Page 13 of Threatened

She went online and set credit alerts, so she’d instantly know if anyone tried to use her social security card to open an account or take out a loan. This was such a pain. Frustrating, too. She tried to center herself and think about her next steps.

Finding work was top of her list. She should spend some time today searching through her referrals for a new client in the area. She didn’t need the money right away since she had plenty saved up in the bank to last her a good couple of months without new work, but she liked to stay busy.

She also needed to find a new place to stay in town while she dealt with the issues of the twins’ custody. Something temporary to hold her over until the end of the rental period for the sub-letter currently in her apartment. Not that Gage’s place wasn’t nice. It was, but if she was going to challenge his guardianship, she couldn’t be his houseguest, too. That would be awkward.

So was the memory of their kiss. A little distance from him was needed since her attachment to him growing stronger each day. For lots of reasons, it would be best to have a place of her own. Not least because she couldn’t face another comment like the one he’d made last evening about her having kids of her own someday. That was a definite no-go where she was concerned.

First, though, breakfast. She walked to the kitchen, feeling a little thrill when the babies smiled at her. They recognized her and trusted her. That felt good despite everything else.

Since he’d made her such a nice dinner the previous evening, she decided that the least she could do was return the favor today. Kylie went straight to the fridge, pulling out all the makings for a lovely frittata—eggs, cheese, onions, tomatoes, fresh spinach, and mushrooms—and set them on the counter before preheating the oven.

“Hope you’re hungry,” she said to Gage. She glanced over her shoulder as she began mixing together the ingredients in a large bowl. “I make a mean breakfast.”

“I know.” He looked up at her with a ready smile, reminding her that they’d already shared a breakfast. It was a surprisingly intimate moment. “And yes, I’m starving.”

“Good.” She shook off the confusing morass of feelings and turned back to her work. “This should be ready shortly.”

“Perfect, that will give me time to get the twins bathed and dressed for the day.”

There was that intimacy again. It felt nice, homey even, with her cooking and him caring for the kids. She whisked together the frittata then poured it into a baking dish and put it in the oven before setting the timer. Gage was humming again, a tune she couldn’t quite name, as he got the twins ready down the hall. It only served to endear him to her more.

Which wasn’t good.

She pushed the lever down on the toaster with more force than was necessary, before setting the table for two. Then she cooked up some turkey bacon in the microwave and set that on a plate in the middle of the table. By the time Gage returned and put the twins in their playpen with their toys, she had the table heaped with food. Sure, it was a lot for two people, but hey, taking care of kids took energy. They needed to fuel up.

“Breakfast is ready,” she called to him from across the room.

Gage took the seat across from her at the table, his spot giving him a clear line of sight on the babies in the playpen, in caseanything went awry. He eyed the array of food and smiled. “This looks amazing.”

“Thanks.” She filled a plate for herself. “Most important meal of the day.”

“True.” He took a huge bite of frittata and moaned his appreciation. “So good.”

“Thanks.” Heat rose in her cheeks, both because of his compliment and also because that moan of his had immediately gotten her thinking about other times and situations when he might make similar sounds.

Naughty, Kylie. So, so naughty.

She cleared her suddenly constricted throat and dug into her own food. After a few minutes of eating in silence, she said, “I thought I’d go hunting for a temporary apartment. Check my client list too and see if anyone in town needs a consultation. Since I’ll be here a while, I should get settled a bit.”

“What’s the hurry?” He blinked at her a couple of times, clearly confused, then frowned down at his plate. “I thought this arrangement was working out pretty well for now.” His statement seemed a far cry from the night she’d arrived when he’d been reluctant to let her stay. At that time, he had also made it clear to her that it was very temporary.

“If you’re sure you don’t mind having me on your couch a little longer…”

“Not at all. And I thought maybe, if you weren’t busy, you might like to come with me and the twins to the nature preserve nearby. After what you went through yesterday, some peace and quiet might be good for you. And like I said, there’s no hurry toget out of here. With your credit cards and stuff up in the air, it might be better to wait until that’s all settled anyway. Most leases require a credit check, even short-term ones.”

Damn. He was right. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. It would be difficult to get through the process of renting with the blocks she’d put on her credit, and she didn’t even have a debit card at the moment to put down the security deposit.

“If you’re worried about being out in the open,” he said, apparently mistaking her lack of response for fear, “I’ve got your back. I might have left the SEALs, but the SEALs never leave the man.”

Kylie grinned despite herself. “They should use that slogan on the recruitment posters.”

Gage chuckled. “Yeah, right. Seriously, though. If you want to come with us today, I’d be happy for the help. No pressure, though, or anything.” He looked away again, appearing a bit flustered. “Whatever you want to do.”

While he devoured more food, she considered her options. Frankly, she was still tired from the day before. She’d slept restlessly, waking up every so often as images of the guy in the park had invaded her dreams. Her main concern with sleeping on Gage’s couch had been overstaying her welcome, but if he wasn’t in a hurry—and they both kept their hands and lips to themselves—a few more days shouldn’t hurt anything. Plus, a day outside in nature sounded beyond blissful. Her energies were all in a tangle from the mugging and the kiss. Fresh air and sunshine would do wonders for getting her straightened out again.

“You know,” she said at last, coming to a decision, “I’d love to go to the nature preserve with the three of you.”

“Awesome.” He grinned at her from across the table, his smile radiant, and her breath caught despite her wishes. “After we finish eating and cleaning up, I’ll get the stroller packed and we can go.”

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