Chapter Twenty Five
With a flutter in her belly, Alice sautéed the vegetables as John finished with the chicken in the frying pan. The flutter had everything to do with the man next to her. He added a few spices to his dish. She decided to test John's fortitude and reached for the pepper, adding it to the vegetables. Her brother and father said that real men handled spices. Pepper wasn't much, but she was curious.
After their conversation on the couch, she'd decided that everything would be all right if they did end up dating. John walked away from the meat and set the table. She found a bowl and added her vegetables. Then she opened the refrigerator and grabbed the bag with the rolls. Together.
The accent wall that separated the kitchen and dining room was yellow. If she lived here full-time, she'd suggest something brighter. In Miami, bland was not part of the decor. Alice smiled as they passed each other—their partnership had the table set in no time. Her father never helped her mother in the kitchen, but then he was in the fields until Ellie called him.
John's brow shot up. With a wink, she continued to smile. He grabbed the rest of their dinner and called behind her, "What has made you so happy?"
First she put the food on the table, and then placed her hand on her hip. "You."
He took a step backwards. "Me?"
Light-hearted, she felt as if she were floating as she rearranged the dishes and then sat down. "Yeah."
"I thought you wanted to be free of me."
As he sat, she scooted her chair closer so their knees brushed. "No. I said I wanted to go slow. There is a huge difference."
The color of his eyes darkened. "Explain how you see us then."
Fireworks exploded inside her. "You want an us?"
As his hand fell onto her thigh, her body melted. "Yes," he answered.
Every cell in her body woke up. She needed a kiss. "I wanted to hear that, I guess."
As her eyes closed, her heartbeat grew loud in her ears. She opened her lips, and then his met hers. The embers of last night burned hot inside her, and she ached for more.
Her hands wrapped around his back, feeling the muscles underneath his clothes.
An alarm rang loudly in the air. John jumped out of his seat and her body felt shaken from his sudden departure. "Go to your room and lock the door."
Her eyes scanned the area as her heart thrashed in her ears. Her voice was fast and shaky. "You said this house was safe."
John walked out of the dining room and assessed the front door. She ran behind him. "The police will be here and Morgan security is on the way," he said. "I need my gun."
Of course he had one. The FBI didn't let agents not carry. Then, as if he was walking toward a battlefield, he turned and headed toward the living area. Nothing seemed out of place, except for the blare of the alarm.
Her limbs trembled as she followed him down the hall. John pointed to her room. "Go inside. Lock the door."
She looked behind her, but no one was there. Her hands were clammy and she tried to stop shaking to tell him, "No. I'm staying right beside you."
He kept his pace toward his room. "You're impossible to protect."
Her chin trembled, and every step they took echoed in her head. "Likewise. John, if this guy wants to hurt me to get to you, then he'll target you. I can't let that happen."
Glass shattered behind them. John pushed Alice in front of him and then turned around in the hall. "Get to my bedroom so we can get my gun."
A whimper escaped her mouth, but she turned around and went for his room. He needed his weapon. Alice swung open the door, and John rushed them both inside and then headed right for the dresser drawer. The second he stepped away from her a coldness entered her. He grabbed a key from his pocket and unlocked a drawer.
More glass shattered. Alice said in a low voice, "They have to be inside now. Hurry."
The clip of the gun made a snapping noise as he put everything together. John rushed back into the hall. With tight shoulders, she followed behind him. She grabbed his hip so she'd at least touch him. "If you won't lock the door and stay here, then stay behind my shoulder."
With her elbows pressed to her sides, she ducked back. "What are you going to do?"
"If someone is in my house, here to hurt you, then he's a dead man."
