Vow of Worth (Vow Series Book 6) Read online

  “What is it?” Daphne asked. She came to stand behind me, hovering over me, and burst out laughing. “Did he do that?”

  “I think so.” I turned my attention to Pepper Jack. His gaze was bouncing throughout the room, avoiding me. He was busted.

  Buried beneath the middle cushion on the couch, I’d found Pepper Jack’s stash. There was a loaf of bread, the plastic torn in the middle and chunks missing along the top of the loaf, a sleeve of crackers in the same condition, and an empty pretzel bag. I started laughing. I couldn’t help it. A few days ago I’d gone to make a sandwich and couldn’t find the loaf of bread I could have sworn I’d purchased.

  Pepper Jack was still avoiding my eyes. He whined when I reached for the food he’d tried to hide and must have been randomly snacking on throughout the day. “Bad boy,” I admonished, but my usual tone when trying to teach an animal wasn’t there. I had trouble keeping the laughter out of my voice.

  “This dog is crazy,” Daphne said. She plopped back down on the chair. I gathered the food from inside the couch and put it on the bar that divided the living room from the kitchen. I vacuumed away the crumbs before rearranging the couch and falling back onto the cushions. Pepper Jack jumped up next to me and curled into my side, laying his head and paws on my thigh. Harmonica was only a few minutes behind. She hopped down from the platform on her scratching post and curled into Pepper Jack’s side. He blew out a puff of air and closed his eyes.

  “You seem happier,” Daphne said. Her head was tilted to the side, and she played with a long lock of hair that had fallen from her bun. A small smile played at the corners of her lips.

  I sighed and scratched behind Pepper Jack’s ears. “It’s kind of crazy. I have a stalker, basically. I’m drowning in work. My family is…still my family. There’s a lot happening, but I think I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time. I feel…content.”

  Daphne grinned. “You deserve that, you know.”

  I scrunched my nose. “I’m trying to understand, and I think I’m finally learning that the people who care see me in a far better light than I ever see myself.”

  “It’s true,” she said. “You’re one of my favorite people in the world, and I wish you knew you don’t need to hide in anyone else’s shadow.”

  “Thanks, Daph. You’re one of my favorite people too.”

  Her phone beeped and she groaned. “Duty calls. Another crime scene to photograph. Make sure to tell your man thank you. The pictures turned out so great, and authors are snapping them up!”

  Your man. I loved the sound of that, even though I probably shouldn’t. It had been a little over a week since Kiernan and I had first slept together. The sound of those two words shouldn’t give me the thrill it did.

  “He’s not my man.” I grabbed the wrapped frame from her hands and brought it into the kitchen, setting it on one of the chairs at the table.

  Daphne snorted. “Honey, you slept with him. It was amazing sex. If I remember correctly, your exact words were ‘He ruined me, Daphne. He was the best sex of my life.’ And he’s been here practically every night since and shattering your world over and over again. He’s your man.”

  I bit my lip to contain my smile.

  “I ruined you, huh?”

  “Frick!” I groaned and closed my eyes. I hadn’t heard the door open or Kiernan come in. I’d been too distracted thinking about Kiernan truly being mine. He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, and kissed my neck.

  “I am your man,” he whispered in my ear. I didn’t know how he had the confidence to declare something like that. I’d been too scared all week to bring up the topic of what we were. I’d just been determined to enjoy myself for however long it lasted.

  Daphne chuckled. “I’ve got to go. Thank you for posing, Kiernan. This is the most traffic my website has ever received.” She patted the frame sitting on the chair. “This is for you. It’s the first picture from your session that was purchased.”

  “Thanks, Daphne.” He squeezed his arms around me more tightly. “Have you looked at it yet? Do I look good, sweetness?”

  “I haven’t seen it yet. I was waiting for you,” I said quietly. My cheeks were flaming. I was still stuck in the moment when Kiernan had overheard our conversation.

  “Later, Caro.” Daphne kissed me on the cheek and patted Kiernan’s shoulder as she walked out the front door.

