Geek Chic (13 page)

Then she let out an aggravated-sounding grumble before heading to the bus she was taking over from the driver.

She’s not just beautiful, she’s adorable, too.
He imagined with her strong-willed nature that they’d have a lot of fun once they were mated.

Yes, at some point, he’d allowed himself to slip into full on denial of any possibility of her saying no. He knew if he waited her out, slowly broke down her walls, she’d say yes to him.

And no matter how long that took, he’d take it, until he won her over.

* * * *

“How damn long is this going to take, Beck?” Dewi demanded when he returned to her place that night. She and Martin had been in the office discussing Enforcer business.

Beck leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. “As long as it takes.”

“Well, speed it up, buddy. We need to make a run up to Valdosta in the next week, and it’s going to be an overnighter. I need you there with me, or I need you here holding down the fort with Badger, but I cannot have you riding around on a HART bus all damn day long, making moony eyes at some poor woman and freaking her the hell out. So, pick an option.”

“It’ll take as long as it takes.”

She leaned back in her chair. “Wrong answer. Try again.”

“Dewi, I told you I’m not going to rush claiming her—”

“I get that. And it’s admirable. But you need to speed this process up, because I need paws on the ground I can count on.” She jabbed a finger at him. “You don’t think I’d rather be off on a six-month vacay to the Bahamas or something with Ken? Wrong, buddy. We have a job to do. Dammit, suck it up and do it.”

Beck locked eyes with her, eventually turning away first. He knew she was right, but his heart didn’t want to let go of this.

Dewi’s tone gentled. “Tomorrow morning, I’m going with you. I’ll take the hit and break the ice for you. But this dicking around shit has got to stop. Please, don’t make me go Prime on you.”

“I’m not going to just claim her and—”

“Beck,” she snapped. “I didn’t say claim her. I’m not asking you to force her. I’m saying we need to jump-start the romantic part of this relationship. If she says no to dinner, then you will have to let it go until after the Valdosta stuff is handled.” Now her tone dropped into growly, warning territory. “I don’t want to Prime you, but I will. We have work to do.”

He noticed Martin was uncharacteristically quiet on the matter. “You don’t want to add your two cents to things?”

Martin held his hands up, placating. “Dude, I get it, but Dewi’s right. The Valdosta stuff is serious.”

“What’s going on there, anyway?” Beck asked. “I thought we had that group settled down.”

“We did,” Dewi said. “Until one of the guy’s jackass teenage daughters got caught up with a damn meth dealer. She’s a non-shifter and hasn’t been told. Her parents are both quarter shifters. They’ve tried to resolve this already, and we’re their last hope.”

“Oh, man. Not one of Jackson Coltrane’s kids?”

“Yes.”

“Shit.” Beck stepped all the way into the office and took the chair next to Martin, in front of the desk. Dewi occupied the seat behind it. “Jackson’s such a nice guy.”

“Exactly. Apologized all over himself for having to call us in the first place. But he’s not exactly bloodthirsty.”

“No, he’s not.” Beck scrubbed at his face with his hands. “Okay. You come with me tomorrow morning and we’ll invite her over here for dinner tomorrow night. But no Prime. Either she says yes or no on her own. Okay?”

Dewi sat back in her chair. “Deal,” she said, sounding relieved. “
Thank
you. Look, if it’s meant to be, maybe her getting to meet all of us at once, it might help her realize you’re not a crazy stalker guy.”

Martin snorted. “Dude, you have to admit, you’re not exactly putting your best foot forward, here.”

“Fine. Point taken.”

Dewi nodded. “Glad we’re finally on the same page.” She stood. “And that having been settled, what time are we leaving in the morning?”

Beck had discovered through some gentle conversational prodding late that afternoon that Nami’s route was usually the same every day. What changed was where she picked up her bus and started her driving day, and the length of her shift. Some days, it started at the Walmart, and some days, it started at the central bus depot.

