Page 97 of Freeing Lark

He brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek, marveling at how different she seemed from the woman he’d first met on that island. She was still snarky and spirited, but softer now. And somehow, knowing she’d trusted him enough to let him see this side of her made her even more precious to him.

Something inside his chest tightened.

He kissed her again, slower this time, letting the moment stretch between them. Her hands settled against his shoulders, careful of his injury, and he felt the tenderness in the gesture as keenly as the desire.

For once, Hoot didn’t think of missions. Didn’t think about PSG, Calloway, or the unanswered questions surrounding Bullet’s death. He thought only about her.

He drew her closer, resting his forehead against hers when they finally broke apart. “You’re dangerous, you know that?”

She gave him a mischievous smile. “I thought you liked dangerous.”

“Usually I know how to handle it.”

“And me?”

His mouth curved. “Still working on that.” She laughed softly, and the sound settled somewhere deep inside him.

Hoot realized then that this wasn’t simply attraction anymore. Somewhere between the spilled espresso, the island, the nightmares, and the chaos that had followed them, Lark had become something far more important.

And that scared the hell out of him. Because wanting her was easy. Letting himself love her was the dangerous part.

Hoot, still reeling from the direction his thoughts had taken, suddenly noticed the mischievous gleam return to her eyes and knew he was in trouble.

“I’ve been thinking,” Lark said.

“That usually worries me.”

She gave him an indignant look. “Rude.”

“Accurate.”

She laughed and shifted closer, her confidence growing by the second. “My turn,” she announced.

He arched an eyebrow. “Your turn?”

She threw a leg over his hips until she was straddling him. He gripped her hips, appreciating the view in this position. “To be on top.”

For a second, Hoot simply raked his gaze over her body. Pert breast. Soft stomach. An apex covered in a triangle of hair between strong thighs that promised good things for him. Then a slow, amused smile pulled at his mouth. “Well, that’s one way to keep a SEAL on his toes.”

Lark’s smile turned downright wicked. “And here I thought SEALs were supposed to be prepared for anything. I’d hate for all that fancy training to go to waste.”

“The training prepared me for a lot of things.” His expression softened. “You just happen to be the one thing I never saw coming.”

Lark’s smile softened, then turned mischievous. “So basically, I’m your personal blind spot?” Hoot’s eyebrow lifted. She shrugged innocently. “Good to know. I’ll be sure to exploit that information responsibly.”

He let out a low laugh. She grinned and quipped, “What? I said responsibly. I never said I’d behave.”

He shook his head, laughing softly. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Absolutely.”

She leaned down and kissed him, and Hoot’s laughter disappeared beneath the warmth of her mouth. He drew her closer, letting her take the lead while his hands settled securely at her waist.

For once, the man who was accustomed to being in control decided he didn’t mind surrendering it. Not when it was because of Lark.

CHAPTER 32

Hoot woke before the alarm, as he usually did. For several seconds, he lay perfectly still, staring at the ceiling and waiting for the familiar remnants of the nightmare to catch up with him.