Page 106 of The Art of You

And when his tongue met mine, I officially forgot where we were and why. One hand cupped my face, shifting up into my hair, as he deepened the connection and swallowed my achy moan of need.

“I’ll come back to you, I promise,” he rasped again.

I slowly blinked my eyes open, battling the lightheaded feeling he’d given me. We went from making love to fighting terrorists, and I was struggling to wrap my head around it all. So much had happened since Friday. How was it only Tuesday?

“I know you will,” I said after nervously swallowing my lingering fears.

“I don’t like leaving you.” He sat tall again, lowering his hand from my face to the top of his tactical camo pants. He had a 9mm strapped to the outside of his upper right thigh, and surely more weapons hidden elsewhere.

“I’ll never enjoy these moments. The dangerous part of our work.” Since I couldn’t pull off a poker face with him, why bother lying? “But it’s who you are, and what you do is important. I’ll put my big-girl panties on and wait for you every time.”

“I suppose that’s better than you sitting in here pantyless since you love to be the death of me when going without them,” he teased, his voice almost hoarse.

Oh, shit.

Hispoker face was failing him right now.Hewas worried.

“What’s wrong?” I reached for his hand, his gloves not on yet. “You have a bad gut feeling, don’t you?” Worry lodged inmy throat and found a spot back in my stomach yet again, ramping up into a sense of dread and nausea.

The wince from him didn’t sell me on his confidence. “Something feels off. What if this is what Green wants? Us to be apart?”

“We have no choice. Not unless you want me rolling with you?” We were boxed into this decision now and I was determined to make sure his head was on straight before he went out there. “He wants the terrorists dead, and I’m fairly certain he won’t make a move on us until tomorrow.”

Tomorrow was day 365, the anniversary of his wife’s death.

“So, one problem at a time. Remember?” I kept my voice as soft and convincing as possible so he didn’t get in his head and then wind up losing it out there. Not a freaking option.

“Maybe I should stay here with you?” he suggested, frowning while closing his eyes. “Roman’s an excellent sniper. He could take my place.”

As much as I liked the idea of being next to him instead of a stranger, I also knew he’d never forgive himself if something happened to my brothers or the team because he hadn’t been with them. “I have three people here to watch over me. No one knows where we’re at. Alfie said he didn’t tell Green our current location, and Constantine swept every square inch of this van and surrounding property for trackers. He’s paranoid like you.”

He stretched his neck out, chin pointed to the ceiling.

“You didn’t spin up with your team in 2010, and you’ve never been able to let that go. I think you need to do this. I feel like this might truly be what helps you let go of what happened and move forward.” I kept my voice as calm as possible, hoping I got through to him, believing in my heart I was right.

He finally gave me his beautiful blues and lacedhis fingers with mine, bringing our clasped hands between us, kissing my knuckles.

I dug deep into my stubbornness and went on. “I don’t want any obstacles standing in our way of being together after this. I don’t want you picking me over the mission, either. I have your six, and I need you to have theirs. Got it?”

“God, I love you so fucking much.” He lowered our hands and kissed me again, even more passionately this time than before, stealing my breath and my worries along with it.

I just had to trust everything would be okay, and that his bad gut feeling was nerves. It was hard not to be worried when we still didn’t know how we fit into Green’s vengeance equation.

After our kiss, Hudson reached around his back and produced a Glock.

“For protection.” He handed it to me. “Put it at your back beneath your jacket.”

I held the heavy piece of metal in my hand, recalling the lessons given to me. “If this makes you feel better, then okay.”

“It does.” He nodded, waiting for me to follow his order, so I positioned it at my back and hid it with my jacket as instructed. “I also need to hear your voice every two minutes while we’re gone. I need reassurance you’re okay if you want me to stay focused. Can you do that for me?”

“Keith and I will be relaying information from the drone. But I don’t want to pop over the radio if I have nothing to share just so you hear my voice. That might distract you.”

“Not knowing you’re okay will be much more distracting. I’ll also turn my ass around and sprint the mile back here if I don’t hear from you.” He took hold of my chin in his big hand, commanding my attention.

The guys would be sneaking up on the safe house on foot from here, and I didn’t doubt for a second Hudson wouldn’t actlike an Olympic runner to get back to me if he didn’t hear my voice.

“I’m waiting for confirmation, sweetheart. If you want me to leave you, I need you to say you understand. Your safety is in my hands, remember?” A dark smile cut across his lips as if remembering the other thing he controlled—my orgasms.

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