Page 15 of A Soldier's Destiny
Rori choked on her mouthful of coffee, and he had to pound her on the back. “Holy hot buttered biscuits, I can’t believe you said that. You’re a piece of work, Jasper.”
“Yes, I’ve been told. By you. Several times today as a matter of fact.”
“You won’t be microwaving any meals in my kitchen, that I can guarantee.” Before she finished her sentence she yawned. She had to be running on fumes and needed to get some rest. The plan was a nap for her and some handyman work for him. He was used to functioning on minimal sleep. It was another thing that stayed with him even if he wasn’t on the teams anymore.
“I’m going to see if I can have one of the guys come over while I run to the hardware store. You need to get some rest and I need to get the deadbolts for your doors.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Am I your bodyguard? Is it my job to protect you?”
“Yes. But…” He didn’t want to argue with her. The bright blue sparks flashing in her eyes was a sure indication she was about to dig her heels in, but this was one she wouldn’t win. Still, he needed to diffuse the situation before she got even more riled up. Without thinking about the consequences, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He hadn’t intended for it to be more than a way to cut off the argument that was coming. But as soon as his lips touched hers it ignited a fire that burned him to his core.
Surprise parted her lips, and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue into her sweet mouth. He couldn’t contain his groan as he slid his tongue across hers. She tasted of coffee and innocence. The little voice of reason in his head was yelling at him to stop. It was wrong, he knew it, but he couldn’t let go. The more he tasted, the more he wanted. He needed to be inside her, wrapped around her, until there was nothing but the two of them. He struggled with himself to do the right thing and then her arms slid around him. The voice of reason was screaming at him to let her go before he did something stupid. But it didn’t feel stupid, or wrong.
Before he could go any further, the phone rang. At first, he didn’t realize what it was, but she pulled away as the ringing continued. He groaned but let her go. He’d been saved by the bell—literally.
“I have to get that.”
“Right.” He wanted to say more but apparently, his brain cells had short-circuited, and he couldn’t put two words together. No woman had ever affected him the way Rori did. He envied how poised she was as she answered the phone and took the order. After she hung up, she wrote down some notes in the planner on the counter and then turned to him with an assessing look. Instantly he felt like a twelve-year-old boy who’d been caught smoking behind the school.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” At least his brain was putting words together again.
“It probably wasn’t the best idea,” she said with a smile. “That’s cheating if you expect to win all our disagreements that way.”
“Were we having a disagreement?” he asked sheepishly.
“We were about to.”
“It’s not how I remember it.” She looked so damn adorable. Jasper dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. “I need to get to the hardware store, and you need to get some rest.”
“I still don’t think…”
“We had an agreement, didn’t we? If I think we need to do something to make sure you’re safe, then you’ll let me.”
“I don’t think that’s exactly what we agreed on.”
“C’mon, Angel, anyone could push in your door before you even knew what was going on. Those locks won’t keep anyone out who wants to get in.”
“Fine, you win this one. But don’t count on winning them all.”
“I won’t, but I sure as hell liked our discussion.” He waggled his eyebrows and laughed when her cheeks turned bright pink. She was sugar and spice and everything nice, just like the nursery rhyme. He couldn’t believe women like her still existed in this world. He’d gotten jaded over the years, and she was like a breath of fresh air in a smog-filled world.
“But I’m not napping. I never nap or I won’t be able to get to sleep later.” He swore she stuck her tongue out at him just before she turned away, and he couldn’t wipe the shit-eating grin off his face.
* * *
“The hardware store is two doors down, why don’t you go, and I’ll take care of tomorrow’s prep work and get everything cleaned up.”
“Sorry, no can do. I’m your bodyguard, that means I need to be near the body I’m protecting.” She’d known he wouldn’t go for it, but she had to try. Her lips still tingled from his kiss, and how she’d just melted in his arms. She needed some space from Mr. Stud Muffin to process the feelings churning in her head.
The kiss was a surprise, she should have pushed him away, but instead, she’d pulled him closer. Thank God the phone rang, if not who knows what would have happened next. It’s not like she had been ready to stop him. Her mind was like scrambled eggs around him. She’d loved Jim and planned to spend the rest of her life with him, but his kisses never left her craving more and a flash of guilt soured the coffee she’d drank.
A job, that’s all she was to him, and she needed to remember it. No more kisses, no more betraying Jim’s memory. He’d loved her, proposed to her, and she still had his ring tucked away in the box in her dresser. Every so often she’d slide it on her finger and for a few minutes pretend that November fifteenth had never happened. Pretend that her life hadn’t changed forever.
Guilt wasn’t doing her any favors, and as Anna was fond of reminding her, Jim wouldn’t have wanted her to spend the rest of her life mourning him. It was on her. She made herself feel the guilt, stuck in the molasses of life, instead of pushing ahead. Still, she was living her dream—mostly. Close enough. The bakery brought her joy and kept her sane. It was enough. Or it had been until Jasper walked back into her life.
“C’mon, slowpoke. It won’t take long, and then I’ll help you get ready for tomorrow.”
