Bodie by Nyssa Kathryn

Chapter 10

Bodie kept Maya in his line of sight as he served the man in front of him. He knew the exact moment something went wrong. Even though she had her back to him, he saw her muscles visibly tense. Her body go unusually still.

Bodie placed the EFTPOS machine down and gave Maya his full attention. What just happened?

When she turned around, dread pooled in Bodie’s gut. Her face was pasty white. She almost looked like she could topple over right where she stood. It wasn’t just the shade of her skin that alarmed him, it was also the expression on her face.

Raw panic.

Bodie took his eyes off her for a moment to scan the crowd, looking for threats. Anyone who looked out of place. He didn’t find a thing. In fact, no one was paying her the slightest bit of attention.

Trish, who had been serving a few feet away from him, moved to his side. Her eyes also across the room on Maya.

He couldn’t hear her heart rate over the music and sound of the crowd, but he could see the pulse at the base of her neck pounding. She was scared. Of what, he wasn’t sure.

“Go,” Trish said quietly. “Help her. Shayna and I have the bar covered.”

Giving a small nod, Bodie rounded the bar, reaching her just in time to hear a whimper from her lips. It damn near tore his chest in two.

Placing a light hand on her shoulder, he immediately felt her body jerk. Bodie leaned down and placed his lips at her ear.

“You’re okay, Maya. You’re in Keystone. You’re safe.”

His voice was gentle as he spoke. He’d seen panic attacks before, and the woman was definitely verging on one. Bodie wanted to do everything possible to avoid it.

Standing this close, he could now hear her heart beating fast. Her breaths coming and going in short, quick succession.

There were too many people. He needed to get her out of here. Away from the crowd and somewhere quiet.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Bodie gently tugged her toward the break room. He didn’t give a damn if people were watching or not. His sole focus was the woman at his side.

Once they entered the room, Bodie closed the door and guided her to the couch. Her body was unnaturally rigid. Her breathing ragged. As he crouched in front of her, he studied her face, but it was almost like she wasn’t seeing him. Like he wasn’t there at all.

Slowly, Bodie touched his hand to her cheek. Even though he’d kept the touch soft, she startled at the contact.

“Hey there, darlin’, you with me?”

She didn’t respond. She wasn’t with him. Not yet.

Leaning closer, Bodie lowered his voice to a whisper. “Breathe with me.”

Taking a deep breath in, he held it for three seconds before slowly releasing it. Then he repeated. Again and again.

At first, Maya watched him. Her eyes moving from his mouth to his rising and falling chest. It took three breaths before she joined him. Three breaths before they were breathing together in unison. Her eyes had lifted and were boring into his. Watching him like he was her lifeline.

“That’s it, sweetheart.”

They continued like that for minutes. Bodie didn’t care how long it took. Hell, he’d sit here all night if that’s what it took.

Relief filtered through his chest when her heart rate began to slow and light re-entered her eyes. Her skin was still pale, but it no longer bordered on stark white. Bodie waited another two breaths before rising to sit beside her. He moved his hand to her back, rubbing slow, firm circles over her shirt. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, but remained silent. Even though he wanted to hear her voice, it was a hell of a lot better than the complete lack of response he’d received minutes ago.

“What happened?”

He wasn’t sure he’d get an answer. Even if he did, he was almost certain it wouldn’t be the truth.

“I…I thought I…” She swallowed before shaking her head. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to say sorry. What scared you out there?”

She blinked once. Twice. Clearly desperate to hold back the tears. Her eyes darted around the room like she was looking for words.

Then she surprised him.

“I used to work as a lab technician. One night, while I was on shift, my workplace was broken into and robbed. It was…traumatizing…to say the least. I’ve been having flashbacks.”

He looked down to see she held her hands together tightly in her lap. Her knuckles were white. He moved his free hand over both of hers. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Maya. It must have been terrifying.”

He wasn’t just sorry. He was angry as hell. Angry that the people he and his team were trying to bring down were still hurting others. Murdering innocents.

Maya looked at Bodie’s hand. She didn’t try to pull hers away. “I watched colleagues die. Friends. People I’d known and worked with for years. I thought I was going to die. I was supposed to die.”

Those last words made a shard of pain shoot through Bodie’s insides.

“Maya, look at me.” Her gaze slowly rose to his. “You are alive because you are supposed to be alive. You had a close call with death, and I’m unbelievably sorry about that, but don’t for a minute think you shouldn’t be here.”

Tears gathered in her eyes. This time, she didn’t try to stop them. “I spend half my days being scared, and the other half feeling guilty for being alive.”

A tear fell down her cheek. Then another. They were silent tears. As silent as she clearly tried to keep her pain.

Bodie had never hated Hylar and his men more than he did at that moment. The assholes should never have touched Maya’s life.