  I broke away from Kiernan’s arms. “You’ll never guess what Pepper Jack did.”

  Kiernan groaned. “Did he eat something of yours? Break it? I swear I’ll replace it.”

  I chuckled and shook my head, waving for him to follow me into the living room. I pointed at the bar, where Pepper Jack’s loot was still sitting, half-eaten and torn apart. “He had all this hidden in the couch.”

  I smiled, and he looked at me with his eyebrows raised. “What do you mean?”

  “I was cleaning and he started to act weird when I got close to the couch. I think he knew I was about to find his treasure. He was pacing in front of it. I thought maybe one of his toys was buried in the cushions and he couldn’t get to it, so I took them off and found his food. He avoided looking at me, and that’s when I knew for sure he was guilty.”

  Kiernan scoffed. “He always stares me down when he does something, like a challenge.”

  I laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me. It’s probably a good thing you signed up for my classes, but he may need the more advanced class as well.”

  “It’s good for two reasons. One, hopefully my dog doesn’t destroy all of Austin before he learns something. Two, it led me to you.”

  I licked my lips and stared at him. “I like you, Kiernan,” I blurted out.

  His arms wound around my hips and tugged me until my body crashed against his. I rested my hands on his chest. He grinned and kissed me. “I like you too.”

  “No,” I said slowly, suddenly feeling like a middle schooler. “I like you, like you.”

  “I know,” he said. “I like you, like you too. Caroline, I thought you understood that I want this, whatever it is that’s happening between us, I want it. Whether it lasts for a week, a month, the rest of our lives—I’m here and wanting to explore it. Your friend is right. I’m your man, sweetness.”

  I bit my lip. Kiernan tugged my bottom lip from my teeth and shook his head. “Stop. Don’t hide your smiles. They’re fucking gorgeous and make my days better.”

  I smiled then. A full-on, all-out, showing-your-teeth smile. Complete with dimples.

  24

  Caroline

  “It was wonderful to meet you, Dr. Townsend.” I stood behind my desk and shook the young veterinarian’s hand. He was two years out of veterinary school, but he had an impressive resume and came from a family that trained K-9 officers. He smiled and buttoned his suit jacket.

  “Thank you for meeting with me. Your clinic is great, and I’m really interested in your training program. I look forward to hearing from you.”

  “We have a few more candidates to interview, but I will be in touch soon, either way.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Conroy.”

  I led Asher to the front and waved as he exited. Alicia was waiting for me back in my office. She had been sitting in on interviews throughout the week. I wanted her opinion, and she would know who would work well with the other technicians.

  “What’d you think?” I asked.

  “He was great. He’s one of the top candidates on my list, but I’m wondering if it would be inappropriate to give him some extra points because he’s so freaking gorgeous.”

  “Definitely inappropriate,” I said. Asher was handsome, but I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, I was looking for a partner for my practice. “His looks don’t matter. Only if he’s a good doctor, good leader, and good to my staff.”

  Alicia sighed. “I know, I know, I was kidding, but honestly, I was impressed by him. He has a great grasp on how to handle animals and training. It’d be wonderful for you to have help not only at the office
, but in training classes as well. He’s friendly. Everyone on staff will like him.”

  “He’s only a few years out of veterinary school,” I reminded her.

  “So were you when you started your practice.”

  My lips pulled up on one side. “That’s true. He’s one of the best we’ve met so far, but I’m keeping an open mind for the people we’re meeting later this week. Though he also has experience with horses and cows. We could maybe expand…” I thought about what we could do in the area if we broadened the scope of our practice.

  Alicia laughed. “Let’s do one thing at a time, Dr. Conroy. First, we need to get our heads above water before we talk about growing. Slow it down.”

  I chuckled and shook my head. “You’re right. Let’s get back to it. Have you seen Toby yet?”

  She shook her head. “Maybe he arrived while we were in the meeting.”

