Wrapped around each other, breath uneven, time seemed to freeze. He moved first, spreading kisses up her neck, along her jaw to her mouth.
“You taste like basil and trouble,” he murmured.
She let out a breathless laugh. “I hope that’s a good combination.”
“On you, it’s phenomenal.” He kissed her once more, with more control but no less passion.
After cleaning up enough to resemble civilized adults, they drifted out to her porch. The sun had set. Crickets chirped in the near-dark, and fireflies blinked around the yard.
They sat close, the boards creaking beneath them as they gently swung. Her head rested on his shoulder, fingers loosely laced with his. Stars pushed through the Texas sky one by one. Her mind was quiet, blessedly so.
A car door slammed somewhere down the street, bringing reality into focus.
“The news was ugly this weekend,” she offered quietly.
“I often think it’s best to stop reading it if you don’t have to.”
She absorbed that, her expression tightening. “The jail deaths seem… convenient.”
He exhaled. “The sheriff doesn’t think so.”
“I meant for Kedrov, who couldn’t have been pleased, and I’m sure didn’t want them talking.”
“That kind of world doesn’t leave loose ends.”
Silence stretched before she spoke. “I’m a loose end. Should I be concerned?”
“No,” he said immediately. “They don’t know about you.”
She searched his face. “You’re sure?”
“You wouldn’t be sitting here if I weren’t.”
She considered that briefly. “I’m not sure I like that answer.”
He brushed his knuckles along her cheek. “I won’t let anything touch you.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“I can promise to do everything in my power not to let Kedrov’s world into yours.”
She leaned into him again. “I’ve felt nothing from Cheyenne since the rescue.”
“That’s good. Isn’t it?”
“I suppose. But not knowing leaves me hanging. It’s unsettling when you’ve been that close to someone.”
He squeezed her hand. “She’s safe. And you’re not on anyone’s radar.”
“Except yours,” she said, returning the squeeze. “It’s… nice.”
He turned toward her, the porch swing creaking with the shift. “I’ve wondered how this works for you.”
She hesitated then let out a shaky breath. A self-conscious laugh escaped her. “Obviously, this wasn’t my first time, but it has been a while.”
His focus keyed in on the last part. “How long?”
“A while,” she repeated, meaningfully. “I’ve had to make careful choices. Men who didn’t broadcast too loudly.”
