Page 13 of Desperation

I cut the water off and stepped out, toweling myself dry. Stepping into charcoal gray slacks and buttoning up my dress shirt, I allowed myself one final glance in the mirror. I opted not to go too formal with a suit and tie. The team from Cole Security didn’t seem like suit and tie kind of guys. Good. Neither was I.

I arrived with fifteen minutes to spare, but a pretty young woman with hair a few shades lighter than Hannah’s was already waiting for me.

“Mr. Kingsley?” she asked, reaching for my hand.

“Yes, ma’am,” I confirmed and reached for a shake.

She chuckled lightly. “Liam said you’d be early.” She smiled affectionately when she said his name. This must be his wife, Natalie. “Follow me. I’ll take you to Mark.”

I followed her down the hallway and waited while she poked her head into an open office door. “Twilight, your nine o’clock interview is here.” There was a sense of teasing familiarity in her voice, the tone relaxed and jovial.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Lee? Don’t call me Twilight in front of the new recruits. It diminishes my authority.” I froze, unsure whether he was joining in on the banter or truly admonishing her.

She snorted. “What authority?” I was going to assume this was their typical dynamic, because if it wasn’t, things were about to get awkward.

“That’s it. I warned you about this. You will not be getting any more babies from me. Liam will have to do all the work himself from now on.” I let out a relieved sigh, and my shoulders sagged. I already liked the atmosphere here.

She popped her head out, rolling her eyes. “You can go on in.”

“Mr. Kingsley,” Mark greeted jovially, standing from his desk. He came around to the front and shook my hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, sir.”

He waved me off. “Please, call me Mark. We like to keep things pretty informal around here.” He shot me a crooked smile.

“So I noticed.” I chuckled, relaxing a little more. “That’s a desirable attribute after being in the military for so long.”

He laughed and clapped me on the back, turning us toward the door. “Let’s take this to the conference room. I’d like to get a couple more members of the team involved.”

A couple more members turned into five. Every employee, including Natalie, who was in the office currently, joined in on the interview. Nerves began to overtake me, and soon my hands were shaking. I shoved them beneath the table so no one would notice.

“Normally this is a two part process,” Mark began, his mask of professionalism sliding into place. “We usually wait to do an interview with your potential peers until after we’ve had a chance to speak, but I understand you’re still on active duty, and will only be in town for a short time.” I nodded in the affirmative, and he continued. “So we’re going to do the condensed version today. Why don’t you start by telling us why you want to work for Cole Security?”

I explained to them my motivations behind getting out of the SEALs. I loved what I did, but I wanted to be home more. I wanted more freedom and flexibility. I didn’t mention my mother and her illness. It was too personal, and I didn’t want to come across as desperate.

After that, they took turns peppering me with questions. They asked me about my training and missions, and I told them anything I was at liberty to discuss. When all was said and done, I’d been there for nearly an hour. I shook each of their hands as they departed the conference room and followed Mark out.

“We’ll be in touch.” He didn’t convey how he felt about the interview or whether I did well or poorly, but the hint of a smile tipped the corners of his lips. I figured that had to be a good sign.

Chapter Ten

Hannah

My back was starting to ache, and my once loose cotton shorts barely contained my growing belly, but my baby was healthy. I went to the doctor this morning and had all my scans completed. He was measuring just slightly ahead of schedule, but everything looked good according to my doctor. It was such a relief to hear.

I tugged open the front door and placed my purse on the table before sinking into one of the kitchen chairs. Drake left me his truck this morning so I could drive to my appointment, while he rode his motorcycle to work. Still, the sweltering heat was almost unbearable in my current condition. I’d made an extra stop at the grocery store on my way home, and there were several bags to carry in once I cooled off and caught my breath, but I was taking a break first.

A knock at my front door startled me, and I nearly fell out of my chair. Ever since Devon Kingsley showed up, I’d been jumpy. He set me on edge. His mere presence made my skin tingle and my pulse accelerate. The simple brush of his hand against mine sent a zing of electricity up my arm. But I also had to watch myself when he was around. I couldn’t watch him too closely or talk to him too much, or I feared Drake would see how I was drawn to him. My every move, every word had to be perfectly choreographed. And Devon made that nearly impossible. I lost my head around him. I was terrified I’d also lose my heart.

My breath caught when I opened the door to find Devon standing there. He was dressed to the nines, his black shoes polished and glinting in the sunlight. He wore a button-down and dress slacks, his hair combed and styled neatly, not the perfectly mussed, just-fucked look he usually sported. As much as I enjoyed the way he looked in boots and jeans, this look suited him just fine as well. He looked every bit as powerful and formidable in these clothes, just in a different way.

He only spared me a brief glance before peering into the house behind me, his eyes searching. When he saw I was alone, he returned his gaze to me.

“Where’s Drake?”Well, hello to you too.

“He’s working.” I released the door and crossed my arms. I was annoyed and wouldn’t offer more than that. He glanced over his shoulder at Drake’s truck.

“The hood is hot. Did you go somewhere?”

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