  I glanced at the watch on my wrist. Toby was coming by today to disable all the cameras on our devices and block anyone from accessing our electronic equipment. It might be overkill, but I was hoping it would make me feel safe. At the moment, I was keeping tablets turned away from me and off my face until the last possible moment. I hated having them in my hands now, but changing from electronic devices to paper would be overwhelming for my staff.

  I walked out of my office and poked my head into each empty exam room until I found Toby. “Hey, Toby. How’s it going?”

  His head popped up. His shaggy hair fell into his eyes and he flicked it back. “I’m just getting started.” His brow crinkled and he turned toward me in the swivel chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “So you want me to block the cameras and microphones, and any apps that use them besides your office software?”

  “Yes.” I nodded. I didn’t want to explain everything to him, but I wondered if he’d find this request odd. “There have been some…security breaches,” I hedged. “I want everyone on the staff to feel more secure.”

  “Is everything alright?” he asked.

  I nodded. “It is. It’s okay. We’re handling it, but I’d like all the devices to be able to handle only the office software and remove anything else accessible by a camera.”

  “It shouldn’t take me too long to do that. Has the software been glitchy again?”

  “No.” I held up my hand with crossed fingers. “It’s been great since the last time you fixed something. But I do have a question about security cameras. When you installed them, you said that there were very few blind spots and, without overlapping, that was the best it could be.”

  “That’s right,” he said. Toby had done all my technical work since I opened the practice, and I usually went with anything he recommended.

  “I’d like to do some overlap and completely eliminate blind spots. Could you get that set up for me and expand the recording system to save more than one month at a time?”

  “Sure,” he answered slowly. “Caroline, are you sure everything is alright?”

  Before I could answer him, Kiernan called my name from down the hall. I poked my head out the door and smiled. “Hey,” I said softly. He came over to me and kissed the top of my head. He was in jeans and a polo with MarxMen stitched over his right pec. “Kiernan, this is Toby, my IT guru. Toby, this is Kiernan, my boyfriend,” I said a little hesitantly. Kiernan squeezed my waist and dropped another kiss on the top of my head.

  “Hey, man. How’s it going?” Kiernan extended one hand toward Toby. He eyed it before standing and shaking his hand.

  “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, Caroline. Finally getting out of the office?” He smirked.

  I rolled my eyes. “Yep, finally trying to have a life.”

  “I’ll have this done shortly and leave them at the front for you. Want me to lock up when I’m done?” I’d given Toby a key, about a year ago, when he’d started coming in monthly to do backup maintenance.. “It was good to meet you.”

  “Same here,” Kiernan said to Toby before speaking to me. “Ready? I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  “Yes, let me grab my purse and I’m ready to go.” I turned back to Toby. “Thanks again. Lock up when you leave and send me an invoice for the cameras.”

  “Will do,” he said.

  Kiernan ran his fingers down my arm until he secured my hand in his and walked me to my office to grab my things. I didn’t know what he had in store for me that night, but as long as I was with him, it didn’t truly matter.

  25

  Kiernan

  I propped open the back door to MarxMen and held it aloft for Caroline to walk through. The back hallway was dim until the automatic hallway light flipped on as she entered. The floors were a dark polished concrete, and the walls were black with a few doors lining the hallway. Each door had a security panel on the outside to gain entrance to the room. Normally, no one but the team was allowed down here, but every once in a while, we made an exception.

  “Is your surprise that you’re going to kill me and then hide my body? I feel like I’m about to walk into an interrogation room or something.”

  I chuckled and shook my head, placing one of my hands on her lower back, urging her toward the last door in the hallway. “Nothing like that.”

  I tapped my index finger against the panel on the outside of the heavy black metal door and tapped in my security code. Caroline watched me, and I didn’t bother to hide any of my codes from her. “You’re turning off the cameras?” she asked. “What are we doing here?”

