Twenty
Clover
Why am I surprised that Thor’s mom and brother are the best? Even if his mom isn’t the least bit subtle in her attempts to match me with her younger son.
I’ve never blushed or stammered this much in my life. And that’s saying something after the last red carpet event my parents took me to where I couldn’t get a single word out and my face was as scarlet as the silky dress I wore. I shiver at the memory. I ended up slipping out early when my anxiety amped up and almost turned into a panic attack. Of course, the tabloids blasted some bogus story the next day about why I’d left the showing for my parents’ newest movie. Shaking my head, I shove the memories far away, focusing on the present.
Seeing Thor with his family—so comfortable and happy—has me feeling things for my bodyguard that I shouldn’t be feeling. My eyes drift to where Thor has finally caved and is playing video games with Gunner. They’re sweet together, and my heart melts even more for Thor over the way he treats his brother. And Gunner obviously adores Thor, even though he keeps talking smack to him. I love it.
“Do you f-follow me?” Gunner asks, turning eyes—the same color as Thor’s— to me. Tufts of red hair—also the same color as Thor’s—curl up around his blue beanie.
“Uh . . .”
Thor chuckles. “He’s talking about his social media account that’s dedicated to pulling pranks on me.”
Pulling out my phone, I reply, “I don’t. But I need to see these videos ASAP.” I hand Thor my phone as he laughs. “Add him.”
After he types in Gunner’s username, he gives my phone back to me. “Don’t have too much fun with that.”
Glancing down, I click on the first video. Thor is rubbing his eyes and yawning as he grabs a glass out of the cabinet and walks to the sink. But when he turns it on, the water sprays right into his face. Gunner chuckles in the background of the video as Thor hurries to shut the water off. He runs a hand over his face and beard, wiping the water off as he does. And when he turns to the camera, he’s shaking his head and laughing. I chuckle at the brothers’ antics as I scroll through a few more.
Swiping to another video, I smile. “You really do like to read, don’t you?”
Thor grins at me. “Yup.”
I focus my attention back to the video where Thor is sitting on the couch reading a book. Gunner sits down beside him and looks at the camera—which is either hidden or Thor is simply completely oblivious to—waggling his eyebrows before he stretches his arm around Thor’s shoulder. Gunner does something to the collar of Thor’s shirt, and in the next instant, Thor slings the book across the room, jumps up, and screams like a little girl.
Laughter spills out of my lips, and tears burn my eyes as I watch Thor fan his shirt back and forth yelling at Gunner, “Get it out! Get it off me!”
Thor grabs the bottom of his shirt and whips it over his head. He’s still grabbing at his chest and back trying to catch whatever Gunner put in his shirt, but now he’s giving me—and the entire world—a perfectly clear view of his rippling back muscles and defined six-pack. A strangled sound escapes my mouth as the laugh gets stuck in my throat.
I cough, glad that I didn’t have the volume up too loud. Thor raises a concerned brow. “You okay?”
Giving a tight smile, I nod, praying that it’s not written all over my face that I was low-key ogling his muscles on the video. “What did Gunner put down your shirt?”
Gunner laughs loudly, and Thor shudders. “A spider.”
“Daddy l-longlegs,” Gunner clarifies, rolling his eyes.
Thor snaps his head around. “Same thing, dude. So not cool.”
Covering my smile, I try not to glance back at the video. “Did you kill the poor little guy?”
“What do you mean did I kill it? It was attacking me!”
I snort. “I would never have imagined you being afraid of spiders. ”
Gunner chuckles, and Thor punches his arm. “I am not afraid of spiders,” he says firmly, but there’s a smile playing at his lips. “I just don’t want to see them or want them on me or near me.”
“So you’re afraid of them.” I nod, biting back my smile. “Noted.”
Thor points a finger at me. “Don’t get any ideas. I already have this guy”—he jerks his thumb to Gunner—“pranking me on a daily basis.”
Lifting my shoulder, I bat my eyelashes innocently. “I don’t know what you’re implying.”
“Uh-huh. Sure.” His gaze swings to mine. “I’ve got my eye on you.” His voice is silky smooth and low, sending a shiver down my spine that I quickly try to cover by shifting in my seat.
