Page 47 of Her Delta Force Protector

“Eventually I figured out that being scared was a good thing. When you’re scared, you’re hyperaware, and that awareness has saved my ass ten times over.”

“The difference between us is that you’re a trained warrior and I’m not. Finding housing for people doesn’t do anything to develop your fighting skills.”

“If the Peace Corps is something you really want to do, and only that fear is stopping you, I’ll sign up and go with you, if they’ll guarantee we can stay together.”

“You’d do what?”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Harper was staring at him as if he’d lost his mind. Kade was tempted to go look in the mirror because he was sure he had the same expression on his face. The surprise was that he meant it. He didn’t like the idea of her being in some country on her own where she might not be safe. He really should have thought it through, though, before saying anything. It would mean giving up the job with Talon Security. Was he willing to do that?

“I’m not going to let you disrupt your life like that. Besides, I gave notice a few weeks ago and missed training. So I need to rethink what I want to do.”

“Any idea what that might be?”

“Not really. Everything’s up in the air right now. Tell me about Talon Security. I assume they’re IT experts since we sent my laptop to them?”

“They’re more than that.” He gave her a brief summary of the things they were involved in. “They’ve offered me a job.”

“Yeah? Doing what?”

“I guess I’d be involved in all the things they do, but I’m particularly interested in their involvement in rescuing people who’ve been kidnapped, especially children.” He realized he was still holding her hand, and that was something new between them. He didn’t hold hands. That was an intimacy that he’d never wanted or been comfortable with. Yet, he liked holding hers, which in itself was a good reason to not do it. He eased his hand away.

He’d changed the subject when she’d said she wasn’t shopping for a wedding dress to avoid agreeing or disagreeing to being friends with benefits. He’d never had a relationship like that before, and as much as he wanted to go for it, he couldn’t decide if it was fair to her. He could walk away when the time came, but could she? Would they still be friends?

An alert notifying him that one of his security cameras had picked up motion chimed on his phone. “Let’s go inside.”

“Okay. It is getting chilly.” She started picking up their paper plates.

“Now, Harper,” he said when she didn’t move fast enough. Apparently, she heard the urgency in his voice as she dropped the plates and drink bottles and headed inside. After she was safely inside the cabin, he paused, listened, and sensed nothing. He went in, locking the door behind him.

“What’s going on?” She’d moved to the entrance to the hallway, and worry was etched on her face.

“Not sure. Probably nothing.” He went to his bedroom and got the laptop he kept at the cabin.

She followed him into the room. “Kade?”

“Stand by.” He sat on the bed and booted up the computer. There were six motion detector cameras mounted in the surrounding trees. On the fourth one he checked—the one that scanned part of the backyard—he found the culprit. It was what he hoped to find.

Harper sat next to him and peered over his shoulder. “Is that a deer?”

“Yeah.” He brought all six camera views up on the screen. “I was going to show you this tomorrow but might as well do it now. There are six cameras surrounding the cabin. I’ll leave my laptop on with this screen up while we’re here, and if you think you hear or see anything, you can check the videos.”

“I noticed when we arrived that there are no bushes or trees next to the cabin.”

“Correct. I cut everything back a good thirty yards. Makes it hard for anyone to sneak up on me.”

“Were you expecting someone to... I mean before me and the people looking for me?”

“No, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my job, it’s always prepare for the unexpected.”

One of his previous Delta Force teammates who’d returned to civilian life a few years earlier had been tracked down by the brother of a drug dealer. Hank had been out of the Army for a year when the man who blamed him for his brother’s death found him. He hadn’t prepared for the unexpected, and he’d almost paid for that mistake with his life. Kade had no intention of making the same mistake. He’d started with the cabin because if any of his enemies came looking for him, he’d draw them here, away from his family. Beefing up security at home was next on his list, though.

In the meantime, he had a woman he didn’t want to be attracted to leaning against his arm, and her coconut scent surrounded him. His head lowered before he realized what he was doing. His mouth was inches from hers when he caught himself and stilled. Her eyes were locked on his, their hazel color deepening to a darker green. “Beautiful,” he murmured.

“Kiss me, Kade.”

And if that didn’t do something to him, her ordering him to kiss her instead of asking. He’d resented following orders when he’d first enlisted in the Army, but he could be a smart man when he wanted, and he’d eventually smartened up and learned that following orders made life easier.

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