Page 31 of The Reluctant Siren
“Hey, we need to talk,” Phil said, a frown on his face.
Well, there was no time like the present.
* * * *
“You did not have to come with me,” Harlow said forthe three hundredth time.
Niall let his hands tighten around the steering wheel. “Yourguy didn’t show.”
“He got caught up at the club,” she replied. She hadexplained she had briefly talked to the Dom in Residence, who was an old friendof hers. They knew each other from the lifestyle, and he was worried about whatwas happening at Decadence. “We’re going to talk more tomorrow. I’ve alreadygot Ruby working on a thorough report on him. It’s been a while. I want to knowwhere he’s been and what he’s been doing.”
“But you trust him?” He wished he’d met the guy, but he’dgotten distracted once Harlow went off with Miranda. Phil had talked to himabout his time in the lifestyle and what he did for a living. He’d stuck to thestory Harlow gave him, but something about the man made him uneasy. And thenthere was the bartender, who had all kinds of questions. The man named Jack hadbeen intensely interested in Niall’s sub and how they met, how long they’d beentogether.
Then the fucker completely disappeared again when he wasgoing to introduce them so Harlow could get a read on him.
The night had been weird, and now there was a vibe comingfrom Harlow that made him antsy.
She told him he could go home when they left the club. Oh,she gave him the rundown of what happened with Miranda and what they would donext. She hadn’t tried to hide her emotional phone call to Miranda’s mom or thesarcastic banter with her contact at the big security firm that was going tohelp out. But he got the feeling she was hiding something.
Niall carefully turned his Jeep down the road that wouldlead to Miranda’s apartment. They had already delivered Miranda’s mother to theMcKay-Taggart building, and she was meeting with the bodyguard and going overthe details of where they would stay.
Now all they had to do was pick up Miranda and get her backto base. Which was a big building in the middle of downtown with a sarcasticasshole who served as the overlord. Harlow seemed to like the big bastard,though, so Niall wasn’t complaining.
He had so many other things to worry about, including thefact that the only reason he thought she hadn’t fought him too hard was shedidn’t have her car. It was back at her place. He picked her up. He got thefeeling if Ruby hadn’t been lost in her computer, he would have been leftbehind at The Hideout.
“I’m not letting you…” he began and then stopped, realizinghow the rest of his statement was going to be taken.
“You want to finish that sentence?” Harlow had been on edgesince she walked out of that man’s office.
He was on edge, too, since Jensen had been texting him andhe hadn’t had a minute without Harlow to call the fucker back. Now he wanted totalk? Jensen ignored him all evening and now he was blowing up his phone. Itwas annoying.
“I don’t want you out here alone, princess,” he repliedquietly as he stopped at a red light. “I don’t know why, but I have a badfeeling. I didn’t like Phil, and that bartender was way too interested in you.He didn’t even meet you. He didn’t even show up until you were with Miranda, soI don’t know when he saw you. But he obviously did, and I think that one couldget aggressive.”
For all his twangy cowboy charm, there had been aruthlessness to the man he hadn’t liked. And they’d only talked for tenminutes.
“The hair does it for some guys. I wouldn’t worry about him.He was probably told by the manager to get info on the new couple.” She reachedover and put a hand on his. “Niall, what you’re feeling is nerves, and it’snormal. You were in a dangerous place tonight. This is not the kind oflifestyle you’re used to. You like some peace, and I don’t give a lot of peace.It’s something to think about.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “I don’t need to thinkabout it. I need to get back into practice. I wasn’t always a mild-mannered gymowner.”
“I know.” Her voice had taken on a soothing tone. “You’vebeen stuck in potential violence all of your life. First with your dad andlater in the Army, and you found some peace and then I come in.”
He turned to look at her. “Where is this coming from?”
She shifted in her seat. “I kind of got a visit from an oldghost tonight. The guy at the club. I told you we’ve worked together before. Iguess that’s part of it, but I was thinking about why this isn’t working beforeI saw him again.”
“What’s not working?” She’d been perfectly happy all day.They worked out together, had lunch, prepped for the club, and she’d seemedcontent. Even excited. Then she’d walked off with Miranda and come back atotally different person.
“You and me.” She sighed. “Niall, you don’t want mephysically, and that’s okay. We can be friends. We can have a greatrelationship, and you don’t have to pretend. I’m not sure why you focused onme, but I’m glad you did because I like you. It can be scary to be who we arein public, but The Hideout is a safe place. You can be exactly who you arethere.”
He was confused. “I know it is. It’s why I feel comfortablethere. I found myself at that club. Harlow, why would you think I don’t wantyou physically? I assure you I want you. I’ve slept with you every night thisweek.”
“You’ve slept beside me,” she corrected. “You haven’t sleptwith me.”
He should have known this was coming. He’d felt herdissatisfaction. Even when he gave her an orgasm, she wasn’t completely happybecause she wanted more. “I’ve touched you every single night. As often as Ican. You have to be able to feel how much I want you.”
“I know that is a biological reaction that a lot of mencan’t help when they’re in a sexual situation.” She turned back to thewindshield. “The apartment building is right up ahead. It’s the two story. Weshould talk about this tomorrow. We’ll pick up Miranda and you can take us backto the MT office and we can meet up for breakfast in the morning. I promisethis is the last time I ask you to be involved in my business. It was toomuch.”
He pulled the car over. “What is going on? Did I dosomething wrong tonight? I know I came looking for you, but you had been gonefor a long time. I was worried. I can’t not be worried about you. I knew thebathroom was back there. If anyone asked, I was going to the bathroom. Ithought it through.”
