Page 18 of Deserving Maddie

"No, that would be a huge inconvenience for you. I can call the rental company and get one quickly enough."

"Really, it's fine, and not an inconvenience, because I have another mode of transportation."

Maddie didn't look convinced, and for some bizarre reason, he wanted to be the one to take care of her. To supply her with something she needed. To know he was the one providing for her. Ray wasn't sure where the urge came from.

He waited her out. There was no point in rushing Maddie's decision. Besides, he was too busy watching the way she nibbled on her lip as she thought it through. Letting all the dirty ideas flow through his head. He needed to watch himself. If he wasn't careful, he would be sporting a boner at work, as his imagination ran off with other things Maddie's mouth could be doing instead.

"Okay," she finally said.

Maddie didn't sound okay at all, but he wasn't about to bring attention to it. He was just happy that she was allowing him to help her.

"On one condition."

Shit. He got excited too soon.

"I'm listening."

"You tell me who you work for."

That had him smiling. Maddie was going to need to be more specific if she hoped to gain information from him.

"You met my boss. Don't tell me you forgot already? Wes prides himself on being memorable, so he's going to be heartbroken that you don't remember him."

"Is sarcasm your default setting for everything?"

He would be concerned he pissed her off, if it wasn't for the tiniest upturn of her lips. She found him funny, even if she didn't want to admit it.

"Pretty much. It's hard not to when I work with a bunch of sarcastic assholes, and I'm not just referring to the men. The women who float through this place can hold their own as well." He gave her a wink that had her shaking her head at him. "But on a serious note. I work for W.J. Protective Services. I'm their technical analyst."

Her face said she didn't believe him. He couldn't blame her. When out at the bars, he did a good job of giving off a carefree, don't-have-a-responsibility-in-the-world vibe. It was the personality that fit perfectly with the one-night, no-strings-attached sex life he preferred.

Maddie shocked him with her next statement, though.

"I can see it."

"Is that so?"

Now he really wanted to know what was going on in her head. He couldn't pin down the look she was giving him, and that was rare. He prided himself on being able to read people. Especially women. It was how he knew which ones to pick up at a bar and which ones to stay the hell away from.

"Yup." She popped the P like she had a big secret to tell him. "The first time I described you to Kat, I said you reminded me of a sexy Clark Kent. The glasses. The ripped body. So yeah, I could see you flinging those glasses off and getting your hands dirty to save someone."

Ray was speechless, and that was a first for him. He didn't know if he should be flattered or disappointed that she had such high expectations for him.

"Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart, but my life isn't all that fun. I'm just the nerd behind the computer. The rest of the team is the one kicking down doors."

That wasn't entirely true, but it was his default setting. Downplaying his life was second nature. He barely blinked when he was named valedictorian in high school. He brushed it off when people oohed and aahed when he got accepted to MIT and graduated top of his class. He refused to celebrate when he landed his dream job right out of college. A job he promptly left only five years later because it turned out not to be what he expected.

There wasn't a single one of those things that he bragged about or flaunted. He didn't use them to pick up women or to impress new people. Every aspect of his life was downplayed because it was simpler.

"I don't believe that for a second," Maddie quipped. "Wes doesn't seem like the type of boss who would allow you to just hide like that."

Well, damn. Ray wasn't sure how he felt about that accurate analysis. Fortunately, he was saved from responding by a knock on his office door.

"Come in."

Hollywood stuck his head in and gave Maddie a small smile before jumping right in. "Anders just pulled in. He wanted me to tell you he got the car and would give you a call once he got back to the shop."

"Thanks, man. Hollywood, this is Maddie," he started introductions. "Maddie, this is one of my teammates, Hollywood."

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