Page 64 of Mr. Dangerous

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Rob

Naomi stoppedthe Suburban to press the garage door button on the rearview mirror, then put it into drive once again. We were slowly rolling towards the long drive when Grandmother came out of the house, dressed in a blue suit and waving her arm aboveherhead.

"Don't stop," I said urgently. "Don't make eyecontact."

"Rob," she said, pressing her foot on the brake. "I don't just work for you. I work for your wholefamily."

"I wasn't asking as your employer. I was asking for a little mercy, as your friend,"Isaid.

Naomi's lips parted, her eyebrows arching, as if she were about to have some snappyretort.

Grandmother was already swinging open the back door, climbing up with a sigh, and settling into the seat behind me. "I hope you don't mind me tagging along. I'm so excited to see another of mygrandsons!"

"Of course we don't mind." I studiously did not look at Naomi, although my sense of disappointment was intense. Now I would lose the chance to talk to Naomiopenly.

I ached over the way her face had looked when she called me a jackass. No matter how cutting she was, she had looked so hurt. There were good reasons for me to tell her not to fall in love. I could make her see that if she wouldlisten.

But now I wouldn't be able to talk to her. The tension between us feltawful.

Naomi didn't say anything. But then she wouldn't, not with his grandmotherthere.

Grandmother leaned out, trying to catch the door handle, and I slipped out of the car to slam the door closed for her. As I settled back in the leather passenger seat, she said, "Thankyou,dear."

I didn'trespond.

"So he couldn't fly into T.F. Green," she said, shaking her head. "Were there no first class flights toGreen?"

"I don't think he cares about first class flights. Pretty sure he doesn't fly first class in the MarineCorps."

"He flies his ownplane."

"Doesn't mean anyone serves him champagne and a hot meal." I glanced over at Naomi. "Really, first class isn't what it used to be. Air travel's miserable foreveryone."

Naomi nodded slowly. "Are you sure it isn't just miserable for you? All that leg and all that shoulder and nowhere toputit?"

"Ha. You must be a lot more comfortable on a plane, that's for sure." Although I didn't want to betray Naomi's secret that we were sleeping together, since it seemed important to her to be discreet, the very fact that she'd mentioned my shoulders had prompted a tell-tale blush to work its way up hercheeks.

"Mm."

The look on her face was neutral, like she was avoiding something. Maybe it was her trying not to ruminate over my body in front of my grandmother, but anyway, I asked, "Where's the last flightyoutook?"

"I don't go on vacations,"shesaid.

Grandmother said, "Neither does Rob. Unless he breakssomething."

I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. "This isn't a vacation. My paperwork says convalescentleave."

"You could have stayed at your base," Grandmother said. "You could have stayed at yourjob,even."

"How would you know that?" I asked inirritation.

She smiled. "You wanted tocomehome."

"Well, you know how I'vemissedyou.”

"Not me," she said, "Although you should. Your father, your brothers. I'll be dead soon. I want to see you all closeandwell."

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