Page 32 of More Bite than Bark

“Want anything to drink, sugar?”Kevin asked from beside her.

Elizabeth wasn’t sure she could get words past the lump in her throat.She shook her head and turned her attention to him.If she looked at Kevin, then she didn’t have to look at the nearly naked women parading around like they owned the place.

“Come on, I’ll show you where things are.”Kevin led her into the room.He showed her the kitchen, restroom, common rooms and then something he called church, though it looked more like a big conference room with a big table and chairs all around it, but she didn’t say anything.Finally, he led her into a room that looked like an office.From some of the small touches, the books on the shelf behind the desk, the photos on the walls, Elizabeth suspected it was his.

“Here we are, sugar.”He glanced around, as if seeing it for the first time.“If you’re going to spend much time here I’ll have to find a couch or somewhere comfortable for you to sit.”He turned away and shouted down the hall they’d just come from.“Take my chair for now.”He motioned to the rolling chair behind the desk.It was big, padded leather and looked comfortable.

Elizabeth had just sat in the large desk chair when a huge man filled the door.

“You bellowed?”the huge man spoke in a voice so deep it sounded like it had been vibrating around in his chest for a long time.

“I did.”Kevin didn’t even look phased.“Elle, this is Bear.Bear, this is Elizabeth.She’s my new old lady.”

Bear didn’t say anything but looked at her with dark eyes that made her think that whatever he was thinking wasn’t pleasant, he nodded, then turned his attention back to Kevin.

“I need one of the recliners from the common room brought in here.Grab one of the others if you need help.”

Bear glared at Kevin for a moment with a look so dark, Elizabeth was glad he couldn’t set things on fire with his gaze, then he turned and left without another word.

“Where do you think we should put it?Where do you want to sit?”

Elizabeth looked around.She didn’t want to be in the way, but at the same time she didn’t want people, especially strangers, wandering between them.

“Can we put it in that corner?”she asked pointing to one corner behind the desk where there were windows high on the wall.

“Sure.”

She stood for a moment, not wanting to be in the way when the guys brought in the chair, that’s when she realized that while there were windows in the clubhouse, they were all up high.

“What’s with the windows?”she asked, turning to look at Kevin.

“What do you mean?”

“All the windows are up high, there’s nothing you could see out of without a stool, not even you.”He was several inches taller than she was, and they were all even over his head.

“Oh.That.Several reasons.The main one is that no one can look in and see who is here or where we are.It also means no one can spot us or shoot through them at us.”

She frowned and looked back to the glass.All she could see through the glass was sky, there were a few high clouds, and at the very bottom the tops of a few trees.

“You get people shooting at you often?”

“No, but since most of us were in the military at one time or another, we like to be prepared, even for things that probably won’t happen, but could.”

He moved closer, hooked an arm around her waist, and pulled her several steps to one side.She looked around to see what was going on and found Bear coming through the door, a large recliner clutched in both hands as if it was a dining room chair.Elizabeth blinked, not sure she wanted to know how much weight might make the big man strain.

“Where do you want it?”Bear asked.

“That corner,” Kevin said, pointing to where she had earlier.

“Anything else?”Bear asked once he’d set the chair down.

“That’s all.Thanks,” Kevin said.

As the giant of a man headed for the door, Elizabeth spoke up.“Thank you, Bear.”

He stopped and stared at her for a moment before he shook his head and left without another word.

“Anything else you need to be comfortable, sugar?”Kevin got her settled into the chair.It was large and overstuffed, and she thought it looked too worn out, but as she sank into it, she knew why they kept it around.She didn’t think she’d been in anything so comfortable, aside from Kevin’s bed, in a long, long time.