the six-inches-taller way. In a way that left her unbalanced and far too aware of a strange current that bounced between them. And the way his jaw was dusted with stubble. “Or did I misconstrue the note you sent via the studio?”
Had he leaned closer?
She took a step back.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he looked at the three of them. “I feel like I’m intruding or something.” He fixed on Aspen. “You said you wanted to talk to me about your brother. But if I’m making you uncomfortable, or if I crossed some line, then I’ll leave.”
“No.” Aspen cleared her throat, praying that didn’t sound as desperate as it felt. “You’re right—I asked you to come.” She started to touch his arm, a move to reassure him, but she thought better of it. “It’s no problem. Timbrel just doesn’t like men.”
He studied the petite brunette for several long minutes.
Timbrel crossed her arms again, squaring off with him. “What?”
“Nothing.” He didn’t smile, but his eyes did—weird. “I just…if that’s your preference, great.”
“Preference?” Timbrel’s eyebrow arched.
Brittain laughed. “She’s not gay. She just…hates men, Mr. Markusky.”
“Markoski.” Confusion whirled through eyes that matched the sky behind him. “Then who do you date?”
“My dog,” Timbrel said through clenched teeth as she stomped toward her little import.
His shoulders weren’t tensed. Eyes held no barbed-wire accusations, only…amusement.
Aspen twisted toward him, her Asics crunching dirt and rock. “You did that on purpose, suggesting that.”
“Sorry. I just don’t appreciate people questioning my character when they don’t know me.”
“Don’t apologize, Soldier Boy. Anyone who can tie Timbrel’s tongue has my vote.” Brittain turned, locked gazes with Aspen, and started humming the song “Getting to Know You.”
Aspen flashed her friend a warning. Not the most suitable song. There was no king here. And if she recalled, the school teacher ended up falling in love with the king.
So not happening.
Trailing the white luxury SUV left Cardinal with more questions than answers. Things didn’t seem to be getting off on the right foot. Or any foot. Aspen was guarded, even more so with her posse of girlfriends.
How do I get under her radar?
What would it take to convince her to trust him?
The truth.
No way. That would risk
everything—everything!
His job and carcass would be on the line. Burnett would fry him. Then stick him in that smoker he raved about.
As they crept out of the Austin city limits and dug farther into the countryside, he evaluated what he’d perceived of Aspen Courtland. The woman had grit, but she also had an…
innocence
about her. Ironic considering she’d been an airman. A pretty tough one from the records he’d seen. And the way she’d gone up against the Brass regarding her brother’s status—the very reason Burnett wanted her kept ignorant because this could get ugly fast—and the way she’d taken control of the situation.
At least, she thought she had. He’d anticipated that about her. It’d worked. Exactly as planned. He banged his hand against the wheel.
“You are weak!”
Teeth grinding, he pulled himself straighter in the car. What was that? Dropping out of reality and drowning in the past would get him killed. Create mistakes. The way things were, he couldn’t afford a single mistake. He’d keep a line of demarcation between their two worlds. The line in the sand would be reinforced with powerful barriers.
The SUV slowed, snapping Cardinal back to the present. To the country road. He applied the brake as the Lexus turned into a gated drive. The trellised ironwork stretched over his sedan with the words A B REED A PART .
The dog!
He eased his car along the tree-lined road.
Head on a swivel. Eyes and ears out
. The old military lingo to watch his surroundings served as a good reminder. Ahead fifty yards, a brown home rose in quiet beauty. Glass
Had he leaned closer?
She took a step back.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he looked at the three of them. “I feel like I’m intruding or something.” He fixed on Aspen. “You said you wanted to talk to me about your brother. But if I’m making you uncomfortable, or if I crossed some line, then I’ll leave.”
“No.” Aspen cleared her throat, praying that didn’t sound as desperate as it felt. “You’re right—I asked you to come.” She started to touch his arm, a move to reassure him, but she thought better of it. “It’s no problem. Timbrel just doesn’t like men.”
He studied the petite brunette for several long minutes.
Timbrel crossed her arms again, squaring off with him. “What?”
“Nothing.” He didn’t smile, but his eyes did—weird. “I just…if that’s your preference, great.”
“Preference?” Timbrel’s eyebrow arched.
Brittain laughed. “She’s not gay. She just…hates men, Mr. Markusky.”
“Markoski.” Confusion whirled through eyes that matched the sky behind him. “Then who do you date?”
“My dog,” Timbrel said through clenched teeth as she stomped toward her little import.
His shoulders weren’t tensed. Eyes held no barbed-wire accusations, only…amusement.
Aspen twisted toward him, her Asics crunching dirt and rock. “You did that on purpose, suggesting that.”
“Sorry. I just don’t appreciate people questioning my character when they don’t know me.”
“Don’t apologize, Soldier Boy. Anyone who can tie Timbrel’s tongue has my vote.” Brittain turned, locked gazes with Aspen, and started humming the song “Getting to Know You.”
Aspen flashed her friend a warning. Not the most suitable song. There was no king here. And if she recalled, the school teacher ended up falling in love with the king.
So not happening.
Trailing the white luxury SUV left Cardinal with more questions than answers. Things didn’t seem to be getting off on the right foot. Or any foot. Aspen was guarded, even more so with her posse of girlfriends.
How do I get under her radar?
What would it take to convince her to trust him?
The truth.
No way. That would risk
everything—everything!
His job and carcass would be on the line. Burnett would fry him. Then stick him in that smoker he raved about.
As they crept out of the Austin city limits and dug farther into the countryside, he evaluated what he’d perceived of Aspen Courtland. The woman had grit, but she also had an…
innocence
about her. Ironic considering she’d been an airman. A pretty tough one from the records he’d seen. And the way she’d gone up against the Brass regarding her brother’s status—the very reason Burnett wanted her kept ignorant because this could get ugly fast—and the way she’d taken control of the situation.
At least, she thought she had. He’d anticipated that about her. It’d worked. Exactly as planned. He banged his hand against the wheel.
“You are weak!”
Teeth grinding, he pulled himself straighter in the car. What was that? Dropping out of reality and drowning in the past would get him killed. Create mistakes. The way things were, he couldn’t afford a single mistake. He’d keep a line of demarcation between their two worlds. The line in the sand would be reinforced with powerful barriers.
The SUV slowed, snapping Cardinal back to the present. To the country road. He applied the brake as the Lexus turned into a gated drive. The trellised ironwork stretched over his sedan with the words A B REED A PART .
The dog!
He eased his car along the tree-lined road.
Head on a swivel. Eyes and ears out
. The old military lingo to watch his surroundings served as a good reminder. Ahead fifty yards, a brown home rose in quiet beauty. Glass
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