Page 78 of Fiery Romance

“I can’t.” My life’s been about preserving the peace for my country, but the path to getting there is paved with chaos. Even the security company is filled with adrenaline-boosting scenarios.

“Give it a try,” Darrel insists.

“Peace?” My eyes dart back and forth beneath my lowered eyelids.

I’m about to insist I can’t do this one when an image of Island and Regan smiling on a video call fills my head.

“Good,” Darrel’s voice is guiding me through the darkness. “Stay right there.”

I want to.

I swear I do.

But once I unlock the door that leads to Island, it goes blasting open. I can’t stop what comes stampeding out.

I see Island the day I stormed into her shop. I was pissed the hell off because she’d sent CPS at me. She was standing behind her counter, skin dark, limbs delicate, voice of velvet steel as she threatened me with her ‘gun’.

“Uh… Clay…” Darrel’s voice sounds like it’s coming from far away.

The brain machine starts beeping a little louder.

I see Island when I backed her up against my car, my body molding to hers, my mouth hot against her ear. Her pupils wide, black eating at chocolate honey. Energy rippling off her.

“Clay, calm…” Darrel’s voice is losing a bit of its composure.

The beeping of the machine quickens.

Yesterday, I had her wrists to my lips. My tongue was so close to tasting her skin.

“Clay!”

Would she moan for me? Would her mouth part on a gasp?

“Bolton!”

Beep. Beep. Beep.

“Damn it, Clay!”

My eyes burst open and I see Darrel and Dina hovering over the brain machine. Dina’s looking at me in alarm, but Darrel’s staring at the lines on the screen.

“What the hell were you thinking about?” Darrel growls, his eyes narrowed.

My throat goes dry and I wipe my sweaty palms against my pants.

A soldier needs discipline. Without it, he is nothing.

And right now, my discipline fails me.

Maybe it started failing me the very first time I laid eyes on her.

“I told you to think about something peaceful.Peaceful.” Darrel closes his eyes, takes a breath and then returns his voice to a calm tone. “Tell me what you were seeing.”

“I don’t know,” I hedge. “They were vague impressions.”

His eyes narrow. Were we not in a professional capacity, I’m sure he’d be calling me every four-letter word.

Darrel makes an imperceptible wave at Dina. She doesn’t even acknowledge his instructions and seamlessly leaves the room, locking the door behind her.

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