Page 7 of Provoking Bryan

“Somehow, I don’t believe you,” he said, his voice dropping lower, each word deliberate. There was a pull he couldn’t ignore, something about her that felt both infuriating and magnetic.

Sara’s lips parted slightly, as if to respond, but no words came. He could see the struggle in her eyes, as though she was trying to fight a reaction she didn’t want to acknowledge.

Finally, she broke the silence, her voice sharper than before, a deflection. “I don’t much care what you believe. This isn’t about you, Bryan. It’s about keeping you alive.”

He leaned back slightly, his lips curving into something that wasn’t quite a smile, though the intensity in his gaze didn’t waver. “Keeping me alive,” he echoed, his tone laced with quiet amusement. “Interesting choice of words, considering you’re the one struggling to keep your composure right now.”

“I’m not?—”

“You are,” he interrupted smoothly, his voice firm but not harsh, like steel wrapped in velvet. “And I think it’s because you don’t know what to do with someone who doesn’t back down when you push.”

She swallowed hard, and for a moment, her expression faltered. There was a flicker of vulnerability there, one she quickly masked, but not quickly enough.

“You’re infuriating,” she said, her voice quieter now, almost a whisper.

“Then why are you still standing here?” he asked, his voice calm but with an edge that dared her to answer.

The air between them thickened again, and he could see her weighing her options, her next words clearly a deliberate choice. She straightened her shoulders and took a deliberate step back. “You’re going to follow my lead when things get dangerous. Like it or not, that’s how this works.”

Bryan raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. “I don’t take orders,” he said, turning back to his supplies, his tone signaling an end to the discussion. “But I’ll consider your suggestions.”

He didn’t have to look up to know she was frustrated, but there was something else in her silence—something unresolved.

“You’re impossible,” she muttered as she turned and left the tent.

As the flap settled behind her, Bryan allowed himself a small exhale. He’d pushed her, and she hadn’t broken. She might be dangerous, but damn if she wasn’t intriguing.

3

SARA

Sara adjusted the strap of her tactical bag as she surveyed the camp from the edge of the clearing. The layout was simple—two medical tents, a supply station, and a few scattered structures for sleeping quarters. Practical, efficient, and utterly exposed. Any half-trained operative would know this place was a soft target. She supposed that doctors just didn’t think that way.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she spotted Bryan walking toward the main tent. Even from a distance, he moved with an easy confidence, the kind of commanding presence that drew people to him. It irritated her how effortlessly he seemed to have slipped into a leadership position, as though he belonged in every room, no matter the stakes.

And it irritated her even more that it worked for her. She’d always gone for the rough and tumble type. Men of higher learning—doctors, lawyers, professors…that sort of thing—did little to make her ache for them. No, give her a commando or a cowboy.

“Looks like you’re sizing up the camp for an assault,” came a dry voice behind her.

Sara turned to see Lara, clipboard in hand and an eyebrow raised.

“Just getting a feel for the layout,” Sara replied, keeping her tone light.

Lara frowned. “You’re supposed to be logistics, right? Not security?”

Sara offered a thin smile. “Let’s just say I’m a little more versatile than that. I’m also able to assist medically if needed.”

The answer didn’t seem to satisfy Lara, but before she could ask more questions, Bryan’s voice cut through the air.

“Sara!”

She turned to see him standing at the entrance of the main tent, his arms crossed, a challenge in his body language. She resisted the urge to sigh. This wasn’t going to be pleasant.

“Excuse me,” she said to Lara before striding toward him.

When she reached the tent, Bryan stepped aside to let her in, then followed, letting the canvas flap fall closed behind him.

“Do we need to talk about your role here?” he asked, his tone even but edged with authority.

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