I take a deep breath and nod. “I do. It just takes getting used to. I’m used to people being very open with me.”
“And I will be open about everything that matters. The only things I’ll keep to myself are about my assignments, the things I can’t tell you about.”
I nod again.
He pulls me toward him and I wrap my arms around his waist.
“I’ll hold you to that,” I say.
We stand there for several minutes.
“We should have breakfast,” he says. “What do you think about having leftovers from last night?”
“Sounds good to me.”
As we eat, I ask him questions about his job. Ones he can answer, like how often he goes on assignments, how long he is usually gone, does he go alone or with others? He answers it all and tells me all about the guys he works with. It’s clear they are more than coworkers to him. It sounds like family.
“Oh, and we also work with a group out of Seattle, too. It’s the one Stormy is part owner of I mentioned earlier. You will meet them someday. They are a bit wacky, though.”
I laugh. “Wackier than the bunch here? I don’t think that’s possible.”
He laughs. “Trust me, it’s possible.”
There’s another question that’s been on my mind, but I’ve been afraid to ask. But since he’s being so open, I guess now is the time.
“How often are you in danger? I mean, real danger?”
He stares at his plate for a moment. Then he turns his chair away from the table and toward mind to face me. “I don’t want to scare you, but it’s often. There is a reason people request former special forces military for their needs. It’s dangerous, but we are all trained to handle it.”
I lose my appetite and push my plate away. “So, any time you go on an assignment, you might not come back?”
“It’s always a risk. But then, anytime you get into a car or on a plane, there is a risk. Or show a building.” He grins.
“Sorry about that,” I say.
“Don’t be. It led to this.” He motions between us. “I can assure you that I’m damn good at what I do, as are the guys I work with. In all the years I’ve been working there, everyone has come home. If this will be a problem, you need to let me know now. Because it’s only going to get harder the closer we get if you are scared.”
I move from my chair and straddle him. “I might be scared from time to time, but it won’t be a problem. You’re right. You’re good at what you do. I got to see it for myself.”
He scoots my hips tighter against him. “Good.”
I’m instantly turned on being this close to him. I lean down to kiss him.
“Mmm. I want to keep going, but I promised Durango I’d call him after watching Stacy’s attorney’s statement.”
“That’s all right. We will continue this later.”
I want this man again but not with any distractions. I go to move off his lap to give him privacy, but he uses his arm to hold me in place.
He calls Durango, and from my position, I can hear their conversation.
“The police are here now,” Durango says. “There is spray paint all over the outside of the building, and several windows were broken with rocks, but it doesn’t look like anyone went inside.”
“Has Reed checked the cameras?”
“He’s doing that now, hoping to give something to the officers,” Durango says.
“Okay, we are on our way.”
