Bombshell - Men of Sanctuary Series, Book Three (6 page)

Lorelei freed a hand and placed it on Adam’s broad chest, an oddly sensual gesture. He didn’t kiss her, but his body language made the situation abundantly clear.

She’s mine
.

“Hey, baby. Mac brought guests to stay with us. No rooms at the inn.”

“FBI?” His tone sounded as rich and smooth as the twelve-cylinder Jaguar XKE

that Keko had inherited from her dad.

“Of course. We were just discussing room assignments.”

Kamaka spoke up. “Like I said, I’m good with a cabin, Miss Lorelei.”

Keko tried to read Adam Stone’s expression as he sized up her Hawaiian. She couldn’t. “Look, honestly, we’re low maintenance. No need to fuss. I can bunk with Kamaka. We live together. Wait, that didn’t come out right. He shares my father’s house with me.” She felt heat in her cheeks. “My house. He stays at my place, y’know, like housemates.”
Oh man, this is not going so well
.

“No way, Keek. You’ll bunk in the room next to mine.” Lorelei turned in Lucian’s arms, pointed up to the gallery level. “Left to right. Adam’s room, guest room, your room, my room, Mac’s room when he stays over, Death Star com center, Lucian’s room.

Each has its own bathroom, so you have complete privacy. All the comforts of home.”

“That’s very generous, thanks. So,
hmm
, Sheriff MacBride stays at the lodge?”
I
hope that wasn’t too flippin’ obvious
.

“Yep. He’s good company, plus, he trains here.” Lorelei looked around.

“Speaking of Mac, where is he?”

“He’s in the exercise room. He delivered your message, stripped down, started pounding the heavy bag before I left him,” Lucian said.

Keko felt uncomfortable. “Does MacBride know about my dad?”

Lucian shook his head, his silky blond mane swinging. “Just Lorelei and Adam.

Our friend Glennon Garrett knows, but he dug it up independently, then we compared notes. He won’t say anything.”

“There you go, Keek, everything is under control.” Lorelei slid gracefully from her lover’s arms. “Lucian, we need lemonade and maybe some sort of snack before dinner. Any of your wonderful cookies left? Kamaka, the cabins all have names. Take cabin number one, The Pine. There are cases of bottled water in the lower kitchen cupboard. Fresh bedding is in the linen closet next to the kitchen area. You’re on your own as far as housekeeping, I’m afraid.

“You’ll probably want to stock up on snacks when you’re in town—or hit up Lucian’s stash—but you’ll eat here with us. Adam does breakfast, Lucian handles lunch, the boys alternate cooking dinner. Meals at six, one, and six. Roughly speaking. Feel free to raid the kitchen any time you wish.”

“Miss Lorelei, I can help. I know how to cook.” Kamaka folded his arms over his sizeable girth. “And I’m a good cook, too. Just ask Miss Keko.”

Keko nodded. “Oh yeah, our boy is quite the chef. He can cook up an entire luau all by his little lonesome. What he can do with pork, coconut, and pineapple nearly defies description. Oh, and don’t forget fresh fish and seafood.”

“Noted. We’ll put you to work.” Lorelei laid a gentle, caressing hand on Adam’s heavily veined forearm. “My darling man, I believe you’re up for chef duty for supper.

How about something simple, like cheddar burgers, and perhaps a nice green salad?”

Kamaka’s countenance lit up, then he smiled, broadly. “Cheddar burgers? Maybe with bacon? Real bacon? All right!”

Before Keko could stop her, Lorelei snarked, “What, you think I can’t do real bacon?” Then she pasted a pretend-scowl on her face.

Keko shook her head, pantomimed sadness. “Lorelei, you said the magic words.

Cheddar-bacon burger. You now have an adoring slave. Forever.”

She turned to Kamaka. “Before lemonade, let’s sort our luggage, then get everything where it needs to go. C’mon, Pineapple Man.”

* * * * *

Keko and Lorelei settled, snugged into a corner of the great room with mugs of steaming chamomile tea, and a plate of Lucian’s sugar cookies. Kamaka lounged across from them.

Keko reached for another cookie. “Where’d the guys go?”

Lorelei stretched out on the sofa, got comfortable. “Adam and Lucian returned home with too much nervous energy to burn, after behaving themselves at Lucian’s family’s place—they whomped the snot out of each other on the wrestling mats downstairs, in the training complex. Assuming no real blood was shed, they showered, dressed, and planned to meet MacBride in town to blow off more steam. He went home to shower and change, declining to participate in the organized mayhem on the mats.”

