Page 80 of Nightfire

He was a sniper himself and he’d gamed it all. He’d even gone out on a boat to see if a sniper could make the shot. He couldn’t.

He had motion sensors on the balcony just in case some insane fuckhead got it into his head to lower himself seven floors from the roof and to do so he’d have to overcome the spiked covering he’d placed over the balcony.

No, this place was safe. Now he just had to keep Chloe in it.

He was sweating and could hear his own heavy breathing in the room, like a bull’s.

This was not going well and he had no clue how to make it better.

Chloe was watching his face carefully, her own face completely blank. She could do that. He couldn’t. He knew that right now, his own face reflected every ounce of the tension he was feeling.

And then, to his astonishment, Chloe placed her hand over his and squeezed gently.

“If that’s what you want, Mike, okay.” She searched his eyes. “You wouldn’t feel comfortable with me out and about until you figure out what’s going on. Am I correct?”

His throat was stopped up, gripped in an unbreakable vise. He nodded his head jerkily.

Her voice was soft, gentle. “I spent a lot of my childhood locked up. Staying here for a few days while you clear things up won’t kill me. If it gives you peace of mind, Mike, I’ll gladly stay here.”

Oh God! He felt like falling to his knees. She wasn’t going to put her foot down on principle. She wasn’t going to make him be the bad guy, the villain of the piece, because he’d do it if he had to but man, he didn’t want to.

Though he’d never encountered this in his dealings with women, he recognized it instantly. This was teamwork, like in the Marines. Like in SWAT. Like with Sam or Harry. Do the hard thing for your buddy. Make a sacrifice if necessary.

She didn’t want to stay indoors but she would, if it gave him peace of mind.

They were a team. He had his own team, now.

Mike turned away horrified, blinking away a spurt of tears. What the fuck? He never cried. Ever. He hadn’t even cried at the funeral of his family he was so angry. Here he’d cried last night and damned if he wasn’t leaking water right now.

It baffled him, with no clue how to react. He had all these raging…things inside him he didn’t have a clue how to handle.

“Mike.” Chloe touched his hand softly again and he looked up at her. She was smiling. “Let’s go out on the balcony and get a little fresh air. Because you’re probably going to want me inside when you’re not here.”

“Yeah, absolutely.” Okay. Now that he knew how to handle. He wiped his face and rose. “Let me check first.”

He went out onto the balcony. Almost every room in the place had a balcony that looked out over the ocean. It was what had sealed the deal for him, not counting the fact that his two brothers, Sam and Harry, already owned apartments in the condo.

The kitchen balcony was narrow but deep, big enough to hold a small table for two so they could eat outdoors. Something he’d never even thought of doing up until now. When all of this was over and Chloe was living with him and, presumably, he’d decorated a little so it wouldn’t be like living on the space station, that was something he’d do. Set up a little table out here on the kitchen balcony so they could eat outside.

Not Chloe’s food, of course. He’d have Sam’s cook Manuela send something down. Or order in.

He leaned on the balcony railing and looked out carefully. Like a soldier would, dividing the area into four quadrants. One quadrant, blink to black, two, blink to black, three, four. The entire horizon was blank. Nothing out there, not even fishing boats. Nobody walking on the beach, either. A completely empty landscape.

“Come on out, honey. It’s clear.”

Mike stepped back so Chloe could lean against the railing. She lifted her face, smiling and took in a deep breath, then placed her elbows on the railing. “It smells so wonderful. And the colors are so intense. You’re so lucky to have this view, Mike. I love my view over the bay but this is something else.”

He stood behind her, hands next to hers on the railing, making a cage of his body. She’d be living here soon enough if he had anything to say about it. She could watch the ocean all she liked then.

“Glad you like it.” Her face turned and she smiled at him and he smiled back, all nerves gone. Completely relaxed.

Well, except for one part of him. That wasn’t relaxed at all and was getting tenser by the second.

She was looking back out over the ocean. He lifted her hair, the soft waves falling over his hand, and placed his lips on the nape of her neck. She shivered. He was so attuned to her, he felt her pleasure against his lips, like a swell of honey transferring itself from her to him.

Oh yeah.

He opened his robe and moved closer, pushing against her. She couldn’t help but feel his hard on. She turned her head slightly and he could see the faint smile. He pushed against her bottom and felt her pushing slightly back.