Page 6 of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang Us, Daddy

I pull away and stare down at him. The hurt in his eyes is almost unbearable, and it just makes me hurt right along with him, knowing I’m the one who put it there. I open my mouth to speak, but the door’s lock clicks and the sliding-glass doors open, cutting me off. I share a look with Benji before reaching down and taking his hand. It’s probably not professional for new hires to walk hand in hand, but I don’t really give a damn about professionalism. I didn’t even want this stupid job to begin with.

The last time we were here, our ex-boyfriend’s fiancé had been shot. We were here for days, initially we were all waiting to find out about Kincaid’s condition, then, to watch over Tatum as he slept. He’d been in such a state after his now-husband was shot that the man in charge—Agent Meadows—decided it would be best to keep him sedated until the dust settled. During that time, Benji refused to leave his side, and I can’t be without Benji, so I stuck to him like glue.

He squeezes my hand when we walk into the old empty Wal-Mart. Just like last time, the entryway looks run-down and crumbling. There’s a cement partition about three-fourths of the way into the store. To the untrained eye, one might take the building at face-value, not realizing there’s a vast underground tunnel system filled with twists and turns and even a few dead ends to thwart potential terrorists from taking the place by storm. Well, that’s what the onboarding email Agent Meadows sent us said, at least.

Speaking of the unnecessarily sexy devil. A section of the wall slides open, the unbearably loud scraping sound ripping through my eardrums and making me wince. Behind him, there’s light pouring into the dark, dusty building, making him look like a silhouette. He walks toward us, his dress shoes click-click-clicking against the dusty old tiles. While Nate is an attractive man with strikingly luscious features—the little ring of hair around his bald spot, particularly—the sight of Meadows makes my heart thunder in my chest. I can’t remember the last time a man made me as swoony as this guy. When we were here with Tatum, the tall ginger murder daddy refused to leave our sides. He clung to us like a shadow, making sure we were all right and offering us drinks, snacks and—because Benji loves them so much—coloring books. Now, he’s got the same wide smile that seemed locked in place last time. His red hair is curly and wild, looking like he just drove here with the windows down, notgiving a damn about his appearance in the slightest, while still remaining devastatingly beautiful.

“Boys,” he greets, holding both hands out for us. I take his left and Benji takes his right. He gives us both three firm pumps, and it makes me wonder what else he might like to pump.

I’ve got six inches. He’s welcome to all of them.

Okay, maybe that’s a lie, but it’s hardly the point. Whether my penis is six inches or five—maybe four, but who’s counting—it doesn’t matter.

“You’ve got really soft hands,” Benji points out for no reason whatsoever.

I’m not even sure how it’s humanly possible, but Meadows’s dark-red lips spread even wider. “Thank you, Benjamin. I started a new exfoliation routine last month. My wife said it was either that, or I could forget about ever touching her again.” A strange, sullen look crosses his face, but it vanishes in seconds, and he’s back to his chipper self.

I didn’t realize he was married, and it kind of feels like someone’s taken the wind out of my sails. Honestly, I thought he might be a good Daddy for us, after the way he doted on Benji and me the last time we were here. Talk about unnecessary wrenches being thrown into half-formed plans.

“It’s just this way,” he says, pointing at the small opening in the concrete. We follow him, and I wince again when the cement wall closes behind us. The hallway is long, and the black walls are covered with pictures of Tatum’s husband’s ex-girlfriend, Fiona. Under each one is a plaque with the words Employee of the Month. I count thirty-three of them before we run out of wall space. We’ve come to a dead end, but just like last time we were here, Meadows traces the shape of a star on the cement, and it flashes pink-pink-pink. The wall retracts, welcoming us into a waiting room. There’s a help desk at the back with two leather office chairs, side-by-side.

“Those are for us?” Benji asks.

Meadows gives him a nod. “Damn right, buddy.”

“Do you stay busy enough to warrant two receptionists?” I ask. It’s a question I’ve been wondering for weeks, ever since we accepted the job offer from Meadows. At the time he reached out to us, I’d been more concerned about working for trained killers than the reasoning behind hiring two men for one position.

“Nope,” he says, as if it’s the most normal response in the world. “I really enjoyed getting to know you boys last time you were here, and I thought it would be nice to get to see you every day.” He throws a wink my way, making my heart flutter in my chest. With one hand on the small of my back and the other on Benji’s, he guides us behind the help desk and tells us to have a seat. Meadows walks around the half-circle-shaped desk and leans against it, propping himself on his elbows. Behind him, there’s a floor-length mirror, giving me an unobstructed view of his statuesque ass in those tight gray slacks.

“Cat got your tongue, Bennet?” Meadows asks. When I pry my eyes away from the mirror, both he and Benji are looking at me with amused expressions.

“Huh?”

“You just seemed a little distracted,” Meadows says.

Benji shakes his head, pointing behind him. Looking over my shoulder, I spot another mirror on the wall. “He just caught you staring at his butt,” Benji says matter-of-factly, looking down at our desk. His hands are everywhere, touching this and that like he’s trying to mark staplers and tape dispensers with his scent so no one will steal them.

My eyes are bulging out of my head, I’m sure, but Meadows doesn’t seem to mind. He flashes me another of his swoony smiles, chuckling softly. “Don’t worry,” he soothes reassuringly. “I don’t mind. I’m not gay, but a gentleman never turns up his nose at a compliment.” Reaching across the desk, he pinches mycheek. “Look at it as much as you want to, kid. Everyone else does.”

“No thank you,” Benji says, reaching for something in the corner of the desk. His eyes are wide as saucers as he grabs a copy of Highlights Magazine and shakes it excitedly in Meadows’s face. “Tell me these are for us.”

Meadows nods. “All for you, boys. There are crayons in the top drawer and markers in the second. I also stocked the bottom drawer with fruit snacks and bottles of water.” Clearing his throat, he stands up straight, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’ll be down in the operation bay most of the morning, so I won’t be able to give you much training, but the job’s pretty straightforward. You sit here, look adorable, and go home at five.”

Benji’s still rearranging the items on the desk, not paying much attention to Meadows, but he asks, “What if the phone rings? Do we set up appointments or something?”

Meadows shakes his head, but Benji’s not looking up to see it. “Everything’s handled electronically, for the most part. The only people you’ll see are other employees, and we only have ten total. They can let themselves in, and they’ve got the codes to get to the lower levels, so you don’t have to worry about that, either. Now and then I might ask you to help me out with paperwork. It’s not a very challenging job, I’m afraid, but I think it will suit you.”

“Are you calling us stupid?” Benji asks, opening the stapler and staring at the staples inside like they’re the most fascinating thing in the world. He turns it upside down and giggles like a madman as they fall onto the desk.

“Not in the slightest,” Meadows answers without missing a beat. “I just think it’s time life threw you boys a win.”

He talks to us for a little while longer before excusing himself. Once he’s gone, I look over at Benji and sigh. He’s gothis face propped on his arms, having decided a mid-morning nap was the best course of action. Running my fingers through his soft blond hair, I lean in and kiss the side of his forehead.

“We’re going to be okay, baby,” I whisper. “I promise.”

Benji

My fingers are twitching in my pockets, my body electric with nerves. The ride home from work has been spent mostly in silence. Well, I’ve been silent, at least. Bennet keeps going on and on about Agent Meadows. I can tell he’s trying to sell me on the man, but I’m not interested. Not when we’ve got Nate at home. Besides, Meadows is married, and I ain’t a homewrecker.

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