Keko admitted to herself that she felt relieved when she knew MacBride had gone. She needed time to process all that had happened since she landed at the airport.

A rumble that seemed to be coming from inside the house suddenly jerked her out of her MacBride mindset. “What the—?”

Lorelei didn’t even look up from petting the cat. “Not to worry, it isn’t an earthquake. Adam’s moving his truck out of the garage. Ford F-350 Super Duty, dual five-inch chrome exhaust stacks—just in case they need to cross high water. It’s a guy thing.”

Relieved, Keko settled back in her comfy chair. “Believe me, I understand about guy things.”

Kamaka finished his tea. He rose, turned, bowed to his hostess. “Miss Lorelei, sorry to beg off sampling what passes for night life in the Cata-whatever Lake town square, although the Hungry Bear place is actually very cool. Chrome, neon lights, art deco. Awesome cheddar-bacon burger, perfect crispy fries, unsalted. What
is
a catamount, anyway, and why does it have a lake?”

Lorelei stretched out on one of the sofas, her feet propped on a pillow. The little calico cat nested on the woman’s belly—a belly not yet showing the slightest indication of a baby bump.

“A catamount is a mountain lion, a cougar. Legend says that a couple of hundred years ago, there was a huge boulder on a tiny island in the middle of the lake that resembled a snarling cougar. I haven’t been here long enough to see it firsthand, but that’s the story.

“Kamaka, I feel like I’m putting the dog out before bedtime by sending you to rough it. We have plenty of room—you don’t need to bunk out in the cabin. Even the cat stays in at night. Since we seem to have somehow acquired a cat.”

Callie purred under Lorelei’s hand.

“Miss Lorelei, it’s not a hardship, believe me. Rough it? The cabin is twelve hundred square feet, kitchen, bathroom, gang shower, my choice of eight beds, satellite television. It even has heat. My previous apartment was six hundred square feet and there were always weird people hangin’ out. Present company excepted, of course. Not that I’m complaining, Miss Keko, boss lady.” He grinned. ”
Aloha po
. Good night. See you in the morning.”

Keko waggled her fingers. ”
Aloha po
to you, too. Sweet dreams.”

Lorelei’s eyes followed the big jovial man as he disappeared. “What’s his deal?”

“What do you mean, his deal?” The cat switched allegiances, hopped to Keko’s lap. “Hey, critter, how do you know I even like you?”

“Trust me, she doesn’t care, as long as you pet her. I mean, the dude is a screaming queen, yet well schooled and well spoken when he’s not spoofing people with his homeboy island dialect. An expert in explosives and demolition, hangin’ out with a single, presumably hetero, woman. Seems an odd combo, that’s all.”

Keko felt her hackles rise in defense of her best friend. “You have a problem with Kamaka?”

“Are you kidding? Hell no, he’s a hoot. I already love the guy to pieces. Lucian is all right with him, but I’m not sure about Adam. Our alpha lad may take some finessing.” Lorelei grinned. “Which could be fun.”

“I don’t know how you do it. I can’t manage to keep any one guy for more than thirty seconds, let alone two men forever. Plus a career? Plus a baby on the way?

Damn.” Keko frowned at the insistent cat, who cared not at all about Keko’s problems.

“Believe me, relationships and motherhood were not even penciled in on the short list imprinted on my government-issued brain. But Adam and Lucian? Kismet.

Destiny. It’s tough to explain. I guess the simple version is that each of us complements the others. I lived alone quite comfortably, worked my ass off at my job, gave my all to the FBI, the CIA, then to the NCS. Now, I can’t even contemplate being alone again. Not ever.”

Lorelei rubbed her still-flat belly. “Seeing the guys with a baby should be a laugh riot. After visiting North Carolina for a couple of weeks, surrounded by the insane antics of his lunatic family, I know Lucian will be a natural. His thundering herds of nieces and nephews adore their Uncle Lucian like nothing I’ve ever seen before. He even changes diapers like a pro, forms his own assembly line.”

She laughed. “Adam, not so much. He’ll need to work on his parenting skills. But he’s so happy … .” A liquid shine highlighted Lorelei’s soft brown eyes. “So happy.”

Keko felt a lump in her throat, found it difficult to respond to such honest emotion. She finally managed a weak smile. “I’m beat. Sorry to be the party pooper, but this tired camper is headed for bed. And thanks again for putting us up in your home.

This place is truly awesome.”

