Page 63 of Point of Contact

He snagged it and used it on the door, planning to go straight in, but Heidi stepped in his path. Or more accurately, Courtney’s.

"Pierce wasn’t an ass to you, was he?" Her hands went to her hips as she studied Courtney. "Fuck. It looks like he was an ass to you." Her lips twisted into a scowl. "I swear to God—"

Courtney shook her head a little. "He wasn't really an ass."

Heidi tipped her head, lifting a brow. "Are you sure?"

Courtney gave her a small smile, nodding. "I'm sure. He just welcomed me back to Fairbanks."

Heidi's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but she didn't argue. "Huh." Her eyes came Reed’s way, moving over his face before going back to Courtney. "Are you going to be staying in Fairbanks?"

Courtney's already weak smile faltered a little more. "I'm not really sure yet. A lot is still up in the air."

The fact that she didn't immediately say she was staying in Fairbanks grated on him. Not because she couldn't do as she pleased, but what she pleased should be staying in fucking Fairbanks. She knew people here. Could have a support system. Could have people looking out for her.

"Fair enough." Heidi stepped closer, resting her hands on Courtney's shoulders. "Whatever you decide to do, I will help you with whatever you need." She leaned in, speaking in Courtney's ear low enough he couldn't hear what she said. Then she leaned back, gave her the same kind of wink Mona had, then turned and grabbed his cheek in a stinging pinch before disappearing down the hall.

“Looks like you’re making friends already.” Reed held the door wide as Courtney stared at Heidi’s retreating form.

He waited for her to go in. She was exhausted. Worn down from both the road trip and everything that preceded it. She needed a shower. She needed to be fed. She needed sleep.

But Courtney didn't budge. She stood there, almost transfixed as she watched Heidi leave.

"Come on, Princess. Time to go get comfortable."

Courtney's eyes finally came his way. "Do you really think so?"

Her confusion didn't quite make sense. "Do I think you need to rest? Fuck yes, you need to rest."

Courtney's head barely shook. "No. Not that." She turned to glance back down the hallway. "You think she really might want to be my friend?"

The hope in her voice made his chest tight. And pissed him off yet again over the way she'd been treated.

"The two of you are a lot alike. So, yeah, I'm pretty sure you're going to end up best friends." He didn't tell her he was also suspicious Mona would soon be her friend too. And Harlow. And Eva. And Bess. And all the other women who had infiltrated Alaskan Security over the past few years. Every single one of them was a pain in the ass in their own way. They would understand her. Give her the grace he hadn’t for too fucking long.

Courtney turned to face him, a hesitant smile on her face. "I guess we'll see."

She didn't want to get her hopes up, and he couldn't blame her. She'd been used her whole life by people claiming to be her friends. Unloved and unwanted by her parents. It would make sense she didn't have high hopes. It was why he backed off after their overly intense night where things got a little out of hand. Figuratively, and literally. Courtney would easily believe she was being used, because that was how it had always been. And the fucked-up thing was, she probably wouldn't even mind. She'd dished out money, gifts, and favors in exchange for companionship her whole life. It was all she knew.

He didn't want her to believe that’s what was happening with him. She needed to see that this thing between them wasn't transactional.

Easier said than done. It was a constant fight to keep his hands off her. To keep his mouth away from her skin. To resist the constant urge to give her exactly what she'd asked for so many times.

But that was how Courtney believed things worked. She offered something, be it money or her body, so she could get what she wanted in return—a connection. Even if it wasn't real.

And even though he hadn't openly admitted it, it was clear what they had was real. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't sweet, but it was honest.

Reed tipped his head into the room. "Come on. Get moving."

Courtney took one final look down the hall before doing as he said, entering the first-floor room he'd put half his shit in when he first came to Alaskan Security.

He let the door swing closed behind them, resting one hand on her back to urge her toward the bathroom since it seemed like she needed a little help to keep her feet moving. "Bathroom’s in here." He flipped on the light, nudging her onto the tile floor before reaching in to start the shower. "Your stuff should be here soon, but I'll get you a T-shirt and some sweatpants to wear until then."

He turned away—going to the closet to collect both items—returning moments later to find her standing exactly where he’d left her. He wasn’t quite sure how Courtney would react to being back in Alaska, but he didn't expect her to look so shellshocked. If anything, he'd prepared himself for her to be mouthy and confrontational and aggressive.

But the woman standing before him looked lost.

He closed the door, setting the clothes on the stink before stepping close. "Arms up."

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