Page 87 of A Shot at Love
“None that I can think of.”
“I really don’t like the idea of using you in this,” Ky said.
She cocked her head at him. “Because you don’t think I’m capable?”
“No. You’re more than capable. I know that.” He took a deep breath and then blew it out slowly. “It’s because you’re a civilian and involving you in this just goes against everything in my training. You won’t be armed; you’ll be on your own. But I just don’t see any other way out of this.”
“Relax,” Bannerman told him. He nodded his chin at her. “Gemma may be a civilian but she can handle herself. She’ll be fine.”
She turned her gaze to him. “You think Josh will go along with this plan?”
Rick’s grin was fast and confident. “No worries. They want you home, Cleo. This is gonna guarantee it.”
“I hate that name,” she mumbled, bringing her own dish to the sink. “Remember how she ended up.”
Rick reached out and hugged her to his side. That growling sound she’d heard escape from Ky before slipped out again.
“You’re not gonna get bitten by a snake—”
“Asp.”
“—hiding in a basket, so forget about how she bought it, and concentrate on your part of the plan.”
“I know what to do,” she told him, taking Ky’s plate from his hand and joining it with the others.
Fifteen minutes later Rick pulled her into a full body hug and kissed her forehead. “Behave,” he told her.
“Back at ya.”
He moved to Ky and shook his hand. Right before he got into his car he leaned down and said something for Ky’s ears alone, then pulled back and grinned, tossing a wave her way.
“Stay safe,” she called out from the front door.
“Always.”
Ky walked up the porch steps and watched the car until it crossed out of sight.
“What did he say to you?” Gemma asked when they walked back into the house.
While he set the alarm code, Ky answered. “I’ll tell you later.”
Even after being around him constantly for almost an entire week, Gemma couldn’t read what was in his eyes as he looked across at her.
“I’m feeling like I need a workout,” he said. “We’ve been cooped up here too many days and I’m starting to feel antsy. What about you? You up for a good sweat?”
“What did you have in mind?” she asked.
Chapter Fifteen
“You’re overthinking it again,” Ky told her.
He had her pinned from behind, his arms bracketing her own, forcing them to lay flat against the side of her torso, unable to break free.
Gemma squirmed and shifted her weight several times to no avail. Ky’s grip was tighter than the Spanx she’d squeezed herself into last year when she’d attended the Daytime Emmy awards with Kandy. She was hot, thirsty, and pissed. A terrible combination on a routine day. Add in the stress, isolation, and worry about the next few days, and she was like a lit fuse, just waiting to burn down before igniting something.
“I can feel you vibrating with anger against me,” he said into her ear, his hot breath washing over her skin like an erotic caress. For a millisecond she forgot what she was supposed to do and just melted into how good it felt to have his body holding hers. Granted, it wasn’t a loving embrace, but all that hard muscle and coiled tension flat against her back was a blatant mix of sexual need and carnal arousal that had her toes curling in delight.
In the next second, Ky’s arms tightened and plastered hers even more securely down to her sides. “Come on, Gemma. Focus.”
Oh, I’ll focus, all right.
She turned her cheek and rubbed it against the scruff on his jaw. He’d forgone shaving that morning in the last minute prep work he’d wanted to get done with Rick. When she purred at the delicious feel of his prickly stubble and her butt ground against his pelvis, her movements had the desired effect: distracted, his grip loosened just a tad, but enough for her to do what she did next.
A single, deep inhalation with a rapid fire exhale was all it took to disengage his hold.
Pivoting on one unshod toe, she grabbed his wrists, swirled them upwards and moved behind him, his arms now slung from her hands above his head, and yanked backward.
