Chapter Six
Kyle
Kyle stared at the woman Wyatt was practically assaulting in the doorway. He hadn’t even invited her in before starting to paw at her and that pissed Kyle off.
There was a measure of respect that should be afforded to women, and women employees in particular, and Wyatt had stepped over that boundary and left it in the dust. He felt his heart start to pound as Wyatt just stood there, holding her hand when she was quite obviously uncomfortable.
She looked like a frightened rabbit, though a very attractive one.
Lush was the first word that popped into his head, and then he dismissed that immediately. She was probably going to be an employee and therefore she needed to be effectively genderless in his mind.
Off-limits—to himself, Wyatt, and any of the others here.
He blew out a breath and wrangled his out-of-character thoughts. They hadn’t been so wayward in a long time, and he wondered why he had chosen right now to start noticing women.
“Evans, go help Murdock,” he commanded.
He used the tone of voice that he reserved for serious occasions, and Wyatt looked a bit shocked. He hadn’t seriously ordered one of his men around since they were in the desert together.
He recovered quickly though and went to help Murdock out back where the gardens needed weeding.
They could have hired a gardener, but Murdock liked dealing with the plants—though he’d submit to waterboarding before he ever admitted it and probably not even then.
He watched her as Evans went away, relief evident in her eyes though she covered it up quickly. He wanted to say something to put her at ease.
“Sorry about him. We tried to housebreak him, but he’s a hopeless case,” he finally said.
He moved slowly as he approached her. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.
The afternoon light backlit her, making the dark red highlights in her hair stand out. She had a perfect hourglass shape with just the right amount of curves, though he desperately tried not to notice.
He also tried not to notice the fact that she was practically glowing as she watched him walk toward her. Something about her was very attractive, but it was more than just her pretty face and figure. There was something…undefinable, some internal characteristic maybe. Whatever it was, it was potent.
He saw her swallow and slowed even more, pasting a reassuringly gentle look on his face. He knew what he usually looked like, and it would be far too intense for someone so anxious. Part of his job overseas had been studying body language and learning how to use his own looks and bearing to either put people at ease or make them nervous.
Negotiations with village elders often required very intense meetings where the wrong body language could break a deal and send them running to support the Taliban.
Needless to say, he was very well-versed in its usage.
He smiled, a genuine smile, and held out his hand. “I’m Kyle. That was Wyatt Evans. Avoid him like the plague.”
“Heard that!” Wyatt called from the employee hallway on his way to the back door. Knowing him, he was sneaking some leftover breakfast from the kitchen first.
She smiled a little and he relaxed. Maybe Wyatt hadn’t completely ruined their chances of getting some decent suppers.
She finally took his offered hand and he suddenly wished she hadn’t. It felt fragile and soft and fit in his just right. He gave her a slight shake and found, like Wyatt, that he didn’t want to turn her loose.
She was going to think he was just as much a horndog as Evans was.
He pulled away and had the sudden feeling that he had met her before. He frowned and studied her face.
They hadn’t though, had they?
It was preposterous because he never forgot a face, and he was damned sure that he wouldn’t ever forget hers. Not in a million years. “Have we met before?”
“I don’t think so,” she said, looking amused.
Huh. “Well, come on in and I’ll show you where you’ll be working.”
He shut the door behind her and led her into the large living room area that served as a lobby and reception room. He pointed out the large fireplace that they would use in fall and winter, then the bookcases lining the walls.
“I wasn’t expecting a desert theme,” she said as she wandered over to the longhorn skull above the fireplace.
“Yeah, you’d think that would be the last thing we’d want here,” he said wryly.
“Oh, because of the wars and all that,” she said.
“Yeah. This is a bit different than it was over there though. Not nearly so many overstuffed sofas,” he said, grinning. “The designers insisted that it would be comfortable and restful.”
She chuckled and asked. “You were over there too?”
He felt the grin melt away and he gave her a brief nod. “Many times.” He abruptly looked away and hoped the memories didn’t interrupt his tour. He gestured for her to follow, and he led her up the large opulent staircase.
“It looks like the staircase from that Stephen King movie about the haunted hotel,” she said.
He stopped, mouth dropping as he walked back down and studied the stairs. “My God, it does,” he said. “I never noticed it before.” He turned back and smirked. “I can guarantee these will be a lot less eventful.”
“Hope so, or you might want to consider upping your insurance,” she joked.
He chuckled and continued to show her the inside of the chalet, pointing out the elevator and the wheelchair-accessible rooms. All the bathrooms were specially designed and he was proud of the foresight and planning that had gone into each one.
Each room was slightly different. He wanted the place to have a home-like feel to it instead of a hotel or rehabilitation facility. Judging by the look on her face, they’d nailed it.
“This place is so beautiful!” she said, caressing the wood walls of the upper floor.
He checked his watch. “It’s getting late. Let me show you the kitchen and dining room and I’ll let you get started.”
“Sounds good,” she said, but her smile dimmed a little and there was a tentative note to her voice that threw him off.
He supposed it could be nerves. It was technically a job interview. She didn’t know that he planned to hire her as long as she turned out a meal that was even halfway decent and edible.
The kitchen was a huge gourmet affair with the latest gadgets and tools that he’d been informed were necessary for cooking for large groups of people. Industrial sink and dishwasher, giant mixers, three ranges, four ovens, a large, attached pantry, and a triple bank of refrigerators lined the wall. The worktops gleamed and the appliances were polished to a shine.
