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He smirked and his eyebrows lifted. “Oh, I should? This is that moment, then?”
She laughed. “Shut up and kiss me, you slow-moving chap.”
He leaned down closer and his warm breath brushed her lips. “I’m no expert, but calling me names could ruin the moment.”
She slid her hands along his shoulders, around his neck, and up into his hair. “I don’t think I can possibly ruin this moment,” she said breathlessly.
“You’re right. You couldn’t.” His eyes grew serious. “Without you, Mia, there is no moment. You’re everything to me.”
Her eyes widened. It seemed her Rambo was completely capable of saying lines that made her happy and warm and convinced her he needed and wanted her as much as she did him.
He slowly covered the distance and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss started soft, gentle, and absolutely lovely. Mia wanted to sigh with the delight of it all. That this tough captain of his Navy SEAL team, but more importantly the captain of her heart, could be so tender with her… it meant the world.
The kisses continued and she responded in kind, conveying with her lips how deeply she had already fallen for him.
Zeke ran his hands through her hair, over her upper back, and down to her lower back, and then he lifted her beautifully off her feet, pinned her against the nearest wall, and took complete command of her lips and her world. Everything exploded in a beautiful symphony of kisses, touch, his firm body surrounding her, his warmth, clean smell, and commanding presence.
Mia had kissed dozens of men, maybe a hundred. Nothing had felt like this. No man had ever cared for her like this. Zeke was her world, and he was trying to show her that she was his world as well.
Footsteps tapped into the entryway, but Mia ignored them. Zeke stopped the kiss, ushering her head into the crook of his neck and sheltering her with his body.
“Oh, my, goodness!” Holly shrieked, and she must’ve dropped something, as there was a clatter and a splatter. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were making out.”
Holly! Not again.
“What did you drop now?” Joseph asked.
“To be continued,” Mia whispered against Zeke’s neck, trailing kisses up to his jaw.
His gaze was deep and penetrating as he focused in on her, still holding her off the ground. “Definitely.”
A thrill and happiness traced through her. Mia was in love. She didn’t care about anything else right now. Nothing mattered but her Rambo.
Nothing and nobody could take him from her.
ChapterThirteen
Zeke usually loved to eat, but he could hardly wait for dinner with Joseph and Holly to be over. He was sure the steak and vegetable kabobs were delicious, but he tasted none of it. All he could taste was Mia’s sweetness. He wanted to kiss her again and again and again. Who knew kissing could be like that? He wanted to hold her close and talk for hours. What was happening to him? It was beautiful and perfect in his mind.
But what would be the result? Mia’s dad obviously hated him and everything he was. How could Zeke be with her when they lived on different continents and both had huge and busy careers? It seemed impossible. He should be plotting and figuring it all out, but at the moment he could only think about how soon he could get her out of here and back to Papa’s master bedroom. Zeke was going to kiss her like he’d never kissed anyone. Would it compare to all the kissing she’d probably done? He knew he was an infant compared to her experience in romantic relationships. Would she be patient with him, teach him? Or would she get bored of him and move on because he was too slow and reluctant?
He smiled to himself. There had been nothing reluctant about those kisses in the entryway.
Throughout dinner, they talked about all they’d learned so far with the cases. Mia’s situation was different from the other girls who’d been stalked. Tomorrow would be three days. Nobody else had lasted three days. That made Mia shiver, but when she looked his direction and Zeke nodded to her, he could swear her golden-brown eyes settled. He’d keep her safe. No matter what.
They’d seen no signs of anyone suspicious in the valley, or that the stalker might know where they were. The family and some of the sheriff’s men were going to double up on the patrols to make certain she was safe. Everything about Lewis was coming up clean. Dang.
The duke texted Joseph and Holly an apology, saying he’d blown everything out of proportion because he was overprotective of Mia. His text backed up that Abigail had been the one to put the ideas in his mind about Zeke picking fights with Lewis and Zeke sleeping with “his girl.” He asked Holly to let his girl know he loved her and was just trying to protect her. Mia seemed more annoyed than anything about that. She didn’t even respond, just shook her head.
Finally, finally Holly ate her last bite and everyone looked to be done eating. Zeke stood, grabbing plates and dishes and striding over to the sink. He was going to clean this mess up quick, get Mia back to the quiet sanctuary of Papa’s bedroom, talk and kiss and … could he hold her all night or would that push boundaries? He’d never cared about boundaries because he’d never been tempted to blow by them. With Mia in his arms, he suddenly understood how a man could lose control. He returned and started piling serving containers together.
“We’ve got the dishes,” Holly said.
“No.” Zeke shook his head, though he’d love to pick up Mia and carry her out of here. “You’re cooking for us, taking care of us. You don’t need to do the dishes too.”
“He’s right.” Mia stood and carried a load from the table to the sink.
“Cap,” Joseph said in a low voice, stopping him from following Mia with the dishes in his hand. “Mia’s been through a lot today. Let us do the dishes. Get her settled and just …” He looked at Holly. “Just hold her. Let her talk or rest or whatever she needs.”
