Page 83 of Night Moves
“What’s that?” Natalie asked.
Drake lifted his goggles and looked at her. “A handheld Doppler radar device that sees through walls. Erik will run it along the exterior walls, and it’ll pick up movement as slight as breathing, telling us the number of people in the house, if any.”
She shook her head in amazement. “Is there anything you guys can’t do?”
“See through the walls to know who’s inside the house.” He lowered his goggles and focused on the house.
She was getting bored and cold and needed something to occupy her mind. “What does it look like through your goggles?”
He glanced at her, looking like a frog man she’d seen in movies. “Want to try them?”
“Sure.”
He lifted off his goggles and scooted behind her to settle them on her head and adjust the headpiece. His touch vanished the cold and set off a fire of emotions burning inside. She gave in to the feelings she’d been fighting since she’d met him and leaned back against the solid wall of his chest.
He dropped his hands from the headpiece, circled his arms around her shoulders, and held her tightly as he rested his head next to hers, enveloping her in his strength. Power.
Security.
That was the main thing that came to mind. She felt physically secure for the first time in her life. As if for once she wasn’t alone and not everything was up to her. She had an ally. A partner. Someone who had her back. Literally right now. Someone who would be with her and see her through in life’s challenges.
Oh, how wonderful it felt. Joyous.
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she started crying.
“What is it?” he asked, his breath soft against her skin. “What’s wrong?”
“You…I…I never knew.” She sniffed.
“Knew what?”
“How wonderful it could be to have another human on your side. I’ve always had God with me, but this is different. Wonderful.”
“It’s great for me too.” He lifted his head and kissed her neck, his lips soft and sending a tingle from her head to her toes. “I’ve never felt this way before.”
“Me either.” And just what did she plan to do about it, other than taking some time to figure out what she wanted. She couldn’t react in haste and say something that she might want to retract later. She lowered the goggles to her eyes. “Wow. I didn’t think the images would be so clear.”
He released her and scooted back to her side. “Yeah. Take away the green tint, and it’s almost normal.”
She took in tiny details she’d missed from only using her naked eye. She caught movement and zoomed in. “Erik’s on his way back.”
“Then I should probably take my goggles again,” Drake said.
She didn’t know if she was imagining the disappointment in his tone or if she just wanted him to be disappointed that she didn’t continue their interlude. She didn’t know what she wanted at all.
He held out his hand. She lifted the strap from her head and placed the goggles on his open palm. Their hands touched. The memory of those powerful arms around her came rushing back, but before she could do or say anything, Erik joined them.
He squatted by Drake. “One heat signature in the front room. Not in motion.”
“Asleep maybe.”
“Seems like it.”
“Then he could be there.” Drake sat back on his haunches.
“Oh, it’s him all right.”
“What?” Drake gaped at his brother.
