Free Blake, Abby - Keen Inclination [A Bride for Eight Brothers 4] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) by Abby Blake

name?”
    “Because it wasn’t who I was anymore. Mikayla Noone might’ve been no one, but the memories I have of my childhood were not worth holding on to. I wanted to start anew. If I hadn’t fallen for Jet’s lies, I might still be Mikayla Noone, quiet, efficient administration assistant.”
    She smiled that hauntingly sexy smile, and Lachlan wanted nothing more than to drag her over his desk and love her until they didn’t have the energy to move. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said to Bryce.
    He laughed and asked his question anyway. “With that type of experience behind you, how did you fall for Jet’s lies?”
    She shrugged and tilted her head to the side. Her smile seemed a little crooked. “I guess, like a lot of people, I wanted to be loved so desperately I didn’t try to look past the surface.”
    “And now?” Matt asked as he pulled her onto his lap.
    “Now, I am loved by eight very incredible men who I know will love me regardless of my colorful past.” Matt looked very relieved by her answer.
    Bryce looked thoughtful for a moment and then said a little hesitantly, “I might still have the right contacts to create a background to go with the rest of you.”
    Mikayla smiled slightly. “Angels or devils?” she asked.
    “Angels,” Bryce said with a smile. “All legal and, well, sort of aboveboard, I promise you. I have a friend who creates rock-solid backgrounds for undercover cops. I’m certain he can fill in a few blanks for you.”
    “Okay,” she said, looking more relieved than Lachlan would’ve expected. “Maybe if there are enough details, Jessie Evans and her bloodhounds might back off.”
    “It’s settled then,” Bryce said with a nod as he stood up. “No time like the present.” He grinned as he left the room and Lachlan marveled at how easily Bryce could contain his curiosity. Despite the fact that Lachlan would deny it until his last breath, he really wanted to know Mikayla’s name before she’d changed it.
    She snuggled into Matt’s embrace and looked more relaxed than she had in a long time.
    “Why don’t you two go take a nap,” Lachlan said with a quick wink, partially wishing he could be there as well but also realizing that Matt needed to spend some quality time with their wife. The man still looked very pale.
    Mikayla smiled at Lachlan, mouthed the words “thank you” and then whispered in Matt’s ear. A smile broke across Matt’s face at the same time he lifted their wife into his arms and carried her from the room. Lachlan laughed quietly as he realized the ungrateful bastard hadn’t even said goodbye.

    * * * *

    Matt’s arms trembled slightly as he held Mikayla close. He’d known she was reluctant to talk about her past, but he never would’ve guessed the reality. God, he wanted to lock her in his room and never let the world near her again.
    They’d barely made it out of Lachlan’s office when the proximity alert started shrieking once more. He could hear Lachlan cursing as he collected his weapons, and Matt got out of the way as Bryce bolted down the hall to the communications room and then came running back a moment later.
    “What have we got?” Lachlan asked him.
    “We’ve got two ships. One aft,” Bryce said as he ran toward them. “One…ah…not aft?”
    “Not aft?” Lachlan asked with a raised eyebrow. Bryce just shrugged. He’d spent most of his life on Earth, so it was no surprise he wasn’t familiar with ship terminology.
    “Stay with Mikayla,” Lachlan ordered Matt.
    “We’ll be in the lab. I’ll keep her safe.” Matt promised as he put Mikayla on her feet and grabbed her hand.
    Together they ran to lab and found Ryan sitting calmly reading the intergalactic news on the computer.
    “Did you know,” he said as they entered the room, “that the mouse tears have been declared an illegal substance?”
    “What?” Mikayla and Matt asked at the same time.
    “Nice of the medical consortium to tell us,