Page 10 of Inevitable

“We’ll talk about it later.” The banging in the bathroom stopped, so she figured that the fornication was a success. In a small way, she was slightly jealous because having hot sex in a bathroom seemed like a lot more fun that hiding out from Brokedown Betty out there. “I thought about crawling through the air-conditioning vents to escape because I saw someone do it last week on Criminal Minds, but then I decided this place probably hasn’t kept up with their rat problem and there was no way I wanted one crawling down my pants as I made a daring escape. I have new jeans on and I couldn’t find a pair of underwear that didn’t show, so I’m commando and I don’t want one of those varmints crawling into my business. Did you know that a rat can get into a place as small as a quarter?”

Hearing Brady choke into the phone made her wonder if he’d drunk something and it had gone down the wrong pipe. “You okay?”

Clearing his throat, his voice came out low and gravely. “No, Claire. I’m not all right. I’m pissed as hell.”

“’Cause I made you come out on a Friday night to rescue me?”

“No!” he shouted. “First off, I can’t stand the freaking idea of you going out with anyone other than me. But I’ve dealt with it because I figured they’d be just a bunch of bozos, which had been pretty much the case up until tonight. But to hear that you’re in danger and wearing low-cut jeans is more than I can handle. No more dates.”

“You listen to me, Brady. I’m a grown woman and I can do what I want when I want and with whom. So, don’t be bossing me and expect me to take it.”

“I’m caught between hell and a fence post right now,” he responded quietly.

Well, what could she say to that? Not much because he was a good man and he seemed to be interested. Maybe calling him to rescue her when he’d told her earlier that he wanted to go on a date was insensitive. But she was stuck. Or was she? Maybe she wanted Brady to come and get her so that she could spend a little time with him. Which wasn’t very nice. “I’m sorry I asked you to come out tonight. If I’d thought about it more, I’m sure I could’ve come up with someone else to come and get me.”

Brady let out a loud sigh. “I want you to call me for anything, and I’m happy to come and get you.”

“Thank you. Can we stop at Borden’s on the way to my car? I need some serious ice cream therapy to get over this disaster.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“I really do appreciate you comin’ out. Roy’s girlfriend may not have followed through on her threats, but I don’t like testing the limits of someone’s sanity. It’s never worked in my favor, so I have a tendency to take what people say at face value.”

“Always a good idea. You can’t fix stupid and you can’t fix crazy. It’s best to steer clear unless you have the training and armaments to deal with it.”

“Thanks again, Brady.”

“Sweet girl, I’d do anything for you. No thank you necessary.”

Maybe this night wasn’t a complete loss. Having someone as handsome and good as Brady come and get her gave her a bit of hope. “I’ll make you dinner as a thank you.”

“I’d prefer breakfast,” he replied with a laugh.

That was a comment best ignored because the idea of having Brady in her house in the morning wasn’t wholly unappealing. In fact, it was real appealing.

He was six-foot-three, broad-chested, and good-looking. His dark blond hair set off his eyes beautifully, and he was as appealing as could be. “Are you getting close?” When he didn’t respond right away, she wondered if they’d been disconnected. Lifting her phone away from her ear, she checked the signal and noticed they were not connected anymore. Shoving it into her pocket, she hoped he would be here in a minute. The couple from the bathroom walked out, and they gave her satisfied smiles as they passed.

Some people had all the luck. She hitched her purse on her shoulder and then pulled up her jeans. Turning her head, she saw someone walking down the hall and tried to see who it was in the dim light. Hopefully, it wasn’t anyone who wanted to see her harmed. Squaring her shoulders, she waited and then saw it was Brady. He wore an old pair of jeans and a blue T-shirt, and she’d never seen a more welcome sight.

He held his arms open and she walked right into them without a second thought. It was weak, but she really could use a hug. The moment his arms went around her body, she relaxed and buried her face in his T-shirt. Just shoot me now, she thought as she twined her arms around his waist. He smelled perfect. Pine, musk, and something indescribable.

“Borden’s?” Brady asked after he pressed a kiss to her head.

“Yes.”

“Let’s get out of here and get some ice cream,” he said as he turned them toward the bar.

He kept her tucked under his left arm as they walked down the hall. She knew he was right-handed and had his gun tucked into the back of his jeans. Not that he would need it. The man could take care of anyone who got in their way. Close quarters combat was a specialty of HRT, and she knew he would never use lethal force unless he had no choice. Which wasn’t going to happen tonight. Not even close.

People recognized a lethal opponent and usually made an appropriate choice, unless, of course, they were not playing with a full deck. As they passed Roy and his girlfriend, she noticed the malevolent glare the woman threw her. Yeah, not anyone she needed to see again. The fact that Roy chose not to acknowledge her as they walked out of the bar burned her biscuits. Definitely needed to do something to make sure he stayed off the dating sites. Which she would be taking care of first thing in the morning.

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