Page 51 of Stealth Mission

A weird laugh sticks in my throat. This guy…

“You should give a damn. He’s going to make your visit to Karma uncomfortable at best.”

In a flash, an amused expression transforms Walt’s face. It’s almost a smirk, but not quite. A cup appears in his hand. He takes a drink, making his muscular throat work.

I shake my head, dragging my eyes away from that strong column of muscle. “A to-go cup. Did Peter kick you out?”

A slow grin spreads on his face, crinkling his eyes. Making the gray color even more striking.

“Pretty much.”

“He will be over it by this evening if you want to go in and eat dinner.”

With a pleased expression, he studies my face, glancing between my eyes. “Join me then?”

“I can’t.”

He nods once.

A twinge of guilt hits me, chased by sadness.

Before I realize what he’s doing, Walt lowers the hood on my vehicle, and snaps it shut. “Where are we going, now?”

We?

I glance around, butterflies and dread swirling in my stomach. I should run. But is it too wrong to steal a walk with a handsome stranger?

“I’m going to the fruit market next.”

“Didn’t know they make appointments at the fruit market.”

A flush of heat hits my cheeks. “Busted.”

“Morally gray, huh?”

Those words strike me. But there’s a ghosty, fleeting look in his granite eyes.

“Maybe a little. But it’s not like I’m hiding some big secret.”

He shifts from foot to foot, looking tense. When he peers down at me again, the color of his eyes is slate, cold and impenetrable. “I need to tell you something.”

Chapter Twenty

Stomach tensing, I clear my throat. “We probably shouldn’t talk about this here, though.”

Instantly concerned, Marianna glances around. “Of course. Now you have me worried.” Looking beyond my shoulder, her expression darkens. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

I tug my shades from the neck of my shirt, slip them on, and swing my gaze around, trying to place the location of whoever’s watching. “We could take a drive.”

“Not in my Land Cruiser.”

“I have my truck.”

“This might cause problems.”

“Would you prefer my hotel?”

She chokes out a little laugh. “That will really cause problems. Besides, I don’t trust the innkeeper.”

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