Page 39 of Silent Comrade
The need for his presence chafed against herneed for freedom and spontaneity.
The possibility that she might not finishcollege twisted her stomach into knots.
The reason why she might not finish franklyiced her blood.
So here she sat, with Al not twenty feetaway. What did she know about him?
All she knew about espionage and spy craftshe had learned from TV. He could be the bad guy in disguise.Unlikely, given the whole protection at the mall experience. Sherolled her sore shoulders. The events hadn’t been staged.
He’d saved her life.
Now he was standing. Right. There. In freshclothing. With that clean soap scent wafting around from where hewashed his face and arms after she’d bandaged him. Looking like heneeded to act but wouldn’t move until she gave him thethumbs-up.
She could scream for help. Why? Al hadn’thurt her. Quite the opposite. He hadn’t made an aggressive move.Not that she’d mind, exactly. Even their kiss yesterday, she hadinitiated it.
That said, she didn’t like the part where hehad stalked her and lied. Not a good basis to build a trustingrelationship. Crap, now she wanted arelationship? Britttraced a fingertip over her bottom lip, remembering the hard pressof his mouth against hers. Once she moved past the lying part,she’d be okay with a repeat of the kisses from last night and mightwant to entertain something more intense in the near future.
God, had her standard dropped to the pointwhere getting personal with a mystery guy who was involved in ashadow organization going up against the Russian mob, still madeher toes tingle.
“Can I come in?” She jumped as his voicecarried right over to her as he slowly eased the door partway open.Yet he didn’t cross the threshold.
She stared at him, his form lit dimly by thebedside lamplight. The living room lights were off. She glancedaround her small bedroom at the lovingly made but threadbare andmismatched items with a sigh.
“Britt?” His tone had a note of concern init.
“No need to worry, Captain America. You cancome in.” As he entered, she leapt into the double bed and pulledthe covers to her waist as she sat against the wall.
Al filled up the doorway space. His hazeleyes glinted in the low light. But he didn’t move.
Despite the fact that she had on a tank topand shorts, his intense gaze raked over her like she wore nothingat all. Britt shivered, rubbed her upper arms, and pulled theblankets up to her neck.
“Um, so.” Her mind churned with too manyconflicting thoughts. “I’m not. We aren’t sleeping. Here. Together.We’re not going to…” She was no prude, but Britt recognized thatshe had just met this guy who hadn’t told her the truth abouthimself. Now he lurked in her bedroom doorway. Boundaries needed tobe set.
Stepping into the room, he held up a hand.“Don’t worry, I won’t be sleeping. ”
A flush of heat burned its way up her chestand neck. “Wait. What?” Her stomach quivered.
“Sleeping?” His brows shot up. “Oh. No,that’s not what I meant. Uh…” A gust of breath escaped him.“Although that would be…” He licked his upper lip.
Would be what? Fabulous? Awful? Strange?Earth-shattering? She gritted her teeth so she didn’t blurt out,Use your words, man!His low voice made her skinvibrate.
With a motion, he said, “I’ll be nearby buton the floor. Don’t worry.”
“Sleeping?”
“I don’t sleep on missions.”
“At all?”
“No.”
She pulled her head back. “That’s notpossible.”
“I’m well-trained.” Matter of fact.
“Well, do you want a blanket and pillow foryour not-sleeping?”
At his chuckle, she curled her toes into thefitted sheet. “I can snag them from your roommate’s room if I needa little comfort.”
