a day she had yesterday. She had actually slept through the night. She should probably thank Pierce for that. His steady warmth and the way his arms had wrapped around her like an anchor helped her mind and body to relax.
She reached for the space beside her, but it was empty.
She pushed herself up on one elbow and glanced at the clock on his nightstand. It was a little before eight. A bit of sunlight slipped through the blinds in thin stripes, cutting across the hardwood floor.
For a second, she wished that yesterday had been a nightmare. That she would wake up for real in her own apartment, laughing at herself for being dramatic. But the bandage around her arm was a stark reminder that it had happened.
But she’d learned the hard way that life didn’t give you do-overs.
With a slow exhale, she swung her legs out of bed and stood. Her shoulder tugged faintly where the stitches were, but it wasn’t bad.
She padded across the room and dug through her bag, finding a pair of yoga pants, a tank top, and a pair of socks.
She pulled on the soft pants and tank, then did her usual morning routine on autopilot—brush teeth, rinse face, tie her hair up into a messy bun.
When she stepped back into the bedroom, she paused, listening. She heard soft, feminine voices drifting from somewhere down the hall.
Her forehead wrinkled slightly. Pierce had said Ray and Jessica were staying the night. So, who did the other female voice belong to?
As soon as she heard a giggle, she knew exactly who it was. Alyvia.
She stepped into the hallway and followed the sound, wandering through the living room and toward the kitchen. The smell of coffee hit her halfway there, rich and strong, and her stomach made a small, hopeful flip.
Then she stopped in the doorway.
Jessica and Alyvia were standing shoulder to shoulder by the sink, their faces practically pressed to the kitchen window, like two teenagers spying on a neighbor.
Jessica had her hands braced on the counter, head tilted like she was watching a show. Alyvia’s cheeks were pink—actual pink—and she kept making these tiny sounds of appreciation under her breath like she didn’t realize she was doing it out loud.
Charley watched for a minute, then tiptoed forward. She made sure to be as silent as she could.
And when she was right behind them, she leaned in and said, very softly, “What are we stalking?”
Both women shrieked.
Jessica jerked so hard she nearly toppled over. Alyvia spun around, clutching her chest like Charley had just sent her into cardiac arrest.
“CHARLEY!” Jessica hissed, then immediately dissolved into laughter. “Oh, my God. You scared the bejesus out of me.”
Charley chuckled. “Good morning to you, too.”
Jessica pointed at her, still laughing. “Good morning, little Miss Stealth Mode. Where did you learn that anyway? You’ve been hanging around SEALs for two minutes, and now you’re sneaking up like you’re about to breach a door.”
Charley lifted a brow. “Maybe I’m a fast learner.”
Jessica snorted. “Or maybe you’re just mean.”
Alyvia finally caught her breath, swatting Charley’s good arm playfully. “You know that I scare easily,” she playfully scolded her.
Charley laughed again. She wasn’t joking. Alyvia was one big scaredy cat. She looked at Alyvia. “What are you doing here?” she asked her.
Alyvia’s expression shifted into something more sincere, her teasing fading, although Charley didn’t miss the pink returning to her cheeks.
“I brought pastries,” Alyvia said, as if that explained everything. “And I wanted to check on you.” She shrugged, but her eyes were kind. “I wanted to see you with my own eyes.”
Charley nodded, a warm ache spreading through her chest. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “That means a lot.”
Charley opened the pastry box and grabbed a strawberry Danish. She motioned toward the window. “What were you all looking at out there?” she asked, taking a big bite of her pastry.
Jessica’s grin was pure trouble. And Alyvia’s cheeks went even pinker. Hell, those babies were flaming.
Charley’s gaze slid back to the window. “Okay,” she said slowly, sarcasm creeping back in. “What has you two glued to the glass like suburban spies?”
Jessica’s smile widened. “We were just enjoying the gorgeous view out back,” she said innocently.
Charley narrowed her eyes. “Uh-huh.”
Alyvia made a sound that might’ve been a cough. “Very gorgeous.”
Charley’s curiosity spiked. She walked to the window, pushed aside the curtain edge, and looked out. It only took a microsecond for her to understand.
Pierce, Ray, and Seth were working out in the backyard. All three were built like they were carved from the same blueprint.
