curled slightly. I used to snuggle back into him when he did that.
“Just the woman I wanted to see,” he said, his voice thick with sleep … or perhaps something else. That’s when I noticed he had two swords pointed at me … in a manner of speaking, at least.
“Are you going to put that thing away?”
He quirked a brow. “Which one?”
The man had absolutely no shame. “Both.”
Merde. I’d tried to tell myself that I was checking on him, making sure he was safe and well hidden.
But the truth was, I’d wanted to see him. I was starting to need him. And if I wasn’t careful, that desire would flay me alive.
The muscles in his shoulders bunched as he eased the steel blade back into its hiding spot.
This was such a bad idea. I didn’t know what I was doing. I was strung out and tired and I needed … “Sorry,” I said, scrubbing my hand over my face. “I shouldn’t have come. It’s been a rough twenty-four hours.”
“Sit,” he said, gesturing to his rumpled bed. When I hesitated, he gave me a resigned look. “I’m not going to try anything. I know you’re with—” He gestured, unable to even say the name.
“Marc,” I said quickly, feeling my ears redden at the tips. God, I was such an idiot. “I think I just needed to know you were here.”
Which was crazy because he wouldn’t always be there. He couldn’t.
A pained expression crossed his face. “I missed you too.”
“Galen—” I stood there, unsure what to say next.
“Don’t worry. I’ll back off.” He shook his head, saying almost to himself, “Every time I see a damned carton of blueberries, I think of you.”
I hadn’t eaten one since. And they were my favorite.
But I didn’t dare tell him that.
He sighed, running his hands through his short, clipped hair. “I didn’t set out to barge into your life and cause problems. I thought I could fly under the radar on this one.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I was wrong.”
“No.” I planted my back against the tent pole, trying to find the words. This was a man who did what was right. He followed his conscience, even if it got us into trouble. He could regret the situation, but as far as who he was…? “I’m glad you could come to me.”
He wasn’t my lover anymore. I’d never hold him again at night or tease him in the morning. But I could be with him in this. For whatever time we had left.
He watched me, his face carefully set. Hard.
“How will you get back?” I asked, more than ready to turn my mind to something else.
“I’m special ops,” he said. “I’m good at sneaking around.”
Yes, well, I hoped he wasn’t planning any heroics, not when he couldn’t shrug a shoulder without pain. Like it or not, he was human now.
“We’ll be out of your hair once Leta is stable enough to travel,” he said, as if he hadn’t nearly died on my table. “Until then, we need to lie low.”
Maybe I wasn’t so good at all of this black ops thinking, but, “Why can’t our side know anything? Are you hiding from them too?”
“For the time being, yes,” he said matter-of-factly.
Holy smokes. It wasn’t as if I were overly loyal to the new army, but still, the man had no fear.
I didn’t know whether to throttle him or give him a high five. “What are you, the Lone Ranger?”
He shook his head slowly. “I’m just trying to make a difference,” he said, as if that were it.
“What happened?” I asked, not expecting an answer.
“She was my mission,” he said simply. “I acquired her near one of the old army outposts.”
He sat on the cot, and this time I joined him.
He rested his forearms on his knees. “She’s a special breed that the old army is trying to weaponize.”
“Lovely.”
“Yes. Let’s just say our side is very interested in the program they’re developing. I was sent in to extricate, or exterminate if necessary.”
“Galen—”
“I wasn’t going to do that,” he said quickly. He scrubbed a hand over his
“Just the woman I wanted to see,” he said, his voice thick with sleep … or perhaps something else. That’s when I noticed he had two swords pointed at me … in a manner of speaking, at least.
“Are you going to put that thing away?”
He quirked a brow. “Which one?”
The man had absolutely no shame. “Both.”
Merde. I’d tried to tell myself that I was checking on him, making sure he was safe and well hidden.
But the truth was, I’d wanted to see him. I was starting to need him. And if I wasn’t careful, that desire would flay me alive.
The muscles in his shoulders bunched as he eased the steel blade back into its hiding spot.
This was such a bad idea. I didn’t know what I was doing. I was strung out and tired and I needed … “Sorry,” I said, scrubbing my hand over my face. “I shouldn’t have come. It’s been a rough twenty-four hours.”
“Sit,” he said, gesturing to his rumpled bed. When I hesitated, he gave me a resigned look. “I’m not going to try anything. I know you’re with—” He gestured, unable to even say the name.
“Marc,” I said quickly, feeling my ears redden at the tips. God, I was such an idiot. “I think I just needed to know you were here.”
Which was crazy because he wouldn’t always be there. He couldn’t.
A pained expression crossed his face. “I missed you too.”
“Galen—” I stood there, unsure what to say next.
“Don’t worry. I’ll back off.” He shook his head, saying almost to himself, “Every time I see a damned carton of blueberries, I think of you.”
I hadn’t eaten one since. And they were my favorite.
But I didn’t dare tell him that.
He sighed, running his hands through his short, clipped hair. “I didn’t set out to barge into your life and cause problems. I thought I could fly under the radar on this one.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I was wrong.”
“No.” I planted my back against the tent pole, trying to find the words. This was a man who did what was right. He followed his conscience, even if it got us into trouble. He could regret the situation, but as far as who he was…? “I’m glad you could come to me.”
He wasn’t my lover anymore. I’d never hold him again at night or tease him in the morning. But I could be with him in this. For whatever time we had left.
He watched me, his face carefully set. Hard.
“How will you get back?” I asked, more than ready to turn my mind to something else.
“I’m special ops,” he said. “I’m good at sneaking around.”
Yes, well, I hoped he wasn’t planning any heroics, not when he couldn’t shrug a shoulder without pain. Like it or not, he was human now.
“We’ll be out of your hair once Leta is stable enough to travel,” he said, as if he hadn’t nearly died on my table. “Until then, we need to lie low.”
Maybe I wasn’t so good at all of this black ops thinking, but, “Why can’t our side know anything? Are you hiding from them too?”
“For the time being, yes,” he said matter-of-factly.
Holy smokes. It wasn’t as if I were overly loyal to the new army, but still, the man had no fear.
I didn’t know whether to throttle him or give him a high five. “What are you, the Lone Ranger?”
He shook his head slowly. “I’m just trying to make a difference,” he said, as if that were it.
“What happened?” I asked, not expecting an answer.
“She was my mission,” he said simply. “I acquired her near one of the old army outposts.”
He sat on the cot, and this time I joined him.
He rested his forearms on his knees. “She’s a special breed that the old army is trying to weaponize.”
“Lovely.”
“Yes. Let’s just say our side is very interested in the program they’re developing. I was sent in to extricate, or exterminate if necessary.”
“Galen—”
“I wasn’t going to do that,” he said quickly. He scrubbed a hand over his
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