Page 70 of Her Delta Force Protector

Damn him. He was falling for her...like in love. He almost looked up to the top of the trees to see if that evil mythical creature Cupid was up there shooting arrows straight through his heart. Instead, he lowered his gaze to the ground, giving him time to get any sign of his feelings for her out of his eyes and off his face before she saw it. He didn’t want her to hope for something he couldn’t give her.

But his world had just been rocked off its axis. He wasn’t a man who fell in love, hadn’t thought so anyway. The joke was on him, but he wasn’t laughing. He also wouldn’t tell her he was in love with her because it didn’t matter. Even being in love her, he’d still find a way to mess it up, and the day would come when she’d hate him. That wasn’t acceptable.

She rolled her eyes. “Not happening.”

“What’s not happening?” Somewhere, he’d lost the thread of their conversation.

She tilted her head and frowned at him. “That I’m not taking a boat to the other side of the lake? Are you okay?”

Negative. He was having an earth-shattering moment. “I’m fine,” he lied.

“Good. Give me a kiss before I show you what a badass tree climber I am.”

“Be happy to.” He pulled her to him, and when their lips met, he closed his eyes and memorized the taste and feel of her. After they’d slayed her dragons tonight, she’d be free to go, and all he’d have left of her was his memories. He forced himself to let her go. “Remember, we don’t want any injured or dead if we can help it. Too much paperwork.”

“They’re safe from me as long as you or one of the guys aren’t in danger.” She gave him a cheeky grin. “That happens, all bets are off.”

As she climbed the tree, he fisted his hands at his sides to keep from pulling her back down, putting her in his boat, and spiriting her away. He ordered his feet to walk, and although it took a few seconds, they finally obeyed. He jogged up the steps to the porch. Duke had his nose pressed against the screen door, and Kade picked up the leash he’d left on the railing.

Duke didn’t understand why he was on the leash if they were just going to sit on the porch. He kept trying to go out in the yard and from there he’d go straight to the lake. “Dude, get with the program. We’re undercover here.” Kade pulled him back from the steps. “Sit.” Duke plopped down on his belly with a sigh. Kade rolled his eyes. “I think you intentionally do the opposite of what I tell you.”

The first wave of their visitors would try to get eyes on the cabin, and Kade wanted them to report back to Watson and friends that the cabin’s occupants didn’t suspect anything. He settled in one of the Adirondack chairs, picked up the magazine he’d put on the table, and opened it. There were two beer bottles, one empty, on the table, another prop that added to a picture of a man passing time on the porch of his cabin.

What couldn’t be seen was the gun tucked under his sweatshirt, a second gun on the table, hidden by the towel dropped over it, his long gun behind his chair, and the various knives tucked in his clothes and boots. Then there were his teammates, also loaded down with weapons, who their targets would never see until they wanted to be seen.

Kade checked his watch after he had everyone test their comms. Their targets should be close by now, probably hiding their SUV and motorcycles. He let his gaze go to Harper’s tree one last time, nodding in satisfaction when he couldn’t see any part of her. “You doing okay, foxy lady?”

“Roger dodger, sugar lips.”

“Sugar lips?” Viper said.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you for that one, foxy,” Cupcake said. “Ace is officially retired, replaced by sugar lips.”

She giggled. “Oops. Forgot the guys were listening in.”

“I got movement,” Chase said, cutting in. “Stand by.”

“And so it begins,” Kade murmured. They were going to let the advance crew get eyes on him and report back before taking them out of play. Kade slipped on his sunglasses to hide his eyes. Anyone watching would think he was reading the magazine instead of watching them back.

“Two gorilla-size men passed,” Chase said. “They’re not wearing biker colors, so those would be the bouncers. The one in a light blue hoodie is carrying an assault rifle and the other, wearing a bright red pullover of all things, has a semiautomatic pistol with a second gun in a holster at his waist. Cupcake, they’ll pass you in five.” Chase chuckled. “Never thought I’d be saying the wordcupcakeon an operation.”

“Hey, it’s a good name. Manly,” Cupcake replied.

Based on Nick’s eavesdropping, the men were under orders to stay out of sight and observe only, so Kade wasn’t too concerned that they’d decide to shoot him. He put his feet up on the railing and continued to flip through the pages of the magazine.

“Bikers in the house,” Viper said. He was in the woods on the opposite side of the cabin from Chase and Cupcake. “The three are sticking together and sound like a herd of elephants. They’re not even trying to keep their voices down. All three are carrying sawed-off shotguns. I’m thinking this is nothing more than a lark to them.”

Kade snorted. “It’s amateur night at the circus.” He darted a glance at Harper’s tree. She was still keeping her head down.Good girl.

“Send in the clowns,” Cupcake sang. A minute went by then, “My boys will have eyes on you in three...two...one.”

Duke lifted his head, ears perked forward, his gaze on the tree line. “Settle down, boy, nothing out there you need to be concerned about.” Kade picked up the beer and pretended to drink while he scanned the area that held Duke’s attention. There, a flash of red. Duke growled. “Easy, boy.”

Kade set the magazine and beer bottle aside, stood, and went to the screen door. He opened it and stuck his head inside. “You decide what you want for dinner, babe?” He let thirty seconds go by. “So I don’t need to get the grill ready? Works for me.” He’d raised his voice just enough for it to be heard across the yard. Back in his chair with the magazine in his hands, he waited for a report. It wasn’t long in coming.

“Blue hoodie is calling someone on his phone,” Cupcake said, whispering now, which meant he was breathing down the fools’ necks and they didn’t even know it. “He’s telling them that you’re sitting on the porch getting drunk and that the woman is inside the cabin.”

“Perfect,” Kade said without moving his lips.

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