Page 41 of Kade
Besides, I know she’ll be way better off working here. The fuckery going on at her old job was not okay. I don’t know everything she’s been through, but no way should she be treated like that. No woman should ever feel unsafe at her job, or anywhere else, for that matter.
Personally, I’m thrilled she’s here because that means I’m one step closer to quitting. I’m ready to be at the Dojo full time. Working in both places has made it hard to spend much time with Kade, and it’s getting harder and harder to hold back with him. There’s been some serious making out, but I’ve kept my pants on to make sure I didn’t give in to temptation. Course, I made sure to wear stretchy pants so Kade could get his hands inside.
But rolling around on my couch is not cutting it anymore. I feel like a teenager again, sneaking moments with my boyfriend. Saying goodnight to him and watching him walk away is killing me. I want him in my bed. Under me, over me, in me. Holly taking over here means I’m that much closer to sitting on his face.
“I’m a little nervous,” Holly admits.
I smile and wrap my arm around her shoulders, drawing her away from the door. “You’re going to do so well, Holly. I promise you have nothing to worry about,” I reassure her. “C’mon, let’s get your stuff put away, and I’ll introduce you around.”
Most of the guys have been working for an hour. I didn’t want Holly to come in during the morning rush on her first day and feel overwhelmed. I show her the drawer she can keep her purse in, then check the parking area to make sure no customers are in sight before leading her into the garage bays.
I introduce her to the mechanics, feeling proud as I watch her smile at them, chatting, looking so fresh and adorable. She’s so tiny. She’s wearing a cute yellow dress that falls to her shins and three-inch nude heels to make her a little taller. She looks like a daisy.
As she wraps up with the last guy, I smile and check-in. “How are you doing so far?”
The nerves in her smile have dissipated. “Good. They’re all so nice!” Her joy in being here is shining through.
“I’m so glad, Hol. Let’s go find Micah.” As I head toward Micah’s work area in the far bay, I prep her. “Micah doesn’t talk much, Holly. It’s nothing personal. It’s just hard for him to talk sometimes.”
I glance back and see the concern on her face. “Is he injured?”
I’m not sure how to answer that without breaking Micah’s trust. In the end, I settle for, “He was. He’s okay now, but it left some damage. Don’t worry, though. We’ve got a system worked out to communicate, and I’m sure you’ll pick it up easily.” Holly is one of the kindest people I’ve met. I know she’ll do whatever she needs to work with Micah.
I spot him on the far side of his current project car. He’s crouched down, doing something in the wheel wells, only the top of his head visible. I wave at Holly to follow and go around the car.
“Hey, dude.”
He smiles, still working in the well, and mutters, “Hey,” back.
“I want you to meet Holly. She’s going to be taking over for me.” His smile falls, and he takes a deep breath before looking up. He glances at me, resignation in his eyes, before letting them drift past me to Holly. His eyes widen, and his body freezes.
“Hello,” Holly says softly, smiling gently at Micah. I step to the side, turning to face both of them.
“Holly, this is Micah. Restoration expert. Man of many talents, man of few words.” I do some jazz hands, and Holly laughs at me a bit. “Micah, this is Holly. She's pretty much the nicest person I’ve ever met,” I tell him honestly.
Micah’s eyes are still locked on Holly. “Woah…hi,” he breathes.
Oh. My. God.
He’s blushing.
I’ve never been able to make him blush, not even with the dirtiest jokes in my repetoire. Holly flushes and looks away before darting her eyes back to Micah. A little smile is still teasing the corner of her mouth. She bites the corner of her lip and takes a small step forward, extending her hand. Interesting. She didn’t offer to shake anyone else's hand.
Micah gulps and reaches for her hand as he stands to his full six-five. Holly gasps and stumbles back a step. Her heel catches on the grate in the floor, and she starts to fall. Before I can move, Micah’s big arms wrap around her and pull her into his chest. She looks like a child, held against him. Well, a very curvy, boobalicious, child anyway. I’m just about to tease them a bit when I glimpse Holly’s face. Her eyes are glazed, and her face is bone white. Her hands, down at her sides, are clenched into tight fists.
I’ve seen this before.
“Holly,” I say calmly, “you’re okay. I’m right here, and Micah would never hurt you.” I reach out and put my palm firmly on her shoulder. “Put her down,” I say quietly to Micah.
He looks like he’s in pain, his eyes searching Holly’s frozen features. He slowly unwraps his arms from her, making sure her feet are steady on the ground. Even in her heels, the top of her head only comes up to his armpit. I slowly slide my arm over her shoulders.
“Deep breath Holly. In with me. Come on now.” I take a deep breath in, encouraging her until she shudders and takes a deep breath. “Good. Let it out really slowly now.”
We breathe together for a few minutes. My focus is on Holly, but I’m conscious of Micah breathing with us. His thick chest moving in time with ours. I want to reassure him he did nothing wrong, but I won’t take my attention from Holly. “Give me three things, Holly,” I push her, wanting her to check in with her surroundings. “Just three.”
She takes another deep breath before muttering, “Your hand on my back…laughter…oranges.” I smile, knowing she’s smelling the guys’ soap.
“Good. Do you need another minute?”
