Page 58 of Dangerous Obsession

“I was wondering if—” Lettie stopped short. “Oops. Sorry.”

Viking reluctantly ended the kiss and straightened. Marigold’s eyes remained closed, her lips shiny pink and still slightly puckered.

“No problem.” He gave her a last peck on the lips, and she finally opened her eyes. “I’ll be in the retail area.”

“Wait!” She threw her arm out in the direction of the street. “What about the kid?”

“We’ll talk about that later.” Hand on the doorjamb, he winked at her, then disappeared down the hallway.

Viking slipped his phone from his pocket and dialed Sammy as he walked to the front door.

She answered immediately. “Hey, Viking.”

“I know you’re providing overwatch for a team in Colombia and one in Afghanistan, but I was hoping you might add Greg Whitcomb to your list.” The control room where Sammy worked was the hub for monitoring all of the teams in the field.

Thanks to the amazing bio-patch created by Luna Pannikos, Caleb’s crazy-smart sister-in-law, every single team member’s location and vitals could be tracked while on an op. It was smaller than a dime and stuck behind an operator’s ear. No matter where in the world they were during a mission, each operator appeared as a red blip on a massive screen, making it possible for Sammy and the other techs to pinpoint each individual’s exact location, heart rate, blood pressure, body temp, etc. As a guy who operated in the shadows most of the time, knowing so many brilliant, talented people had your back was reassuring.

“I just spotted him watching Marigold’s store, but I opted not to approach him.”Yet.

“Of course. Hang on a sec while I find him.” Rapid-fire clicking commenced in the background. “I’m bringing up the map.” More clicking. “Got him. Looks like he’s headed home. Calliope is positioned just down the street—I’ll give her a heads-up.”

“That would be great.” The operators in the field would be lost—literally and figuratively—without Sammy. “Thanks, Sammy.”

“You bet, and I’ll let you know if anything changes.” She ended the call, and he slipped his phone into his back pocket.

Viking’s nerves crackled knowing Barnum was out there and preparing to make a move on Marigold. He just needed to figure out when and where.

Like Shayna had done upon meeting him, Lettie watched Viking as he walked away, then turned back to Marigold. Marigold could appreciate their fascination with him, and they only ever got to see him with clothes on. A naked Viking was an incredible sight to behold—like the eighth wonder of the world.

“I know I’m new here, and I might be out of line, but that”—she pointed over her shoulder—“is one smokin’ hot man.”

“You’re not out of line, and heissmokin’ hot.” Marigold dragged her fingertips over her still-tingling lips.

Smokin’ hot was an understatement. She wanted to flatten him out on her desk and do all kinds of fun and nasty things to him. Gah! She had to stop thinking about that or she might embarrass herself further.

“So, what’s up?” She shoved aside thoughts of Viking naked—a not-so-easy task—and leaned her butt against the front of her desk.

“You’d mentioned you wanted to move some things around on the sales floor to create better traffic flow.” Lettie held up a notepad. “I took the liberty of scribbling down some ideas I think might help.”

“Oo.” Marigold rubbed her hands together. “I love helpful ideas. Show me.”

After reviewing her sketch and making a couple of minor changes to accommodate power outlets and stuff, they spent about two hours repositioning racks of clothing and display shelves, creating a new and interesting aesthetic and allowing for better visibility and movement around the showroom.

Viking had been their muscle, and, oh, what incredible muscles they were. He’d taken off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and revealed his forearms, and she’d practically swooned like some antebellum Southern belle with the vapors. She’d never known forearms could turn her on so much, but there you have it. Hell, everything about him turned her on. Every time he lifted one of the heavier pieces, his biceps and back muscles would bulge and flex, and it had taken Herculean-level control to keep from caressing his tight butt.

He was just plain yummy, and Marigold couldn’t help but stare at him. Her mind kept wandering back to their night together—his naked body atop hers, him being so gentle and careful with her until she’d finally assured him that she was okay and that no ghosts from the past tormented her.

She watched him in the monitor as he escorted Lettie and Shayna to their cars. He waited until they were locked inside and driving away.

Such a gentleman.

Marigold loved him with every of inch of her heart—a heart he’d helped repair and make whole again. She could even envision a future with him, something she’d never allowed herself to think about. Because healing from the trauma she’d suffered at Cliff’s hands seemed impossible—an unattainable goal.

As strong as her feelings were for Viking, why hadn’t she told him last night or today how she felt? What was stopping her?

“Hey.” Viking stood in her doorway, his head cocked to one side. “You okay?”

“What? Oh, yeah.” She waved away his question. “I’m totally fine, just tired.”

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