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“Okay,” she said, and took off into the en suite.
The doorbell rang a second time.
“Coming.” He tucked his very satisfied dick into his pants, redid his fly and half-jogged down the stairs to the entrance to let Chase in.
“What was the delay? Or shouldn’t I ask?” Her brother’s smug smile said he had a pretty good idea about what they’d been doing.
“Don’t ask.” Alexander waved him in. “Come on through.”
He grabbed a beer for himself and his best mate, and a sparkling wine for Sage, then served up their plates of lasagna and Mediterranean salad. Sage soon joined them, and they started eating.
“So, when’s the wedding?” Chase said, in between mouthfuls of food.
Sage huff-laughed. “No pressure or anything.” She glanced at Alexander.
“Soon. I thought April. You’re going to make a beautiful bride.” He rubbed his palm along her thigh and squeezed.
She looked almost giddy with elation. “Oh, that’s perfect. I love April weather!”
“I know.”
He couldn’t miss the tears of joy glistening in her eyes. And fuck, it almost made him want to take the plunge tomorrow. But the wedding would come around soon enough, assuming she supported his self-funded career prospects. He could be patient. They’d already waited several years, what were a few more months?
She stared at him with an abundance of love and devotion. He fucking wished they were alone so he could show her exactly how much he appreciated her, their relationship.
“Should I go home?” Chase’s smirk-filled voice interrupted their little I-love-you-so-much cocoon.
“No.” Alexander swung his gaze to his best friend, then back to his woman. “There’s something I want to run by you both.”
They looked at him with quizzical expressions, ramping up the tension in his body.
Alexander couldn’t put the conversation off any longer. He had to explain his intentions, especially before Sage fully committed to him. He didn’t want her to feel manipulated or bullied into a situation.
From the moment they’d slept together, literally and figuratively, his nightmares had stopped. He’d kept waiting for them to rear their ugly head but…nothing. Thank fuck.
Having her support, and that of the psychologist Sage had arranged, had helped enormously. Now he had to get through this last hurdle.
He had mulled over what it would take to reintegrate into normality, what kind of work would make him happy, fulfilled, feel useful. And he’d chosen a vocation, fear and uncertainty coercing him into holding his controversial cards close to his chest.
“I’ve decided on something as a possible career.”
“You have?” Sage’s eyes lit up like a neon sign on the Vegas strip. She’d returned to work after a month’s break without any major issues—so far, hopefully never—and had discovered a renewed love of her job. Knowing Mallory had been convicted and put away for several years with regular psychological intervention had also helped.
“Yeah.” He inhaled slow and deep. “I want to start a private security company, working on government contracts, as well as weighing up the suitability of any other interesting cases that come along. Before you say anything, let me finish.”
They nodded, their gazes steadfast, unblinking.
“I have the experience and the expertise. I won’t do many physical assignments—only if the contract calls for it. Mostly, I intend to oversee operations and employ ex-military, ex-police force, ex-firefighters, anyone who still has the drive to protect others but can’t return to their previous occupation. I want to hire those who have the skills and desire to re-find purpose in their lives.”
He chanced a glance at Chase first, then Sage. Their beaming smiles reinforced their support and unconditional love. “I was thinking of calling it ‘Solve Security’. Solve cases, solve ex-service people’s concerns and uncertainty about new career options, about where they fit in. What do you think?”
“It’s fucking fantastic—the idea, the name.” Chase slapped him hard on the shoulder and grinned.
Alexander grinned back. One down, one to go. He swept his gaze to his woman and waited for her response. His heart hadn’t pounded this hard since he worried he might lose the love of his life.
She smiled, big and broad and full-on affectionate. “I think it’s brilliant. And we’ll assist you in any way we can to get the project up and going.”
Thank fuck he had plenty of capital from good investments as well as his military payout and pension. Plus the closest, most important people understood his need to engage in meaningful activity or else he’d struggle.
