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So, I did.
I let all of it go. Guilt. Lust. Regret. Worry—all of it. I let the tidal wave swamp me. The enormity and scope stole my breath. Then, like magic, it ebbed, and I could breathe… and think.
I experienced my feelings without responding to them. I let them roll on past. Like fear on the battlefield, I acknowledged it but would succeed despite it.
I looked at her with fresh eyes. She was a beautiful woman I desired, and I owed a debt to her brother. These two things weren’t mutually exclusive. I had two goals.
Clarity, finally.
I glanced from Betty to Lee. No reason to lie, and no reason to involve Lamar. And most of all, no reason to argue with Lee.
“You know what?” I rocked back on my heels and pasted an open and generous smile on my face. It felt good to not fight the tide and to have my common sense back.
“Hmmm?” Her triumphant expression wavered at my sudden change in demeanor.
“Betty and I have this under control.” I called the dog to me; she took her time standing, stretching, and yawning before joining me. I made a big show of putting away my cell phone.
“Really?” Lee crossed her arms tightly over her middle, skepticism written all over her face.
“Betty’s more than her nose. She’s a shy girl.” I directed my words to the dog.
Betty agreed and covered her face with a paw. Lee’s almost silent chuckle was music to my ears.
“That has stage fright.” I pointed finger guns at Betty, her cue to play dead.
The dog flopped down on the ground, all four paws up in the air. Lee’s laugh grew as Betty’s paws flopped pathetically in the breeze.
“But she and I will persevere. Stand up!” Betty scrambled to her feet. “And dust off!”
Lee’s growing giggles cut through the rattle of Betty’s collar as she shook like she was wet.
“I may not know how to run a scent course with her, but I can work a crowd.” I winked at Lee who was fully engulfed in laughter now, her whole body shaking. Onyx stared at her, his head cocked in doggy confusion at her behavior.
“We got this!” I lifted my hand, palm toward Betty.
Betty sat back on her haunches and held up one paw. We high-fived. I rewarded her with a treat for the performance. Lamar was a crazy good trainer, and Betty had more than enough hilarious tricks that I could make my apology to the crowd a demonstration in its own right. Every dog here could run a scent course, but only Betty had tricks like these.
“Okay, that was outstanding.” Lee wiped away a tear that was rolling down her face. My heart sped up. She radiated joy. The sight was breathtaking. I craved her when we were at each other’s throats, but damn, tasting happiness on her lips would be heaven.
With a slow, controlled step, I moved to Lee and gently kissed her cheek. Soft as a butterfly wing. A sweet, simple caress.
When I pulled back, she looked up at me with wide eyes and touched the place I’d pressed my mouth. “What was that for?”
“It was inevitable.” She was the tide and I was lost, floating in her current. I squeezed her upper arm and stepped away. The taste of her sweat and happy tears on my lips reminded me of the hours of SEAL training I’d endured, learning to surrender to the ocean and stop from drowning.
More than wanting her in my bed, I wanted her safe and happy. Lee’s unhappiness was what Ray spoke incessantly about. She was his angry and rebellious teen sister. I vowed to do whatever I could to make her happy.
The shrill ring of my cell’s emergency ringtone cut through the moment like an ax. I mouthed an apology to her as I dug my phone from my shorts pocket.
A text from The Smith Agency filled the screen. There had been a kidnapping. Everyone was to report in ASAP. I cursed under my breath.
“What’s happening?” She cocked her head, concern wrinkling her forehead.
“Emergency. I have to get to the office. Now.” I dumped out Betty’s water bowl that I’d set up next to Onyx’s.
“What is it?”
“I can’t. Client confidentiality. Can you explain to Susan that I had to leave? Shit, I have to drop Betty off.” In my mind, I was running scenarios. The kidnapping of a billionaire’s niece was a shit storm. I had to prepare my team for every possibility.
