Roane

Chapter Ten

Caitlyn found flowers on the bed stand the day after she’d “bonded” with the squad.

The next day she found chocolates on the pillow Roane had used just the night before. A week of gifts and love notes followed. She wanted to hug him. She wanted to throttle him.

For with every caress and kiss came the same demand. Roane mandated that one Circ remain with her on guard duty at all times. He refused to allow her to leave the compound.

The jerk actually thought the incredible sex they had each night would soothe her savage beast. She snorted. Right. Granted, she’d be a fool to turn down his body, and Caitlyn was nobody’s fool. But if she didn’t get out of this place, nice as it was, she’d go stark raving mad.

The alarm went off, telling her to officially rise and shine. Yawning, she turned to find a red rose, a chocolate heart, and a note on Roane’s pillow. She smiled, unable to resist his exasperating charm. You’re sexy even when you sleep. And I’m still waiting, the note said.

He’d mentioned waiting in a few other notes as well. Waiting for what, exactly?

After Caitlyn showered and dressed, she found him in the kitchen with the others having breakfast.

Leaning down, she planted a solid kiss on his lips. “Thanks for the chocolate.”

Derrick rolled his eyes. “First flowers, then chocolates? Oh, yeah, he’s whipped.” The others laughed. Caitlyn chuckled at the dirty look Roane shot Derrick.

“I think it’s nice,” Kelly said, sipping coffee as she stood against the counter. “When a guy buys you flowers and candy, he’s showing he cares.” Everyone stared at the bouquet of carnations sitting next to her.

“Your guy is an idiot,” Ace muttered. “You’ve been going out for a month, and he doesn’t even know your favorite flower. Besides, carnations are cheap.”

“But pretty.” Caitlyn tried to ease the anger darkening Kelly’s face.

“And it’s the thought that counts,” Hale added, smirking when Zack flipped him off.

Kelly glared at Ace. “Oh? So what’s my favorite flower, genius?”

“Roses,” he and Zack answered. “Pink ones,” Ace added. “You like the sweet smell.

Carnations have no scent.”

He dumped what remained of his coffee in the sink, scowled at the flowers, and left.

Zack shook his head at Kelly and followed Ace.

“What’s the matter with them?”

Caitlyn wanted to tell her to give it up already. Everyone knew that Zack and Ace had feelings for her. Hell, Caitlyn had only joined the team a few weeks ago, and she’d clearly seen how much the men doted on the woman.

“Geez. It’s not like Stephen and I are serious.” Kelly glanced away from Caitlyn and the others. “I have things to do.”

After she left, Derrick sighed. “Like I said, women are trouble. Kelly’s being damned naive. You don’t have to be Circ to see how hungry the boy toys are whenever they’re around her.”

“The boy toys?” Caitlyn grinned.

Hale snickered. “You should see what happens when Derrick calls them that. Last time, they put him on his ass for days, even with the quick healing the change gives. Remember, D.?”

“Whatever.” Derrick pushed his plate away. “Time to see Doc. Got a mission to take care of, remember, Hale?” Derrick mimicked. “See ya, Caitlyn.” Hale sighed and stood. “Later, Caitlyn.”

Roane was the last to leave her. “I hate that we have to go, but we can’t ignore this one.”

Doc recently caught wind of an out of control Circ killing people in south Jersey. A job for Circe’s Recruits. Caitlyn wanted to go with the others but knew she was nowhere near ready for such a battle. She’d never killed anyone, never even been in a fistfight. At this stage in her new life, she had no way to successfully assist the men who’d spent years in military training.

“Good luck. I’ll be sitting here, keeping out of trouble. Time to join the working class again.” With Doc’s assistance, she’d hired a moving company to put most of her things into storage except what she needed to run her Internet business. She’d set up a small office in one of the guest rooms. All of her clothes were hanging in Roane’s closet or sitting in his drawers, much to the bossy man’s satisfaction. A temporary arrangement, she kept telling herself, wishing she believed it.

“I’ll miss you, hellcat.” Roane lifted her to her feet. He pulled her against him, his erection firm, despite the fact they’d made love early that morning. He gave her a swift kiss and a pat on the ass.

“You’ll only be gone a few days.”

“A week at the most,” he agreed. “But I’ll be checking on you daily. Don’t leave the compound.”

Oh, please. Not again. Not wanting to argue with him, she nodded. “And you stay safe.

