Page 60 of Landon

Landon looked at Noel, seeing her lips twitch upward. She stared at him, and as her gaze dropped to his mouth, he knew she was also witnessing his smile.

Her gaze moved to Devil. “You curse more than I do,” she said with a chuckle.

“Damn straight.” He grinned. “Well, it looks like my business here is done.” Devil rapped his knuckles against the armrest, then pushed himself to a stand.

Landon was surprised the seat didn't buckle with Devil's considerable weight pushing on it. With a wink and a swagger, his fellow Keeper walked to the back of the plane and settled into one of the seats.

26

Noel let out a soft sigh, her lips curling into a smile as she shook her head. "He's… well…"

"Crazy?" Landon supplied, his brows arching playfully.

She chuckled, feeling her cheeks warm. "I was going to say intense. But also… honest. And he’s got this strange way of being caring. It’s a little… scary, but in a good way."

Landon shrugged, hands open as if to sayit is what it is. "He’s a good friend."

She nodded her agreement, then blew out a long breath as nerves skittered along her spine. “So, um… I guess we should talk.”

“Yeah.” Landon’s voice softened, his gaze holding hers. "But first… I’m sorry it took someone like Devil to make you realize you shouldn’t feel guilty about what happened when we were rescuing the kids. I should’ve told you myself, and been there for you after."

Noel looked down, her fingers tracing an invisible pattern on her pants. “I don't know if that would have made a difference,” Noel admitted. “At the time, everything was so surreal. I was incredibly naive to insist on going with you to get the kids, but I'm glad I did. I got to see you in action… the way you handledeverything. I was able to spend more time with you and ensure the kids were okay. And I now know I actually fired a gun toward someone and, by sheer dumb luck, managed to hit them—something I still can’t entirely process. But when I take into consideration what Devil said, I'm glad it was the bad guy who got shot.”

Landon leaned closer, his gaze steady, unwavering. "As straightforward as it sounds, Noel, he was the monster who took those kids. As you got them safely back to the vehicle, I took care of him and one of the other men inside, who pulled a weapon on me. I wasn't going to tell you this, but you need to know. In these situations, I have to make life-and-death decisions, and I have to make them in an instant. I'm always going to choose life for myself and for those I'm sworn to protect.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, feeling the weight of his words settle over her like a warm blanket. Her gratitude was simple, perhaps even understated, but she hoped he felt the depth of it. Slowly, she turned her palm up in silent invitation. Her stomach tightened, a blend of anticipation and nerves twisting within her.

He didn’t hesitate to reach over. His hand met hers, and their fingers laced together. She was stunned by the intimacy of how something so small could feel so monumental. Her heart thudded, and she drew a steadying breath, readying herself.

Inhaling another cleansing breath, she plunged ahead. “I feel like we should talk about last night. But… honestly? I’m terrified.” She let out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. “That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? I fired a gun and faced down people who wanted to hurt us, yet I'm afraid to talk about?—”

She paused, her eyes flicking to the kids sleeping nearby, ensuring they were undisturbed. When her gaze met Landon’s again, her voice softened. "About the… intimacy. Waking up with you. It doesn’t have to mean everything, but… for me, itmeant something. And if… if it didn’t for you, that’s okay. I just needed to say it."

Landon’s grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly, his expression serious, almost vulnerable. "I hate that we didn’t get a chance to talk this morning. But I need you to know something, Noel… it’s been a long time since I’ve spent the night with anyone. I’m not someone who just… plays around. When I meet someone for…” He hesitated, then winced.

“Just sex?” she supplied, wanting to put him at ease.

He chuckled and nodded. “Yes, when I do meet someone just for sex, there is no cuddling or sharing a bed for sleep. So what we did last night meant something to me, too.”

A breath escaped her, long and trembling as if she’d been holding the air in without realizing it. The weight of wondering what he felt had settled over her like a storm cloud, and now, with his words, it began to lift. She glanced down at their entwined fingers, feeling the warmth of his hand that had held hers so tenderly, the same hand that had held her close in the quiet moments of the night, had traced over her skin with a tenderness she hadn’t expected—yet had also defended her, fiercely, even lethally. The realization stole her breath, igniting something deeper. His touch made her crave more, want more.

Gathering her courage, she looked up and met his gaze head-on. “We have to decide whether it means anything before we return to Montana.” Her words tumbled out quickly, the vulnerability almost overwhelming. “I’m not asking for a commitment,” she rushed to clarify, “I know it sounds… well, intense, given we’ve only known each other for a few days. But do you… want to see me again?”

His fingers twitched. She held his gaze, watching for any hint of what he truly felt, needing to see it in his eyes as much as hear it.

“Yes, Noel,” he said, his voice soft but confident. “I want to see you again. There might be a few logistic challenges—since you live in Helena,” he added with a grin, “but a three-hour drive? We can make that work.”

"I actually live north of there, and I've also looked,” she admitted, her cheeks warming. “It takes about two hours to get to you in Cut Bank. I don't have to drive into Helena every day. I have a wide territory, which is from Helena to Great Falls. My apartment is about halfway between.”

His facial muscles relaxed, and his lips curved. “Two hours. That makes it even better. And since my house is south of Cut Bank, we can probably knock that down even more.”

She leaned forward, smiling as he did the same. “If we keep talking, we’ll get it to where we have no commute to see each other.”

He barked out laughter. “That’d be fine with me.” He reached with his free hand to grab his phone. “Can I have your address?”

She reluctantly let go of his hand to dig in her purse, then eagerly traded phone numbers, email, and physical addresses.

For the remainder of the flight, the conversation flowed effortlessly. She loved sitting in a seat next to him, close enough to feel the warmth of his arm around her, and to lean into him as the exhaustion from the whirlwind of this morning's events began to settle heavily on her. The idea of resting her head on his shoulder and drifting off, surrounded by his quiet strength, was tempting.

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