Maya Banks - Sweet Surrender

A tiny spark of irritation ricocheted up her spine. It wasn’t the first time Connor had ever called her kiddo, but now, in front of Gray, she didn’t want to draw attention to the disparity in their ages. Not that it was huge or anything, but the last thing she wanted him to see her as was a kid. Or even worse, a kid sister.

She glared her annoyance at Connor.

A shuffle at the door directed their attention in that direction, and Faith’s eyebrows lifted as she watched Nathan walk in wearing an Astros baseball cap. Not that the cap was an oddity, he was a big fan after all, but there was no hair sticking out from under it. None!

She let out a gasp at the same time Micah snickered and Connor muttered, “What the hell?” She stood and hurried around her desk, not stopping until she stood directly in front of Nathan. She reached up on tiptoe and yanked the cap off.

She stood there stunned and let the hat fall from her fingertips. It landed with a soft thunk on the floor about the time her mouth did the same.

“What the hell have you done?” she demanded.

Nathan sighed then ran his hand over his head, his very bald head. Micah escalated from snickering to outright howls of laughter. He was soon joined by Connor and finally Gray.

Nathan bent down to retrieve his hat and slapped it back on his head. “Well, hell, Faith, you said I needed a haircut.”

Micah started howling all over again.

“I didn’t mean for you to shave it all off,” she squeaked.

Connor walked up behind Faith and slid a hand over her shoulder. “He’s dicking with you, Faith.”

“Yeah, tell her why you really shaved your head,” Micah said gleefully.

Faith yanked Nathan’s cap off again and took a step back to study him. Now that the initial shock had worn off, she had to admit he didn’t look bad at all. His goatee was freshly trimmed and neatly groomed. Without all the shaggy hair flopping over his ears, he looked damned sexy.

“Shut the hell up, Micah,” Nathan muttered.

Faith whirled around and eyed Micah. “If you know so much, then spill it.”

Micah grinned like a loon. “Oh no. I wouldn’t miss hearing this from Nathan himself for anything.”

She turned back to Nathan, who wore a resigned expression. Gray still sat slouched in his chair, an amused grin on his face.

“Yes, do tell,” Connor said.

“I lost a bet,” Nathan said tightly.

Faith’s mouth sagged opened. “A bet?” Then she rounded on Micah, her finger up and wagging. “Why on earth would you make him shave his head because of a lost bet?”

Micah’s eyes widened innocently. “What makes you think I had anything to do with it?”

She put her hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes. “Oh please. You can’t tell me this isn’t payback for the time he made you go out with the governor’s daughter.”

Connor and Nathan both dissolved into laughter. Connor had to put his cup down on Faith’s desk as he wheezed and his eyes watered. Micah scowled, and Gray’s eyebrows went up in question.

“Governor’s daughter?” Gray asked. “I didn’t know she could get a date. Last I heard, her daddy was pulling some serious strings to get her an escort.”

Nathan laughed harder. “She can’t. Well, except Micah there. He tripped all over himself to go out with her.”

Micah glowered at Nathan. “Shut the fuck up, bald boy.”

“Now this I gotta hear,” Gray said.

Faith cleared her throat. “Not that I don’t enjoy seeing Micah squirm, but we already know about the governor’s daughter.” She looked apologetically at Gray as she spoke. “I’m sure Nathan will be more than happy to fill you in later. What I want to know is why Nathan had to shave off all his hair.”

“Because he bet me the Astros wouldn’t lose yesterday afternoon,” Micah said smugly.

Connor regarded Nathan with an incredulous expression. “Dude, you bet they’d win with their best batter out with a torn rotator cuff?”

“I didn’t know that when we placed the bet,” Nathan said tightly.

“Oh, but I bet Micah did,” Faith said.

“How would he know?” Nathan asked.

Micah slid an arm around Faith and squeezed her shoulders. “How indeed. Just a lucky thing, I guess.”

“You know something we don’t, Sis?” Connor asked.

“Just that Micah happens to be very good friends with the team doctor. Micah was the one who replaced his security system last year.”

“You son of a bitch!” Nathan exclaimed. He launched himself at Micah, who ducked and backed away just as Nathan flew past Faith to grab Micah’s head in a lock. “You knew. You knew the whole time. That’s why you made the bet with me.”

Micah laughed even as Nathan flipped him to the floor. “The stunt you pulled with the governor’s daughter was far worse, so don’t give me that shit.”

“He’s got you there,” Connor said with a laugh. “I’d rather shave myself bald than have to endure what Micah did.”

“You guys really have me curious,” Gray grumbled.

Micah picked himself up off the floor, and Nathan clapped Gray on the back. “I’ll tell you all about it over lunch today.”

“Asshole,” Micah muttered.

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I think you look hot,” Faith spoke up.

Nathan looked at her in surprise. “Really?”

She laughed. “Yeah, I like it. I’d definitely do you.”

“Well, hot damn, let’s blow this joint and go back to my place.”

Connor scowled at Nathan. “Not funny, man. Not funny at all.”

“All you need is an earring,” Faith said.

He gave her a horrified look. “An earring? Are you serious? So I can look like sissy boy over there?” he said with a flip of his head in Micah’s direction.

Faith shrugged. “I think his earring is hot. You’d look great with one. Shaved head, goatee, a diamond stud or even a gold hoop, a small one. Mmm, I get all quivery just thinking about it.”

Nathan massaged his earlobe between his fingers. “Are you shitting me? You really think I’d look good with an earring?”

Faith nodded. “Yeah, and all you’d need is a little sun on that lily-white skin of your scalp, and you’ll be a regular lady killer.”

