* * * *
At the construction site the next day, he stood with several of the men as they took their break. He stared at the building—it had come along beautifully. From where they were on the roof, he watched the landscaping guys smoothing out some parts that hadn’t been able to be done while they were trucking in and out materials.
His cell rang and he answered it. “Hello?”
“Pierce. Can you come meet me?”
“Sure, Richard. What’s up?”
“I’ll shoot you the address. Come as soon as you can.”
“Okay, I’ll leave right away.” He ended the call and looked at Stan. “Richard called me away. You guys are on your own.”
The men whooped and hollered. “Party time!”
He laughed as he made his way down off the roof. His phone vibrated with the announcement of a text but he didn’t look at it until he made it to his truck. Tossing his hard hat into the back seat, he climbed in then unclipped his phone to see where he was to go.
It took him nearly an hour to get to where Richard wanted to meet him. After parking beside the man’s Escalade, he hopped out. Richard waited there in a suit and, shoving his hands in his pockets, Tuck joined him on the side of the hill.
“What’s up?”
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
He took in the scenery—rolling hills and grass with some trees dotting the landscape. “Yes. What’s this for? Are we building here?”
“Maybe.” Richard sighed heavily and Tuck glanced at him.
“So I drove out here to what?”
Richard gave a small bark of laughter. “Always so straightforward, Pierce. I’ve admired that about you. How are your plans coming along for your own house?”
He smiled. “Nearly there. Final tweaking right now, so to speak.”
“Looking forward to seeing them. You have an amazing eye for this stuff and I told you this before when you first came to me with wanting to be an architect—I want to help you accomplish your dream.”
“And you have been. I get to do more than just follow the plans and build. I have a say in things and get to go to meetings you’ve had with clients. It’s all been wonderful. Thank you.”
“Have you given any thought to where you want to build your home?”
Tuck rocked back on his heels. “Nope. Can’t say that I have. I do enjoy it here in San Antonio.”
“Amount of land you want?”
“A few acres perhaps. Haven’t given that much thought either. What’s with the questions, Richard?”
“Indulge an old man.”
“Old? You do more than I do daily. Old is the last thing I would call you.”
“Trust me, I feel my age some days.”
Tuck glanced at his friend and mentor. Nothing was given away on that face, so he stared out across the land. It
was
beautiful.
What plans the man had wouldn’t be revealed until he was ready. Tuck wasn’t usually the most patient of people but he had enough respect for this man to wait.
“I think you’re ready for your own company,” Richard said eventually. “And I want to help you get it going.”
Nope, he’d not been expecting that at all.
Chapter Five
Crack!
The ball flew off the end of her bat. Ariel dropped it and hauled ass to first then rounding the base, she continued towards second as she saw the ball drop past the centre fielder’s head and subsequently his glove. She’d underestimated his throwing arm, however, and she slid head first into a safe—thankfully—call from the second base umpire.
“Way to go, Ariel!” the cries came from the bench.
She held out an arm, hand up until the ump gave her the nod and she finally got to her feet, stepping off the base she’d just slid over. Shaking the dirt from her uniform, she winced at the pain in her side. She removed her batting gloves and shin guard then met the first base coach who took them from her.
With a fist bump her commanding officer smiled at her. “Great job, Greene,” he said.
“Thanks.” Another twinge of pain she ignored as she jogged back to the base.
“Lucky hit, Greene.” The words came from behind her.
“Don’t be jealous just because you’re zero for two today, Haskell.”
Jared Haskell stepped into her periphery and sent her a grin. “We’ll see about that next time I’m up. How’ve you been?”
They hadn’t seen each other in a while—being sent to other places during these two weeks, this was the first time she’d run into him.
“Good, good. You? How’s the wife and kids?”
“Getting bigger all the time. All of them. Sharon is pregnant again.”
She laughed. “Congratulations, man. Why do you sound surprised by that? Surely by now you get the concept of the birds and the bees, and what happens when you do that dirty nasty thing in bed.”
He flashed a grin and began backing up. “See, that’s where my problem comes in. We rarely use the bed.”
