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“Thank you.”
Fallon and Ryan arrive almost 20 minutes later, while Sailor and Maddox are out of the country on a job. I give them the rundown and then turn to Lake. “Are you ready?” I ask and she nods.
As we head out, I ignore the knowing smirks from Fallon and Ryan.They really know how to drive me crazy,I think, and lead Lake over to the elevator. She seems more relaxed this morning and the fear from last night is gone. Knowing that she feels safe with me makes me stand a little taller. Even puff my chest out a bit.
We step inside and I hit the button that will take us down to the private garage. While the cab descends, I try not to stare at her, but it’s damn hard to ignore her presence. She’s like this bright ball of energy that pulls me in and makes me want to be a part of her world.
She’s magnetic, kinetic, and so intriguing to me that I need to know more. But my first priority is keeping her safe and getting some answers.
The door slides open and I nod. “Go ahead.” She passes by with a small smile and I get a whiff of dreamy vanilla. Jaw flexing, I follow her, my hand instinctively moving to the small of her back without thinking twice. “This way.”
I guide Lake over to one of the company Range Rovers and unlock it. We get inside and I can feel her eyes on me, watching as I start the SUV and drive it out into the San Diego sunshine. It’s a nice day, like always, and I roll my window down. Lake’s soft vanilla scent is driving me a little crazy and I need some fresh air to clear my head. There’s a palpable tension between us I can’t ignore. It’s full of curiosity. A part of me thinks she wants to get to know me better, too.
I’m not sure what to say on our way over to the lab, and the insecurities that I’ve worked so hard to eliminate seem to surface out of nowhere. Growing up, I was never the popular kid and preferred watching movies and collecting comic books to chasing girls. My confidence was non-existent when it came to women. Then I joined the military.
That’s where I found my place. My purpose. I was 18 when I joined up, ready to get the hell out of Nowhere, Indiana, and figure out who I was. The Army taught me things about myself that I never knew. Like the fact that I wasn’t destined to be just a weak geek who only had one close friend. I came into my own that year. I became a man in every sense of the word.
Not only did I learn to be a leader, I thrived at it. For whatever reason, other recruits looked up to me. They asked me for advice, they included me in nights out on the town and I made more friends those first few months than I’d ever had in my life.
My appearance wasn’t something I ever paid much attention to and, to be fair, the Army didn’t encourage me to start. We all had buzzed hair and proudly wore our uniforms everywhere. I liked it, though. It felt like I finally belonged somewhere. The women liked it, too. And they were definitely paying attention. It’s one of the reasons behind the story of how I got my nickname—Trick.
All the guys wanted to know what mind tricks I used to get every girl I asked out to say yes. Honestly, I was nice and respectful and they seemed to prefer that over some of the other idiots who approached them all wrong. Of course, I never told the guys that. Their loss was my gain.
Getting too serious with a girl wasn’t my main priority, though. I was focused on moving up and building a career. Delta Force gave me a purpose that I’d never had before. My goal to be the best became laser-focused. I trained my ass off and proved to myself and everyone else that I was a great leader. I wasn’t just some skinny kid who liked Star Wars. I had an important job and protected my country. The day I was promoted to Commander and given my own team is a day I’ll never forget.
Of course, it wasn’t always perfect and I saw a lot of darkness in the years that followed. Awful things that I’ll never be able to unsee. But when I look back over my military career, I’m damn proud of the men and women who I served with and the missions we accomplished. Could I have done certain things better? Sure. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. But I learned from my mistakes and made sure to never repeat them again.
“It’s so nice out,” Lake says, rolling her window down a bit more.
Her voice pulls me fully back to the present. “Yeah, beautiful,” I murmur, looking over at her. She blushes straight to her roots, and if she thinks my compliment was directed toward her, she’d be right. In the sunlight, the golden strands in her copper hair pop, glowing like fire. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever met anyone more stunning.
The air between us is electric, practically crackling with unspoken words and feelings. I’ve never experienced such an all-consuming, heart-pounding attraction like this before, and it’s throwing me more than I care to be thrown. I like to stay steady, always focused on the mission. Serious, steadfast, eyes on the prize.
But Lake has me thinking other thoughts. Steamy thoughts that have no place on a mission. She’s upending my serious world, tilting it in the most amazing way, and it’s making my nerves jangle and stomach flutter.
I haven’t crushed on a woman in years and right now I feel like I’m about to be firebombed by this bombshell. She’s initiating a flame that I don’t want to control. I’d rather let it consume us.
Pulling my focus away from Lake, I almost miss the small driveway that leads to the lab. “We’re here,” I tell her and park the Rover near the entrance. We get out and I suck in a deep breath of air, feeling a little off-balance. Before I can walk around and open the door for her, Lake hops out and it occurs to me that this isn’t a date.Get your head on straight,I scold myself.
Even so, I open the lab’s door for her, holding it as she passes through, and my gaze inexorably dips to momentarily admire the sway of her hips. Briefly squeezing my eyes shut, I pray for restraint.
Inside, there’s a list of departments and extensions. I don’t see a receptionist around, so I pull out my phone and call my friend.
A moment later, Dr. Neil “Blinky” Calloway greets us. He’s on the stocky side, wears wire-rimmed glasses and is a genius when it comes to anything related to chemistry or how to blow shit up. Blinky was my demolitions and explosives expert. He got his nickname because no matter how loud the boom, he never blinked.
“Hey, Blinky,” I say warmly and we clasp hands, slapping each other on the back.
“How are ‘ya, Trick?” He glances over at Lake and grins. “Still doing alright with the ladies, I see.”
“Lake, this is Neil Calloway, an old military buddy.”
“Nice to meet you,” she says.
“The pleasure is all mine.” Calloway gives her a slow smile and shakes her hand longer than necessary.
He’s being a little too charming and I try to ignore the muscle twitching in my cheek. When he glances over at me, my eyes narrow slightly in warning. I’ve never been possessive over a woman before, but Lake brings it out in me full-force.
Calloway looks from me to Lake and smothers a grin. “Now how can I help you? Slater said something about a strange substance you need help identifying?”
