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He chuckled again and she felt her mood lighten. Having her father safe and alive was more important to her than even her career.
“Besides, it was eleven degrees in DC this morning and I wasn’t there for that.”
He chuckled. “I told you that you weren’t built for DC weather.”
It was true. She had spent a chunk of her life moving around, but most of her life had been in the South. There was no hiding that fact with her accent, that was for sure. However, she also couldn’t handle the weather. She loved snow, but she didn’t appreciate living in a place where it snowed on a regular basis. She liked the mild winters in Florida a lot better than the snowmaggdens that tended to land on DC.
“Be good today, Dad,” she said, before leaving him to his coffee. She knew that he would spend a few minutes there, enjoying the beginning of the day. Tamilya’s heart always squeezed tight when she thought about almost losing him a few years ago.
She really didn’t have time to stop off and talk with her mother, but she knew if she didn’t, Diane Lowe would never let her hear the end of it.
“Good morning, sweetie,” her mother said as Tamilya stepped through the door.
“Morning, Mom.”
Her mother was holding a muffin up. “Take, eat, and I will pretend that you are actually eating right.”
“I am most of the time. Living in Hawaii makes that easy.”
“I told you. Will you be home for dinner?”
She shrugged. “I know we caught a murder last night, but I have a feeling it won’t have anything to do with me. I’ll text you and let you know.”
She kissed her mom on the cheek. “Love ya.”
“Love you back,” she said as Tamilya hurried out the door. It was a Godsend living with her parents. She made good money, but even with decent pay, she would probably have to live in an apartment. She didn’t mind, but she also liked living in her little cottage with access to a pool. That being said, living in Kailua, she had a long drive every morning. Since she was running late, she was sure to hit heavy traffic.
With a sigh, she slipped into her car and backed out of the drive. Nothing like starting the week off right by being late to work.
ChapterTwo
“Dammit,” Tamilya muttered as pain radiated from her forehead. She’d been reading her texts and walked into the door that lead into Task Force Hawaii.
She stumbled back and regained her balance with the help of strong male hands. She knew those hands and just what they could do to her body. His scent hit her next. He always used the same kind of soap, which lingered on his flesh, but it was different these days. That masculine scent was there, but it seemed to intermingle with the sweet Hawaiian air. Whatever it was, it made Tamilya want to snuggle up close to him and get lost in the scent.
“Whoa, Tammy,” Marcus said, his breath against her cheek.
Her heart rate ticked up, her blood warmed, and hell, her nipples tightened. No matter how much she resented the fact, her body responded to Marcus. She counted down from ten…then counted again two more times before she spoke.
“Thanks,” she muttered, hearing the arousal she couldn’t quite hide.
He hesitated for just a second, and her pulse stuttered for that one little moment. Then, he let her go. He was probably just trying to make sure she didn’t fall down. He had made it damned clear that a longer relationship did not interest him. She couldn’t let him know that she wanted him more now than she had four years ago. That would make her kind of pathetic. And it seemed her day wasn’t going to get any better.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, his low voice soft.
She nodded and mentally girded her loins before she looked at him. Even prepared, she felt the rush of heat and the embarrassment of their past relationship. The man might have moved to Hawaii and, like the rest of them, dressed more casually, but it didn’t diminish his power. He wore one of the dark blue polo shirts with the TFH emblem and jeans. He should have the same effect that all of the other men in their unit had on her, which was no effect whatsoever. Maybe it was because she knew what he looked like naked.
“Tamilya?”
She blinked and realized she had been standing there thinking about him being naked. Again. Her face heated and she cleared her throat.
“Yeah, I was just reading a report and did what I bitch at other people for doing.”
He chuckled and she fought the temptation to touch him. Most women melted at the chuckle and definitely after being touched by Marcus. The man had a reputation and Tamilya had seen the looks from other women. Worse, she knew what it sounded like in the dark.
“How are your sisters doing?”
She smiled, happy for the distractions. “They’re fine. Bethany just got accepted into Harvard Law and Sondra is on her way to Quantico.”
