Hotter Than Ever (Out of Uniform 9)

Inhaling an unsteady breath, he met the other man’s gaze over Claire’s head and saw his own concern reflected back at him. But he also discerned a flicker of longing, which only deepened when Dylan’s eyes rested on the hand Aidan was using to stroke Claire’s hair.

Damn it, he hated seeing that look of yearning on Dylan’s face. He knew the other man was unhappy with Aidan’s inability to vocalize his feelings, to be tender and affectionate outside the bedroom, but every time he opened his mouth to try to tell Dylan how he felt, his throat closed up and he couldn’t get the words out.

But now was not the time to dwell on his own inadequacies. Claire needed him. Claire needed them.

It was a while before she finally calmed down, and when she lifted her head, Aidan was floored by the intensity blazing in her big brown eyes.

“I’m fine. I’m going to be fine,” she said firmly, but he knew she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince them. “I’m smart and ambitious and qualified, and I’ll be able to find another job, no problem.”

“Or—” Dylan spoke tentatively, “—you could open your own consulting firm.”

Claire faltered. “I…don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

“Why not?” Aidan said quietly. “You’ve always wanted to go solo, and now you’ve got the chance. You have the experience, you have the contacts. Why not give it a shot?”

She bit her lip. “Well, I guess I…I mean, I do have enough money saved up, not just in terms of capital but also to support myself for a couple of years if I’m unemployed…”

Her voice trailed off, and Aidan could see that sharp brain of hers kicking into gear, working over the idea. A spark of pride ignited in his chest. Goddamn, this woman was incredible. It was impossible to knock her down.

Or at least that’s what he thought before Claire’s phone rang.

She leaned forward and grabbed the iPhone from the coffee table, then frowned. “It’s my dad.” In the blink of an eye, her face went a shade paler. “You don’t think…he wouldn’t have…?”

Without finishing, she answered the phone with a quick, “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”

When she gasped, the answer to the questions she hadn’t been able to voice became clearer than a Times Square billboard.

Would Chris go to Claire’s parents?

Yes, he would. And yes, he had.

Aidan suddenly felt sick. He couldn’t hear a word Claire’s father was saying, which reminded him of what she’d said about Ron McKinley’s tendency to talk in a scarily quiet voice when he was angry.

“Dad—”

Whatever her father cut her off with brought a flash of panic to Claire’s eyes.

Her voice trembled as she tried again. “Dad—” She paused, then made a strangled sound. “Fine! Yes, it’s true. Is that what you want to hear?”

Aidan’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. When he glanced over at Dylan, he saw deep distress digging a groove into the other man’s forehead.

“Can I please talk to her? Please, just put Mom on the phone.” Claire listened for a moment before her entire face collapsed. “Can I at least come home so we can talk about it?” Ashen, she awaited a reply. Her eyes welled up with tears. “I can’t do that, Daddy…No, don’t say that…I—”

She halted, then turned to Aidan in shock. “He hung up on me.”

Aidan tried to pull her close again, but this time she rejected his comfort. She jerked up to her feet, two trails of moisture sliding down her porcelain cheeks.

“Chris showed up at their house and told them about us.” A splash of bitterness crept into her tone. “I don’t know why he decided to wait two weeks to drop the bomb, but apparently this has been a busy day for him.”

Dylan stood up slowly. “What did your father say?”

“He said he’s disappointed and horrified by my behavior, and that he’ll never approve of what I’m doing.” She brushed away her tears with her knuckles. “He ordered me to end it. I said I couldn’t do that, and that’s when he told me that as long as I’m involved with the two of you, I’m not welcome in his house.”

Aidan’s heart throbbed with agony. Shit.

He took a step toward her, as did Dylan, but she held up one trembling hand to stop them.

“No. I can’t do this right now. I know you guys want to help, but…I…” She took a breath. “But I just need to be alone.”

And then she hurried out of the room, leaving him and Dylan standing there helplessly.

Hands-down, this was the day from hell. A never-ending nightmare. She’d gotten fired, her dad had pretty much disowned her—what was going to happen next? Was a meteor going to crash into her rental car? Would the ceiling cave in on her head? Would the dog she didn’t own get hit by a car?

Oh, hush. Self-pity doesn’t become you.

Claire inhaled a long, deep breath and sat on Dylan’s bed. She’d gone into his room rather than Aidan’s because she hadn’t wanted to see the tangled sheets on the king-sized bed she’d been sharing with her men.

Yep, her men, as her father had referred to them.

If you don’t end it with those men of yours, you’re not welcome in my house, Claire.

Blinking through a new onslaught of tears, she keyed in the password to unlock her phone and quickly brought up her mother’s number. Her dad had refused to put Nora on the phone, but Claire prayed her mom would at least answer her cell.