  I finished turning off the cameras and locking the room for privacy. Caroline walked through the door and swiveled her head around, inspecting the cavernous space. Along the far wall was an indoor shooting range, and in the opposite corner was gym equipment, a boxing ring, and heavy bags hanging from the ceilings. In the center were large mats for practicing hand-to-hand combat. Caroline strolled toward the center and slowly turned in a circle, taking it all in. Half the walls were lined with mirrors, and the other half were painted black. The room was soundproofed and completely contained.

  I put my hands on her shoulders and caressed her arms. “I want to start teaching you some self-defense moves and, if you’re up for it, maybe even practicing firing a weapon. I turned the cameras off. We have a team that monitors our security and that of our clients twenty-four-seven. In here, it’s just you and me for right now.”

  Caroline pulled at her scrubs. “I’m not exactly dressed for a workout.”

  “I’ve got that covered, sweetness. There’s a bag over there with some gear for you.”

  Her gaze fell on the gym bag I’d left in here earlier. I’d outfitted her with everything I thought she could use for our training sessions. This wasn’t going to happen overnight or with one session. I wanted her to be able to defend herself, though, and feel confident doing it. Sometimes it’s a mental thing, knowing you have the capability to take on an attacker. She swallowed thickly and nodded. “Okay.”

  I held her hand as we walked to the bag waiting on the bench. She bit her lip and looked around the room. “Are you sure the cameras are off?”

  “Yeah, sweetness. It’s you and me.”

  She took off her shirt and her bra. I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out and tweaking her nipple. She smiled. “We’re here for a reason.”

  “I suddenly forgot that reason,” I said and stared at her naked chest. She was fucking gorgeous. And way too damn distracting.

  She giggled and pulled a sports bra over her head, followed by a tank top. She shimmied the scrubs down her legs, kicking off her tennis shoes as she went. She pulled on the pair of leggings I’d bought for her, and I groaned when she bent over to slip her shoes back on her feet. She stood, placing her hands on her hips. “What’s first?”

  “A few laps around the room to warm up.”

  She scrunched her nose before sighing. “I hate running.”

  “We’re doing a light jog to get your blood moving and body warmed up. Come on. I’ll keep at your pace.”

  We jogged around the gym th
ree times before I brought her to a space with cushioned mats. “If your attacker is a male, hitting any sensitive part as fast and as hard as you can is always what you should do first, and then run. It will at least give you time to put some space between you, and you can look for help. Eyes, nose, groin, feet, stomach. I’m going to come at you from the front. There are a few different options here.”

  I slowly walked her through each, correcting her posture and the angle of her hands before changing my position and going through different moves. “Do you think you want to try shooting?”

  She bit her lip, casting her gaze to the side. The line between her brows revealed that she was deep in thought. “Yes, but not today. My arms are already aching, and I’d like to try that when I’m fresh.”

  I nodded. “We can do that. If you want, you can also go to my friend James’s gym. He runs a self-defense class for women a couple nights a week. It’d be great for you to try and keep up with some moves. All my friends’ wives go. One even heads some of the classes. I think you’d really like them.”

  “Your friends?” she asked hesitantly. I knew Caroline still doubted that I was serious about wanting to see where this could go. She’d called me her boyfriend a couple of times, but always with a bit of trepidation.

  “Yeah. You’d fit right in with the women and would like the guys too. I’d like you to meet them one day. When all this shit is over and not hanging over our heads.” That wasn’t the only reason it couldn’t be now. Roman had made it clear what he thought of my pursuing Caroline right now, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to divulge that I didn’t give a damn about this rule.

  “I’d like that,” she said and smiled softly.

  I bent and kissed her once. And then twice. On the third swipe of my lips against hers, I licked her bottom lip until her mouth opened for me. She made a noise in the back of her throat as our tongues tangled together. I slid a hand down and around her curves until my arm hooked under her ass and I lifted Caroline into my arms. I broke our kiss and skimmed my lips down her neck as I stomped to the couch near the boxing ring. I set her down and stepped away from her, and I turned the couch toward the mirrors hanging on the wall.