What? This was all moving fast. “How did you do that? I didn’t even know there was an archive.”
MaeBe gave her a grin and brushed her electric pink nails over her shirt. “I’m just that good.”
Hutch moved to his desk. “MaeBe is taking over some of our deep-cover logistics. She’s good at making sure anyone who tries to do a trace on one of us sees what we want them to see. She’s got a creative mind.”
“She’s thorough is what she is,” Kyle corrected.
“And creative.” MaeBe smiled and walked toward the door. “I take all compliments, thank you. I left packets on your desks. Let me know if you need anything else. I live two blocks from Noelle’s building. Noelle, if they cuddle together on the couch, get me pics. Hey, boss? Where’s my treat?”
Hutch chuckled and his hand disappeared inside a…was that a Star Wars cookie jar on his desk? It didn’t contain cookies. He pulled out a small packet. “Mixed berry Skittles.”
He tossed it and MaeBe reached up to catch the candy. “Thanks, boss. I love these. Y’all be good.”
She practically bounced out of the room.
Were they really staying at her place? She hadn’t woken up this morning thinking she would have two houseguests, much less two men she didn’t know. Surely this wasn’t what her dad had planned. “MaeBe seems competent. Are you sure…”
“She’s not a field agent.” Hutch sank down behind his desk. “She’s only been with the company for the last year, and she’s strictly behind a desk for now. She doesn’t have the right training.”
“And you do?” Kyle’s brows had risen.
Hutch stared back at him. “I did a year in the Army.”
Kyle snorted at that thought. “You did the bare minimum.”
“And then I did time with a CIA team,” Hutch said evenly.
“You sat behind a computer,” Kyle challenged.
Hutch was quiet for a moment, and then the room felt charged with his words. “Do you honestly believe I can’t do undercover? Because I promise you, I’ve done some of the toughest undercover work anyone has ever been through, and I knew how bad it would be when I went in. I did it for your family.”
There was a subtext between the two men that she didn’t understand. Oh, but she was curious. It was very much like what had gone on between Hutch and Taggart in the conference room.
Kyle sobered. “I know, man. I’m sorry. I’m giving you shit when I shouldn’t. I’m not used to seeing you off balance, and I’m being an asshole.” Kyle turned Noelle’s way. “I have no problem with this man watching my back. He’ll take care of you.”
“I don’t need taking care of.” She hated those words. It was silly because she took care of the people around her, but it always made her think of that time after the accident when she couldn’t walk, couldn’t make herself try. When she’d been nothing more than some wounded thing to take care of.
“I’ll watch your back, Noelle,” Hutch said, his voice soothing. “You might not need taking care of, but we can all use a team around us. I’ve learned that over the years. You don’t have to do this alone. You pick experts and you listen to them. I’m your tech guy. Kyle’s the one who throws his ass in front of you when the bullets fly. It’s okay. I’ll be behind you, so Kyle will die first no matter what.”
Kyle finally smiled. “Yeah, I get that a lot. You ready? We can get her to work and then we can pick up our stuff. Did you drive?”
Hutch sighed. “I forgot to charge my car. My battery’s probably toast. I took the train.”
“I did, too. The train runs right by my building. I don’t drive much.” She didn’t have to because DART took her most of the places she needed to go. She could drive. She just wasn’t comfortable doing it. “I don’t need an escort. Surely I’ll be fine on public transportation.”
Both men stared at her. She knew that stare. She’d been around overly protective males many times before.
“You know I only have one guest room, and it’s got a daybed in it.” She wasn’t giving up her perfectly comfy bed. She leaned on her cane because her right leg was starting to ache a bit. “And I’ve got a class I’m attending on Thursday, and I’m not canceling it. If you insist on staying close to me, you should understand that I’m not going to change my whole life because the two of you take your jobs too seriously.”
“Hopefully by Thursday we’ll know more.” Hutch closed up his laptop. “We should get going. Kyle, looks like you’re driving.”
“Uh, I don’t actually own a car right now,” Kyle explained. “I gave mine up because I didn’t want to have to store it. I haven’t replaced it since I came home. I got a ride in with Jamal.”
“So we’re three Gen Zs with a single car between us at the moment and only two beds.” Hutch sighed. “Yeah, we’re not telling Tag that.”
“Agreed.” Kyle shook his head. “I have no idea how my stepdad survived growing up with him. You want to rock-paper-scissors for the bed?”
“Is the bed in front of the door? Where the bodyguard should be?” Hutch was a wily one.
Kyle growled a little. “Fine. I need a sleeping bag.” He brightened slightly. “Hey, MaeBe’s got a car. She can drive us. I’ll go ask her.”
“He definitely has a thing for her.” She was aware she was now alone with Hutch. In his office that she’d been exploring before he’d walked back in. At that time it had seemed pretty big. Now it was way too intimate.
“Really?” Hutch stared at the door like he’d never thought about it. “He’s definitely not her usual. Her usual is all piercings and tats and shouldn’t we look up his arrest record. Kyle’s a little all-American for her. Your muffins are fantastic.”
It took a moment for her to realize he was talking about baked goods and not some body part. What would her muffins be? Boobs? She probably had a muffin top, but she wasn’t wearing jeans, so he shouldn’t be able to see that. It was the way he said it. Low and sexy, like he was thinking of something that brought him great pleasure. Yep. He was talking about the muffins she’d brought. “Thanks. I’ve been perfecting the recipe. I like to bake. But I don’t cook a lot. I usually pick up a sandwich on my way home. I’ve got some frozen dinners.”
“Aren’t you in luck then because I’m a halfway decent cook. I learned young.”
“Did your mom teach you?”
“No, my mom died, and my dad wasn’t big on doing things he considered feminine tasks. I learned to cook, or I didn’t eat.” He sat back, his chair moving with him. “I’m not a brilliant chef, but I have some skills. I’ll stop by the grocery store before Kyle and I head to your place. Anything you don’t eat?”
He slipped that tragedy in like it didn’t matter, like it was nothing more than a factoid on a report. She wasn’t sure what to say so she simply answered his question. “I eat pretty much anything.” She felt horrifically awkward. Moments before she’d been angry with him, and now she wanted to ask about his childhood. It was better to focus on the job. “Do you really think this is necessary?”