The guys were shirtless, their skin damp with sweat that caught the light as they moved through push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups with the kind of strength that made every muscle in their backs, shoulders, and arms flex and bunch.
Heat, effort, and raw power rolled off them in waves, and with each controlled movement, it was impossible not to notice just how solid, capable, and devastatingly built they all were.
Charley’s brain stalled as she watched Pierce. She got a brief view of his upper body last night. But this was something else. Sweat glistened over his broad chest and carved abs, tracing the hard lines of muscle that flexed and tightened every time he dropped into another push-up.
“You’ve been holding that pastry in the same spot for a full minute,” Jessica commented from behind her. “Do you want me to tell Pierce he’s distracting you from breakfast?”
Charley chuckled, feeling the heat in her cheeks. But she didn’t care.
“I’m multitasking. Don’t be jealous of my talent,” Charley shot back as she took a huge bite right in the middle where the filling was. She moaned in delight.
Alyvia choked on a laugh. “Charley, I’m gonna need clarification on whether that reaction belonged to breakfast or the shirtless man across the yard.”
Jessica snorted a laugh, which made Charley start to laugh. Before long, all three were in tears, laughing.
Charley turned slowly, shoving the rest of the Danish in her mouth. “You two are ridiculous,” she said with her mouth full.
Jessica picked up a pastry from the box on the counter and took a bite. “I prefer the term appreciative.”
Alyvia lifted her own pastry and nodded solemnly. “Same.”
Charley stared at them, then grabbed an apple pastry because she had no self-control. The damn things were too good and carbs were her weakness. And also because she suddenly felt like she needed sustenance to survive whatever was happening outside. She took a bite and moaned quietly this time.
They stood there for god knows how long like complete creeps, eating pastries and watching three sweaty men lift heavy objects like it was casual yard work.
Charley felt her cheeks warming too, partly from the view and partly from the absurdity of the moment.
It was ridiculous—she’d been grazed by a bullet less than twenty-four hours ago, and here she was acting like she was at a live show.
Jessica elbowed Charley lightly. “If you don’t climb that man like a tree, soon, I’m going to lose respect for you.”
Charley’s eyes widened. “Jessica!”
Alyvia covered her mouth with her pastry as if she were trying to hide her laugh.
Jessica smirked. “I’m kidding.” Then she added, “Mostly.”
Charley shook her head, but her mouth twitched. “According to Pierce, the walls are thin in this house.”
Jessica lifted her eyebrows as if understanding. “You mean Seth?”
Charley grinned and nodded.
Alyvia took another bite of her pastry and mumbled, “I wish I were that pull-up bar.”
Charley froze. Jessica froze. They both took a quick glance out the window to see that Seth was on the pull-up bar.
Alyvia froze next. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized what she’d said out loud. She looked at Charley and Jessica and started sputtering her words, “I—What? I didn’t—That wasn’t—”
Jessica slapped a hand over her mouth, shaking with laughter.
Charley lost it too, laughter spilling out of her like she couldn’t stop it if she tried. Alyvia looked mortified for two seconds… then started laughing, burying her face in her hands.
They must have been loud, because right at that moment, all three men turned toward the kitchen window at the exact same time, as if they knew the women were watching them.
Charley’s laughter died in her throat.
Jessica gasped. “Oh no.”
Alyvia whispered, “We’ve been caught.”
They ducked simultaneously, like grown women could actually disappear by dropping below a windowsill. Then they all started laughing again, the kind of silent, helpless laughter that made Charley’s stomach hurt. Oh God, she needed this.
Jessica wheezed, “Why am I hiding from my husband?”
Charley whispered, “I don’t know why I’m hiding. I mean, my boyfriend is out there.”
Jessica’s eyes slid to Alyvia. Charley’s did too.
Alyvia straightened slowly, cheeks flaming. “No,” she said quickly. “Nope. I am not interested. I don’t date.”
Jessica’s expression was innocent in a way that fooled no one. “Mm-hmm.”
“Hey, just because I don’t date, doesn’t mean that I can appreciate a good male specimen when I see one,” Alyvia tried arguing her point, though she was failing because her bright red cheeks clearly gave her away.
Charley didn’t press because Alyvia looked like she might spontaneously combust. But Charley filed it away anyway. Because this was the first time that Seth had snagged Alyvia’s attention.
A few minutes later, the back door opened, and the men came inside.