Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
While Linc took Jalen up to see his Grams, Kendra emailed her clients to reschedule her Monday appointments. She hated to do that when it seemed unlikely that any of Tawnya’s associates would know how to find her on a client visit. She’d been verbally threatened at least a half dozen times in her six years on the job. The only time she had been physically threatened was when a parent pulled a knife on her. Understanding they were desperate, she hadn’t felt truly in danger, though she had left and came back with a police officer.
This was different. Members of a drug cartel knew where she lived and where she worked. Would they just move on or blame her for having a part in busting up their operation after Malloy, Tawnya, and hopefully whoever was above her were arrested?
Linc made her feel safe, but he’d head back to Europe to finish his deployment after this week—unless they didn’t get Bri back safely. Then what? Maybe she’d ask Linc to give her a self-defense lesson and tips.
She finished rescheduling and started reviewing her emails when Linc’s rich laugh drew her gaze to his approach. She didn’t know what he and his nephew were talking about, but the sight of them together made her heart beat faster. As good and protective as he was with his nephew, she could imagine what kind of father he would be.
“Was it good to see Grams?” She put her phone back in her bag, hoping Linc didn’t see the effect he had on her.
Jalen nodded. “She needs to rest more, so she can’t go home wif us.”
“Is she doing better?” She asked Linc.
“They still have her on sedatives, so she’s a little loopy, but seeing Jalen calmed her and should help her sleep. I thought we’d go back to the house and fix some dinner there. I’m not sure how long this one will last tonight.” He placed a hand on Jalen’s shoulder and turned him around to exit the waiting area.
“Did you find out anything about Malloy?”
“I asked, but they wouldn’t give me any information. I figure Clara can find out.”
On the short drive back to Devin’s, they played a game of I Spy that became comical, since by the time Jalen picked an item, it was usually in the rearview mirror.
When they got to the house, Linc started a bath for Jalen. While Kendra boiled water for mac and cheese, she made sandwiches.
“Have anything that needs to be washed? His clothes are kind of ripe.” Linc dug into the black gym bag he’d brought in the first night here and removed his dirty clothes.
She added her laundry to the washer, trying not to get too comfortable with this cozy, domestic scene. Her ex, Marcus, had spoiled her with nice dinners and gifts, but he never offered to wash her clothes, or asked about her coffee preference, or even remembered that she didn’t drink coffee. But he’d been safe for her. Safe in ways that her attraction to Linc wasn’t.
What Linc said the other night gave her the confidence that things could be different with him. And, unlike Marcus, who did not know how to interact with or want children, Linc was a natural with them, which made him even more desirable. She listened to Jalen giggling in the bathroom as Linc dried him off.
She got out the dinner plates and served up the sandwiches, fruit, baby carrots, and mac and cheese. Jalen darted out of the bathroom wearing the new pajama set Linc had purchased when they’d shopped at the Post Exchange the other day. Had that only been yesterday? Being with Linc around the clock the past few days blurred time.
Jalen’s face lit up as he climbed onto the chair with a pillow serving as a booster seat. He didn’t wait for his uncle before picking up his fork and digging into the macaroni and cheese.
“Thanks for fixing dinner.” Linc took a seat. Unlike Jalen, he ate everything except the mac and cheese she’d put on his plate.
“I didn’t ask if you wanted mac and cheese. Too many carbs or too processed?”
“It’s not that. It’s just, um, well, I’ve eaten enough boxed mac and cheese for three lifetimes.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t thought about that.
“My mom left home as a teen. She didn’t know how to cook and didn’t have money, so we ate a lot of mac and cheese. And baloney and cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches.”
“The government free cheese program?” she asked.
“I’m not knocking it. We also had condensed chicken noodle soup weekly. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hot dogs, and lots of cereal, though we didn’t always have milk, and it’s not the same with water. We had a neighbor down the hall, Mrs. Shannon, who lost her son. I’m sure she saw Mom slide deeper into her addiction. Mrs. Shannon claimed she had trouble getting up the three flights of stairs and sometimes would pay me a few dollars to get her groceries. Then she’d make enough to feed Bri and me dinner. She even taught me how to cook a few things.
Kendra took it as a compliment that Linc felt safe enough to share more from his past with her. It was a bonus that it provided more insight to both him and Bri. It made sense why he would have bought so much food for now, saying he could take it to Bri’s.
“She sounds like an angel.” She’d seen similar situations with her clients. Not many kids were lucky enough to have an angel like Mrs. Shannon. They certainly had a rough childhood, but joining the Army had not only provided for Linc financially but given him stability, a sense of worth, and even family. All good things for a young man who’d been in foster care. Some of her coworkers were advocates for kids aging out of foster care joining the military. She hadn’t been due to her ingrained biases, but that would change going forward.
“You have to try a bite, or you don’t get dessert.” Jalen waved a fork at the pile of mac and cheese still on Linc’s plate. “That’s the rule.”
