Page 56 of Silent Comrade
“You. Me. Here.” Her shoulders rose andfell, and his hopes rose and fell along with her. “You’re on theclock, right?”
“Damn, Britt. Iwantto be righthere. With you.”
“That’s not an answer.”
He maintained the verbal judo. “It’s anhonest statement. I want you. It’s that simple.”
Britt paused, and his heart stopped for thefull ten seconds before she answered. “Then carpe diem. I’m all forit!” She laughed and pressed a thumb right at the junction of histhigh and groin, half a millimeter from a testicle.
Red saw stars.
How the hell was he supposed to survive thetrip back to her apartment?
She turned to face him and wrinkled her noseat him. “Let me tell Tachi we’re leaving.”
The definition ofloss: the momentshe stepped away from him. Red even leaned forward, his bodystraining to maintain contact.
While she spoke into Tachi’s ear, Red textedRodeo:Going back to apartment. Monitor roommate. Then watchapartment perimeter if possible. Stay away.
Glancing up, Red was rewarded with a brisksalute and a flash of a white grin. Then his teammatedisappeared.
As he put his phone away, Britt stepped upto him. A wrinkle of her forehead was followed by her nibbling herlower lip with even, white teeth. Which of course sent a bolt ofbite meright through Red.
He held out a hand and tried his level bestto remain neutral and nonthreatening. Anything but desperate.“Ready?”
Several beats of music went by. “Let’s go.”She laid her palm on his.
Chapter Twenty-Five
What the hell was Britt doing?
Two days ago, she had been pissed off at theguy, and her immediate priority was finishing her college degreeand fulfilling Mom’s wishes. Then there was the other priority ofnot being dead. Now she wanted to jump into bed with him?
Priorities change.
Eyeing the tall guy leading her toward theexit, her heart fluttered in her chest. She rolled the upper liphoop under her teeth. No, she didn’t need to jump into bed withhim. Didn’t need a bed. Any workable surface in a semiprivatelocation would do.
At what point had she become soimpulsive?
Okay, fair enough, impulsiveness wasn’texactly a new phenomenon for Britt.
Confident decision-making as a step topersonal growth and overcoming anxiety? She’d taken thatself-improvement step to a whole new level tonight, thanks to themouthwatering man who had nearly made her come on the dance floorby doing little more than kissing her under her ear. What elsecould he do with that mouth and those hands? Britt stumbled. Altightened his grip, keeping her upright.
Once out of the club and away from thethrong of people, he repositioned them so he walked between her andthe street. Then he draped his arm over her shoulders and pulledher into his side. Warmth and the wafting hint of aftershaveloosened her limbs.
After a small, intense glance at her, themuscles of his arm bunched as he cupped her shoulder. He kept hishead up, almost on a swivel. Scanning. Monitoring. Anticipatingdanger.
Despite her lust-hazed brain, Britt realizedthe stark reality: impulsive interlude aside, her life remained indanger. At her shiver, Al pulled her more firmly against him.
“You okay?” his voice rumbled through herchest wall where they were pressed together.
“Sure thing. A little chilly.”
He stepped away, shrugged out of his denimjacket, and helped her into it. “Do not touch anything in thepockets. Please.”
“Don’t you need the items?”
Al patted his leg and brushed a hand overhis lower back and under the arm opposite her. “What I need isattached to me.”
