Submission Impossible (Masters & Mercenaries Reloaded 1)

Cara stared at her and Noelle could see the reporter in her friend. “But I thought you said it wasn’t plain to you.”

“I didn’t know you were looking into it. I guess now I feel kind of weird talking to you about it.” She wasn’t sure what Hutch would want her to say.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel awkward,” Cara offered. “I’m trying to look out for you. I hope you know that. I don’t have many friends. I might be a little abrasive.”

“No, you’re not.” Cara was aggressive sometimes, but it came with her job. “I like you, too. But I don’t think you have to worry about me.”

“I would worry about anyone close to Jessica Layne,” Cara admitted. “While you were in Papillon, I did some research on her. More than the usual surface stuff. There are some people who think she didn’t earn her degree. She was set to graduate with a business degree and then in the course of two semesters made the switch and suddenly had a bachelor’s in science.”

“She’s got a genius-level IQ.”

“I think that might be another of her myths,” Cara argued. “She’s excellent about building a narrative around herself and her company. Up until now you’ve flown under her radar.”

“Why wouldn’t I continue to?”

That seemed to make Cara stop. “I guess you could. I guess that’s what I’m saying. She’s dangerous.”

That’s what everyone told her. “I’d like to see your research.”

Cara nodded. “Good. I’d like to share it with you. Maybe we can have dinner and go over it Thursday night.”

“I can’t. I’ve got a thing Thursday.” She still wasn’t willing to share the Sanctum part of her life with her friend. She wished she hadn’t been forced to share it with Hutch. It should be private until she decided she knew what she was doing. Still, she would need a good excuse. “We’re all going out on Thursday to meet a friend from home. She’s coming up to a conference and that’s the only night she’s got for dinner.”

Cara finished her glass, setting it down on the table. “Well, then maybe we can do it some other time.” She stood up. “Just know that if you want to talk about anything, I’m next door. I hope you know what you’re doing with this guy.”

Cara held out a hand, not asking Noelle to get up. Cara seemed good about knowing when she wasn’t feeling great. One of the things that made her like the woman was the fact that she didn’t make a big deal out of it. Cara, like Hutch, treated her like a normal person.

Because she was normal. She could hear Hutch in her head. She was a perfectly normal Noelle, and that was all anyone could expect of her.

It was good to be reminded from time to time.

“I do, too.” Noelle squeezed Cara’s hand before she let it go.

She was going to hold the line. She didn’t know Hutch and couldn’t trust that anything between them was real. If she threw herself into a relationship with a man she didn’t know and tossed out her chance to explore something she thought could be good for her, then she would be the fool. She’d seen how that could work out.

Of course, she’d also seen how fast her dad had fallen for her stepmom. But they were older, they’d made all their mistakes and were ready to truly commit. How many of her friends had she seen get their hearts broken because they’d picked the wrong guy? Even Cara admitted she’d had a bad breakup.

“Do you ever think of him?” Noelle asked as Cara started for the door.

Cara turned, her hand on the knob. “Of my ex?”

“You were supposed to get married, right?”

“Yeah. I took a job he wasn’t happy about,” Cara admitted. “He couldn’t handle the fact that I switched companies. Uhm, newspapers. He was a reporter, too, but he preferred to stay and write about local stories. I was more ambitious, and he thought that made me a bad person. Like I’m supposed to stay loyal to my team at all times.”

“There’s a difference between loyalty and accepting good opportunities. I mean you didn’t step on anyone’s toes, right?”

Cara shook her head. “I didn’t. All of our friends were happy for me. That’s the sad part. He was the only one who didn’t understand. Be careful with your guy. He might seem great now, but you’re going places, Noelle. Guys can have fragile egos about things like the women in their lives making more money and being more respected than they are. Jessica Layne at least has one thing right. She said she wouldn’t ever marry because she wouldn’t find a man who could handle her ambition and drive. At the end of the day, they all still want a woman who cooks and cleans and takes care of them. Call me. Maybe we can have lunch. I missed you while you were in Louisiana.”