Burn Out *18+*

Chapter 3

Jasper Kingsley was many things. He was the golden child of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Everyone knew the Kingsley name, and though we came from a long line of Kingsleys, he was the most notable. Now, he was also plastered all over international headlines for proposing to his girlfriend – who just happened to be queen of a small country off the coast of France.

From the outside, it may have sounded amazing. In theory, I could be in line for many perks and privileges, like those younger siblings of prior students. I could have had all the glamor from both of his accomplishments without any of the spotlight – the spotlight that effectively stuck him behind a desk for the rest of his days. Its hard to do undercover work when the world knows your face better than they know their own.

But this was Jasper we were talking about. And, in true form, he sent me on a wild goose chase to prepare for his arrival. Apparently, he and Zara were having something of a pre-honeymoon and landing in Calgary so they could fully experience the Canadian Rockies' gem that was Banff. I imagined it would be a romantic getaway with candlelit dinners and easy paced days exploring the best Alberta had to offer.

That was not my reality though.

"Hey kiddo," my dad greeted when I dialed him from a squishy parking lot downtown. Of course, the best macarons would be in one of the worst locations.

"Hey Dad, how are things?"

"Oh you know, I spend the majority of my days in the bushes with the birds."

I smiled a little bit even though I felt like resting my head on my steering wheel and maybe letting out a few stressed tears. "That's good. Any new findings?"

"No, not really, this damn light pollution is still frustrating the hell out of me. But, on the plus side, no people! And I found this waterfall I think you would really like. It's small, but beautiful and the hike isn't too bad."

That was my dad, always the optimistic. Even in his career as an environmental biologist, he always found the bright side – as long as he could make time to reduce waste as well. He was the exact opposite of my mother, always viewing the world through kind eyes. If romantic movies were to be believed, their marriage was set in stone and their relationship would flourish. The divorce said otherwise though.

"I'd love that," I murmured, my heart already feeling lighter despite the fact that I couldn't even imagine taking time away for a hike right now.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it, but I also know that you usually only call me when something is wrong," he encouraged.

I rubbed soothing circles between my eyebrows where a headache was starting to form. "Jasper is coming to town."

"Oh, why is he coming there? They don't have enough galas in Toronto for him?"

I snorted. "He's bringing Zara and they are going to brief me on their wedding. He wants me to act as security on the big day."

"London, that's great!" my dad proclaimed. "This could be the break you're looking for."

His excitement only made the knot in my stomach tighten. "I didn't want to be hand-fed this chance. I wanted to really prove myself, for someone to look at my years of schooling and all of my abilities and finally see that I'm just as much a Kingsley as Alistair and Jasper and mom."

I wanted to swallow the words as soon as I said them. Last names had always been a touchy subject in the household. My mother hadn't changed her last name after getting married and neither had my dad. My mom was driven to always be a Kingsley, through and through. And when I came along, it was clear that I would be just the same. I knew my dad was supportive of my mother, even now. But that didn't mean he wasn't a little upset by it.

It felt like a lifetime passed before he finally replied, "You are a Wallace just the same, London. You have things that Jasper and Alistair could never and that makes you valuable in your own way."

What the golden cousins had that I didn't was high paying jobs within a government agency.

Still, I said, "You're right."

When I finished on the phone with my dad, I continued on my great hunt. Not only did I need to buy particular macarons for Zara, I also had to find her favorite champagne – which none of the major liquor stores carried – and find a new outfit because I knew there was not a single thing in my closet that would impress a queen or her judgmental husband.

When I got back to my apartment, my arms were loaded with bags because I had poor decision-making skills and Dex was waiting for me on the couch. He knew me well enough to let me orient myself and clear away my bags and purchases before speaking, but once my new clothes were tossed in my bedroom and the champagne was chilling in the fridge, he was ready for me standing by the couch patiently.

"You're frazzled."

Dexter Aquino was many things. He was a talented mechanic. He was an adrenaline junky who craved speed. He was smarter than he ever gave himself credit for. But he had never been good with words and he wasn't particularly well versed in gentle deliveries either.

"Thanks."

"Did you go on a date with that asshole again?"

"No." Inkwell heard the tone of my voice and decided that it was best he stay far away, safe in his cat tower.

Dexter was oblivious.

"I don't even see why you go for guys like that."

I wanted to run a hand down my face, but resisted because I had been raised to be an agent and him seeing that I was scattered was already too much. I should know better. I should be doing better. Just because he was my friend didn't mean he couldn't be good practice.

"I don't go for guys like that. It's just sex. I leave before they even wake up," I stated.

There was a moment when Dexter said nothing, simply assessed me as if he couldn't understand me. "Are you going to tell me what is wrong or am I going to have to pry it out of you."

I knew exactly what he meant. This had been a tactic that he used since we were kids. I had been notoriously tight lipped back then, especially with him, and he was so socially oblivious that unless I verbalized exactly what I was going through, he often had no idea. I offered him nothing, only ticking up my chin.

And before I knew it, I was being tossed on the couch. Dexter wasn't a hulking man. He was about my height, but his physical work in the mechanic shop meant that he was surprisingly strong for his lean form. Which realistically didn't mean much. Years of martial arts had taught me that weight and strength could be used in favor or against. Each time his hands gripped my hips and his feet shuffled my mind went to weak spots and openings for rapid blows to the face.

But I never resisted against Dexter. He was fast and decent considering his lack of formal training. And there was something about the confrontation that I craved.

Yet, today, something changed.

I was hyperaware of him. I didn't think about the mistakes he made or how easy it would have been to defeat him. I couldn't. A hand was pinning my hip down onto my couch, a blatant challenge. But a thumb had slipped under my blouse, pressing against my bare skin. My breath got caught in my throat. Both of my wrists were captured in one hand. It was a rookie mistake if there ever was one. But when he pinned them down, my eyes darted to his mouth and got stuck on the way it curled up into a smile.

My mind derailed. Had I ever been distracted by a man like this before? No, it didn't seem possible. And I had certainly never felt this way with Dex before. We had done this for years. This was who we were.

But all it would take was one buck of my hips...

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong now?" he asked.

And normalcy returned. Thank God too because I certainly didn't need another distraction.

~~~Distraction Section~~~

I hope you are all doing well! As some of you may have seen, my fourth book is being published shortly! Follow my instagram for updates (sidsbookcollection)

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