“Give it to me straight, Faith. Speaking as a woman. Quit trying to make me feel better. You honestly think the bald look is hot?” Nathan asked doubtfully.

“Vain bastard,” Connor teased.

“Well shit, if Faith’ll do Nathan because he’s bald, I think I’m gonna go make an appointment with the barber,” Gray said with a sly grin.

Connor and Micah both turned around, frowns on their faces. Even Nathan eyed Gray through narrowed lids.

Faith cleared her throat again. “Yes, Nathan,” she began, pretending she hadn’t heard Gray’s provocative statement. “Bald looks very good on you. I never did like the shaggy look. I wouldn’t have thought I’d like a bald guy, but you look seriously hot.”

Nathan grinned and gripped her by the shoulders before planting a sloppy kiss on her face. “You’re a sweetheart.”

“Get your damn hands off my daughter,” Pop grumbled as he walked through the door.

“Mornin’, Pop,” Faith said as Nathan dropped his hands off her shoulders.

Pop laid a hand on her shoulder as he walked by her en route to the coffeepot.

The others voiced their greetings, and Pop nodded his acknowledgment as he poured his coffee. Cupping the mug in his hands, he looked over at Faith. “You got that schedule printed out for me?”

She walked around the back of her desk and reached inside her drawer to pull out the pages she’d printed off earlier. She handed them over to Pop.

“We have a couple new jobs,” Pop said. “Nothing that should be too much trouble. But we have a couple queries that could be a bigger deal. Nathan, I want you and Connor to take the first. It’s an entertainment gig. Some bigwig performer is coming to town in a couple of months. They want to line out security well beforehand so that everything goes off without a hitch. I want you to listen to what they want then come up with a proposal to throw at them.”

Connor nodded. “No problem, Pop.”

Pop eyed Micah and Gray. “I want you two to take the other two queries, meet up with the prospective clients and do what it takes to land the deal. Then I want you to tackle jobs A and B on the list. I’ll take C and D and Nathan and Connor can take the remaining one. That should keep us all busy for the next week or so.”

He paused and looked over at Faith with a soft smile. “And you’ll keep us in line as always.” He glanced around at everyone else. “Be sure and keep in contact with Faith. Update her regularly so she can stay apprised of our progress. If there are any problems, let her know immediately so she can relay them to me.”

Then as if just noticing, he stared at Nathan and shook his head. “What the hell happened to you, son? Get into a fight with a lawnmower?”

Faith drove by Cattleman’s after work, looking to see if Micah and Gray were there. She knew Nathan and Connor were still out on jobs, so they wouldn’t be around. She’d talked to Micah earlier, and he made it sound like he had a date after work. Which meant that Gray might be here alone. Or he could have just gone home to his apartment.

Still, she pulled into the parking lot and scanned the area for Gray’s silver Chevrolet pickup. When she spotted it, her stomach lurched, and she whipped into an empty parking space.

She got out, ran a hand through her long hair, tucking the strands behind her ears as she headed for the entrance. A nervous thrill tickled down her neck when she saw Gray sitting at the bar, his back to her. For a moment, she simply stared, trying to work up the courage to walk over and pretend this was yet another chance meeting.

But then why should she pretend? Direct. She was supposed to have a pact with herself to be more direct. That didn’t mean playing stupid games reminiscent of high school girly ploys.

Finally she started forward, and when she got to the bar, she slid onto the stool next to Gray and smiled when he looked up at her.

“Hey,” he said, a genuine-looking smile lighting his face. “Fancy seeing you here again.”

She’d had more practice trying to control her mad blushing since meeting him than she ever had before.

“I wanted to see you,” she said simply, mentally applauding how cool and casual she sounded. And direct. No pussyfooting around for her.

One of his eyebrows lifted, and he cocked his head to the side. “Is that so?” he said softly.

She hid her hands in her lap to control the trembling of her fingers. When the bartender stopped in front of her, she ordered a Coke.

“So how was your day?” she asked as she turned once more to face him.

“It just got a lot better.”

This time she did blush, and he grinned. His fingers reached out and touched her cheek. “I love that you blush so easily. It’s very feminine.”

His finger trailed to the corner of her mouth, and her lips parted the barest of centimeters in response. He rubbed his index finger over her bottom lip before slowly pulling it away.

“I’ve been wondering all day what you taste like,” he murmured.

She swallowed then licked her lips. What to say to that? Invite him to see? Damn, but why did they have to be in a public place and double damn, why did she have to be at a hair appointment in an hour?

“Maybe I could arrange a sample sometime,” she said lightly.

“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”

The bartender shoved her Coke across the bar at her, and she took it, grateful to have something to cool her rising temperature.

“So what’s the deal with Micah and the governor’s daughter?” Gray asked in a swift change of subject.

Faith grinned and chuckled lightly. “Nathan didn’t get around to telling you?”

“Nah, not yet.”

She shook her head. “Those two, I swear. Ever since Micah came to work with us, he and Nathan have been pulling prank after prank on one another. Micah moved here from out of state, so he had no idea who the governor’s daughter was. Pop had the job of providing security for the governor’s ball he held here in Houston. Only his daughter needed a date after hers stood her up. It came down to Connor, Micah or Nathan. Connor, of course, was over the entire security so he couldn’t, not that he would have anyway. Nathan immediately started in on how gorgeous the governor’s daughter was and how the only fair thing was for them to flip a coin, but he sure hoped he’d win because he’d heard that in addition to being drop-dead gorgeous, she was also a complete nymphomaniac. Now knowing what you know about Micah, you can imagine he was chomping at the bit. He wheedled and cajoled until finally Nathan gave in graciously and allowed Micah the honor of escorting the daughter for the evening.”