“Hell, I’m right behind you as far as bed goes. I’m glad you like the digs, but I can’t take any credit. The boys told me that they upgraded the outbuildings when they bought the place, but kept all the original architecture. They extended the scope of the outdoor facilities, had the firing range installed in the underground training room. One of Lucian’s sisters, Julia the designer, handled the entire interior. The guys even have a housekeeping service. I could get to be a seriously lazy bitch.”

Lorelei stood, brushed the last of the sugar cookie crumbs from her lap. The cat jumped ship once again, launched off Keko’s lap to search out the morsels.

“Besides, are you kidding? Having another woman in the house in the midst of this hotbed of male hormones—you’re doing me a favor. Plus, with Kamaka here for protection, the two Musketeers felt comfortable enough to leave for the evening. I actually get to stretch out in my own bed with no big hard bodies squishing me. For a few hours, at least. Not that I’m complaining, but after our trip to the Duquesne family’s madcap central, I’ve had my fill of people for a while. Forced togetherness can be a trifle wearing on the nerves for someone like me, happily raised an only child. Nighty-night.”

As exhausted as she was, try as she might to clear her mind, Keko couldn’t settle in.
I’m an only child, too
. Yet, she heard the happiness in Lorelei’s voice, felt the aura of contentment that surrounded the strikingly beautiful Special Agent. Lorelei’s men—her lovers—not only adored her, but it was obvious they truly cared for her. They didn’t spoil her, exactly, but they did cosset their mate, and mother-to-be. Lucian seemed the caregiver of the trio, and no doubt, Adam’s role was the protector. There would be no saving whoever tried to harm his woman.
Their
woman.

Damn, how does Lorelei balance the best of all worlds? I can’t even balance my freakin’

checkbook
.

Keko finally pounded her pile of pillows into a comfortable mound. She relaxed enough to slide into lullaby land, surrounded by the ambient glow of the starry starry night sky, shining through wide windows and well-placed skylights.

She had no idea how long she’d been asleep, when loud grunts and groans echoed through the lodge, followed by the pissed off yowl of a cat.

Now what?
Keko slid into her robe, grabbed the borrowed Smith & Wesson revolver from her panty drawer.

Lorelei beat Keko to the gallery railing, a Walther PPK hanging from her hand.

She hit a light switch, glanced over the railing—then pointed down to the illuminated great room. “Keek, I think you need to deal with this one.”

Keko pulled her robe tighter, leaned over the railing as far as she could without falling.

“Oh, for fuck sake. Kamaka,
please
put the nice Marine down. Don’t break him or they won’t let us stay.”

Kamaka had Lucian in a bear hug from behind. For all his considerable strength and skill, Lucian could not break free.

Like a big lazy lion, Adam leaned against the doorjamb between kitchen and great room with arms and legs crossed. “I came through first. He caught Lucian bringing up the rear.”

The Hawaiian didn’t even break a sweat while Lucian struggled. “I was scoping my last recon, y’know, Miss Keko. Heard someone sneaky-sneaky ‘round the back. Not sneaking so well—made enough noise to wake the ancestors. Normal people use the front door in their own house, right?”

Kamaka looked up. “Sorry, Miss Lorelei. I think I scared your cat, maybe a little bit.”

“Yeah, well, the cat’s on her own. You for sure scared the blue livin’ shit outa me!”

Keko felt the heat creep to her cheeks. “My fault, sorry. After my dad died, I persuaded Kamaka to move into the main house with me. He always does a last perimeter check before he feels comfortable enough to bed down for the night.”

She thought Lucian’s skin color didn’t look so good. “Kamaka, let Lucian go. He’s turning blue.”

When the big Hawaiian didn’t move, Keko gave him The Look. The
squinty-eyed,
cocked eyebrow, I’m going to beat you to a bloody pulp with a tire-iron or die in the attempt
look. Like the barely five-foot tall, hundred-five-pound Keko could force Kamaka-the-man-mountain to do anything. “Don’t fucking a-well make me march down the freakin’

steps, fella! Drop the Marine … right … this … minute!”

With a dramatic sigh, Kamaka unfolded his massive arms. Lucian sucked in a huge gulp of air as his feet hit the floor.

“Keerist on a fucking popsicle stick.
Damn
. He about broke my ribs.” Lucian moved his shoulders and arms experimentally, checked for damage.

“Shit, may have cracked something.” Lucian glanced over at Adam. “Ah’m here ta tell ya, hoss, that boy is some kinda wicked strong. Strong like a freakin’ tank. And by the way, bro, thanks for the assist.”