Page 71 of Lethal Pursuit

“She’d love to stay. Right, buddy?” He ruffled his nephew’s hair. “This is Eli, by the way. Lucas is upstairs, perfecting his latest Jedi training.”

“Hi, Eli.”

“Hi.” The boy regarded her seriously for a moment. “I thought you’d be taller.”

Maya didn’t know how to respond, but Jackson grinned and said, “Gotta love kids. Guess I made you sound ten feet tall when I told them about you.”

He ushered her to the table in the eating nook and handed her a glass of white wine, refusing her help in the kitchen. She made small talk with them while he helped fix everything with Angela. Not only was the man sweet and heroic and beautiful, but he obviously knew how to cook. Her head was spinning. How did things stand between them? That wasn’t something she was going to ask him in front of his family members.

Dinner was delicious and enjoyable, despite her nerves. She hadn’t eaten very well over the past few weeks. It was clear how much the family loved each other. Watching them together filled Maya with a wistfulness that made her heart ache. This was how she’d always imagined her and Pili would wind up, hanging out at each other’s house with their kids.

They kept the conversation light through dinner, focusing mainly on Eli, who seemed a lot older than he was, and his five-year-old brother, Lucas. When the meal ended, Angela shared a secret look with her brother then scooped up Eli and Lucas. “Bath time for my guys.” She shot Maya another smile. “It was really nice meeting you, Maya. I hope we’ll get to see you again soon.”

Maya didn’t know what to say, so she nodded and returned the smile. “Thank you for having me, especially without any notice.”

Angela waved her thanks away. “You’re welcome anytime.”

As his sister carried the boys upstairs, Jackson took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go out back and sit on the porch. I’ll get you another glass of wine.”

“I shouldn’t. Have to drive back to the hotel later.”

“I’ll drive you there on your bike.” He leaned in to kiss her temple, his warm breath making her shiver. “I think I want you a little tipsy.”

Her belly fluttered but she raised her eyebrows. “You think I trust you with my Ducati?” she said to cover her nerves.

“Yeah, I think you do.”

He was right. She did.

Once he had her settled on the white wooden porch swing, he brought her that next glass of wine and sat beside her to pull her tight against him. Her whole body sighed at the contact. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, relaxing into him. If she died right now, she’d die happy.

Jackson stroked his fingers through her jaw-length hair. “When did you cut it?”

“As soon as I got home. Couldn’t stand all the snarls and knots in it.”

“I like it, it’s sassy. Suits you.”

She blushed at the compliment. Looking out over the tidy backyard with its green swing set, she didn’t know what else to say.I love you. I love you with everything in me.It was almost impossible to hold the words back. “You told me you were all healed up, but I wasn’t sure if you were lying.” Unable to resist, she slid a hand to his belly, pulling up his shirt so she could see the scar. It was about five inches long, the angry red incision fading to purple.

Jackson covered her hand with his, rubbed it slowly over his skin, all warm and silky under her palm. He let her pet him like a cat, stroking him while his muscles twitched against her hand. Instant arousal pulsed through her body.

“Recovery was pretty easy,” he said at last. “I had Ang and the boys to look after me when I got discharged from the hospital. I can’t stand knowing you went home alone.” He shook his head in annoyance.

She tipped her head back to meet his eyes. “I managed fine.” Well, okay, notfine, but she’d made it through. “My therapist says I’m doing great, all things considered. Panic attacks are few and far between now and I’m sleeping better at night. Hardly any nightmares now.” Down to a few a week, rather than a few every night.

“Then you’ll sleep even better with me beside you,” he said in a smoky voice that made her toes curl. “And I’ll sleep better knowing you’re next to me tonight. Right after I wear you out so much you won’t have enough energy to dream later.” The look in his eyes told her he wasn’t just teasing. Then he grinned and gave the swing a push with one foot, setting them in gentle motion as he bent and nuzzled the side of her neck. Goose bumps rippled across her skin. “Now hurry up and finish your wine.”

Like she was interested in wine after that comment? She reacted to his nearness on a chemical level. The anticipation of what might happen tonight was the most exquisite and frustrating torture. She sipped her wine while they talked about a lot of different things. The Air Force agreeing to grant her an honorable discharge. His plans to write the MCAT in the fall once he finished his enlistment. Haversham putting in a good word for her when she decided to apply to the FBI in a few months.

“You want kids someday?” he asked suddenly.

Startled, she set her glass down before answering. “Yeah, maybe someday.” A wistful smile broke over her face. “I guess I’ve always dreamed about having a family of my own. A real one, like you’ve got.”

His expression thoughtful, he nodded and kissed the top of her head. She didn’t know what to make of that and didn’t want to press. All she wanted at the moment was to find a private place where she could peel those clothes off him and kiss and lick every inch of his body.

As she swallowed the last sip of wine, he took the glass from her, eyes dark with hunger. “So. Ready to take that ride with me?”

She almost swallowed her tongue at the heavy throb that set off in her body. “Yeah.”

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