Page 13 of Out of the Shadows

Her mind drew yet another blank. “You said a lot of stuffearlier. Care to be a little more specific?” She could hear the snark in her tone and winced. “Sorry.”

“You’re fine, B,” he said, seemingly paying her attitude no mind.

The thought gave her pause. She wasn’t quite sure if that was a good thing or bad.

“When we were talking with Doc in your office earlier today,” Gavin continued, “about you being the most important part of Hudson Security.”

“Right.” She snorted. “Pretty sure that would be you and MacKay. Esme even.”

Gavin shook his head. “It’s you. And right now, you’re injured. So you’re going to rest up, because you being hurt is unacceptable.”

She studied him. His expression was so serious and intense. Yes, she was used to that, but there was something else she couldn’t read. Something that had her wanting to give the guy a hug. Which, holy shit, wasnotsomething she did. With anyone. Ever. “We’re a team, boss man,” she said, needing to lighten... whatever it was that had settled over them. “We’re all equally important. All cogs in an interconnected machine. I may have more tricks up my sleeve than others, but we all have important roles.”

Whatever had settled over Gavin lifted, and the corners of his lips tilted up. “Sure, B. If that makes you feel better.”

She pursed her lips. “I can’t tell if you’re being serious or making fun of me.”

He shrugged. “I’m going to make us dinner. You can rest here on the couch or in the guest room. Where would you rather be?”

Of course he’d give her an evasive nonanswer.

“Home.” She gave him a smile that was all teeth.

“Not happening,” he said, snagging a blanket off an accentchair and tossing it to her. It landed perfectly on her lap. Because of course it did.

Shaking her head, she groaned and swung her legs up onto the couch. “The couch is fine. By any chance, Gavin, do you have some energy drinks?”

“Not a chance in hell, Sabrina,” he called over his shoulder as he left the room.

Fighting a smile, she snuggled into the couch cushions. She didn’t want to think too hard about why the thought of him not trusting her had hurt so much. Had down right gutted her. Instead, she closed her eyes, let the Tylenol do its magic, and focused on how annoying the man could be.

Well, maybe notannoyingper se. But irritating.

Yes, she tossed a ton of snark his way on a daily basis, but she’d never really had him toss it right back. Until today. And it was kind of surprising and... fun.

CHAPTER SIX

Gavin didn’t consider himself a chef by any stretch of the imagination, but he wasn’t completely inept. One didn’t get to be a single guy knocking on forty without being somewhat capable in the kitchen. At least, they shouldn’t.

He frowned when he thought of the woman asleep on his couch. Bean was in her early thirties and lived off energy drinks and frozen dinners. He had no doubt that if she lived in a larger city, she’d add to that a rotation of takeout from all nearby restaurants. He’d been in her house numerous times over the years and knew her kitchen was still basically brand new. The microwave and fridge-freezer were the only things that she used.

The timer dinged, and he pulled the glass dish from the oven and set the baked honey-garlic chicken onto the stovetop to rest. At the same time, the rice cooker chimed, letting him know the last part of their dinner was ready. Chicken and rice. Not the fanciest of meals, but it was a whole lot better than the frozen crap Bean usually had.

After turning off the oven, he made his way back to the living room and stopped short in the entryway. Bean wascurled onto her side. Her five foot three looked especially tiny on his oversized couch. The woman was so damn smart and gave him so much shit that he forgot how slight she really was. But seeing her completely at ease on his couch brought it all to reality.

She’d fainted and had been taken out by the corner of her desk. None of that was okay.

A feeling he didn’t recognize rushed through him. It wasn’t quite worry, and it wasn’t quite protectiveness. It was... He didn’t know what it was, but it made him uneasy. And not in a watch-your-back kind of way. Rather it was...

Hell, he couldn’t explain it.

Seeing the bruise darkening on her face had his jaw clenching. As much as he hated the idea of her fainting, he was thankful no one had hurt her. Because had that been the case, that person would no longer be walking the earth. However, since her bruised face was due to her passing out, he needed to reevaluate Bean’s role at Hudson Security and just how much he put on her plate.

As Gavin had told her, shewasthe most important person at Hudson. Her skills were unmatched. Yes, his various team members—from the personal security specialists and pilots to even him and MacKay—were the best of the best.

However, Bean was next-level. There were very few people in the entireworldwho could do what Bean did, who had the vast innate computer knowledge she possessed.

He knew she enjoyed what she did—everything from the complex research projects to the intricate mission executions—because Bean was a puzzle solver to her core. But she wasn’t taking care of herself. She lived off a steady diet of caffeine and processed foods with an unlimited shelf life. It wouldn’t do the company or her any good if she worked herself to death.

---