Nick was dressing after their shower. He smiled at the memory, it had turned out to be more than just a shower. He heard a vehicle pull into the driveway. He left the bedroom in just his jeans, leaving his shirt and boots behind, to see who'd shown up without calling ahead. He stepped into the living room and looked out the large window looking out over the driveway and into the forest beyond. Bobby, one of his enforcers, was in the drive stepping out of his truck. Nick wondered what had brought him all the way out to the house. Unthinking of his lack of clothing he stepped out onto the porch.
"Bobby, is something wrong?"
"No, sir. Why would there be?"
"You're here and didn't call a head. We don't have a meeting scheduled, so I assumed something was wrong."
"No, sir. Steve called, he asked that I come over."
"Did he say why?"
"No, just said he needed to see me."
Something occurred to Nick. "Why don't you go around and tell him I'd like to see you both. I'll see you in the kitchen."
"Will do." The new man turned headed around the house, to Steve's place. Nick went back inside the house and into to the bedroom to finish dressing.
"We've got company, kitten," he said while he buttoned his shirt. "Take your time dressing and come out when you're ready. I'd like you to meet him."
"All right." She dug through the bags she'd retrieved from the other bedroom while he'd been on the porch. "Why is there so much of this stuff? I know I didn't get this much." She looked up at him, suspicion clear on her face.
"I did. You need more than the couple of outfits you were going to get. I had the clerk add some things. It's all things you liked."
"It is, huh?" She lifted out a pair of thong underwear and let them dangle from one finger. "Somehow, I don't recall even looking at these."
"Well, um, I thought you might be willing to model those. Just for me." He couldn't take his eyes off the small piece of cloth as it swung back and forth.
Rebecca laughed. "Maybe I will, but not now." She dropped them back into the bag and resumed searching. "Go, do the host thing. I'll be out shortly."
Nick turned and walked into the other room, unable to stop thinking about the underwear she'd been teasing him with.
* * *
Rebecca entered the kitchen to find all three men sitting around the table. Steve was holding the same coffee mug he seemed to always have, while Nick and the new man had large glasses of iced tea sitting on the table in front of them.
She fixed herself a glass of tea before joining them. She stepped up next to Nick and leaned one hip against his chair. She let one hand rest on the back of his chair while she stood listening.
"I beg to differ. I'm Shaku of this Chanat." Steve was passionate but respectful as he argued with Nick. "It's my responsibility to see that you and our Karhyn are protected. Whether she's officially our Karhyn yet or not, the potential is there. It's my decision that, for the time being, there needs to be someone on duty around here at all times. And when she leaves the house, whether with you or not, she'll have a security detail. I'm not willing to take any chances."
"I'm not either. You still should have consulted me before calling someone up here." Nick argued.
Rebecca shifted her hand from the back of the chair to rest on Nick's shoulder, calling his attention to her.
He stopped mid-argument and looked at her.
"Unless I'm mistaken, the two of you are having a disagreement about calling in extra security? Security for me?"
"Pretty much," Nick spoke while Steve gave her a sharp nod.
"Is your point to babysit me or protect me?" She didn't bother trying to put it nicely as she questioned Steve.
"Protect you, of course." Steve seemed insulted that she would think he was having her babysat. "You said they keep finding you and from what I've been able to find online they haven't given up. I want to make sure you're safe."
"Then I have no argument. I'll accept a guard assigned to keep me safe. But be warned, if I thought now, or I ever get the idea that you're putting someone with me to babysit me, then you, and they, will have a fight on your hands." She met Steve's eyes as she spoke to him, her voice steely. "Don't think that because I ran from my Chanat I'll back down from a fight. I only run from fights I know I can't win. I've been easy to get along with. I don't want to cause problems. But if you back me into a corner and piss me off I'll take a swipe at you, and trust me on this, you won't get away with all your skin intact."
"Yes, Ma'am." He never broke eye contact, letting her know he didn't doubt her.
"If Rebecca has no problem with it then I'll stop arguing, but you still should have at least warned us you were calling someone in." Nick pinned a stern look at Steve. He wrapped an arm around Rebecca's hips, pulling her closer to him. His voice softened as she spoke to her. "Kitten, this is Bobby, he's one of our enforcers. Steve called him to come help keep you safe."
Rebecca turned and looked at the new man, the one she'd ignored until now. He was seated, so she couldn't tell for sure how tall he was, but he was bulky, not fat, it was more that he was built like a linebacker. He was balding and the fact that he was blond only seemed to make him look balder. He had pale blue-gray eyes and appeared to be in his mid-thirties.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Rebecca." She sat down her glass of tea and offered him her hand.
"Bobby Carson. Nice to meet you." He took her hand and shook it firmly before releasing it.
She smiled, turned and addressed the whole table. "I'm hungry. Anyone else?"
"You don't have to cook for us, kitten."
"I know," she replied happily. "But what if I want to?"
He smiled, resigned. "If you want to, then I won't stop you."
"Good." She smiled at him. "Now, who's hungry?" she asked again.
After all three men admitted to being hungry, Rebecca started gathering things from around the kitchen and cooking dinner while she listened to the men plan for her safety.
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