Page 25 of Dangerous Devotion

“Nice chatting with you. Drive safe.”

Hastily, she paid for her purchases and legged it to the car where Henner waited. As soon as she slipped into the seat, he turned to her. “What the hell was that call about?”

“That was me creating an ice-breaker.”

“Between whom?”

“Me and Moore.”

His vivid blue eyes pierced her. “You’re joking.”

“We were wrong—they’re headed directly to Fort Leonard Wood with the cargo. We believed theywouldn’tgo straight to base. They have no idea what they’re hauling, and they didn’t ask.”

“Well, why would they? They were given orders.”

She saw that everything was black and white for Henner in that regard, and for the young recruits too. “They think it’s training equipment or spare parts. And they won’t be stopping for a while.”

His brows shot upward. “How do you knowthat?”

“I talked to the kid. Plus, he bought them each an energy drink. They won’t need to rest for some time.”

A low grumble from Henner made her look at him harder. “Talked to the kid in the store,” he muttered.

She passed him the cookies. “We don’t all need high-clearance software to get information.”

He snatched the cookies and tore open the package, stuffing one in his mouth whole.

Her belly fluttered. God, did he have to look so hot eating cookies? His jaw shifted into sexy angles that had her mind sparking with other things that mouth could do.

To her.

After he swallowed the cookie, he focused on her.

“Feel better?” She opened her barbecue chips.

“Not really.”

“Gonna share those cookies?”

With a huff that was part irritation, part laugh, he held out the package, and she took two. In return, she extended the chips his way, and he held out a broad palm.

She shook a few into his hand. They munched in silence a few minutes.

“You have to admit I bought us some peace of mind. We don’t have to worry that they’re not really headed to the base. We can take our time and sit here eating junk food before we follow them.”

He crunched on a chip and then uncapped one of the waters she’d placed in the cup holder. When he took a sip, his throat worked on the swallow. Was it possible that women found a man drinking water hot? Because she was starting to wonder if she needed an intervention.

“It’s helpful.” His gritty tone made her freeze with a chip partway to her lips. His blue eyes burned over her. “The way you rattled off all that info about the kids was really hot.”

She sucked in a breath at the very unexpected flirtation. Her insides rippled with liquid heat from one silly statement.

She leaned closer. “Wait until you see me defuse a bomb.”

He gave her an I’m-going-to-undress-you-and-see-how-to-make-you-go-off look.

From the corner of her eye, she studied Henner. AJ. The name fit him. The kind of name that suited a man with a boyish glint in his eyes. It was short and easy, rolling off the tongue.

The playful edge in his eyes mixed with the reckless streak she knew inherently was there. Just like she knew he’d never been called Albert James or Andrew Joseph, or whatever those initials stood for.

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