Page 39 of Fire for Effect

He froze mid-step, his head turning a little to the side.

“I respect that, brother,” the sarcasm was gone from that word now. “But don’t say that too loud.”

He looked around, staring at the patrons in the bar: His men, the farmers in from a hard day of work, and all the other residents of this little town.

He turned his head, but not his body, looking back at me with those piercing dark eyes.

“Someone will hear it and think it’s a challenge.”

I followed her home in my midnight blue Mercedes-Maybach - a little splurge I had, after I touched down in Dulles. She banked aggressively along the winding country road. She rode like she was trying to lose me and I stayed hard on her tail, keeping my eyes on her beautiful round ass the entire time.

God, I had missed that sight.

I didn’t know I had a type, but since feeling the raw power of her body beneath me five years ago, it was hard to not crave that strength. Defined thighs, strong calves, an ass that could deadlift an elephant. She could run, but she couldn’t hide. Not this time. I’d pin her down and make her talk, even if I had to tie her to a chair in a CIA black site to do it.

And boy, would that be a delicious fight. We had gone through SERE together, and even our instructors had a hell of a time trying to get a reaction from her. She had a thousand-yard stare and an ability to not react to a damn thing, even when they were punching the living hell out of her.

I, on the other hand, was a fucking wreck. Anytime my teammates got beaten, I was ready to break the fucking bars, even when I knew that this was all just a drill. I knew it’d be over soon, but damn. I couldn’t block shit out the way she could. I think that was when I started developing a small, unacknowledged crush on her.

When shit hit the fan, there was no one better at your side than Trinity “Taz” Guerro.

When she turned into the long dirt road, she slowed down, letting common sense rein in her adrenaline addiction. She dropped the kickstand and dismounted - that act also hot as fuck.

She went into the back of the Denali - my truck. Though it had long since become communal property between us, since I’d let her keep it for so long - and pulled out a cover and started bundling up her baby, the bike.

Of course, she had an enormous firepit. She could roast a full human in that thing. I’d expect nothing else from my firefly.

I came over and helped her, and we silently set the task of protecting her prized possession, just in case it rained tonight.

I shouldn’t be a dick.

I shouldn’t be… but… I was.

“Riley’s a fucking nerd,” I said, as she petted her bike, giving it – Daisy – a kiss over the cover.

She anthropomorphized her vehicles. She gave them names, and personalities. She treated them like they had feelings. It was nutty, but God damn cute at the same time.

She’d nicknamed my Denali, Keanu. Why? I had no idea. She just felt that was his name.

“I’m a nerd too,” she stood, not sparing me eye contact as she walked over to the door of her trailer. I followed behind, again, enjoying the view.

“Not the same thing.”

“Why is that?” She opened the door and stepped through, not holding it for me.

“Because you’re hot, and he’s… he’s…” I was drawing a blank. “His name is Riley and he’s the human equivalent of bland salsa.” Yeah. That’d work. “I’ve had bowel movements more interesting than that guy.”

I shut the door, pulling it taut on the weather stripping to keep out the chill that hung in the air.

She rolled her eyes, turning away from me as she reached a hand to the tiny fridge.

When she was nothing but a silhouette in the refrigerator light, I couldn’t help myself. It was all too close to what had happened two years ago - the night we never spoke of.

I boxed her in, my arms on either side of her head resting my palms on the top of the fridge.

She froze. I leaned down to that space between her ear and shoulder, taking in a deep inhale of her woodsy scent. I never thought that sandalwood could seem feminine, but on her skin, it did. Strong, with just a hint of flowers, interspersed with the comforting scent of smoke and leather.

A scent I had been obsessed with since the night I fell for her.

---