Chapter Fourteen
The first man through her door was so tall he had to duck to enter.
He was also so broad across the shoulders that she was surprised he didn’t have to turn sideways.
Dark hair cut military short, just like Erik’s, and brown eyes that swept over her appraisingly before he gave her a wide grin. He had fangs, too.
“Chloe Powell,” he said in a deep voice. “I’m Kong.” Moving aside so the others could get through, he began introducing them one by one.
“My wife, Katherine.”
A dark-haired, curvy woman with a smile bright enough to match her husband’s came forward to shake Chloe’s hand. “It’s so nice to meet you. Thank you for having us.”
“This is Jace, and his wife, Paige.”
Another man with dark hair cut military short. She didn’t know if he had fangs since he offered her a closed-lip smile, but his eyes were a vivid yellow she’d never seen on a person before. He nodded in greeting, while his wife, an attractive blonde, waved and offered a quiet, “Hi.”
“And this is Leo.”
Now, Leo was a surprise. Unlike the other men with their short hair, he had long, thick, golden-blond hair that resembled a mane, and that, paired with his golden eyes, gave him a lion-like appearance.
He grinned at her – another one with fangs – as he prowled toward her.
Passing off the cooler he’d been carrying, he took Chloe’s hand.
He didn’t shake it so much as hold it, as his eyes roamed over her face with appreciation. “Hey. Do you like cats?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Perfect,” he said, rolling the R so it sounded like a purr.
“Leo,” Erik bit out from beside her.
“What?” The man’s expression was pure innocence. “I was just asking a question. Getting to know our lovely host.” He looked from Erik to her and then back again before his smile widened. “Oh, I get it.” His golden eyes landed on her. “Got any single friends?”
Kong’s big hand landed on the back of Leo’s neck. “Stop it before we get kicked out. We talked about this. Best behavior. Remember?”
“How was I misbehaving?”
“By being you.” Kong grinned at Chloe again. “We brought our own drinks.” He waved to the cooler Leo had passed to Jace. “And ordered pizzas, so you don’t have to worry about feeding us. They should be here soon.”
“Oh. Okay. Ah. Well, it’s nice to meet everyone. Make yourselves at home.”
Everyone moved into the living room, taking a seat where they could and talking animatedly. Only Erik and Chloe were still standing. Chloe had always considered her place pretty roomy for a one-bedroom, but with so many big men in the space, it now felt tiny and cramped.
Jayla was asking Kong where the others were, and it was a relief when he listed off missions and guard duty for the reason behind their absence. While she’d love to meet all of Erik’s family, Chloe didn’t think any more people would fit comfortably.
“Are you okay?” Erik quietly asked. “Say the word, and they’re gone.”
She took his hand, stealing a moment to touch him again.
“I’m fine.” This was just the sort of distraction from her troubles she needed, and besides, she wanted to see how Erik interacted with his family.
“But it’s sweet of you to offer.” Not even thinking much about it, she rose on her tiptoes and pecked Erik’s lips with hers.
The buzz of conversation immediately halted, and all eyes were suddenly on them with smiles ranging from knowing smirks to bright and beaming.
Cheeks hot with embarrassment, she looked at Erik to see his reaction. There was a hint of color to his unscarred cheek, but there was also just the slightest curve to his lips, before he asked the room, “What games did you bring?”
“Oh, no, no, no,” Kong said, grinning widely. “When did this happen? I need details.”
“Kong,” his wife chastised, shaking her head as she placed a hand on her husband’s arm. “Don’t embarrass them.”
“Who’s embarrassed?” he asked. His eyes landed on Chloe. “Are you embarrassed?”
“Er… Yes?”
“Why?” He honestly looked like he didn’t understand and wanted her to explain, so for once, Chloe was happy to hear the buzzer announcing someone at the building entrance.
“Pizza!” Kong called out, jumping to his feet. “I’ll get it!”
As he went to move past them to get to the door, he suddenly stopped, grabbed both Chloe and Erik in a tight group hug, and kissed the top of Chloe’s head. “Chloe Powell. You, incredible woman. I love you already.”
Releasing them just as suddenly, Chloe would have stumbled if it weren’t for Erik’s hand at her back, and she watched in stunned amazement as Kong left to get dinner. What was that about?
A few minutes later, Erik let him back in.
Ten large pizza boxes were stacked in Kong’s arms and topped with paper plates and napkins.
The amount of food seemed excessive considering there were only eight of them, but as she watched those four big men put away the food, she was forced to reevaluate her opinion.
While they ate, they were discussing people Chloe didn’t know, so she was only listening with half an ear when Leo suddenly said, “Oh, hey, Erik. I have an idea for a new tattoo.”
“Yeah?” Erik wiped his mouth with a napkin. “What are you thinking?”
Leo turned and yanked the back of his T-shirt up to display the tattoo of the lion she’d admired on Erik’s website.
“A full pride of females and cubs underneath the big guy.”
“I can do that.” Erik’s eyes flicked to hers, and suddenly, his lips quirked up into an amused smile. “Chloe’s thinking about getting a tattoo.”
“Oh, yeah?” Kong asked, leaning forward. “What?”
All eyes were back on her again, as everyone waited with open curiosity.
“Er…”
“A giant rattlesnake,” Erik supplied. “Riding a motorcycle made of bones with flames shooting out the exhaust. Full-color back piece. I’m already working on the sketch.”
