Page 48 of Fatal Mistake
“Then will you at least consider coming inside?” His unusually gentle tone wrapped around her like a soothing heat wrap.
She wanted to comply, but she wasn’t ready to be cooped up again. She also couldn’t talk about the nightmare or her rubber bands.
“This guard you put up all the time,” she said, turning the focus on him in hopes that he might respond to her this time. “Is it from something in your past or living the SEAL motto you told me about?”
He went quiet. Not that she expected him to respond, but at least it stopped him from asking additional questions.
“Both,” he said.
Surprised that he’d answered, she swiveled to face him, her wrist pulling free, and she immediately missed his touch.
“I was a SEAL for enough years to know that if you don’t keep up your defenses, people can die.” He looked into her eyes. “People like you, and I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you. I get that I’m coming on strong when it comes to protecting you, but I only want to make sure you’re safe.”
In the fathomless bottom of his eyes, she glimpsed a level of caring that took her breath. This hunt for Keeler was very personal for him. She was personal for him.
“Why?” she whispered, even though she shouldn’t go down this path. “Why this deep interest in protecting me?”
“It’s my job.”
“And that’s all it is to you?” Breath held, she waited for his answer.
Water trickled over her feet and frogs chirped in the distance, but he remained silent.
“Cal?” she asked, yet wished she’d been strong enough not to need to.
“We…you and me, we have something. A connection.” His eyes flashed up to meet hers and held. “You can feel it, too. Right?”
Should she answer truthfully? She couldn’t look him in the eye as she considered her response, so she ran her gaze over him.
He wore his tactical pants and the navy shirt that molded to his toned body. His jaw was rugged, his eyes soft and caring. He was the complete physical package, so her attraction to him made sense, but it went deeper than that and was stronger than she’d first thought. Something that hadn’t happened since, well, since never.
Why now, God? Why him?
She raised her gaze to Cal’s. “I don’t want to be attracted to you.”
“But you are?” he asked again, as if he needed to hear her admit it.
“Yes.” She kept it at one word and wouldn’t elaborate, as speaking it aloud would make things worse.
“Then we need to get beyond it, or at least I need to. I’m charged with finding a serial killer and making sure you don’t become one of his victims.” The warmth evaporated from his gaze, and his shoulders stiffened. “We need to keep things professional between us. Let’s agree to avoid situations like this, especially when we’re alone under the stars.”
“Why, Cal Riggins, I think you’re a romantic at heart,” she teased, in hopes of lightening things up a bit.
“Maybe.” He started to get up.
“Wait.” She shot out a hand to clutch his wrist. His pulse throbbed under her fingers, making her even more aware of him as a man, but she banished thoughts of him from her mind.
“I didn’t thank you for this morning, for risking your life for me,” she said. “If you hadn’t been there. Been willing to cover me…” Tears threatened, and she looked up to stem them. “So if you want me to back down on helping tomorrow, I will.”
“It’s your decision.” His voice held no hint of his true thoughts. “I won’t tell you what to do, but I hope you’ll at least think about my reservations.” He smiled and their gazes collided.
Emotions raced along her nerve ends so fast she couldn’t even put a name to them. She opened her mouth to speak, but she didn’t know what to say. How to act.
“I want to let you do this, but when you look at me like you’re doing now…” His low, husky voice wrapped around her. “I can’t think, much less entertain the thought that you would put your life on the line.”
“I can’t either,” she whispered. “Think, that is.”
His smile widened, one corner crookedly tipping higher. He gently cupped the side of her face, and then, not breaking eye contact, he got to his feet and tugged her up. She half hoped he’d stood to draw her into his arms, as she wanted nothing more than to feel the security of rock-solid arms holding her right now, but he let go of her hand and stepped back.