He gathered her close and held her tightly against him. Tears soaked into his shirt. The wetness the only sign that she still cried. The woman in his arms wasn’t fragile. She was strong and brave and a survivor. But that didn’t mean she had to do it all alone.

Bodie wanted to fight for her. Fight with her. To protect her not just from Hylar, but from all the evil in this world.

He held her until she pulled away. She quickly wiped her face.

“What triggered you tonight, Maya?”

“I thought I heard something. But I’m pretty sure it was just in my head.”

Bodie was trained to detect a lie. A person’s heart rate changed. Their pupils dilated and they often looked away. Sometimes they even touched their face or fidgeted.

Maya did none of those things. But she also told him very little. “Something” was vague. He wished she’d be more open. Maybe it was time to tell Maya the truth about who he was. Not tonight, but when she was in a better state of mind.

A level of trust had been developed. Hopefully, enough for him to tell her his truths, and for Maya to share hers without running.

She turned her head to look at him and studied his face. “Thank you, Bodie. For pulling me in here and letting me cry all over you.”

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Heat burned from the place she’d pressed her lips, penetrating right down to his chest.

Maya stood. Her face was slightly redder than usual, but other than that, no one would think she’d been crying. “We should get back out there.”

Bodie stood. But instead of walking straight out, he took a step closer to her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m okay. Thank you again.”

“You’re safe with me, sweetheart.” Always.

* * *

For the restof her shift, Maya moved on autopilot. She ignored the unease, pushed down the lingering fear, and worked.

She made more mistakes than she cared to remember. A heck of a lot more than usual. But no one kicked up a fuss about a single one of them.

Maya felt Bodie’s eyes on her the entire time. They tracked her movement, almost like he was waiting for her to have another freak-out.

She wouldn’t. As it was, she wanted to dig her head into the ground and pretend he’d never seen her like that…weak.

Christ, she was a mess. She’d fallen apart over something that existed in her head.

She tried to focus on the positive. That Bodie had been there. That he’d saved her from having what would likely have been a full-blown panic attack right in the middle of the bar.

Even though she felt embarrassed that she’d cried into his shirt, she also felt like a small weight had been lifted off her chest…because someone in Keystone knew something about her terror.

Maya thought she’d seen some anger in his features, but she wasn’t entirely sure. The man was good at masking his emotions.

As the last customer exited, Maya finally breathed a sigh of relief. She’d survived the shift. Now she could go home and curl up into a ball under her sheets. She had been scheduled to do post-close cleanup with Trish, but her boss had already replaced her with Shayna.

Maya felt so much relief that she could go home earlier that she didn’t have the capacity to feel guilty or embarrassed.

Grabbing her phone from the back room, Maya said a quick goodbye to the women before stepping outside. That’s where she found Bodie, leaning against the wall of the building, looking all kinds of perfect.

Her eyes flicked from the street back to him. “Hey.”

He’d left over five minutes ago. At least, she’d thought he left.

“Hey. Ready to walk home?”

And now he was walking her home. It was like his appeal knew no bounds.

“You don’t have to. I mean, I’m okay.”

He took a step forward. “I know.”

Bodie reached down and threaded his long, warm fingers through hers. His large hand engulfed her smaller one, making her feel feminine and safe.

Maya was so distracted by the feeling that it took her a few minutes of walking before she found her voice. “You’re holding my hand again.”

Okay, if she was trying to come across as simple, she’d hit the nail on the head with that comment. But it was taking her muddled brain a moment to catch up.

“I am. Is that okay?”

Seeing as his touch was sending waves of heat up her arm and through her body, she’d say it was. “Yes.”

A smile spread across his face. Maya’s insides turned to mush, and all thoughts of what had happened—or almost happened—that night fled. His touch made her feel protected. Something that had been in short supply recently.

“What was your second choice?” Bodie asked, breaking into Maya’s thoughts.

“Second choice?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Well, you came to Keystone for the ice skating. If you couldn’t have come here, which town would have been your second choice?”

“Carmel, California.” The truth popped out before she could think of a different answer.

Bodie nodded. “I’ve never been there but heard good things.”

“I haven’t been either, but whenever I researched it, there were pictures of the ocean and it looked…peaceful.”

He nudged her shoulder with his. “Regret choosing Keystone?”

“Oh, not for a second. I’m really enjoying it here.” There was so much truth to that. The job, the relationships she was building…there were moments where she almost forget what she was doing here. “What about you? Enjoying Keystone?”

“Yeah, Keystone’s growing on me,” Bodie said. “It’s not as average as I thought it would be.”

It was certainly more than average to Maya. It was her sanctuary. “What do you like about it?”

“For starters, the food is awesome. Those burgers we had the other night were epic. And I already know where I want to take you next. The Thai place on Third Avenue. I got takeout the other night and I kid you not, it was the best Thai I’ve ever had.”