Jimmy never left the kitchen looking less than spotless.
“Here is a very small walk-in freezer, and over there is a pantry. Everything you need should be here,” he said, pointing out the features. “There’s a sous vide, a steamer, a toaster, a countertop grill, and there’s a larger grill just outside those doors.”
Kyle stopped and leaned against the large island in the center of the room, watching her inventory of the kitchen and everything it contained. “I hope it meets your approval,” he said carefully.
She cleared her throat. “It’s…perfect,” she said with a smile.
He didn’t miss the way she was clutching her hands together in front of her, her purse in a death grip. She was scared.
Of him?
“What about, um, food allergies?” she asked.
“None,” he offered.
“Menu?” she asked, eyebrows raising hopefully.
He hadn’t thought about that. “I guess Jimmy has one somewhere. Find it if you can, I’m sure he would have ordered everything he needed for it. Otherwise, I give you free creative license,” he said confidently.
“Any preferences?”
He adjusted his position on the island. “Meat. Lots of meat.”
“Meat. Right,” she echoed, not moving. “How many will be dining?”
“Five men tonight. We’re expecting another guest tomorrow and progressively more after that. The most we’ll probably ever have at once will be nineteen, except for special occasions. You’ll know about all that well in advance, of course.” He scratched his ear. “If you stay on, I mean.”
She was staring at him from the middle of the large kitchen and he realized that she was waiting for him to leave.
He gave her a quick nod. “We like to have supper sometime around six or seven o’clock. As we go on, we’ll need to develop a set schedule, but for now, we can be a little more informal.”
He realized that he was speaking as if he’d already hired her.
“I’ll leave you to it. Just press the chime button on the intercom fifteen minutes before it’s ready to give everyone time to clean up.”
“Thanks…Kyle,” she said hesitantly.
“You’re welcome, Madison.”
∞∞∞
Kyle rushed through the house and up to Aiden’s room. He knocked on the door and heard the man call for him to enter.
He stuck his head around the door.
Aiden was sitting in his chair near the window, watching the trees swaying in the breeze.
“I’m about to head out for a run. Would you like me to help you get set up outside on the back patio?”
Aiden shook his head. “I can do it myself.”
“All right. Oh, we’ve got a new cook. Hopefully, we’ll be having something a little more palatable than anchovy pizza for supper tonight.”
“One can only hope. Another bite of that and I’d volunteer for another tour in Somalia.”
Relief flooded Kyle as he took in the meaning behind Aiden’s words. He was joking about going back to the place he was injured. It wasn’t exactly acceptance or resignation, but it was something.
It was a start, especially considering that he’d never mentioned his time overseas until now.
“I’ll see you for supper then.”
“Roger.”
Kyle chuckled and went downstairs to the employee hall. He heard clattering and movement in the kitchen and smiled. It seemed like Madison was getting along fine. Now, he was going to get Evans and drag him along on his run.
It would be a good way to keep him away from the woman while she cooked and hopefully keep himself from thinking about her too much.
He’d gone a long time without thinking about the opposite sex. He had been sorely mistaken to think that he’d become immune to their charms. Madison was proof of that.
He found Evans lying in the shade watching Murdock toil with the late tomato plants in the enclosure at the edge of the woods. They had terraced the ground, so they had plenty of level terrain for gardens and recreation.
Murdock was sweaty and had stripped off his shirt and wore only a boonie hat and some old BDU pants that had seen better decades.
Kyle avoided looking at the scars that lined his brother’s skin. They were reminders of a time that he’d rather forget. Murdock hadn’t been in the longest, but he’d suffered the most.
He gave him a nod and motioned for Evans to follow him.
“Oh man,” he groaned, seeing Kyle’s running shorts. “Really?”
“I think you need to learn a lesson,” he said, staring into the younger man’s eyes. “The woman is off limits,” he said quietly, deadly serious. “Any employee that we hire is off limits, and you will do nothing to make them uncomfortable.”
Evans frowned. “Logan, you know me. I’d never hurt a woman. I’d never force a woman.”
Kyle shook his head. “No, but you sometimes push them too much, too far. I think one day, it’s going to cause you heartache.”
Evans grinned and brushed it off, but Kyle knew he got the point.
“Alright, I’ll be back in five. Try not to kill me before supper. I’m looking forward to eating whatever she’s cooking up in there.”
Kyle wandered over to Murdock. “Where’s Conner?”
Murdock straightened up and grunted as he stretched his back. “John? He went back to town. Said he’d be along before supper.”
Kyle didn’t micromanage his friends, but he did like to know where they were in case there was trouble and they needed backup. He acknowledged that as Evans came trotting back out, dressed in a short pair of running shorts and a grin.
“You think Ranger panties are an appropriate form of dress with a woman on the premises?” Kyle remarked, crossing his arms and frowning at the short, silky briefs made famous by Army Rangers and then adopted by other branches.
They all had them for workouts or whatever, but he never imagined he would have to regulate their usage.
“Hey, you said I couldn’t hit on her. You didn’t say anything about seducing her via silkies,” he said, pointing to the black shorts which left very little to the imagination.
Kyle closed his eyes and counted to ten.