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Now that he’s pointed out the first camera, I can’t help but notice the others as we make our way back to the house.
“I always wondered how I got so close to the house if you guys were so strict about security. It’s because you could see me on camera, right?”
“We had eyes on you the whole time,” he confirms.
“What if I’d had a gun?” I keep my words light, but I still feel him tense. I don’t want to push the issue, but it’s something that bothered me from the start.
“I’m not asking that to be a dick. But having a vision of a woman, a woman who I now care about, being killed tends to make me nervous about things like that. Yes, you’re all big and strong, and you subdued me within seconds, but what if I was prepared and came in guns blazing? I could have hurt someone or worse.”
“We are really good at our jobs.”
“I don’t doubt that for a second. But unless you’re all bulletproof, I think there is always room to tweak things.”
He sighs and nods, opening the door to the house and holding it wide for me to enter. I kick off my shoes near the door and walk over to the sofa before plunking myself down with a big, dramatic sigh.
“Have I told you lately how much I love your sofa?”
“No. Should I be jealous?” he asks, moving to sit next to me.
“If you’re asking if I’d pick this sofa over you, then—” I pause and bite my lip, as if contemplating it.
He growls and grabs me, flipping me so I’m flat on my back, and he’s leaning over me. “I guess I’ll just have to remind you why you should always pick me.”
He glides his lips over mine, teasing me with a soft kiss until I open for him, and he slips his tongue in to play with mine. I grip the back of his T-shirt, loving how his weight feels pressed down on me.
Before we can get too carried away, he pulls back until our lips are barely touching, his eyes finding mine.
“There’s more.”
“God, I hope so.”
He chuckles, bracing himself on his forearms.
“Not that, though that will come soon. I mean, there is more to what I was telling you in the garage. I just don’t want you to look at me differently.”
“I’m the least judgmental person you’ll ever meet, Slade. I’ve been on the receiving end of it too many times myself.”
He nods almost absently before swallowing. “I told you I enlisted. What I found in the army was what I never knew was missing before. I made friends—good friends like Jagger. Found a purpose. I thought I’d be a career soldier for sure.”
“What happened? What took the stars from your eyes and replaced them with shadows? Did you lose someone?”
“I lost myself.”
He smooths my hair away from my face before kissing me gently again. Dropping his forehead to mine, he hesitates for a moment before continuing.
“There was a man—Major John Elks. I was never a fan of his. Everyone’s a hard ass in the army—you’ve gotta have tough skin to survive—but Elks was a cruel motherfucker. I didn’t come into contact with him much, but I heard the stories, you know? I’ll admit, I didn’t think much about the man at all. I was living my dream life. I had a job I loved, good friends, and women willing to drop their panties at the sight of my uniform. I should have paid more attention.”
“What did he do?”
“He murdered his wife and framed me for it.”
His words hit me like bullets, the shock of them leaving me speechless for a few minutes.
“He what?” I whisper, unable to process what he’s saying.
“I went to the bar, picked up a woman who was just looking for one night. She was dressed for the occasion and wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. I should have asked. But she probably wouldn’t have told me the truth anyway.”
“Let me guess. She was his wife?”
