Midnight Fever (Men of Midnight #5)(39)

Nick had both hands on her shoulders now. It felt so good-the heat, the strong weight of his hands anchoring her. Metal in front of her on the screen; by his side, Felicity and the entire ASI crew. Nick behind her, touching her. She was surrounded by support.

She reached up and clasped Nick's hand. He tightened his grip then loosened it.

She looked at Nick, then at the screen. "I don't know how to thank you guys for all of this. If it weren't for you-"

"Whoa." Metal's eyes widened in alarm. She knew how tough guys thought. Was she getting sentimental on him? God forbid. He'd want to cut that off stat. "We don't need thanks. Of course we're on your side, of course we're going to help you. We won't stand by with a threat like this looming. And you're Felicity's friend and Al's granddaughter and Nick's-"

He stopped suddenly, bit his lips, looked frantically to the side to Felicity to rescue him. His hand reached out, switched the camera so his face disappeared and Felicity's face filled the screen. She rolled her eyes. "Don't mind Metal. He suffers from foot-in-mouth disease. I'll be in touch as soon as I can."

The monitor winked off.

Nick massaged her shoulders for a moment and her head hung forward, giving him access. His strong fingers dug into stiff muscles expertly.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Shower and food." She cracked her neck to the left then the right. "In that order."

"Coming right up. You shower and I'll prepare dinner, okay?"

Kay craned her neck to look up at him, so broad, so steady. He'd saved her life and he was still looking after her. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Don't thank me yet." He bent and brushed his mouth across hers, the contact soft but almost electric. "Not until after you've had dinner."

Kay smiled. "I'm told there are food stocks."

"Oh, the food is fabulous, but I've been known to ruin food in the microwave. Nuke it to death. Lucky there's plenty of it. Oh, wait."

He disappeared from the room and came back with folded fabric between his hands. "Women think of everything. There's a huge stockpile of clothes, including casual wear that can double as pajamas. You'll be comfortable in these." He held out soft yoga pants in a light lavender jersey and a matching long-sleeved tee shirt. All of the Grange seemed to be temperature-controlled. Goldilocks climate. Not too hot, not too cold.

The outfit was pretty, casual, and looked amazingly comfortable.

"Next question. So, shower. Or bath?"

Kay thought about it. A bath sounded wonderful. She was sore and tired and a hot bath would definitely relax her muscles. But there would be work tonight, hard work, and she'd have to be alert. 

"Shower," she said on a sigh.

"Shower it is. Follow me."

"Oh man." The bathroom was bigger than her first apartment. It was glorious. Tiny golden-bronze tiles created a mosaic effect that looked super modern and byzantine at the same time. One wall held a huge bathtub so deep you needed to climb up three steps to get in. It was ringed with waterjets.

"At some point, I'm going to want that bath."

"Anytime, honey." There was a slight dent in his cheek as he sketched a smile. Those dark eyes watching her carefully were full of heat. At one point, she was going to want that, too. "You can have whatever you want."

She met those dark eyes. "Careful what you say, Nick. What if I want something impossible?"

"Then I'll just have to work hard to give it to you. I know how to work hard." He did. And he knew how to say the exact perfect thing at the perfect time.

"Well lucky for you, right now all I want is a shower and some food."

He opened the etched opaque-glass shower door and she peeked inside. It was a huge space, marble-slabbed, with multiple showerheads and a seating bench.

"Hot or cold?" he asked.

"As hot as possible."

He reached inside the shower door and punched a few buttons. Hot water streamed from the huge rainfall showerhead. Steam rose, immediately filling the room.

Nick kissed her forehead. "Enjoy the shower. There's soap and shampoo inside. Towels are here." He indicated a white lacquered cabinet. The yoga outfit was on a bench near the cabinet. "Take your time."

She smiled at him, holding the smile until he closed the bathroom door behind him. She was on her last reserves, shaking with fatigue while still charged with adrenaline.

This morning's events popped up before her, as clear as if she were living them again. Her trek to meet up with Mike Hammer, fully expecting to disappear from her life for an unknown period of time. The drone, the spray, Mike's sudden collapse, him drumming his heels against the ground, turning red then blue. Watching him die a terrible death.