Page 32 of Her Delta Force Protector

“That’s great. Hang on a minute, and I’ll get them.” She disappeared into the bedroom and returned a minute later with her computer. “It’ll take a few seconds to boot up. Do you think they can find out the deal on the plates?”

“Let’s hope so.”

“Who’s Talon Security?”

“How about we shelve that question for now and we’ll talk about everything later?”

“Okay.”

After the photo files were sent to Talon, she shut her laptop down, and they headed downstairs. When they walked outside, Duke lifted his head from where he was taking a nap in the sun. He yawned as he got to his feet.

“Are we going somewhere that he can come with us?” she asked.

“Depends. Bike or truck?”

Her eyes lit up. “Bike!”

“Was hoping you’d say that, so no, obviously he can’t.”

She leaned over and kissed the top of Duke’s head. “You can come with us next time.” She glanced at him. “Do we need to put him inside?”

“No, he’s got a doggie door, so he can come and go as he pleases. He won’t leave the yard.”

As they walked to the garage, she said, “Where are we going?”

“What’s your opinion on UFOs?”

Chapter Sixteen

Harper knew exactly where they were going, and she was giddy with excitement. He’d told her some months ago about the Marsville UFO Museum, how it had been closed for years and was reopening, which he thought was nuts.

It was another beautiful fall day, and she was relaxed and safe, not to mention spending time with a man she really liked, and she planned to have fun...something that had been missing in her life recently.

“Put this on.” He handed her his leather jacket.

“This is yours. I’ll be fine.”

“It’s going to be chilly once we get going. We’ll stop at Fanny’s and get you a jacket, then you can give it back. Deal?”

“Okay.” She slipped his jacket on, and of course, it was huge on her, but there was something intimate about wearing it. It was something couples would do. Then he stepped in front of her and zipped it up for her.

As he raised the zipper, she lifted her eyes to his, and that heated look in his...no, notheated. That wasn’t a strong enough word. Hot. Scorching hot. Like there was a fire raging inside those orbs. He leaned toward her as if he was going to kiss her, then, inches from her mouth, he blinked and stepped back. Her breath swooshed out of her, and disappointment settled in her chest.

Why was he fighting this new attraction between them? She wasn’t imagining that heat in his eyes or the almost kiss. Maybe he was afraid she was looking for a permanent place in his life? She’d known him for a year, knew he didn’t do relationships, so she had no intention of trying to change him. Besides, she wouldn’t be around after they resolved this mess she’d found herself in. She would probably end up back in Florida, so why shouldn’t they have a fling while she was here?

She almost wished he’d never kissed her in the first place. Then she wouldn’t know how good it felt to have his mouth on hers, and she wouldn’t be dying to kiss him again. The operative word, though, wasalmost. She wasn’t giving those kisses back.

“Let’s roll.” He threw a leg over the bike, then held it upright while she got on.

When she was settled behind him, she put her hands on the sides of his waist, and like he had the night he picked her up in Myrtle Beach, he pulled her hands around him. Once he was satisfied that she was holding on, he pushed the ignition button and the Harley roared to life.

Marsville was such a pretty place, a great place to have a bike. Since it was in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the landscape was...well, hilly. Then, the blue-hazed mountains rising in the distance were breathtaking, and she could just sit and look at them all day. Even the air was different. It was fresh, crisp, and a little piney smelling versus the heavy salty scent of the air back home.

The fall leaves on the trees were spectacular, and for a girl born and raised in Florida, the red, gold, yellow, and orange leaves were a sight she’d never take for granted. She wondered if people who grew up in places that had four seasons forgot to see the beauty surrounding them. Shame on them if so.

As they rode down a curvy two-lane country road toward town, Harper decided she wanted to live somewhere that didn’t have basically the same temperature year-round, that she wanted seasons in her life, wanted to feel this breathtaking joy at seeing fall leaf colors. And snow. She wanted to live where it snowed. It rarely did at Fort Bragg, and even when it did, it was never more than an inch or two. Even that had thrilled her. A white Christmas was on her bucket list.

She thought she’d like living in Marsville, but that was out. She’d never make things awkward between her and Kade and moving here would be so awkward. He’d think she was stalking him, and on her part, she wouldn’t want to see him around town with some other woman on his arm. So, something to look into—where to live when this was over.

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