“Maybe I don’t want dessert,” Linc retorted, sounding like a child himself and making a face. “Fine.” Linc continued his childlike act and took a bite of mac and cheese. “Better than I remember.” He ate another bite. “I might be able to eat it again. Just please don’t serve me bologna and cheese.”
“I promise.” Kendra couldn’t help but chuckle. For some reason, she’d expected a guy serving in one of the most elite military units to be intense and lack a sense of humor. Linc was definitely intense, which was warranted considering the current situation, but his sense of humor was another highly appealing quality.
“Do you want your dessert now?” Linc asked Jalen.
“Can we watch some shows, then have dessert?”
“You can watch one show, then it’s bedtime.”
Jalen placed his plate and empty milk glass on the counter near the sink. “See? I help.”
“That doesn’t mean you get to watch more shows.” Linc got up from the table.
“More ice cream?” Jalen aimed his adorable smile at his uncle.
“Maybe bigger scoops, but you have to give me bigger hugs.”
Jalen raced the three steps over to Linc, nearly toppling him as he wrapped his arms around Linc’s legs.
“Thanks.” Linc bent over to rub Jalen’s back. “Let me help clean up, and we’ll pick a show.”
“I can do the cleanup,” she offered.
“If I have to watch a kids’ show, you do too.”
“You laughed at something in it the other night.”
“That was because he laughed. It’s contagious.”
“A child’s laughter is the best sound in the world. I need to give this back to you.” She reached up and unclasped the necklace she still wore and placed it in his hand.
“I hope she saw this.” He fumbled with the clasp and then brought the ends around to the front to look at them.
“Let me.” She took it from him. As she reached to fasten the clasp, Linc’s hands rested lightly on her hips. She gave into the impulse to meet his gaze, tilting her head as his face drew closer.
“Are you coming, Uncle Linc?” Jalen called.
Linc’s frustrated grumble matched the wave of disappointment crashing over her. Jalen might be adorable, but his timing sucked.
“We’ll pick this up later,” Linc promised in a husky, low tone.
She certainly hoped so. Though he released his hold on her, she still felt his electrifying touch.
Linc carried a kitchen chair over and resurrected the blanket fort. After he started the show, he sat close to her on the couch. When he held out his hand palm up, she put hers in his, thrilling in the simple pleasure of the light caress of his thumb.
“When is this deployment supposed to end?”
He flinched, and his grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly. “About ten weeks.”
“What’s it like there now?”
“We’re training, not engaged in combat, so you don’t need to worry about me. Most of the Ukrainian draftees barely know how to fire a weapon. They don’t have much of a choice but to defend their country. It’s far from ideal. They have to provide their own gear, and they’re sent into the field after a few weeks. We do what we can to give them a fighting chance, but . . .” he trailed off.
“That’s got to be hard.”
“It is. A lot are my age and older. They have families and kids. Most Americans have no idea what it’s like to live in a war-torn country. I don’t enjoy fighting or war. I do what I do because we have enemies. That means we need a strong, prepared military to make countries think twice about bringing the fight here—or doing another attack like 9/11.”
“What made you want to join Special Forces?”
“It wasn’t my original plan. I wanted to do computers and cyber security to give me skills I could take into the private sector. Besides, historically, the make-up of Special Forces isn’t very diverse.”
“I’ve heard that.”
“They began actively recruiting minorities with certain skills and performance scores. That they thought I could go toe-to-toe with the best of the best, just being asked to go through the selection process was affirmation like I’d never had in my life. I wanted to prove I was worthy of the chance. I contacted a former teammate who’d made it through Selection and the Q Course and asked him to mentor me.”
“Smart. I understand the majority don’t pass the qualification course.”
“It takes a lot more than physicality. It requires endurance, the ability to think outside the box, mental and emotional stamina, and tenacity—though they make you want to quit. And you have to be a team player. Many of the ones who come in thinking they’re going to beat everyone to prove they are the best don’t make it through. And I could have easily been one of those washouts without Mack’s insights and guidance. Serving with the men I do is a game and life changer.”
Jalen crawled out of the fort and over to the sofa. “I can’t hear my show.”
“Sorry, J-man. We’ll stop talking.” Linc pulled Jalen onto the couch, where he cuddled up against Linc’s side and then shifted to lay his head on Linc’s leg. Linc rubbed his back. Within minutes, Jalen’s eyes closed.
“There’s something about the innocence of a sleeping child.” Linc said, looking at his nephew.
“I know what you mean. You should get some rest too.”
“I’ll sleep when Bri’s back home.”
“There’s nothing more you can do tonight to help her, and what you did today was brilliant. I know it’s hard to wait and not know what is going on, but I believe it will work, and Bri will be the one snuggled up with her son two nights from now.”
“I hope you’re right. And that they get whoever is at the top of this food chain, so neither Bri nor Regina have to testify in court.”