Chloe nearly choked. He was? That was a joke! “Um… Erik?”
“Yes, Chloe?”
“Ah… I didn’t… I mean…”
He suddenly smiled. A big, bright, gorgeous smile that took her breath away and left her so distracted she almost missed him say, “I’m just joking.”
“That would be pretty cool though,” Leo suddenly said, reminding her that she and Erik weren’t alone. She couldn’t crawl into his lap and kiss him senseless. Yet, she mentally corrected. She couldn’t crawl into his lap and kiss him senseless yet. But later…
Erik was having a great night. Arguably one of the best he could remember.
There’d been a tense moment there, when Leo had come on to Chloe, and Erik had been eaten up with jealousy, wondering if Chloe would prefer the other man.
After all, Leo was handsome, outgoing, and had a great sense of humor – all things Erik wasn’t.
But then she’d kissed him in front of everyone, making her preference clear.
She’d staked a claim, and Erik couldn’t have been happier, and that happiness shone through.
He talked more than he thought he’d ever had.
He laughed and even cracked some jokes. His family couldn’t stop smiling at him as they split into teams to play Chloe’s choice of Charades.
When the game was over and the night was wrapping up, several of them remarked on how good it had been to see him.
Erik could read between the lines. What they really meant was, it was good to see him happy.
No longer hiding himself away in his apartment or skulking around base like a ghost. He liked it too.
This assignment – Chloe – had given him back his confidence, and with it, opened doors he thought were permanently locked to him.
Kong hugged him again as he left. Hugged him so hard he lifted Erik off his feet.
“This is good, man,” Kong told him as he delivered a couple of sharp claps to Erik’s back.
Then, quietly, so Chloe didn’t hear, he added, “You get the chance, you kill that mother fucker stalking her. You get me? Don’t let that piece of shit keep haunting her. ”
“That’s the plan.”
Kong’s big palm landed on Erik’s shoulder. “Good man.” Then he turned to Chloe and bowed slightly. “Chloe Powell. Thank you for having us. It’s been an honor.”
“Thank you,” Chloe returned with a bright smile. “Tonight was fun.”
Kong shot her one of his big grins. “We’ll do this again soon.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
As the door shut behind the last of his family, Jayla announced, “You know, I think I’ll walk them out, then I have laundry to do. It’ll probably take me, oh, about two hours.” She looked pointedly at Erik. “You got things covered?”
Erik wasn’t always the best at reading social cues, but even he knew what Jayla was up to. She was giving him time alone with Chloe. That sparkle in her eyes and the twitch of her lips that she couldn’t quite hide were dead giveaways. Not that Erik was going to complain.
“We’ll be fine.”
With a nod, Jayla left, and as he turned to face Chloe, she suddenly blurted, “I’ll tidy up.”
There wasn’t much to tidy. His family had taken everything, even the empty pizza boxes, with them, but she busily fluffed a throw pillow before squaring up the edges of a decorative blanket that was folded over the top of the couch. Was she nervous? He didn’t know why she would be.
Straightening, she smoothed her hands down the front of her sweatshirt. “I like your family.”
“They like you, too.” All of them had made sure to include Chloe in the conversation. They’d asked about opera, her family, and since they knew she was familiar with General Davies, they’d shared some funny stories about the man who’d been a father figure to all of them, making Chloe laugh.
Her eyes skated around the room, searching for something, and Erik became certain she was nervous. He just wasn’t sure why. She’d been fine alone with him earlier. What had changed? “Chloe?”
Her eyes snapped to his, and he cocked his head. “What’s the matter?”
“I just…” She shifted her weight and swiped her hands on her sweatshirt again. “I haven’t been with anyone since Jackson.”
Been with anyone? Was she talking about…
? Oh. Erik hadn’t even been thinking along those lines.
That was a dream for the future, maybe after his face was fixed, and Chloe could be proud to be with him.
Tonight, he just wanted to talk with her some more, maybe hold her if she’d let him.
But now that she’d brought it up, he was the nervous one.
He cleared his throat gruffly. “Can I tell you a secret?”
She leaned in slightly. “Of course.”
Maybe his confession would destroy any chance he had with her, but he still admitted, “I’ve never been with anyone, period.”
Her eyes widened. “You haven’t?”
He shook his head. He could have explained the reason why, but since that reason was pretty much staring her right in the face, he didn’t bother to elaborate. “So maybe we could just sit on the couch together and watch a movie?”
He extended a hand in invitation, and when Chloe took it with a shy smile and said, “I’d like that,” he breathed a sigh of relief.
She hadn’t mocked him for his inexperience, nor did she seem put off by it, and he was happy just to be with her.
Did he want to kiss her again? Hold her, touch her?
Live out his erotic fantasies with her? Abso-fucking-lutely.
And after her confession that Savoy had been the last person she’d been with, his baser instincts were on overdrive to erase that son-of-a-bitch from her mind.
But he was also man enough to admit that he was scared to death of ruining this.
So he would take this slowly. Glacial, if that’s what was needed.
And if they never progressed further than where they were now, that was fine, too.
Because just the way she looked at him – like he wasn’t a monster – was enough of a gift.
Chloe Powell had become one of the few bright sparks in the darkness, and he wasn’t sure what he’d do if her spark disappeared from his life.