Where did this guy come from? My twenty-four-seven-on-guard-no nonsense man is suddenly, playful? There’s even a twinkle in his eyes instead of the ‘scowlie’ don’t-mess-with-me frown.
Inside we’re met by three other men. They each go through the whole bro-hug thing. Shared experiences, good and bad, trust and respect. A bond earned and cherished. I realize this is what they mean by chosen family.
Theres a tap on my shoulder and I turn. “Hi, I’m Nyla and you must be Norah. I’ve heard about you. I’m glad to meet you.” She pulls me in for a hug. “Welcome to the family.”
By the time we leave I’m a little bit tipsy, and a lot in love with Rake’s chosen family. I know they all call him Silo, but to me he’s Rake, and I’m not going to change. In his truck, he reaches for my hand and holds it on his thigh. He only had two beers before switching to tea. I noticed all the men were the same. Everything thought out and planned. I met a couple other women whose names will come back to me once I recoup from the whirlwind my life has become.
“I really had a good time, Rake. All your friends are so nice. You’re so lucky.”
“They’re not justmyfriends now. They’re yours, too. Nyla said I better be bringing you back. Sooner rather than later. You’ll always have a home there.”
CHAPTER 9
Rake (Silo)
Norah is half asleep by the time we get back to the cabins. After checking mine is still secure, I get her inside and tell her to get ready for bed while I do my inspections. Once she’s in the shower, I get my TSCM kit and head to Twila’s.
I find one hidden camera located between two ceiling beams in the corner of the kitchen and notify Patch who is the interface with local law enforcement. Then I contact I-Tee to see if he can track the signal from his end. Once I get the drones I’ll look for outside cameras. After securing everything, I head back to my cabin. I’ll let the locals do their thing tomorrow. After that I go on the offensive.
Letting myself into the cabin, I see Norah is already snuggled under the covers and fast asleep. Two drinks and out like a light. I’ll remember that for the future.
What future? I stop myself. Once she’s safe and any danger is over, I need to walk away. I’m not the kind of man she deserves. She’s got a whole damn future ahead of her. Mine is half over. Maybe even more so with the work I do.
She’s not meant for you. In the shower I can’t stop thinking about how perfect she is. Her dark honey blonde hair smellssweet like flowers, her skin is soft when she takes my hand and I rub my thumb along the back of her hand. Still smaller than I am, she’s not some twig that would break in a stiff wind. Or during a hard fuck.
She thinks she’s tall at five-nine, but she’s still a shorty compared to my six-four. I’ve seen how she tries to hide her curves under oversized shirts or sweaters. Her soft full breast would fit perfectly in my hands. And damn, I’d love to palm her ass and lift her so I could devour her mouth while her legs are wrapped around my waist.
Sweet, kind, gentle, softhearted, and smart. So fucking smart. Not the kind of woman you’d be able to hide things from. Hell, she knew instantly what happened with my old man. Every mission that went bad, she’d know immediately. In all of that, she’s the spitting image of Twila.
The last few times I’d been at the cabin, Twila had talked about her granddaughter and how important she was to her. How good and smart a woman she was. And how alone she was.
She always seemed to have some new tidbit or story to tell about her the last few times I’d been back. How she’d like me to meet her some time, so I’d know who she was when she visited. Just enough to tease my curiosity.
Cagey old bird. I wonder if she knew what was going down? Knew she didn’t have long? Stubborn woman. Why didn’t she just say something? Tell me?
Finishing, I dry off and pull on a pair of pajama pants I had one of the guys get me. Damn, I hate these things. I hate the way they rub on my cock. I’m an au natural kind of guy. Boxer briefs or nothing.
After stoking the fire, I crawl into bed, careful to stay on my side in spite of how much I want to curl around my girl.
She’s not your girl. You’re too old, too jaded to deserve her.My throbbing cock disagrees.
I force myself to sleep. I need to be alert, to protect Norah.
My senses flare to life. Training keeps me still, my eyes closed. A soft touch skims up from my belly over my chest and cups my cheek. Inhaling a little deeper, I recognize Norah’s scent and open my eyes.
“Sorry I woke you. I just wanted to look at you and then couldn’t resist touching. You’re beautiful.”
I lay my hand over hers where it rests on my chest and swallow. She’s leaning on one elbow and slightly hovering over me. “Men aren’t beautiful. You on the other hand, are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met.”
“I’m not but thank you. I’ve never known a man like you and you kind of take my breath away. When you look at me like you want me, like now, my heart skips a dozen beats and I find it hard to breathe.”
“Norah, we...”
She slips two fingers over my lips stopping my words. “I was an ‘oops’ baby. Mom could never figure out who the father was. My Nana basically raised me. When I was with my mother, I spent most of my life in my room away from her and her alcohol induced tirades of how I ruined her life.
“Then she married my stepfather and got a little sober. I didn’t mind that he ignored me too, until he startednotignoring me. Again, Nana saw the signs and got me out.
“I’m not any version of Barbie or what trendy women should look like or that my mother aspired to. I’m tall and larger.”