“I didn’t need to know that,” she cried as more laughter bubbled from her throat.
She loved the two weeks she got to spend with her fellow Marines. Some days she wondered why she’d got out in the first place. Maybe she should get back in—something to think about, for sure.
Ariel put her attention back on the game as First Lieutenant Gainesly got up in the batter’s box. This woman had played softball in high school and her school had never lost their division while she’d been there. She was wicked good with a bat, so Ariel was expecting a hit.
Gainesly didn’t disappoint. The ball launched off the end of her bat and Ariel watched it sail towards right field. When the man there caught it, she tagged up and hauled ass to third, sliding into this one as well.
This time tears sprang to her eyes as she waited for the okay to step from the base. A bit slower to her feet this time, she still managed a fist bump with the third base coach.
“You okay there, Greene?” Sergeant Mallory asked.
“Yes, ma’am. Think I slid into second a bit hard. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay. If it still hurts tonight, get it checked out.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
* * * *
The rest of the afternoon flew by with speedy fashion. Ariel’s team won by one, which gave them bragging rights until the next unit game. The cookout was just what she needed, loud, brash and totally how Marines did it. Music blared and as she went in for another hamburger, her phone rang.
“Greene.”
“Ariel, it’s me, Tuck. Don’t hang up.”
Tuck
. That name. That voice. The naughty places they took her imagination.
“What can I do for you?” She winked at the grill master who put a burger on the bun she’d opened on her plate.
“I know you’re due to be home in a few days. I want to take you out on a date. A real date.”
The plate wobbled in her hand. “A date?” Her voice sounded like a squeak.
“Yes. So will you, Ariel Greene, go on a date with me?”
“A date?” she asked again.
“Yes. Not to a ballgame either or a sports bar. Dressy. Somewhere nice where we’re not shouting to be heard or having beer spilled on us by the row above or tossed on us from the ones below.”
Her mind began to list the reasons this would be a bad idea. Her mouth, however, moved and replied, “Sure.”
Tuck was quiet for a moment. “Wonderful. I’ll see you when you get back then, Ariel. Be safe.” He hung up.
She slipped her phone back in her pocket and went to fix her burger, sort of dazed. Tuck Carter had just asked her out on an actual date. He didn’t usually do that with women he’d already taken to bed. She could count on one hand the number of times she’d seen him with the same woman more than once.
* * * *
It was late when she entered her building. She yawned as she got her mail, disgusted with the amount of crap that had arrived.
Should have had them get my mail again as well as water my plants.
Then she made her way to the stairs and began climbing.
Regretting her choice to walk as she made it up the last section before her floor, she heard a man talking. Steve. He didn’t sound happy and she nearly went back down to give him privacy. Her legs and exhausted brain made the final decision. She didn’t have anything left, all the way around.
Ariel readjusted her sea bag on one shoulder and tromped up the final few steps. Steve seemed shocked to see her. She gave him a small wave and went immediately to her door, slipping inside as soon as it was unlocked.
She shut it behind her, dropped the bag and stumbled to her bed after a brief stop in the bathroom. Unfortunately, just because she’d been delayed didn’t mean her rousing hour for work had changed. When her alarm sounded, she’d managed almost two hours of sleep.
“That was definitely not enough sleep.” She went to her living room and grabbed her previously discarded bag. After emptying it, she showered then picked out a skirt suit to wear as she dried. Coffee in her travel mug, she shouldered her purse and walked, fully dressed for work, out of the door.
Beyoncé accompanied her into work as her latest CD played in Ariel’s vehicle. Past the gate guard, she drove up to the fifth floor and parked in her usual spot. Her drink was nearly finished and she made a mental note to fix more as soon as she got in. Connie was there as she entered.
“You do know it’s okay to call in after a two week stint like that, right?” The petite woman arched an eyebrow at her.
Ariel shrugged. “What fun would that be?”
Connie rolled her eyes. “I figured as much. That being said, I started your coffee pot since I figured you could use a bit extra. Messages are on your desk in order of importance, top being the most critical to return.”
“You do know you don’t have to do those things for me, Connie.”