If you get hurt, I’ll kick your ass.”

He grinned, his brown eyes dancing with laughter…and something more. “And?”

“And what?”

“What else am I still waiting to hear?”

Nonplussed, she stared at him, her attention gradually focusing on his talented mouth.

“That I’ll miss you? I will.”

“Nope.”

“That I’ll stay here? I said I would.” Even though I really won’t.

“No.”

“That I think you’re hot?” she tried.

He glared at her. “Are you really that dense?”

“Excuse me?” What the hell had crawled up his butt?

“Shit. Never mind. See you later.” He kissed her hard, then left.

I’ll never understand the male mind. She shook her head and finished her breakfast.

The men departed an hour later. She didn’t see them go, focused as she was on setting up her office with the intent to avoid watching Roane leave. Her distraction wasn’t working.

Damn it. She was going to miss him. A lot.

“So what is all this for? What do you do?” Kelly asked an hour later as she helped Caitlyn organize.

“I run a Web design company. Or I should say, I used to work for a Web design company. Now I’m going to open up my own business. Not like I can commute to Philly every day. Too much driving.”

“You’re really staying here?” Kelly asked.

“I am. Is that a problem?”

“Not at all.” Kelly grinned. “I’ve been around nothing but men for too long. For three long years, I’ve worked here. I love the guys, but it’s going to be so much better with another woman around to talk to.”

“I was hoping you’d feel that way. I’m like you. I didn’t have that many friends at home. Since my family passed, it’s pretty much just been me. I was a workaholic until I got sick.”

“But that’s gone now. It was just you turning beastly, right?”

“Beastly. Yeah.” Caitlyn chuckled. “Being a Circ is actually pretty cool, once you can control it.”

“Really?”

Sensing Kelly’s interest, Caitlyn decided to ask a few questions of her own. “Kelly, you’re Doc’s right hand. You should know a lot more about all this than I do. So why don’t you?”

Kelly shrugged. “I handle most of his personal stuff. Because of the nature of what he and the others -- you -- are, we can’t exactly have regular staff. Diego will be back soon, thank God, so I can stop cooking. But I like keeping the house, doing the bills, and even Doc’s clothes shopping. That man needs me, let me tell you. The guys do their own cleanup, though. As if I’d be caught dead washing Ace’s dirty socks.”

“Ew. Roane tried persuading me to wash his stuff a week ago. Needless to say, he’s now doing my laundry.”

“Nice one.” Kelly plugged in the power strip and stood, her gaze searching Caitlyn’s.

“Can I ask you something personal?”

“Sure.”

“You and Roane, you’re a couple now, right?”

“I guess.”

“So, um, is the attraction between you two super intense?”

“Yes.” Caitlyn had a feeling Kelly wanted to ask something else.

“But is it because he loves you, or because it’s a Circ thing?” Caitlyn started. “I know we’re affectionate with each other, but I don’t know I’d go so far as to say he loves me.”

“Please. Roane is giving you flowers and candy, and you’re already sleeping with him.

He’s always touching you, and he looks at you as if he could eat you alive at any moment. I swear, he’s growled more at the guys in the past few weeks than he ever has before. God forbid, one of them get too close to you. Face it. The guy is totally smitten.”

“You think?” God. Could Kelly be right?

“You love him, right?”

For days she’d been trying to convince herself her stay was temporary, that the feelings she had for Roane would fade. No one fell in love that quickly. Did they? The buildup of emotion she’d tried so hard to suppress spilled free. “Yes.” She sighed. “Even though it happened so fast, I love him so much. It’s like there’s no more me without him, and it’s scary.” Once the momentum started, she couldn’t stop.

“I’m an independent woman. I want to work and do my own thing. But without Roane in my life, there’s definitely something vital missing.” Much as she wanted to tell all this to Roane, she didn’t want to make things awkward between them if he didn’t feel the same way. “But to answer your earlier question, I’m not sure why the attraction -- the sex -- is so great. Being Circ is who we are. Maybe that helps the chemistry. I mean, I feel a connection to the others. But I don’t feel this intense love the way I do for Roane.”

“Hmm.” Kelly glanced away, her brow furrowed in thought.

“What about you and Stephen? How’s that going?”

“It’s not. He’s nice. He’s handsome. But he’s not…”

“Zack or Ace. Come on already, Kelly. Everyone in the house knows how you all feel about each other.”

