separated for a bit, while she trailed behind, Eileen still in her arms.
Out in the stairwell, Marz said, “You know what? I better let Eileen out before we settle in with dinner.”
Kat waved him off. “I’ll do it. Go ahead and I’ll catch up.” Given that she’d gone right from being with Beckett to arguing with Nick to losing it over what’d nearly happened to Jeremy, she wouldn’t mind the alone time to pull herself together.
Outside, she put Eileen down on the gravel of the fenced-in parking lot and watched as the puppy meandered around, sniffing every little thing, until she made it over to the grass that ran around the outside of the lot. The rain had tapered off to a foggy mist that, together with the dark clouds, made it look even later than it was.
Leaning against the brick wall of the building, Kat rubbed her eyes and yawned. She’d been here less than a week and was already exhausted. She couldn’t imagine how the rest of them had been handling this situation for going on a month now. Even when you had downtime, you could never completely relax. Not when men with rocket launchers attacked your home in the middle of the night. For one.
Sighing, she dropped her hands. And saw Beckett getting out of his SUV on the other side of the parking lot. For a long moment she studied his gait. He walked with a small limp that seemed to favor his left leg. She knew it resulted from a grenade explosion in Afghanistan, but it didn’t seem to slow him down any, that was for sure.
He turned her way. Great.
Kat clapped her hands together. “Eileen? Come here, girl,” she called. We have to go in now! So I can avoid what’s sure to be an awkward conversation! Because I don’t need another one of those today! Although, maybe this was the perfect time to see what Beckett had told Marz. Still, hello awkward.
Near the line of motorcycles, Eileen’s head popped up and the puppy looked Kat’s way. But then she went right back to whatever she was doing.
Not that it mattered now that Beckett was halfway across the parking lot. Coming her way. And, just for the record, looking hot as fuck in the tee-jeans-boot combo. With his broad shoulders and thick thighs, the man filled out his clothing in a way that left little to the imagination. Which she didn’t really have to rely on now, did she? She’d seen the goods and knew that nice as those jeans looked on him, they looked about a million times hotter hanging around his knees.
Which was not a helpful thought right now.
And then he lifted his eyes and pinned her to the wall with that intense blue gaze.
So much for hoping he might just ignore her and go inside. Because he wasn’t heading for the door. He was heading right for her.
Her heart tripped into a sprint and she shivered as her memory treated her to a quick series of images from the last time he’d held her pinned against a wall. Taking a slow and hopefully calming breath, she met his gaze and waited until he came to a stop in front of her. Close enough that if she reached out a hand, she could grab his shirt and haul him all the way to her. Low, low in her belly, her muscles clenched in complete support of that idea. Freaking traitorous body.
“I want to say something, if that’s okay with you,” he said, his eyes searching hers.
His seriousness made her bite back the snark that sat on the tip of her tongue. “Sure,” she said, not having the first idea what to expect.
“What you offered to do in there . . . it’s a dangerous thing, Kat.”
Annnd, of course. Here we go . Frustrated, she pressed her hand to her eyes. The last thing she had energy for was another fight. “Beckett, this has been settled—”
“Wait.” His fingers curled around hers and pulled her hand away from her face. Still holding it, he stepped closer. “I’m fucking this up.”
It was almost like they spoke mutually unintelligible languages, for as much as she understood this guy. “Fucking what up?”
He shook
Out in the stairwell, Marz said, “You know what? I better let Eileen out before we settle in with dinner.”
Kat waved him off. “I’ll do it. Go ahead and I’ll catch up.” Given that she’d gone right from being with Beckett to arguing with Nick to losing it over what’d nearly happened to Jeremy, she wouldn’t mind the alone time to pull herself together.
Outside, she put Eileen down on the gravel of the fenced-in parking lot and watched as the puppy meandered around, sniffing every little thing, until she made it over to the grass that ran around the outside of the lot. The rain had tapered off to a foggy mist that, together with the dark clouds, made it look even later than it was.
Leaning against the brick wall of the building, Kat rubbed her eyes and yawned. She’d been here less than a week and was already exhausted. She couldn’t imagine how the rest of them had been handling this situation for going on a month now. Even when you had downtime, you could never completely relax. Not when men with rocket launchers attacked your home in the middle of the night. For one.
Sighing, she dropped her hands. And saw Beckett getting out of his SUV on the other side of the parking lot. For a long moment she studied his gait. He walked with a small limp that seemed to favor his left leg. She knew it resulted from a grenade explosion in Afghanistan, but it didn’t seem to slow him down any, that was for sure.
He turned her way. Great.
Kat clapped her hands together. “Eileen? Come here, girl,” she called. We have to go in now! So I can avoid what’s sure to be an awkward conversation! Because I don’t need another one of those today! Although, maybe this was the perfect time to see what Beckett had told Marz. Still, hello awkward.
Near the line of motorcycles, Eileen’s head popped up and the puppy looked Kat’s way. But then she went right back to whatever she was doing.
Not that it mattered now that Beckett was halfway across the parking lot. Coming her way. And, just for the record, looking hot as fuck in the tee-jeans-boot combo. With his broad shoulders and thick thighs, the man filled out his clothing in a way that left little to the imagination. Which she didn’t really have to rely on now, did she? She’d seen the goods and knew that nice as those jeans looked on him, they looked about a million times hotter hanging around his knees.
Which was not a helpful thought right now.
And then he lifted his eyes and pinned her to the wall with that intense blue gaze.
So much for hoping he might just ignore her and go inside. Because he wasn’t heading for the door. He was heading right for her.
Her heart tripped into a sprint and she shivered as her memory treated her to a quick series of images from the last time he’d held her pinned against a wall. Taking a slow and hopefully calming breath, she met his gaze and waited until he came to a stop in front of her. Close enough that if she reached out a hand, she could grab his shirt and haul him all the way to her. Low, low in her belly, her muscles clenched in complete support of that idea. Freaking traitorous body.
“I want to say something, if that’s okay with you,” he said, his eyes searching hers.
His seriousness made her bite back the snark that sat on the tip of her tongue. “Sure,” she said, not having the first idea what to expect.
“What you offered to do in there . . . it’s a dangerous thing, Kat.”
Annnd, of course. Here we go . Frustrated, she pressed her hand to her eyes. The last thing she had energy for was another fight. “Beckett, this has been settled—”
“Wait.” His fingers curled around hers and pulled her hand away from her face. Still holding it, he stepped closer. “I’m fucking this up.”
It was almost like they spoke mutually unintelligible languages, for as much as she understood this guy. “Fucking what up?”
He shook
Similar Books
