He didn’t like that thought. It was subtle, but there was a distaste she recognized. “She did. He was a lab tech, but he wasn’t a good spy. He asked way too much way too fast. I didn’t fall for it. And honestly, there was zero chemistry there.”
But she was starting to worry she had lots of chemistry with Hutch. Despite how they’d started, she was beginning to like him. She liked the fact that he had a drawer full of candy, and he seemed to know all the kids in the on-site daycare. It had been sweet to see how his face had lit up when a four-year-old boy holding a young woman’s hand had knocked on the door and asked to see him.
Hutch had gotten to one knee and talked to the kid before offering him a small piece of chocolate.
Her heart had kind of melted, and she got the idea he did that a lot.
“Don’t worry about anything, Noelle. I can handle this,” he promised.
“I read that Jessica Layne throws some crazy parties. Any of those coming up? Because I wouldn’t mind getting a look inside that penthouse of hers,” MaeBe admitted. “Do you get to go to the parties?”
Noelle had skipped out on the last big party she’d been invited to. Jessica only invited higher-ups in the organization. When Noelle had been granted her lab, she’d gotten her first invite. She’d heard the rumors about what went on at them and had decided it was better to stay home. It was an annual celebration and she’d heard they partied with lots of booze and bed hopping. There was talk of a whole lot of swinging going on with the married executives.
“I don’t go to the parties,” she admitted. “I’ve heard it’s a lot of weird sex and designer drugs. It’s not my scene.”
Sanctum was hopefully her scene.
Did Hutch go to Sanctum? From what she understood a lot of the McKay-Taggart guys did, but not all of them. It was a private thing, so she wasn’t going to ask him.
His arm came back from around her seat and he tried to put some space between them.
He was being polite, and again she should be grateful. She was such a flipping weirdo that she wished he hadn’t done that, wished she could still feel his forearm brush the nape of her neck.
Kyle cleared his throat. “Yeah, we should all steer clear of the weird sex stuff. Is that the building?”
MaeBe seemed to take that as a command to turn right as absolutely quickly as she possibly could. The car swerved and the motion sent her knocking into Hutch. She slammed into him and his arms went around her, keeping her from crashing back.
“Sorry,” MaeBe said.
“You are a terrible driver,” Kyle complained.
“Am not. I get distracted. I also have some depth perception issues,” MaeBe admitted. “But we’re here and everyone is mostly whole. Any chance Jessica Layne comes in late? That’s a sweet Maserati up ahead.”
“That’s hers, but it doesn’t mean she’s in it. She often leaves it in front of the building in case she decides to go out. She doesn’t like to have to wait.” Noelle righted herself and smoothed her blouse down. “Thanks for the ride.”
She’d given Hutch everything he would need to get into her place and the keys to her car. It would be more comfortable, and she would be happy to let him drive. Keeping her foot on the gas for longer than a few minutes made one of the muscles of her calf tighten up.
Kyle got out and pushed the seat forward to allow Hutch out.
“MaeBe, could you…” Noelle began.
“Nope. I’m well trained and he wants to help you,” she said in a voice above a whisper. “It’s got nothing to do with your legs and everything to do with the whole top thing. Go with it. It’ll make him feel good. I assure you it was hard for him to let you sit in the back even though he sounded like he handled it well. He’s just that guy.”
A gentleman. No. That wasn’t what she’d said. Top. Well, that answered one question. He definitely hung out at the club, and MaeBe did, too. He’d likely been going for years, so they wouldn’t mix or anything. She was only in training and wouldn’t actually be in the club for at least a month.
And she might not like it. She might not enjoy being taken care of for a reason that had nothing to do with her legs. She might not like being able to drop all of her control and let someone else take over for a while.
Hutch’s arm came back, offering her a hand out.
She shouldn’t take that hand. She should stumble and fall and force her way out because that hand was warm and strong, and it didn’t mean what she might want it to mean.