Time to change the subject.
I force my eyes away from Thor and back to his brother. “Your page is awesome, Gunner. I know what I’ll do when I need a good laugh.”
Thor shakes his head while Gunner gives me the sweetest smile before sticking his tongue out at Thor. “Y-your girlfriend likes m-me better.”
“A million times better,” I reply, unable to stop the smile on my face.
Thor’s eyes meet mine, something flashing in their amber depths as they soften. “She has good taste. Doesn’t she?” Thor winks and my stomach swoops, sending a flare of panic through my body .
This is too much. Everything is happening so fast. My emotions are all over the place and I’m running on fumes.
Clearing my throat, I glance toward the hallway. “May I use your bathroom?”
“Yeah, second door on the left.”
I dip my head, grab my bag, and try not to run out of the room. After shutting myself into the bathroom, I lean my head back against the door and suck in several shaky breaths, praying that I don’t go into a panic attack in the middle of Thor’s family dinner.
With quivering hands, I turn the water on, splashing it on my face as I continue to draw in deep breaths. There’s a metal towel rack hanging up beside the sink, so I grab a clean washcloth and pat my face dry as my heart rate begins to level out.
After tossing the dirty washcloth into the hamper, I look at myself in the mirror and cringe. Brown eyes with dark circles under them blink back at me. My hair is a hot mess after being pulled into a tight ponytail and then having a helmet plastered to my head in the hot Denver weather.
Is this what I’ve looked like all afternoon!?
I let my hair out of the ponytail and shake it out, hoping there are still some curls to salvage. Wetting my hands, I scrunch my hair. Then, I pull my contact case out of my bag, and after washing my hands, remove my contacts. Glancing back at the mirror, I sigh. It’s better than it was, which really isn’t saying much.
However, focusing on something else has distracted me from all the confusing thoughts racing around in my mind in regards to Thor. Except now I’m thinking about him again, replaying every interaction we’ve had in the almost two weeks I’ve known him.
I draw in a deep breath. “It’s nothing. You’re just used to not having anyone. And he’s only being nice while doing his job,” I mumble to myself.
But when I walk back into the living room and Thor gives me that soft smile that makes my knees weak, I wonder if maybe there is something that’s drawing us together. Or if I’m so starved for companionship that I’m reading into his friendly personality and twisting it into more than Thor is intending.
Gunner stands, smiling wide as he approaches me. “I-I’ve got something.” He holds something out to me and places it into my outstretched hand.
I glance down at the bracelet that matches the one he’s wearing on his wrist, and my eyes find his. “A bracelet? For me?” At his nod, my heart softens and I smile. “Thank you, Gunner. That’s so sweet,” I say, slipping it onto my wrist.
“My g-girlfriend, Joy, made it.” He pauses, his eyes twinkling. “N-now we’re f-friends, Lucky Clover.” And then to my surprise, he wraps his arms around me in a warm embrace, and I don’t know if my heart can handle the sweetness pouring out of him as I return his hug. I glance over Gunner’s shoulder to find Thor watching me with a smoldering expression that sends my pulse racing.
Gunner releases me and sits back down, and I take the chance to get some space from these two incredible men. “I’m going to go see if your mom needs any more help.” I motion toward the kitchen and leave Thor and Gunner arguing about which game to play now.
Thankfully, Joanne doesn’t press me, and we work to finish up supper in companionable silence while Joanne hums hymns. So that’s where Thor gets it .
Emotion clogs my throat. Mom and I used to cook together. Often, I’d help her practice her lines while we prepared supper. We don’t have a lot in common, but I always felt closest to her when we were in the kitchen together.
Joanne pats my arm as she walks by to remove the pizza from the oven. I’m surprised that the touch doesn’t make me cringe. It feels warm and welcoming, just like the entire Payne family.
Despite my best efforts, my heart is in serious danger of falling for all of them.
And it terrifies me to think of what will happen if I lose them once this is all over.
My grip tightens around Thor’s waist as we travel the road heading toward Obsidian Group headquarters. As we were getting ready to help Joanne wash dishes, Thor’s boss called and made it clear that he expected us to come straight to the office .