“I know, but I like you so I don’t mind.”
“I can’t tell you how much it’s appreciated, either.”
The women passed through to the back hall. Connie easily kept pace despite their height difference. Ariel wasn’t fooled—she knew Connie could kick her ass. Connie was more than the first face you saw upon entering Prometheus Protections—she was also Slater’s personal bodyguard.
“Tell me about that hottie, Mr Carter.”
“What’s to tell?”
Christ, I even think about him and my body flushes heat.
“Please. Slater may not see how things are there but I sure did. Now dish.”
Ariel entered her office, smiling when the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee met her with welcoming arms. “Not gonna let it go, are you?”
“Hell, no. We don’t open for an hour so I’m not needed up front. I’ve been in a dry spell, have to live vicariously through you. So give me deets and make them juicy.”
She laughed. “Sometimes I forget we’re the same age, Connie.”
Connie joined her and sat in one of the chairs. “I know, most do. Come on, do tell. I need to hear. How is he?”
Ariel topped off her mug and sat after putting her purse in the bottom drawer of her desk. “Unfuckingbelieveable.”
Connie squealed and slid the chair closer. “How did it happen? At the work site? Somewhere dirty where he took you against a wall and you didn’t care? Or was it after a nice dinner?” She narrowed her eyes. “Work site. You have freak written all over you.”
She snorted and curved her fingers around the mug. “He’s my neighbour, has been since I moved out here. We went to a Missions game then out. Back at the building I told him”—she shook her head in disbelief—“I told him if he only knew how many batteries I went through because of him.”
“You didn’t!” Her eyes were wide.
“Not one of my finest moments. Then I kissed him and woke up in his bed.”
“How was he?” She leant forward even more.
“It hurt to walk the following day.”
Connie erupted with laughter and clapped. “Now, the work site. Don’t keep me in suspense. You two got your freak on there, didn’t you?”
Ariel ducked her head and Connie howled louder.
“I knew it. I knew it! I need details. How many times?”
Ariel blew out a breath. “Six.”
“Oh God, I need me some of that.”
“Some of what?” Slater’s question entered their conversation.
It was like a switch had been thrown. Connie stopped laughing, her expression returning to the no-nonsense one she normally sported.
“Coffee,” Connie deadpanned. She rose and smoothed down her black suit coat. “Glad you made it back safe, Ariel.”
“Dinner tonight, Connie. After work. You and me.”
Her smile was fleeting. “Sounds good.” She left, skirting Slater.
“Something I said?” her boss asked.
She sipped some coffee and shrugged. “Just talking about sex—she probably didn’t want you to hear.”
He held up his hands and shook his head. “I don’t want to know.”
Hiding her smirk, she replied, “You asked.”
“Connie wouldn’t talk about sex. And I don’t want to think about it even if she did.”
Apparently Slater only saw one side of Connie.
“Believe what you will.”
Slater backed out of her office. “Swing by when you finish your stuff here.”
“You got it.”
Work was busy and passed quickly. New clients, new accounts and some to close out.
Connie buzzed her. “Yes, Connie?”
“There’s a Mr Schaffer to see you.”
Damn. “I’ll be right there.”
“Very good, ma’am.”
Ariel replaced the receiver and slipped her feet back into her pumps she’d kicked off earlier, groaning. Thomas Schaffer had been a pain in her side since the walk-through at the museum.
I’m so not looking forward to this.
Ensuring her badge and pin were clipped to her outfit, she made her way to the front. She passed through the door visitors couldn’t get by without a member of Prometheus escorting them and saw him. He stood by the window, staring out over San Antonio. His three thousand dollar suit fitted him well and did absolutely nothing for her.
“Mr Schaffer, what can I do for you?” Her voice carried to him and he turned, although she’d bet he had been watching for her reflection in the window. With a practised smile on her face, she waited for him to speak.
He didn’t right away, just watched her in a way that made her skin crawl.
“Think about where you want to go for dinner. My only request—make sure there’s alcohol served, I have a feeling after this I’m going to need a drink. Or five,” she whispered to Connie as she went by her to meet him.