Kelly blushed. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“They practically fall all over themselves when you’re around. They try not to curse in front of you, which for them is a stretch.” Caitlyn tugged at her shirt in frustration, annoyed at how Kelly denied her feelings for the pair, for Caitlyn’s men. “They hate carnations; they knew your favorite flower and how you take your coffee. Hell, everything they do is weighed by how it will affect you. I hear them talking. It’s ‘Kelly this, Kelly that.’”

“Then why don’t they ever make a move?” Kelly seethed with frustration, shocking Caitlyn with her sudden outburst. “Why don’t they ask me out? Why don’t they ever touch me? Kiss me? Buy me damned roses?” Her mouth opened and shut as she stared in horror at Caitlyn. “Oh, my God. Tell me I didn’t just say ‘they’ all over the place.”

“Oh, no. You yelled ‘they’ a lot.” Caitlyn grinned with smug satisfaction. Finally.

“I’m not some wild woman. I meant he, not they. It’s just hard to choose between them,” Kelly babbled, looking upset. “But Ace and Zack --”

“Are a set. Relax, Kelly. I’m not judging you.” Hell, no, I’m not. Not when I had sex with all five of them. A secret I’m taking to my grave. Talk about a wild woman. “Love --

affection,” she corrected before Kelly could interrupt, “is what it is. The guys have fallen hard. They’re probably just waiting for a signal from you. You barely look at them. When you do, you’re riding them for one infraction or another. Granted, they’re slobs, but you can’t be mad at them all the time. And Stephen’s existence in your life isn’t exactly welcoming them, you know?”

Kelly sagged into a chair. “Well, what should I do? I look at them, I want them. It’s that simple. Though I pretty much stay away from all the Circ stuff Doc’s involved in, I know there’s some kind of mating heat that takes the guys away for days.” She swallowed audibly.

“They’ve seriously trashed my house a time or two when the urge hits and they can’t come back here for whatever reason. I know that much. It makes me wish I could be the one to help them. I wonder who they’re with, and it kills me.” Kelly stared with misery at Caitlyn.

She has no idea the guys take care of each other. Oh, boy.

“All I can say is that if you have questions, ask them,” Caitlyn offered, hoping Kelly would take her up on the suggestion. “I know I’m new, but I have eyes. Those two are so into you, it’s not funny. If you gave them the slightest notion you wanted them, they’d be all over you. Seriously.”

Kelly bit her lip. “You think? But look at them. They could have anyone they wanted.

They’re so hot.” She groaned and rapped her head back against the wall. “Why would they want me?”

“Are you kidding?” Caitlyn stared in astonishment. “Kelly, everyone who looks at you takes a second and third glance. Dark red hair and blue eyes? Guys love red hair. And you have boobs!”

Kelly blushed. “Cut it out.”

“Well, they’re bigger than mine. I’ve seen both Zack and Ace staring at those buggers when you aren’t looking.”

“Shut up. Those buggers. Geez.” Kelly laughed for some time, relaxing into the chair.

“You’re good for my confidence. I knew I liked you.” She pursed her lips. “It’s been a while since you’ve been anywhere but the compound. Isn’t that bugging you?”

“You have no idea. But Roane told me not to leave. I think he’s worried the PPA might bother me again.”

“Really?” Kelly arched a delicate brow. “I may not be involved with Doc’s lab findings, but I do provide a measure of security when the guys aren’t here. I’m as aware of the threat as they are. You can’t stay locked up forever. Look, I’m an expert marksman with the tranq gun, as well as my own nine mil.” Kelly grinned. “Military family, what can I say? How about we do a little shopping today?” She dug into her pocket and held up one of Roane’s credit cards. “Roane’s treat.”

“Kelly! I can’t take Roane’s money.”

“Yes, you can. He told me to buy you whatever you needed. While he’s gone, I have orders to get you jewelry and flowers and whatever else I think you might like,” Kelly said with a sly grin.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“I just happen to know that Roane is desperate to hear three little words from you. He’s been poring through women’s magazines and hitting me up for help at every opportunity.” Kelly laughed again. “It does my heart good to see Mr. Hard-ass falling over himself to hear the words ‘I love you.’ And you had no clue?”

“Ah, no.” Dazed, Caitlyn wondered how she could have been so blind.

“So let’s celebrate with some shopping.”