We left my bike in Joanne’s garage, and after a warm hug from Joanne and a peace-out sign and smile from Gunner, I slipped on the bike behind Thor.
I lean into his back, finding comfort in the strength that radiates from him. I’m not sure why his boss demanded we come to the office, but I can’t shake the trepidation that it isn’t good.
Thor must sense my thoughts because he glances back at me and then places his hand on my thigh, rubbing slow, gentle circles. “Rock probably wants to regroup and see if we need to do anything different.” Squeezing my leg, he returns his hand to the handlebars. “It’ll be okay, Love.”
I swallow, praying that he’s right. Because as we pull into his work’s parking lot, everything hits me anew. Reminding me of the reason I’m here. The reason Thor is in my life to begin with.
Entering the employee-only garage, Thor pulls out his badge and scans it. We turn the corner, the sound of his bike echoing against the walls.
As we reach the security guard station, Thor slows, and that’s when I realize I am completely plastered to his back, hanging on much tighter than necessary. I’m glad the helmet is covering the furious blush rising to my cheeks as I loosen my grip from around his abs—that I absolutely wasn’t noticing.
He lifts his visor. “How’s it going, Clive?”
Clive’s wrinkled face lifts into a grin. “Going good, man. Haven’t seen you for a bit. I thought you were on assignment?” He quirks a gray eyebrow, eyes darting to me .
Thor chuckles. “I had to bring the assignment with me. Rock called me in for a meeting.”
Clive nods. “Yeah, he came back about an hour ago.” Clive angles his head toward me, then lowers his voice as if he doesn’t want me to hear. “He didn’t seem too happy, though.”
Thor stiffens, but his voice is light when he says, “Ah . . . Rock’s a big teddy bear. Thanks for the warning, though.”
Clive shakes his head, a chuckle rumbling his chest. “If you say so.” He hits a few buttons on a keypad. “Don’t get into any trouble.” Winking, he waves at me.
“Only if I can get away with it,” Thor replies.
Clive’s laughter follows us into the inner garage. Thor parks and puts the kickstand down before hitting the kill switch.
I place a hand on his shoulder as I swing my leg over to dismount. Removing my helmet, I look around. “So, this is where you work?”
Thor secures his helmet to his bike. “Yup. When I’m not out—”
“On assignment,” I interject. That’s all I am. Thor’s client. His assignment. Even if I love his family and I’m starting to enjoy his presence. Probably a little too much.
“Yeah.” Thor comes around to stand beside me. Faint dark circles are under his eyes and though I know it’s his job, guilt pierces me because I’m the reason he’s not been sleeping well. “Hopefully, the team has a good update for us.”
I chew on my bottom lip and glance back the way we came. “She can’t get us here. ”
His fingers graze the sleeve of my leather jacket. “No. She can’t. You’re safe, Love. I promise.”
Nodding, I wrap my arms around myself, feeling completely uncertain of everything. I trust Thor. I’m comfortable with him, and it’s starting to scare me. Maybe I do need to return to L.A. until this entire thing with Angie blows over.
“Hey, before we go in, I wanted to thank you.” Thor’s voice is soft, breaking me from my spiraling thoughts.
My brow furrows. “For what?”
Sticking his hands in his jeans, he rocks back on his heels. I’ve never seen him look this vulnerable. “For the way you treated Gunner.” His eyes lock with mine. “For treating him like a person.”
“He is a person. Why would I treat him any differently?”
Thor angles his head, his eyes looking suspiciously watery as he glances down to where the bracelet Gunner gave me rests on my wrist. “Not everyone sees value in his life. Not everyone sees him the same way you do.”
This man. Every time I try to talk myself out of falling for him, he goes and has to show me just how good of a person he is.
“I genuinely like your brother, Thor. He’s so sweet and hilarious.” I place my hand on his arm. His gaze travels from my hand to my face, and then around the building as if he’s waiting for us to get caught. “And you are an amazing brother. He’s lucky to have you.”
