Marie Harte - Roane

“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?”