Chapter 4
FOUR
For the firsttime he could remember, Tank was intentionally trying to run into his housekeeper. The security system helpfully notified him of her arrival, and the impulsive decision to run home at lunch had been made before the notification was dismissed.
This was his house. So why did he feel a touch guilty as he opened the door?
”Kaylie?” he called into the quiet space. The last thing he wanted to do was startle the woman. ”It”s Tank. Are you still here?”
The citrus-laden chemical smell of cleaning supplies greeted him as he stepped into the kitchen. The counters were spotless, reflecting the midday sun that streamed through the large bay window. He rarely saw the house this time of day, and the brightness was rather welcoming.
In the next room, he heard the soft voices of the television, high-pitched and punctuated by sound effects. A cartoon, he guessed.
Cecelia was asleep on the couch as the cartoon played softly across the room. Her soft brown curls sprawled haphazardly across her forehead, and a ragged elephant stuffed animal was tucked in the crook of her elbow.
Tank felt his chest squeeze at the sight of the innocent little girl. Maybe it was the work they did at Black Tower, but part of him had forgotten that there were people in the world not wrapped up in the webs of violence and evil he so often encountered. When you were surrounded by the worst of humanity, it was easy to forget that there were innocent kids and hardworking moms out there. Their lives were untouched by the powerful greed and violent ambition of the Syndicate or the cartel or whatever other monster was on their operation list on any given day.
He slid the gray throw blanket from the back of the couch and covered Cecelia with it. The princess design on her shirt was still visible, but the sparkly tutu she wore over her pants was now hidden. That same blanket felt the size of a bath towel when he tried to use it, barely covering his legs.
The whisper of clothing behind him was the only clue to Kaylie”s presence. He finished tucking Cecelia in.
”What are you doing?” Kaylie”s voice was low, but the tone was almost accusatory.
Tank glanced back at Lia one last time. He looked at Kaylie and pointed to the kitchen, where they could talk without waking the girl.
Kaylie set down the laundry basket on the counter and then whirled around, eyes flashing.
”What are you doing here, Mr. Olson?”
”It’s Anthony. And I live here,” he offered blandly, curious at her reaction.
Kaylie rolled her eyes. ”Obviously. But in the four months I”ve been working for you, you have never once come home in the middle of the day.”
Tank leaned against the counter, crossing one booted foot over the other. He shrugged. ”That was so I didn”t scare you off. You”ve already met me and didn”t run screaming once.”
Her eyes softened slightly. ”That”s why you never wanted to meet?”
Tank nodded, slightly hesitant. Maybe he shouldn’t admit the reasons he stayed away. The room suddenly felt smaller as his admission hung in the air.
”Well, that”s... I don”t know what that is.” Kaylie seemed puzzled, her furrowed brow reflecting a mix of curiosity and a hint of sadness.
He quirked an eyebrow. ”Necessary, based on the previous four housekeepers and their reaction to meeting me being immediate resignation.”
”Yikes.” Her face was sympathetic.
Tank immediately rebelled against letting her feel sorry for him. He huffed. ”It”s whatever.”
”You should be working, though, right?”
Tank ran a hand over his jaw. ”I just wanted to talk to you.”
Kaylie shifted her weight, refusing to meet his eyes for a moment. ”What about?”
”You wanted to change the schedule, and I want to know why. Am I not paying you enough?” He swallowed the disappointment and offered the reason he suspected most. ”Is it... is it me? Since we met and you know what I”m like?” The question felt acidic on his tongue. ”I don”t plan on being here with you or coming home early, if that is what you”re worried about.”
”No.” Kaylie straightened as she responded. ”It’s nothing like that. You”re fine. This is your house, and you should never feel like you can”t come here. I figured out the schedule, so it’s no big deal.”
”I can pay you more,” he insisted, still trying to figure out what had caused her change of heart.
Kaylie shook her head. ”You already pay me too much for a house that hardly takes any work.”
”That”s only because I have you come twice a week,” he grumbled. Left to his own devices, the place descended into chaos very quickly. “And having you cook is the only reason I don”t survive on fast food burgers.”
”You”re not that helpless, surely.”
He found himself captivated by the way her lips curved into a gentle smile, revealing a hint of the warmth that lay beneath the surface of her tough exterior.
Tank shrugged. ”So you don”t need to change the schedule?”
Kaylie shook her head. ”Nope. We”re good.”
He kept his eyes trained on her for another moment, trying to decipher the look on her face. A stubborn lilt to her chin, her jaw tight, and her eyes focused firmly on the corner of the countertop. Emotions subtly danced across her features. Her gaze, though guarded, betrayed her vulnerability. She was desperately trying to maintain her tough facade.
As he studied the delicate contours of her face, he became acutely aware of the small freckles scattered across her nose. And the ridiculous desire to trace his fingers across each one.
“What is it?” he pressed one more time.
Kaylie sighed. “It’s really nothing, Mr. Olson.” A breath rumbled deep in his chest at the name. “It’s just getting darker earlier, and I’d prefer to have Lia home with me before dark.”
Ah, now they were getting somewhere. That explanation actually made sense. A single woman and a little girl wouldn’t want to be riding the bus late at night. He frowned at the idea of the two of them in danger.
She continued without a response from him. “But I’ve already worked it out. Instead of working here in the late afternoons on Tuesdays and Fridays, I’ll come before noon so we can finish before dark.”
Tank considered her solution. “What about your other clients?”
A huff of frustration from the pixie across the counter surprised him. “I’m perfectly capable of running my own business, Mr. Olson.”
Okay, that one was just unnecessary. It was like she could tell the name bothered him. He held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Just… If it is ever too late and you’re still here, you’ll stay so I can give you a ride.”
Kaylie was already shaking her head. “That’s really not necessary.”
Tank stepped closer, surprising himself at just how desperate he was to make her agree. Her eyes tilted to look up at him when she stood her ground. The dark ring around her pupils seemed to hold a hundred untold stories, as if each fleck of color was a chapter in a novel he was eager to unravel.
Tank”s fingers twitched involuntarily as he fought the urge to reach out and trace the outline of her jaw, to bridge the gap between them. There was a strength in the way she held herself. He wondered about the stories she carried, the dreams she harbored, and the scars that shaped her resilience.
His gaze remained steady on hers. “I just want you safe. If it’s dark, you’ll let me help.”
Slowly, she nodded. “Fine. But we won’t need it.”
There was no question she believed that. But that vulnerability still simmered, a flicker of uncertainty about him he wished he could eradicate. Tank knew this was more than just a casual agreement. He was promising to keep them safe, even if he was the only one who understood the weight of that promise.