Thor’s eyes drift back down to my hand still on his arm as he shakes his head. “No. It’s really the opposite. I’m the lucky one.” And when his gaze lifts to mine again, I can’t help but wonder if he’s talking about more than his relationship with his brother.
No. I’m not making this about me.
Clearing his throat, he steps back and claps his hands together. “Okay, ready to meet the crew?”
When we walk into the office, a middle-aged woman looks up from her crossword puzzle, her glasses perched at the end of her nose. Her face breaks out into a wide smile when she sees Thor.
“Thorin, it’s about time you showed that handsome face of yours around here.” She sets her book down with a huff. “Do you realize how exhausting it is trying to get a laugh out of them?” She points to the conference room where I can see several people gathered around a large table with their computers.
Thor grins and comes around her desk, planting a big kiss on her cheek. “Sorry, Miss Edith. I’ll try not to be gone as long next time.”
She pats his cheek lovingly. “I guess I’ll forgive you this once. But you’ve really got to get them to lighten up a little. Rock cannot take a joke.” She rolls her eyes, pushing her glasses up her nose.
“Ah, it’s not their fault. Not everyone can be as fun as me.”
I snort, and Miss Edith’s gaze swings to me. “And who is this gorgeous young lady you’ve got with you, Thorin?”
His lips tip up higher as heat fills my cheeks. “This, Miss Edith, is Miss Clover Mason.”
Miss Edith’s blue eyes light up as she studies me, her gaze flitting between Thor and me. “Ah. This is who’s kept you out of the office for so long.” Standing, she turns to Thor with a wink. “I can see why you’ve not been eager to get back to us.”
If possible, my face grows even hotter. Of course, Thor returns Miss Edith’s wink. “I mean, who could blame me, right?”
Stepping forward, I clear my throat, sticking my trembling hand out toward Miss Edith. “Nice to meet you, Miss Edith.”
Miss Edith wraps her hands around mine and draws me forward, pulling me into a hug. “Sorry, dear, I’m a hugger. And you call me Edith.” Letting me go, she meets my eyes. “I’m sorry you’re in the position where you need our services. I hope Thorin has been behaving himself.”
My eyes lock on Thor from over Edith’s shoulder. “He’s been doing a wonderful job.”
“Hammer, get in here.” A man’s demanding voice calls from behind us, causing me to jump slightly. Softening his tone, the man—who I’m assuming is Thor’s boss, Rock—continues, “Edith, will you please make sure Miss Mason is comfortable?”
“Well, I won’t be barking at her, that’s for sure,” Edith retorts, glaring at Rock. He shakes his head, gives Thor a warning glance, and returns to the conference room. Edith frowns. “He really needs a vacation. He’s getting grumpier by the day.”
Thor chuckles as he glances at me. My heart clenches, thinking about being out of his presence even for a few minutes. “Will you be okay? You’ll be in great hands with Edith. She’s like the office mom. Plus, she may look like a sweet little woman, but she’s Rock’s sister and he trained her himself. She can eliminate a threat as easily as the rest of us. ”
I wet my lips, praying that my face isn’t showing the panic I’m beginning to feel as I look around the room and into the conference room. “Nick isn’t here?” I whisper, but Edith hears.
Huffing, she pats my shoulder. “He’s been put on administrative leave. Let’s go get some coffee and you can tell me all about how you managed your little disappearing act.” Looking at Thor, she asks, “You want some too?”
“Have I ever turned down coffee?”
Edith laughs. “Not that I’ve ever seen.”
“Oh,” Thor says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. “Can you keep this for me?” With a lop-sided smile, he holds it out toward me. “No phones in the conference room. For security reasons.”
“Sure.” I reach for it and when he places it in my hand his fingers brush my skin in a feather-light touch. Sucking in a sharp breath, I quickly move my hand, sliding the phone into my back pocket.
Thor gives me a knowing look as if he can tell just how much of an effect his touch has on me. “Okay, I’ll be back soon.”
Nodding, I allow Edith to lead me to the hallway, looking back to find Thor offering me a reassuring smile. My shoulders relax slightly knowing he wouldn’t let me out of his sight if I wouldn’t be safe.
Still, when I face forward again, my stomach twists into knots and I wish it were Thor beside me instead.