ready for a fine nap.
He threw the tennis ball into the backyard so Penny had a nice long run down the side of the house, through the long branches of the Willow tree that were dusting the ground. “Hmm?” he said when he straightened up.
“Why don’t you talk about yourself much?” She rocked quietly on the porch and waited for his answer.
He bent to get the ball from Penny and took a minute to rub her long ears. “You’re a good girl,” he crooned. She looked up at him and smiled her doggy smile, tongue shamelessly hanging out of her mouth. Looking up at him like he’d hung the moon. She was in love.
It didn’t appear that he would answer so she got up to walk inside. She was going to grill salmon for dinner tonight, and it needed to be marinated. But when she stepped back to swing the door open, she backed into the solid wall of Luke’s muscular body. He closed his hands around her shoulders and held her still against him.
“Jane,” he sighed. “I haven’t had much of a life for the last two years and it’s not a pretty story.” He kissed the top of her head and let her go. He patted his hip for Penny while holding the door for Jane to go through. Penny trotted up the stairs and took her own sweet time going inside.
Jane set Pop Tart down on the couch. She turned to Lucas and touched him for the first time on her own—curling her fingers around the front of his right bicep with one hand and laying the other gently at the base of the strong column of his throat. He swallowed and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. She watched it, fascinated. She spoke quietly.
“I didn’t mean to intrude. I was just trying to learn more about you. I feel like I’ve been rambling for weeks. I’m sorry.”
He curled his long fingers around her wrist and sighed. “No, you’ve got nothing to be sorry about. I’ve been alone for so long, during that year and a half when I was undercover in Mexico with the Gachas cartel, and for the last year while I’ve been recovering and figuring out what to do with my life. Listening to you was—is, I mean—relaxing. I want you to keep on talking, please.”
He leaned over and kissed her beautiful mouth with a sweet, reverent kiss. She sighed and leaned into his chest, but he pulled back before the kiss could get too carnal.
“I’m not used to talking about my undercover work. My years in the military and then on the S.W.A.T. team were grueling enough, but they were child’s play compared to the things I lived with and allowed to happen around me in Mexico. I’d really, really like to talk about it, but not just yet. I’ll let you know when I’m ready, okay?”
Oh, she was going to cry. He looked so sad. So lost and alone. Her breath lodged in her throat and almost suffocated her. They watched each other for what seemed like an eternity, and then Jane’s breath wrenched back into her body on a sob that wracked her body. He pulled her close.
“Janie, baby,” he said. He squeezed her so tightly that it almost hurt. “I can’t remember the last time anyone cried for me.”
“You look so sad, Luke,” she said quietly. Her voice was muffled against his chest. “I—I can’t help it.”
“I’m not sad, baby. I’m just, I don’t know…lost. I think that’s it. I’m lost. I want to find my place in the world again but I don’t really know where to start.” His voice was so quiet, almost soundless.
Jane leaned back to look into his face. Tears were rolling silently down his cheeks, which was clearly irritating him. He was a private man, after all.
She flattened her hand over his heart. “You start right here…with me. I’ll keep you safe.”
Chapter Ten
Several hours later, they lounged on the Outer Banks Hammock in Jane’s backyard. Lucas held Jane’s foot in his large palm, using his strong fingers to stroke from the heel to the ball of her foot. He pressed deeply
He threw the tennis ball into the backyard so Penny had a nice long run down the side of the house, through the long branches of the Willow tree that were dusting the ground. “Hmm?” he said when he straightened up.
“Why don’t you talk about yourself much?” She rocked quietly on the porch and waited for his answer.
He bent to get the ball from Penny and took a minute to rub her long ears. “You’re a good girl,” he crooned. She looked up at him and smiled her doggy smile, tongue shamelessly hanging out of her mouth. Looking up at him like he’d hung the moon. She was in love.
It didn’t appear that he would answer so she got up to walk inside. She was going to grill salmon for dinner tonight, and it needed to be marinated. But when she stepped back to swing the door open, she backed into the solid wall of Luke’s muscular body. He closed his hands around her shoulders and held her still against him.
“Jane,” he sighed. “I haven’t had much of a life for the last two years and it’s not a pretty story.” He kissed the top of her head and let her go. He patted his hip for Penny while holding the door for Jane to go through. Penny trotted up the stairs and took her own sweet time going inside.
Jane set Pop Tart down on the couch. She turned to Lucas and touched him for the first time on her own—curling her fingers around the front of his right bicep with one hand and laying the other gently at the base of the strong column of his throat. He swallowed and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. She watched it, fascinated. She spoke quietly.
“I didn’t mean to intrude. I was just trying to learn more about you. I feel like I’ve been rambling for weeks. I’m sorry.”
He curled his long fingers around her wrist and sighed. “No, you’ve got nothing to be sorry about. I’ve been alone for so long, during that year and a half when I was undercover in Mexico with the Gachas cartel, and for the last year while I’ve been recovering and figuring out what to do with my life. Listening to you was—is, I mean—relaxing. I want you to keep on talking, please.”
He leaned over and kissed her beautiful mouth with a sweet, reverent kiss. She sighed and leaned into his chest, but he pulled back before the kiss could get too carnal.
“I’m not used to talking about my undercover work. My years in the military and then on the S.W.A.T. team were grueling enough, but they were child’s play compared to the things I lived with and allowed to happen around me in Mexico. I’d really, really like to talk about it, but not just yet. I’ll let you know when I’m ready, okay?”
Oh, she was going to cry. He looked so sad. So lost and alone. Her breath lodged in her throat and almost suffocated her. They watched each other for what seemed like an eternity, and then Jane’s breath wrenched back into her body on a sob that wracked her body. He pulled her close.
“Janie, baby,” he said. He squeezed her so tightly that it almost hurt. “I can’t remember the last time anyone cried for me.”
“You look so sad, Luke,” she said quietly. Her voice was muffled against his chest. “I—I can’t help it.”
“I’m not sad, baby. I’m just, I don’t know…lost. I think that’s it. I’m lost. I want to find my place in the world again but I don’t really know where to start.” His voice was so quiet, almost soundless.
Jane leaned back to look into his face. Tears were rolling silently down his cheeks, which was clearly irritating him. He was a private man, after all.
She flattened her hand over his heart. “You start right here…with me. I’ll keep you safe.”
Chapter Ten
Several hours later, they lounged on the Outer Banks Hammock in Jane’s backyard. Lucas held Jane’s foot in his large palm, using his strong fingers to stroke from the heel to the ball of her foot. He pressed deeply
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