“You ready?” Kaleb turns in my direction.
“Yes.” Even though I’m nervous, I manage to get my foot in the stirrup and start to drag myself up, only to be guided by a strong pair of hands palming the curves of my ass.
“What? Those damn shorts leave nothing to my imagination. If that fine ass is going to be shoved in my face, then I’d be a damn fool not to touch it. Keep looking at me like that and I’ll find something to bend you over out there and fuck that sweet ass again. This time while you scream my name.” Well, shit. My legs are spread across this damn horse, making it impossible to clench them together, but my ass cheeks flex. God, that seems like forever ago.
“We’ll see,” I say sarcastically as I grab the reins and take charge of the horse like Harris instructed us to do over breakfast. It doesn’t take Kaleb long to catch up with me as we trot side by side down the trail, taking in and enjoying the view. He pulls out of his shell and shares so much information with me about himself. He went to school in Florida and joined the Army right after high school. His father left his mother when he, a younger brother, and his sister were young.
“Your mom sounds incredible to have raised all of you by herself.”
“She is. That’s one of the reasons for my tattoo and why it’s my favorite. She’s great, so is my sister. They would love you.”
“What about your brother? Are you close to him too?” I hear his breath catch. My head snaps to look at him. I’m not sure what I witness on his face; sadness, or maybe it’s frustration.
“I’m not ready to talk about him. Can we leave it at that?” He looks my way. It’s bitterness I see.
“Okay.” That’s all I manage to say. We travel in silence for a bit. He looks like he’s lost in his own thoughts and memories.
I have every intention of inviting Kaleb to dinner with my family this weekend. I would love for him to meet my family before I meet his. Not sure why that’s overly important to me, it just is. I blurt it out before I lose my nerve or he disappears deeper in his thoughts.
“My family is getting together for dinner Friday night. Would you like to come with me?” God, why does it feel like I’m in high school asking some guy to come and meet my parents? He stops his horse and exhales loudly.
“I can’t. I won’t be here. I was waiting for the right time to tell you, Jade.” He looks me in the eyes. I’m not liking what I see reflecting back at me at all. I bring my horse to a stop and gather the reins, turning us both to face him.
“Is it another mission? So soon?” I swallow. Please tell me no. Tell me you're taking me to some deserted island in the middle of the Caribbean. Or to bum fuck nowhere land. Just not a mission.
“Yes. We received a call from The President himself. It’s highly confidential. I thought I had a week, but I don’t. Kase called me this morning, and I have to fly out Monday morning. You and Harris leave Thursday.” I close my eyes as his words are sinking in. I know I’m cleared. But am I really ready for this?
“Jade.” His calling of my name snaps my eyes open.
“I’m fine. I can handle it.”
“I know you can. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked you to go. That’s not what I need to tell you.” My brows shoot up. What the hell else is there to say?
“What?”
“Both you and Harris have to go AWOL for this mission.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
KALEB
Fuck me. The look in her eyes is nothing short of a knife to the gut. She’ll be giving up her life in more ways than one for this mission. Every damn thing she has fought to achieve and succeeded by doing so. This shit has been beating the hell out of my brain all damn morning.
After what we shared last night, the connection we now have, talking openly and freely for the past hour, I’ve ruined it.
The fire flares in her stare. A pissed-off Jade is sexy as fuck. Every time I fucked her before our last mission, I ended up treating her like shit, ordering her around, demanding she do exactly what I said.
Things are different here at home. I’m trying like hell to make this work, to let her in. When she asked about my brother, I became lost thinking about Kane. He has no place here. I don’t want his name or his presence anywhere near her. He’s tainted. And the worst bastard I’ve ever known.