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This was all new territory, but he liked it. Harper awakened something deep inside him and he wanted to explore whatever connection they seemed to have. Their chemistry was electric and the fierce protectiveness she stirred up within him made him want to claim her. Mark her as his.
He wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her. And if anyone threatened her? He’d kill them without thinking twice.
“Thank you for letting me call my sister,” she said and pressed a kiss above his heart.
“You guys are really close. I didn’t want her to worry.”
“You’re really sweet. You know that?”
Sweet?She was the only one who’d ever described him as sweet. “I don’t know about that.”
“How’re you doing?”
Her soft question caught him by surprise and he arched a dark brow. “Me? You’re the one whose entire life was just flipped upside down.”
“But you lost a friend.”
An image of Tanner filled his head and Ryland tried not to let his emotions surface. Keeping them locked up tight was essential in helping him focus his energy on taking down the assholes behind The Agency.
But her reminder was also a slap in the face about the reality of their situation. This wasn’t a vacation in paradise. His team was in danger. She was in danger. All because of who he was. And what he did for a living.
“I loved Tanner like a brother, but I can’t let myself mourn right now.” He studied the innocent look in her eyes. She was gazing at him like he was some kind of hero or something. “Harper, make no mistake about who I am and what I do.”
“What do you mean? You take down the bad guys, right?”
“I follow orders. I don’t do background checks on my targets; I hunt them down and take them out. I’m an assassin trained by the government, not some kind of hero.”
“You help keep this country safe.”
“Yes, but don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m the good guy.”
“But you were a SEAL.”
“There’s only one thing I am—and that’s a killer.”
Ryland knew he was being blunt and maybe too direct. Cruel even. But she needed to understand he wasn’t a saint. Far from it. He was an avenging angel who sought justice. And when it came to Tanner, he would dole out a fiery vengeance against the fuckers who murdered his friend as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
???
Harper knew Ryland was trying to scare her, but she wasn’t frightened of who he was or what he’d done. In fact, his intentions to intimidate her were backfiring. She’d never had anyone step up to protect her like he did and it made her like him even more.
Yes, his job might require him to do difficult and unsavory things, but as she laid there in his strong arms, a couple of things struck her. First, he promised that tonight was all about her and he’d kept his word. Even though he wanted her—and she could feel the hard evidence pressed against her most of the night—he was an unselfish lover.
Because he’d kept his promise, she trusted him. Harper didn’t have much faith in men after the way her ex treated her, but Ryland was restoring her belief in the possibility of a happy ending. With each touch and every kind word, her self-esteem rose a notch. It had been a long time since she’d felt so good about a man and possibly pursuing something with him.
But did Ryland feel the same way? Was he interested in her long term? Or was this merely a brief dalliance until he and his team stopped The Agency? Maybe she was just a convenient distraction for him. Those thoughts were keeping her up when she should’ve been sleeping.
“Why’re you still up?” Ryland murmured.
It was almost three in the morning and her questions about the future were making her head spin. But she couldn’t tell him. God, they hadn’t even had an official first date yet and here she was obsessing over the hot former SEAL in her bed who’d made her come harder than she thought possible. More than once.
If he was that talented with his mouth and fingers, she could only imagine what he could do with his—
“Harper?”