Tomorrow was a depot day, meaning she’d reach the Walmart for the first time around seven thirty.

“I want to be there by seven,” he said. “Otherwise, if we miss her, we’ll have to sit there and wait for her to do a complete circuit again.”

“I’ll drive myself,” Dewi said. “Because I suspect you’re going to waste another whole day riding her bus.”

He didn’t respond.

Mainly, because he knew Dewi was right.

“I’ll be ready to leave by six,” Dewi said, stretching. “So I bid you all a good night.” She walked out and headed upstairs.

Martin also stood. “I feel like I’ve run you out of your own house, man. I could stay here, if you want to go home.”

“No, it’s all right. I’m used to it.”

“Yeah, but things have changed. It’ll probably be a couple of weeks before I close on the house and get moved in. I don’t mind staying here.”

“I haven’t claimed her yet,” Beck said. “One step at a time. I don’t want to jinx myself.”

“Okay. Your call. See you all tomorrow.” He headed out, leaving Beck alone in the office.

Beck pulled out his phone and swiped through to the pictures, going through the ones he’d taken of Nami today.

His heart ached. The more time he spent around her—jasmine was now his favorite scent—the more he fell snout-over-tail for her.

And they’d barely had anything resembling a conversation.

Hopefully, she’ll agree to dinner and maybe we can take care of that.

Chapter Twelve

Nami wasn’t much of a drinker. But that evening, as she drove from the depot to go pick up Da’von, she was seriously considering a stop at a liquor store along the way to get herself a little something-something for later, once she was home.

She eventually talked herself out of that.

Drinking wouldn’t solve her problem.

But getting into bed with that gorgeous man would solve a
lot
of problems, sistah.

That was a damned aggravating voice in her head, too. Encouraging this nonsense, begging and pleading with her to give in and talk to the man.

The fact that she hadn’t been able to bring herself to report him yet, in essence digging herself in more deeply, only added to her mental clutter.

It wasn’t even the fact that he was white. She didn’t care about that. She wasn’t sure how her siblings would react, but it wasn’t an issue for her. There was just…something about him.

A magnetic draw she couldn’t deny. One she’d never felt before.

Sit, or git, woman.

She parked in Lu’ana and Reggie’s driveway and went in to pick up Da’von. He glanced up from his phone, putting it away almost like she’d caught him doing something.

“You ready to go?” she wearily asked.

Lu’ana leaned against the kitchen doorway. “Mm-hmm. All right, sis. When you gonna quit this ‘ain’t nothin’ wrong with me’ bullshit and tell me what’s goin’ on?

Bebe, sitting on a blanket in front of a children’s show on the TV, started flapping her arms at Nami and happily squealing.

Nami walked over, scooped her up, and blew raspberries against the toddler’s belly. “Oooeee. Someone needs a diaper.” She walked over to Lu’ana and handed her over with a smile. “Here you go,
Momma
. Da’von, let’s go.”

“Love how you dodge the question, sis,” Lu’ana said, wrinkling her nose at the smell of fresh pooh wafting from her daughter’s diaper.

“Because there ain’t no answer
for
it,” Nami said as she headed for the front door. “I’m fine, and that’s all there is to it.”

* * * *

The next day when Beck showed up at the Walmart to board Nami’s bus, he wasn’t alone. The woman who’d been with him the first day, when he’d kissed Nami out of the clear blue, was also with him.

“This is Dewi Bleacke,” Beck said. “She’s my boss, and my friend.”

The woman held up a hand. “Hiya.”

“Boss?”

“Long story,” the woman said.

“Look, please, have dinner with me tonight,” Beck said.

Dewi spoke up. “Us. All of us. At my place. Tonight. My uncle and I, and my fiancé, and another…co-worker of ours. You won’t be alone. We’ll even make anything you want.”

Nami had to pull out in one minute. “You stayin’ on this bus? If so, you need a pass, or pay the fare.”

