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As if he could sense her insecurities, Growler took her hand in his, the touch grounding her. “The threat is still there. I didn’t get any answers as to who is after you. As I suspected, there was nothing at the scene of the murder, but I do feel better having seen it in person and not in the police report. But Cass did find something that hopefully will lead us to who the person is.”
Was it wrong to feel relieved that they hadn’t found who was chasing her? Wanting the threat to still continue so Growler didn’t leave her? Yes, to some people, they would think she was losing her mind. To her, it was an opportunity to get to know the man next to her better.
She’d heard what he’d said before he’d kissed her the previous night. How she was a job, but she wanted to be more than that to him and she planned to show him.
Pushing those thoughts aside for her to examine later and to plan her next step, she focused on the other part of what he’d said. “What did Cass find?”
Growler reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, fiddling with the screen for a few seconds before turning it to face her. “Does this mean anything to you? Do you recognize it?”
Astrid studied the image. It was a picture of a tattoo. It wasn’t big in comparison to the others that she could see in the picture. There was nothing remarkable about it. In fact, it had the feel of a playing card but without the number. “I don’t recall seeing this anywhere or on anyone.”
A stab of helplessness pierced her. Nothing she could recall from the incident was helpful. She hadn’t been able to give a full description of the people who’d been attacking the man.
Wait.
Astrid gasped and closed her eyes, bringing an image she’d buried deep into the far recesses of her mind forward. The man lying on the pavement, blood seeping out of the wounds in his chest.
The memory shifted and went from a photo still to a slow-moving movie. Her hand reaching down to lift his wrist to feel for a pulse, and there it was, something that she hadn’t been able to recall when the police had asked her.
Astrid snapped her eyes open and found Growler’s dark brown ones staring at her intensely. “The man who was killed, he had the same tattoo.”
All the time Astrid had had her eyes closed, Growler had wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms. She had no idea how expressive her face was. How her brow had furrowed deeply. How her lips had fallen open into a tiny O of surprise. How her fingers had clenched into fists until the whites of her knuckles appeared.
But the pain she’d gone through had given him information that they hadn’t had before. “You’re sure?”
Growler believed her. He had no reason not to, but he needed to ensure that Astrid was positive and that she hadn’t transferred the information from the photo he’d shown her to her memory of the killing. The brain was an amazing device and could make things happen that most people didn’t understand. It could distort memories so that what one person thought had happened was completely different from what had actually occurred.
“I am. I know it seems convenient, but I know he had that tattoo on his wrist.
“I believe you.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead, desire firing to life from the small contact. “I need to call Cass and let her know. I have no idea if the body is still in the morgue or if it’s been released because the police have finished with their investigations. Either way, with her skills and contacts, she should be able to get photos of the victim and confirm what you told me.”
“Why didn’t I remember the tattoo until now?” Her voice was a combination of frustration and fear.
Growler framed her face and waited until she was looking at him. “You remembered. That’s all that matters. It’s not unusual for people to be shown something that unlocks a memory. That’s what happened. The brain has ways of protecting us, and yours protected you until you were ready to see it. That was today.”
Astrid’s hands covered his, strengthening the connection between them. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“I am too.”
Growler lost himself in her gorgeous hazel eyes, the gold flecks on the outer circle of her iris more prominent. His attention dipped to her lips, the plumpness of them tempting him to taste her again. As much as he’d tried to push the kiss as far as possible from his mind, it had remained in the forefront, reminding him of how wonderful it had been to hold her.
“Callum?” she whispered his name, and he couldn’t resist her. Couldn’t resist the pull any longer.
He should try, though. Allowing his feelings for the woman in front of him to grow could lead to danger. To him not being fully present and putting her in danger instead of keeping it from her.
Or it could strengthen your resolve to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. To be extra vigilant.
Was his inner voice right? Growler recalled conversations between his former teammates and how they all took that extra moment to survey their surroundings, to make sure that every possible angle had been covered, so that they could get back to their women safely. Instead of softening their skills, it seemed to sharpen them, make them even better SEALs.
“You tempt me so much,” he said as she shifted her hands from where they’d been resting against his face to his chest.
“The feeling is very mutual.”
Growler groaned and gave up trying to do the right thing and pulled her so that she was sitting on his lap. Her arms looped around his neck, bringing her chest against his. He much preferred that to her hands on him. “This could complicate things,” he murmured as he closed the distance between them.
“Complicate me, I don’t care,” Astrid responded.
All thoughts flew out of his head as their lips connected. He adjusted the angle of his head so that he could deepen the kiss. Her taste was intoxicating, and he couldn’t get enough of it, sweet from the strawberries she’d eaten. Tart from the lemonade she’d drunk. He wanted to devour her. To taste every single inch of her body. Trace all her curves and commit them to memory. His body hardened and strained against his trousers, liking the road his mind was traveling down.