Kendra hadn’t thought about that. “What would happen if they have to?”
“They could be targeted to keep them from testifying.” He rested his head against the top of the couch. “There’s even a remote chance they would have to go into Witness Protection.” He exhaled noisily.
“Witness protection? You think that could happen?” That possibility hadn’t occurred to her.
“Potentially.”
“For how long?”
“I don’t know. Whatever would be too long.” His voice cracked as he lightly stroked Jalen’s head.
The implications of what that would mean for Jalen getting the services he needed, as well as separating Linc from his sister and nephew, sucked the air from her chest. No wonder he was more focused on getting her home than bringing down the cartel. “Why don’t you put Jalen in the bed for now? Then you and I can talk without disturbing him.”
“Talk?” Based on the way his lips curled into a sexy smile, they were thinking some of the same things.
“We did get interrupted before.” Staying in the living room was a safer alternative than inviting him to the bedroom.
He tucked one of the pillows under Jalen’s head as he maneuvered from underneath, then lifted him in both arms.
The moment Linc disappeared into the bedroom, her stomach began doing acrobatics. She took two deep breaths. You can trust him. You can trust him.
She went to the kitchen and filled a glass with water.
Linc joined her a minute later. “We’ll see if I can move him later without waking him because he’ll want ice cream and might be up for another hour or three.” He rolled his shoulders and popped his neck.
“Your muscles a little tight?”
“Between the flight, sleeping on the couch, and the stress, more than a little.” He reached to knead the area between his neck and shoulder.
“Sounds like you could use a shoulder massage.”
“If you are offering, I would lo—” he paused, “I would gladly take you up on that.”
“Have a seat here.” She touched the nearest kitchen chair.
He moved closer. Rather than sit, he stared into her eyes, the smile on his face melting her fears. He angled his head, and just when she thought he would kiss her, he took a seat. Her heart pounded, and she had to make an effort to breathe—but all in a good way.
His shoulders relaxed as her thumbs worked on knots near the base of his skull. “That feels good.”
She applied pressure to the sides of his neck with her fingers. His shirt gaped. She could only make out what looked like the furry ears of a dog tattooed high on his back, though she wanted to see what was hidden under his T-shirt. The feel of his solid muscles under her hands as she massaged his shoulders and back ignited the need in her. Locating another knot, she used her elbow to dig into it. He winced.
“Let me know if it’s too hard.”
“I can take it. You are good at this.”
“I’m not trained, but my cousins used to beg me and my sister to give them massages after ball practice.”
“Ah, I think you got it.” He rotated his shoulder. “But you don’t have to stop.”
“I wasn’t planning to yet.” Not when every inch she touched was firm and muscled. She ran her palms down his biceps, imagining doing so from a front-facing position. Him, shirtless. The tingling sensation he prompted became a full-on electrical current and sent energy to every erogenous zone in her body.
She wanted to touch him everywhere. And do more than touch. None of her prior relationships came close to this level of physical chemistry. Before she lost control and crossed some line, she tapped his shoulders. “I hope that helped.”
“It did. Thanks.” He rose from the chair. Turning, he captured her hand and studied her face.
“Would you kiss me already? Please.” The smile that broke across his handsome face made her all the more desperate to discover if kissing him in real life would match her imagination.
“Definitely.”
That one word, spoken in a soft, confident timbre, was probably the sexiest sound she’d ever heard.
Anticipation built as he raised a hand and gently tilted her face up. His other hand slid low on her hip. Resting her hands on his biceps gave her a sense of remaining in control and kept space between their bodies, for now. Their lips met at the perfect angle.
And everything about the kiss was perfect. Pressure that wasn’t too little or too much. Maybe it didn’t last long enough, but she wouldn’t complain when he immediately followed with another kiss. When his tongue traced her lips, her tongue met his to give her a taste that made her want more.
More kisses. More bodily contact. More Linc.
His fingers tightened on her hip. She breathed out a pleasured murmur as their upper bodies made contact. Their shirts did little to subdue the scorch of his body heat. Or maybe her body was on fire.
“Let’s move to the couch.” He lightly gripped her hand. “Remember, you are free to stop anytime,” he promised.
He hadn’t needed to repeat it. That he did gave her the added reassurance to continue. She had no idea how he was still single, but she thanked the heavens that he was, despite the circumstances bringing them together. If Bri didn’t get back safely, would she be a reminder of that, which could strain or even kill their shot at a relationship? Fortunately, she was an optimist and believed Clara and Linc’s plan would work to get Bri out of Mexico and out of trouble with both the law and smugglers.
Hopefully, she was right because the way Linc kissed her and made her feel heard and respected was everything Kendra wanted from a man. Surely, her family and Grandma Ruby would see his character and accept him. She’d been wrong to let her grandmother’s prejudices and stereotyping control who she dated. That was changing.