Dewi backed up a step toward the door. “Please? You won’t be alone. He’ll give you our address. Heck, bring someone, anyone you want with you, so you aren’t alone. Let Beck show you he’s a good guy. I’ve literally known him my entire life and can tell you he’s a stand-up guy.”

“Why are you his boss? What do you do for a living? Why were you on the bus the other day?”

“Long story,” they both said.

“Please?” Beck asked.

Nami knew the only way she’d get that bus rolling again was to agree to their cockamamie plan. She also didn’t have to pick up Da’von tonight. Since it was Friday, Da’von and Malyah were going to go see a movie later, so Malyah would pick him from Lu’ana’s. “You’ll cook
anything
I want?”

“Anything,” Dewi agreed.

This will shut them up.
“Black-eyed peas, turnip greens with ham, and cornbread to sop up the pot likker, of course.”

If that didn’t stump them, nothing would.

On the other hand, maybe she’d get a good meal out of it. Or at least a laugh.

Dewi didn’t miss a beat. “I have no clue what that is, except the ham and the cornbread. But I’m sure if we Google it, we’ll find a recipe for it. Beck, let me know what time tonight.”

Before Nami could protest, Dewi bounded off the bus.

Beck scanned his pass and sat in his normal seat. He looked smug. Victorious.

Kissable.

Argh!

Nami closed the door and pulled out of the parking lot.

* * * *

Beck knew he’d won a small victory. Nami hadn’t openly refused the invitation, even though she felt a little aggravated at him for how he’d sprung it on her. That much he could tell by her body language.

I’m wearing her down.

He desperately fought to stifle the chuckle he wanted to let out at the tense, rounded set of her shoulders, the mental grumbling he could faintly hear, the way she would glance at him whenever possible, yet looking away again as if not to be caught peeking.

I love her so much.

Now he wanted to show her how much.

At lunch time, when she swapped with another driver at the Marion Transit Center, Nami pulled Beck aside to talk. “How long are you gonna keep this nonsense up?”

“As long as I have to, until you give me a chance. Let me text you the address for dinner tonight.”

She pressed her lips together, a drawn, thin line, as if trying to keep her mouth shut on something.

After a minute of silent staring from her, she let out an aggravated groan. “Why won’t you go away and leave me alone?”

He stepped a little closer. “Because I know how good things will be between us if you give us a chance. But if you really, really don’t want me around, then tell me. You order me to leave you alone, for good, and I’ll turn around and walk away right now.”

That was a calculated risk on his part.

When he felt the change in her pulse as he made that declaration, even through the short distance separating them, he knew.

She wanted him, too, but fear still held her back.

Okay, no problem. Fear I can work with.

And she didn’t order him gone.

Her voice dropped to a pained whisper. “Why are you doing this to me?”

He held out a hand to her, palm up, and silently waited. She stared at it for a moment, a visible shiver passing through her as she slowly reached out and placed her hand in his.

Then he looked into her eyes, never breaking contact, as he lifted her hand to his lips and gently feathered them across her knuckles.

Her eyes dropped closed, a low moan escaping her.

When she opened her eyes again, he softly said, “Because when I finally gain your trust and you can open up to me, I know that the rest of our lives together will be beautiful. And unless or until you order me away, I won’t leave you. Ever. I don’t know who’s hurt you in the past, or why you’re so scared of me, but I promise you, Nami, I’m not like any other man you’ve ever known before.”

“Been made lots of promises in my life that weren’t kept.”

“I never make a promise I can’t keep.” He kissed her hand again before gently lowering it and letting go, opening his fingers and making her pull back from him.

He didn’t miss how, for a moment, she left her hand in his, even with his fingers not clutching hers.

“I’ll take it as slowly as you need me to,” he said. “Weeks, months. Years, even.”

“What if I tell you I’m married?”

“Are you?”

She finally shook her head.

He offered her a smile. “It’s okay. I’m scared, too.”