Page 18 of Weston’s Treasure

“You don’t need to say anything. I know what you were trying to say. It just feels weird.”

“What does?”

“Everything that happened. I’m kinda on autopilot. Like it doesn’t seem real. Or like, all of that didn’t just happen today. I don’t know. It’s hard to believe this morning I was handcuffed in the hull of a ship and now I’m sitting here with you. I don’t know if I thanked you for saving me.”

“You did.”

“Right. In the middle of my temper tantrum. It probably didn’t sound sincere or heartfelt, but I really do appreciate it. I knew I wasn’t getting off that ship.”

Weston really wanted to let her get it all out, tell him everything she was bottling up, but now was not the time. He wanted to be able to pull her into his arms and hold her when she finally processed her kidnapping.

“Hey,” he called and her gaze came to his. “Let’s get you some clothes, eat dinner, and get you back to my place. After that, we’ll debrief. I want to hear everything. But I want you to feel safe when you unload it. I want to be able to touch you. And I can’t do that here.”

“Why?” she blurted out then blushed. “Forget my question.”

“Not a chance.” Weston smiled. “I want you to have clothes so you’re comfortable—you’ll be staying awhile. I want to feed you because I know you’re hungry. I want you to feel safe when we’re talking because I swore to you I’d protect you. And I want to be able to touch you because…fuck…because it feels right. Because I think we both feel it. Because I keep trying to ignore my reaction to you but I’m failing miserably.”

The pretty pink in her cheeks deepened, and damn but Weston wanted to know if it had traveled under his sweatshirt down to her chest.

“Am I wrong, Silver?”

“You’re not wrong,” she whispered and some of his worry waned. “But it’s crazy, right?”

Instead of answering, Weston climbed out of his Jeep, made his way to Silver’s side, and helped her out of the vehicle. His sweatshirt hung on her, the curves he knew she had hidden from his sight, and his baseball hat concealed her face. Needing to watch her as he spoke, he tipped her chin up so they were looking at each other, then moved his hand to the nape of her neck, wishing her soft hair was down so his fingers could tangle in the strands.

“Wanna know what I thought when I first saw you?” he asked.

Silver’s eyes widened but she nodded. Brave girl.

“You took my breath. You strutted yourself into that meeting room and the first thing I noticed was your confidence and it was sexy as fuck. Then I took in your shiny brown hair and I wondered if it was as soft as it looked. Then I looked at the rest of you—from your gorgeous eyes to your fantastic figure—and I was fighting to remain seated. And as the day went on, the more you laid out what was going on the tighter my gut got. I didn’t want you anywhere near these assholes. The next time I saw you, we’d had time to go over your intel and I knew it was more dangerous than we’d originally thought. And I really didn’t want you putting yourself out there. The thought of something happening to you was abhorrent. I knew you’d be pissed, but I’d rather take your anger than have you caught up in the middle of a dangerous operation.”

“Why didn’t you say that instead of recommending I be pulled because I lacked experience?” Her tone held no ire, just curiosity.

“Because I couldn’t very well tell Alec Hall and the Lieutenant Commander I was having strong feelings for a beautiful maritime pilot, who by the way was nothing more than a stranger to me, yet I wanted to protect her at all costs. Both men would’ve looked at me like I’d lost my mind, and for the record I had. And the truth is—and I know you hate it but I hope you can understand it now—you do lack tactical training. And that doesn’t say anything bad about you or make you less competent on the water. How could you understand our battlefield tactics when you never learned them?”

Silver’s body went solid and Weston prepared for her response. He knew it had been only a matter of time before her stubborn side made its comeback.

“You made me look stupid in front of them,” she argued and tried to pull away.

“No, I didn’t,” Weston told her and tightened his hold. “Neither man questioned your ability or the information you brought to the table. We all trusted your instincts and the intel you’d gathered. We were impressed by the manner you collected it and precautions you’d taken. You’re smart, Silver, and your intellect was never in question. What was, was your safety. And at the risk of pissing you off further, there will never be a time that I agree to anything that will put you in harm’s way.”

“But you didn’t—”

“Babe, seriously. I did know and I was right. You’re back to fighting a losing corner and trying to protect yourself from someone you don’t need to hide from or guard yourself against. I won’t hurt you. I won’t belittle you or question your competence. I know you’re strong and capable. I know you’re a good captain. I know you’re skilled in navigation. I know you can handle any watercraft you board. But, honey, you cannot tactically outmaneuver my team. And we cannot keep you safe while you’re swinging your ass out there. There are too many variables.”

Some of the stiffness started to fade but she was still holding herself back.

Baby steps, patience, and a healthy dose of self-control. Two of which Weston knew he sucked at. He was all about action. Once he’d zeroed in on his target there was no stopping him from accomplishing his mission. The self-control—Weston had that in spades, but the sexy woman in front of him pushed him to the brink of breaking and tested him like no other.

“I already told you, you were right about that,” she snapped, and Weston wished to God Almighty he could kiss the sass right out of her.

It wouldn’t take much to lower his mouth and take hers. And once he did, he knew she’d forget all about her snit. But Weston was smart enough to know that kissing her in the shopping center was not his best play. Not that she’d fight him, but they were at least twenty minutes from home and if he started something now, that drive would be knocked down to fifteen and they would skip shopping and dinner altogether.

“Come on, let’s get you some clothes.”

He stepped away but grabbed her hand, and much to his surprise she didn’t fight it. Not when he walked her across the parking lot and into the store. Not when she was picking out clothes, and the only time she dropped his hand was to pull something off the rack and toss it in the cart. Then her hand went back to his and Weston pushed the load one-handed and didn’t mind one fucking bit it was difficult to navigate the thing without the use of both his hands.

For the first time in a long time, he was content.