Chapter 2
Colt pulled up a chair and watched the screen as Jenna sat in her car, looking lost in thought. When she finally got out of her car, he used the joystick to zoom in on her face and was shocked to see the dark circles that marred the smooth skin under her beautiful green eyes and the tiny strain lines around her mouth. Christ, what was she thinking not taking care of herself any better than this? Colt knew when she’d bolted before dawn the morning after Alex and Zach’s wedding that he’d pushed her too hard, but the woman would try the patience of St. Peter himself. Jenna’s wistful expression as she approached Henry’s Gatehouse had Colt leaning closer to the monitor as if that might get him closer to the woman herself. Even with her tired expression and melancholy demeanor, she was stunning. Jenna Lamont was one of those women who walked into a room and conversations between men, and even women, stopped. And amazingly, Jenna had never seemed to even realize the effect she had on people. She had always just gone about her business, never aware of the way men walked into walls and tripped over themselves vying for her attention.
Colt had met Jenna when she was only seventeen years old. He’d been twenty-six and had agreed to spend Christmas with his friends after they’d discovered he didn’t have any family to spend the holidays with. Colt had walked into Daniel and Catherine Lamont’s beautiful home and watched as Alex and Zach Lamont’s tiny bit of a sister launched herself into each of their arms, wrapped her long slender legs around each of her brothers, and hugged them hard enough that they’d both let out groans and told her to lighten up or they were going to expire from oxygen deprivation. Colt had chuckled, but they’d quickly assured him that years of ballet had left their little sister deceptively strong and sporting leg muscles that could squeeze you like a python. There had been an innocence about Jenna during that first visit that was conspicuously absent during his next visit to ShadowDance a year later. During his second visit, he became aware of Jenna’s newfound interest in kickboxing and any form of street fighting she could con someone into teaching her. Colt had always wondered what had happened to prompt her interest in self-defense and what had stolen her innocent aura, but had never mentioned it to Alex or Zach until they’d been drinking late one night not long before their wedding.
At Colt’s question, both brothers had sat back, lost in their memories, and had finally conceded that she had seemed distant that second year Colt had spent Christmas with them, but Alex and Zach agreed that at the time they had chalked it up to stress over college selections and what they’d so bluntly referred to as “girl stuff.” He’d known he’d sparked their curiosity, and knowing them both as well as he did, he hadn’t doubted for a minute they would address it at some point. He’d asked Jenna about the change himself during a rather intimate encounter after the wedding and had felt her completely shut down, both physically and emotionally, at the inquiry. He’d also stated that in his observation she was a true submissive, and the two things combined had been like dropping a match in a gas can. After she had unloaded on him, she’d gone to her small suite, and when he’d checked the next morning, he’d been told she had left the mansion before dawn. She’d not only run, but she’d been all but out of touch with everyone except Katarina during the past eight months.
“She looks sad.” Grayson’s soft observation spoken from over his shoulder was likely based as much on what he “felt” as on what he was seeing. Grayson’s sixth sense was legendary among team members, as spooky as it was, his “spidey sense,” as he called it, had never been wrong as far as Colt knew.
“Indeed she does,” was all Colt managed to say as he punched the button to swing open the steel gates so Jenna could proceed up the mountain drive. Colt knew Grayson had let both Alex and Zach know as soon as they’d seen Jenna drive up. Even though Katarina had begged them to call her also, Alex had said they had just gotten her settled and threatened to do them both bodily harm if they notified the very pregnant Ms. Lamont of her sister-in-law’s arrival.
God, it was fun watching Alex and Zach try to corral the tiny blip of a woman they’d married. She was just a little over five feet tall, and right now, she looked like she was hiding a basketball under her shirt. Even though she was convinced she “waddled like a duck,” Colt was amazed at how graceful she seemed to be, considering the fact she looked like she could topple forward at any moment. Just for the briefest second, Colt wondered what Jenna would look like round with his child, but he quickly shook off the thought. His first order of business with Ms. Lamont was to regain her trust. He’d enlisted Alex and Zach’s help when they’d made it clear they were not only aware of the sparks between their best friend and sister, but that they would help him in any way that stayed within the “Safe, Sane, and Consensual” motto they all followed as part of their BDSM lifestyle.
Colt had seen Mitch Grayson cringe when Alex had forbidden him from calling Katarina’s cell phone. She might be little, but she was hell on wheels when she was angry, and even though every man on the security staff towered over her, there was no doubt in any of their minds who’d win in a throw down. Smiling to himself, he was glad she’d cornered Grayson with her request.
“Sure, smile, you bastard. You know she’s gonna be five kinds of pissed off, and it won’t matter that I’m following my bosses’ orders…Fuck!” Grayson continued muttering to himself something about tiny, round blonde fairies that could throw fireballs as Colt laughed and left him to his ramblings.
* * * *
Alex, Zach, and Colt had brainstormed and strategized what they had jokingly started referring to as “Project Jenna.” They’d tried to anticipate all possible outcomes, but had not planned on having her stay away so fucking long. The brothers had finally enlisted their parents’ help. Well,helpwasn’t really an accurate term since the elder Lamonts had only agreed to be unavailable to answer questions about the “emergency meeting” Jenna was being called home for. Apparently, refusing to answer was as close as either Daniel or Catherine were willing to get to actually lying to their beloved daughter. Colt was smiling as he descended the stairs to the Lamont twins’ office, he felt lighter than he had in months. Project Jenna was now officially a go.