fast.
Then again, it was already getting personal. As far as Jack was concerned, his own objectivity had gone up in smoke the instant he’d seen Eva nursing her baby.
Sure, he’d told himself not to look, but that wouldn’t have helped. Even if they’d been in pitch darkness he would have heard the quiet swish of that baby drawing in milk, and he would have smelled the sweet, uniquely feminine scent that rose from Eva’s bare skin. He’d have to have been dead to ignore all that.
What he couldn’t understand was why it had affected him so powerfully. He’d seen plenty of breasts up close and personal, starting with Lise Thibault’s in the backseat of her daddy’s car when he’d been fifteen. Even though that particular encounter had ended embarrassingly quickly, he’d learned quickly, too. Getting there was half the fun, and there were countless creative ways to both give and take pleasure from a woman’s breasts. Having a baby attached to one wasn’t exactly provocative.
It should have been a major turnoff to see Eva’s swollen, milky nipple. Yet it hadn’t been. She was a woman, doing what a woman was made for. And he’d never been more conscious of being a man. Hell, his pulse was speeding up now just thinking about it.
Which was crazy. He’d spent his adult life avoiding entanglements that would lead to cozy little domestic scenes like the one he’d witnessed tonight. He steered away from women who were nesters. The women he dated knew full well he wasn’t in it for the long run. They enjoyed what he gave them, which usually meant a good time and great sex.
Yet sharing those moments of intimacy with Eva had triggered an instinct that went deeper than the urge for sex. He’d felt a primitive, entirely male urge to protect, to possess, maybe even to belong….
Damn, this situation was messing with his mind. Sure he wanted to protect Eva and her baby. That was his job. And he already knew where he belonged. Right here, with his brothers in Eagle Squadron. He was physically attracted to Eva; it wasn’t any more complicated than that. She was a good-looking woman, he was a healthy male and there were some sparks. So what? The fact remained that she was part of a mission, and that meant hands-off.
He’d meant what he’d told her when they’d met. He took his honor seriously.
Jack belatedly noticed that a man’s shape had materialized from the darkness outside the barn. Where the hell had he come from? Jack automatically brought his rifle to his shoulder as he swung the flashlight toward the entrance.
“Stand down, doc,” Gonzales said, holding up his palm as he walked into the flashlight’s beam.
Jack lowered his gun fast. He had to keep his mind on business. If he hadn’t been preoccupied with Eva, he would have sensed Gonzo approaching earlier—or at least recognized who it was. He glanced at Tyler.
To his credit, junior didn’t comment on the fact that Jack had almost put a hole in one of their teammates. Kurt didn’t say anything, either. He simply took the flashlight from him, propped it between the hood and the windshield so it shone on the engine and continued with his work.
Jack focused on the truck. The faster they completed this mission, the better it would be for all of them. He got antsy when he had to stay in one place for long, whether he was on a mission or on leave.
As if echoing his thoughts, Gonzales spoke. “Hate to break up this party you’ve got going out here, but Duncan’s packing up his gizmos. Weather’s due to lift in the next hour, so we’ve got to roll. Junior, it’s your turn to scout ahead a few klicks.”
The change in the air was immediate. Tyler pushed away from the fender and crammed his hat over his hair. Jack zipped up his coat, his pulse accelerating with the prospect of action this time, not because of thoughts of Eva.
Kurt pulled out the air filter and knocked it against the bumper. “Give me another half hour. I need to clean up the
Then again, it was already getting personal. As far as Jack was concerned, his own objectivity had gone up in smoke the instant he’d seen Eva nursing her baby.
Sure, he’d told himself not to look, but that wouldn’t have helped. Even if they’d been in pitch darkness he would have heard the quiet swish of that baby drawing in milk, and he would have smelled the sweet, uniquely feminine scent that rose from Eva’s bare skin. He’d have to have been dead to ignore all that.
What he couldn’t understand was why it had affected him so powerfully. He’d seen plenty of breasts up close and personal, starting with Lise Thibault’s in the backseat of her daddy’s car when he’d been fifteen. Even though that particular encounter had ended embarrassingly quickly, he’d learned quickly, too. Getting there was half the fun, and there were countless creative ways to both give and take pleasure from a woman’s breasts. Having a baby attached to one wasn’t exactly provocative.
It should have been a major turnoff to see Eva’s swollen, milky nipple. Yet it hadn’t been. She was a woman, doing what a woman was made for. And he’d never been more conscious of being a man. Hell, his pulse was speeding up now just thinking about it.
Which was crazy. He’d spent his adult life avoiding entanglements that would lead to cozy little domestic scenes like the one he’d witnessed tonight. He steered away from women who were nesters. The women he dated knew full well he wasn’t in it for the long run. They enjoyed what he gave them, which usually meant a good time and great sex.
Yet sharing those moments of intimacy with Eva had triggered an instinct that went deeper than the urge for sex. He’d felt a primitive, entirely male urge to protect, to possess, maybe even to belong….
Damn, this situation was messing with his mind. Sure he wanted to protect Eva and her baby. That was his job. And he already knew where he belonged. Right here, with his brothers in Eagle Squadron. He was physically attracted to Eva; it wasn’t any more complicated than that. She was a good-looking woman, he was a healthy male and there were some sparks. So what? The fact remained that she was part of a mission, and that meant hands-off.
He’d meant what he’d told her when they’d met. He took his honor seriously.
Jack belatedly noticed that a man’s shape had materialized from the darkness outside the barn. Where the hell had he come from? Jack automatically brought his rifle to his shoulder as he swung the flashlight toward the entrance.
“Stand down, doc,” Gonzales said, holding up his palm as he walked into the flashlight’s beam.
Jack lowered his gun fast. He had to keep his mind on business. If he hadn’t been preoccupied with Eva, he would have sensed Gonzo approaching earlier—or at least recognized who it was. He glanced at Tyler.
To his credit, junior didn’t comment on the fact that Jack had almost put a hole in one of their teammates. Kurt didn’t say anything, either. He simply took the flashlight from him, propped it between the hood and the windshield so it shone on the engine and continued with his work.
Jack focused on the truck. The faster they completed this mission, the better it would be for all of them. He got antsy when he had to stay in one place for long, whether he was on a mission or on leave.
As if echoing his thoughts, Gonzales spoke. “Hate to break up this party you’ve got going out here, but Duncan’s packing up his gizmos. Weather’s due to lift in the next hour, so we’ve got to roll. Junior, it’s your turn to scout ahead a few klicks.”
The change in the air was immediate. Tyler pushed away from the fender and crammed his hat over his hair. Jack zipped up his coat, his pulse accelerating with the prospect of action this time, not because of thoughts of Eva.
Kurt pulled out the air filter and knocked it against the bumper. “Give me another half hour. I need to clean up the
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