“But…” Her independence reasserted itself. After all the lessons she’d gone through in changing , in how to control her beast, could she really still fear thugs like Simon and Vincent? She imagined taking them apart with her strength. Then there was the matter of Kelly’s gun… “Okay. Maybe you can show me where you got your hair done.” She looked at her nails. “A manicure wouldn’t be too out of the question, either.” Kelly hooted. “Now you’re talking my language. I’ll leave Doc a note.” Kelly stood and moved to the door. “Trust me, Caitlyn. You need this. I know the danger out there, but you can’t let them rule your life. Not if you want to be in control of it.”

“I agree. And with what Doc and the guys have taught me, if the PPA wants to screw with me, they’re in for a real treat.” She lifted a hand and changed it into a clawed weapon.

“Man. I’ll say.” Kelly stared, wide-eyed. “Here’s a thought. Maybe we shouldn’t go for a color on those nails. Pink claws just wouldn’t be as threatening, you know?”

“How about blue? Or steel gray?”

“Much better.”

They stared at each other and burst into laughter. The ache around Caitlyn’s heart eased. When Roane returned, she’d have a heart-to-heart with the big guy. It was time to stop straddling the fence. To love or not to love was no longer an option.

A week later…

“Seriously, Roane. Flowers?” Derrick complained as they readied to take out the subject they’d been watching. Confirming her location had taken a little time, especially since the PPA had been swarming all over the city. They even had a contingent of agents around the woman’s secluded house in the woods. “You’re pussing out, big time.”

“Shut up, D. I think it’s refreshing to see Roane courting,” Hale said with a shit-eating grin.

Ace snickered beside him, and Roane closed his eyes, praying for patience.

“Did she say it yet?” Zack asked from behind them.

As the group changed and dressed in their battle armor, made out of a light Kevlar blend courtesy of Doc, Roane clenched his jaw tight to keep from roaring his displeasure with the entire situation.

Away from Caitlyn for the first time since they’d mated, he felt out of sorts, lost, and on edge with everyone and everything. Like an idiot, he’d contemplated his relationship with Caitlyn to death. They hadn’t been together long enough. She was a new Circ, likely still in shock about how her world had changed. The threat of danger loomed over her with the PPA’s constant presence. They had fantastic sex. He courted her at every opportunity, and the woman still hadn’t told him what he wanted to hear. None of which accounted for how much he fucking loved the female. God. The way she organized everything of hers in his -- their -- room to the nth degree. Her penchant for chocolate and horror movies. The way she stroked him with her thumb when they held hands. She wasn’t moody at all. An adaptable woman with a temperament that totally complemented his own. Not to mention that just breathing in her scent gave him a hard-on from hell.

Was it any wonder he loved her?

He fumed as he checked the gun at his side, a specially constructed weapon that fit his overlarge grip.

He’d given her time, hadn’t he? How fucking hard was it to say “I love you, Roane. You are my everything?” Maybe that was pushing it, but couldn’t Caitlyn see how he felt? He’d given her damned flowers. He’d picked his shit up around her, tried to calm down the swearing, and even did her fucking laundry.

So desperate to find out what he’d done wrong, he’d done the unthinkable and asked the one guy on their team who had more experience with women than any of them. He glared at Hale. The playboy with the charming smile. The asshole with the biggest mouth.

Belatedly realizing the futility in getting an answer out of their resident Lothario, Roane had done the smart thing and turned to Kelly for answers. The flowers had worked, if that kiss Caitlyn gave him was anything to go by.

“She’ll say it when she’s ready,” he growled, caught up in woman problems.

Zack shook his head with amused sympathy. “Now you’re brooding. Damn, Roane.

You have her in bed. She’s in your life, you’ve mated with her. What’s the big deal about a few words?”

“So if and when you finally get the balls to approach Kelly, how will you feel if she doesn’t say them?”

Zack’s grin faded. “Point taken.”

“Right. Now let’s leave my love life alone and focus on the job. Hale, Derrick, and Zack, you three handle the PPA. Got your tranqs?”

They nodded.

“Ace, you’re with me. With some luck, maybe this chick isn’t too psycho. Maybe Doc can save her.”

Gunshots followed several deep, guttural shrieks coming from inside the house. A body flew through the glass window to lie on the back lawn. The blood over the man’s ravaged face looked ink black under the waning moonlight. His broken body didn’t twitch, and probably never would again.

“Then again, maybe Doc can’t save this one,” Ace muttered as the team tore through the woods.