It was part of the reason why she attracted him. Things made sense to her without effort or arduous explanation or fighting. She got it. All of it. Or at least as much as he’d managed to share with her so far. It could take a lifetime to open up all there was for her to see.
“So what then? I’m not even sure. There’ll be future military contracts based on what he said. And we’ll have to see how his office manages the press with Atlas disappearing, go along with it. Until then, it’s business as usual, I guess?” There were a couple of questions left unspoken as she waited for his response.
He kissed her, because he didn’t want to hold off on the things they both enjoyed and because he wasn’t sure how she’d feel after he gave her his response. Tasting her, exploring her, enjoying the play of their tongues, he savored every moment. Her hands came up around his face and tangled in his hair.
He wanted this. Working with her, talking, maybe arguing a little, and definitely playing. Filling his days with a mix of these things would be more than he’d ever hoped for in terms of happiness. Fulfillment. All those words he’d taken out of his expectations for himself somewhere in the middle of his time in service.
But if you love something…
*
Lyn almost forgot her own question in the midst of their kissing. His hands had wandered too, sliding down her thigh to cup her behind and squeeze. She was wondering if she could coax him into some very gentle intercourse maybe, since she only had a mild concussion.
It’d take her mind off her aches and pains. Medicinal. Really.
But when he drew back, his expression changed from the soft look he only wore for her to a more serious, intense expression.
He hadn’t gone neutral, hadn’t compartmentalized. This was new.
“Here’s the thing.” He ran his hand through her hair and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel. She relaxed with his touch, listening to the timbre of his voice. As long as it stayed warm like this, didn’t go flat or distant, it’d be okay. “Your life has been turned upside down since day one of you getting here. If we think back on it, a whole lot has happened in almost no time.”
She opened her eyes, sought his gaze. “It happened, we happened.”
Fear pricked at her despite her earlier thoughts. What was he trying to say?
He nodded and kissed her forehead. “We did. I really like us as a thing and I want us to last.”
“Good.” She settled, relaxing back into his embrace. Us. She liked the sound of it.
But he leaned back and tapped her nose with a fingertip. “You might have a different perspective once all the excitement settles down, though. Believe it or not, it gets boring around here. The whole reason Forte chose this location was for the peace and quiet.”
Something she had yet to experience. But the location was tucked away and if you didn’t drive twenty minutes in either direction on the main road, you wouldn’t realize how close it was to the rest of the world.
“With ready access to two major metropolises and several major airports,” she countered. “From what I understand, you all took advantage of the city nightlife on a pretty regular basis. This is not exactly a remote small town hidden away in the middle of nowhere and you get a fair amount of business-related traffic coming on site.”
Not to mention any number of canine personalities running rampant. When they’d arrived back on site, the three new GSDs had been wandering loose from their kennels. Apparently their intellects combined resulted in Houdini-level escape skills. Alex had been about to rip his hair out getting them back on leads. Their recall was good but not 100 percent, so it’d taken a little effort on Alex’s part to get them back into their kennels.
“Point.” He gave her a wry grin. “What I’m trying to say is you’ve been basing all your impressions so far on some high-stress experiences.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he kissed her. And for a minute—okay, maybe several—she was lost. But she pulled herself together as soon as he let her up for air. “Trying to distract me is futile.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I like a challenge.”
She opened her mouth, closed it, then swatted his shoulder. He only grinned.
“I want you to stay with me, Evelyn Jones,” he whispered. “Here, with me. But I want you to leave first. Get some distance and clear your head. Process all the things that happened to you. You might decide you want to leave it all far away. I will understand, no matter what you decide. But I want you to take the time.”
Her breath left her and it took a long second for her to pull together her first thought. “You’re asking me to go away again.”