Where he wants to take her next? The man was already planning their second date. Not that she was entirely sure it was a date. Friends kissed on the cheek…but they didn’t usually hold hands.

If she had a bit more courage, she might ask him.

“Aside from the food, the people are also nice here. Trish. Shayna. Roe,” Bodie continued.

“They’re all great. Especially Roe.” Just the mention of him made a smile pull at her lips.

“He is. He made a point to talk to me the moment I was hired. Well, less a talk than an interrogation. I think I may have passed.”

Maya laughed. “I think he likes you.”

“Good. I also think he has a thing for Trish.”

“Really?” Maybe that was why the guy was at the bar every night. “I’m not great at reading people, so I didn’t pick that up. It would explain a lot though.”

“You’re probably better than you think.”

Doubtful. But she was intrigued by his comment. “What makes you say that?”

“You knew I was an awesome person when we first met.”

She’d been so overwhelmed by the broken glasses and the new job, she hadn’t paid him nearly enough attention. “I definitely knew you were a kind person,” Maya said. “When I broke those glasses, no one else even attempted to help me. I’m pretty sure I heard the table of guys at the back snickering.”

She caught Bodie’s scowl. “They were assholes.”

That was a given. “Can I ask you a question?”

His hand tightened around hers. “Ask me anything.”

“Were you in the military?”

There was the slightest pause before he answered. “Yes.”

So Shayna was right.

“Does that bother you?” he asked.

“No.” It actually made her feel a bit safer. He wouldn’t win a fight against the men who’d broken into the lab, but he might stand more of a chance than the average person, depending on his training. “Thank you for your service.”

He dipped his head.

Any person who could give years of their life to serve their country deserved a heck of a lot of respect and gratitude in Maya’s eyes.

When they arrived at her house, she finally untangled their fingers. Her hand felt cold without Bodie’s touch. “Thank you for walking me home.”

“Thank you for letting me.”

Pulling her keys from her pocket, Maya unlocked the door. She was about to step inside when she stopped. Turning back to Bodie, she blurted the question that had been playing on repeat in her mind during the walk. “Do you like me?”

The slightest frown marred his brows. “Yes.”

“Like-like…or friend-like.”

One side of his mouth drew up. “What does ‘like-like’ entail?”

“Dates. Holding hands.” Maya hesitated on the last one. “Kissing.”

“I definitely like-like you.”

“But last night, you didn’t…kiss me.”

Oh boy. Had she really just said that? She sounded like some desperate woman, pouting over not being kissed.

“Would you like me to kiss you, Maya?”

Would she? It was safer if he didn’t and they remained friends. A kiss would change things. Deepen things…and then she’d leave.

“Do you want to kiss me?”

If he said no, she’d walk inside and close the door. She would not be sad. She would not bring up kisses again.

“Yes.”

Yes.

Yes, he wanted to kiss her.

It took everything in Maya not to react to his word. Not to melt to the floor or suck in a million tiny breaths.

One of his hands snaked around her waist, pulling her body against his, while the other touched her cheek.

Slowly, Bodie dipped his head. She didn’t take her gaze from his. She couldn’t. She was transfixed.

Then his lips touched hers, and her eyes shuttered. A slow hum began to vibrate in her veins. His lips were gentle, yet they ignited a heat that swept through her limbs.

Raising her hands, Maya swept her fingers through his soft locks. The last bit of space between them was eliminated when he tightened his hold on her waist.

His lips moved, sweeping across her mouth. His tongue eased inside, touching hers. It was a kiss that had every one of Maya’s nerves on edge. She was surrounded by the guy. And it wasn’t enough.

As if hearing her thoughts, Bodie lifted her body, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. He turned and pressed her back against the wall beside her door. His kiss changed subtly. His lips pressing a touch harder, his tongue massaging hers.

Suddenly, Maya wanted to give this man everything. She wanted him to take from her, as she took from him.

That thought sent a shot of fear through her veins.

She couldn’t fall for this guy. She couldn’t fall for anyone. Love and happily ever afters didn’t play a role in her life. All she would do was get hurt.

Placing her hand on his chest, Maya gave a small push. Bodie immediately lifted his head. She took a moment to calm herself. Her breathing was labored. Embarrassingly so. Whereas he seemed completely fine.

It took a long moment for either of them to speak. She was too weak to ask him to let her go just yet. Being held by Bodie was the closest to peace she’d ever felt.

Eventually, she slid down his body, willing her arms not to pull him back.

“Thanks again for walking me home, Bodie.”

His eyes remained heated. “Lock the door after me, darlin’.”

Then, just like he’d done the night before, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. But this time, it didn’t feel like a kiss from a friend.

Maya quickly moved inside the house, knowing that whatever had just transpired between them wasn’t something that would be easy to walk away from.