fighting chance to stop the bastards.”
“We can only hope.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, as if the potential for disaster had sent a chill through her.
“I thought we’d get a motel room first and then look for some dinner. I’m about ready to eat my duffel.” He forced himself to add, “If you’d prefer, we can get two rooms, but I’d rather stay closer to you in case those guys manage to find us.”
“What are the chances of that happening?”
He thought about it. “It seems pretty unlikely, but it all depends on how they were tracking you.”
The reasons he’d given her were true, but the real reason he wanted her sleeping in the same room had to do with the kiss they’d shared.
She reached out to take his hand in hers. “I’ll sleep better knowing you’re with me.”
Suddenly the evening was filled with possibilities. He spotted a motel with a restaurant ahead on the right. He drove around the block, making sure that no one was following them. Deciding they were in the clear, he pulled into the parking lot and drove around to the back to park.
“Would you mind waiting in the truck? As far as we know, no one is looking for a man traveling alone.”
“I’ll be fine.”
He hated leaving Jora by herself for even a few minutes, though. He leaned over to retrieve his guns from the glove box, where he’d stashed them earlier. After handing Jora one, he stuck the other into the waistband of his jeans and pulled his shirt down to cover it.
“I hope you won’t need that, but I’ll feel better knowing you’ve got it.”
Jora checked the gun with quick efficiency and put it back in the glove box, within easy reach. “Thanks, Penn. Not just for the gun, but for everything.”
“Don’t sweat it.”
Then he surprised them both by leaning over to give her a quick kiss. When he started to pull back, she captured his face with both hands and kissed him back with interest. There was no way he wanted to be the one to break it off, but if he didn’t get out of the truck right then, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to.
He brushed her hair back from her face as he reluctantly reached for the door handle. “Hold that thought. I’ll hurry.”
Her smile was a promise of heat and temptation. “See that you do.”
Penn took off at a ground-eating lope, all masculine strength and grace, and flashed her a grin as he turned the corner to walk back to the office. She drew a deep breath and leaned her head back. What was she thinking?
She’d never been the kind of woman who slept with a man right away, yet she was seriously considering getting naked with one she’d barely known for twenty-four hours. Not just any man, either, but a Paladin, for God’s sake!
Maybe she’d seriously fried her brain by linking with the barrier for so long, but there was something about Penn Sebastian that drew her as no other man ever had. Partly it was because she didn’t have to pretend around him, but it went far deeper than that.
She’d spent so much of her life alone. She’d grown up with her parents’ constant fear of discovery, which left the three of them isolated from the rest of the town. She’d gone to college right here in Bozeman, barely far enough from her parents to really be on her own. As much as she wanted to explore the world, she couldn’t have abandoned her parents.
She’d never felt comfortable bringing friends to the house, which had made her feel guilty about accepting invitations from friends since she couldn’t reciprocate. And the need to watch every word made maintaining friendships difficult, so it was no wonder she’d earned a reputation for being standoffish and a loner.
With Penn, she could simply be herself. He not only knew she was different, he lived with the same burden of secrecy that she did. Together they could let down their guards, and simply be a man and a woman, with all the undercurrents that could generate.
She caught herself tracing her lips with a
“We can only hope.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, as if the potential for disaster had sent a chill through her.
“I thought we’d get a motel room first and then look for some dinner. I’m about ready to eat my duffel.” He forced himself to add, “If you’d prefer, we can get two rooms, but I’d rather stay closer to you in case those guys manage to find us.”
“What are the chances of that happening?”
He thought about it. “It seems pretty unlikely, but it all depends on how they were tracking you.”
The reasons he’d given her were true, but the real reason he wanted her sleeping in the same room had to do with the kiss they’d shared.
She reached out to take his hand in hers. “I’ll sleep better knowing you’re with me.”
Suddenly the evening was filled with possibilities. He spotted a motel with a restaurant ahead on the right. He drove around the block, making sure that no one was following them. Deciding they were in the clear, he pulled into the parking lot and drove around to the back to park.
“Would you mind waiting in the truck? As far as we know, no one is looking for a man traveling alone.”
“I’ll be fine.”
He hated leaving Jora by herself for even a few minutes, though. He leaned over to retrieve his guns from the glove box, where he’d stashed them earlier. After handing Jora one, he stuck the other into the waistband of his jeans and pulled his shirt down to cover it.
“I hope you won’t need that, but I’ll feel better knowing you’ve got it.”
Jora checked the gun with quick efficiency and put it back in the glove box, within easy reach. “Thanks, Penn. Not just for the gun, but for everything.”
“Don’t sweat it.”
Then he surprised them both by leaning over to give her a quick kiss. When he started to pull back, she captured his face with both hands and kissed him back with interest. There was no way he wanted to be the one to break it off, but if he didn’t get out of the truck right then, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to.
He brushed her hair back from her face as he reluctantly reached for the door handle. “Hold that thought. I’ll hurry.”
Her smile was a promise of heat and temptation. “See that you do.”
Penn took off at a ground-eating lope, all masculine strength and grace, and flashed her a grin as he turned the corner to walk back to the office. She drew a deep breath and leaned her head back. What was she thinking?
She’d never been the kind of woman who slept with a man right away, yet she was seriously considering getting naked with one she’d barely known for twenty-four hours. Not just any man, either, but a Paladin, for God’s sake!
Maybe she’d seriously fried her brain by linking with the barrier for so long, but there was something about Penn Sebastian that drew her as no other man ever had. Partly it was because she didn’t have to pretend around him, but it went far deeper than that.
She’d spent so much of her life alone. She’d grown up with her parents’ constant fear of discovery, which left the three of them isolated from the rest of the town. She’d gone to college right here in Bozeman, barely far enough from her parents to really be on her own. As much as she wanted to explore the world, she couldn’t have abandoned her parents.
She’d never felt comfortable bringing friends to the house, which had made her feel guilty about accepting invitations from friends since she couldn’t reciprocate. And the need to watch every word made maintaining friendships difficult, so it was no wonder she’d earned a reputation for being standoffish and a loner.
With Penn, she could simply be herself. He not only knew she was different, he lived with the same burden of secrecy that she did. Together they could let down their guards, and simply be a man and a woman, with all the undercurrents that could generate.
She caught herself tracing her lips with a
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