Page 13 of Rupture

Finn grunted and grabbed a pack out of the SUV and tossed it on the ground where it landed with a resigned puff. Fuck, even their kit didn’t want to be out here.

Dry wind pulled at his ankles, scouring grit under hiscollar and abrading his skin. “Water and air, I’m good. Dirt not so much. There’s a reason I became a pilot.” He reached for another bag, heavy with tough wetsuits for the cave diving mission ahead.

Behind the SUV, sand dunes stretched as far as he could see, broken only by a few stunted trees braced against the white heat of the sun. They looked as if they would rather be anywhere else but here.

Me too.

“What do you think of the science pair?” Liev picked up a stack of high-powered dive lights.

Finn stomped with an armful of rebreathers from the SUV to two tables already groaning with dive gear. The equipment clanked with each step. “I’m sure they’ll have their uses.”

“She’s attractive.” Liev looked thoughtful, a glint in his eye as he gazed to where Rose and Harris were bent over a computer together under the shade of a tarp.

“High maintenance.” Finn gave a dismissive grunt.

“So you think she’s pretty?” Liev grinned, his teeth flashing white against his tanned skin.

Finn flipped him the finger, but his gaze drifted back to Rose. Her hair was pulled back, exposing the graceful curve of her neck, and she had put on a pair of glasses that were giving him serious librarian vibes. What it would be like to run his fingers through her hair, to feel the softness of her skin beneath his touch?

“Finn?” Liev studied him, a dent between his eyes. His gaze flicked from Finn to Rose.

“What?” Finn dragged his gaze away from Rose, clearing his throat.

Liev’s grin widened, his eyes sparking with mischief. “You were staring, man. I thought you said she was high maintenance?”

“She is.” Finn grabbed a rebreather and inspected it with more intensity than necessary. “Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good view.”

Liev chuckled. “I know that look.”

Finn shot him a glare, his jaw rigid. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Right, right. Because you always look at high maintenance women like you want to devour them whole.”

Finn returned the rebreather to the table, his eyes narrowing. “We’ve got a job to do. A job we need to do well. That’s all I care about.”

Liev held up his hands in mock surrender. “Sure.”

Finn glanced over his shoulder. Rose was deep in conversation with Harris. “Besides. She looks at me like she wants to murder me in my sleep.”

“Maybe.” Liev kneeled to check their emergency supply of air. The bailout tanks were bright yellow, a glaring contrast to the muted tones of the rest of the gear. “But I bet she’d have some fun with you first.”

Finn groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

Liev’s usually severe face beamed. “Da.” He shrugged. “Eva tells me all the time.”

Finn headed back to the SUV with a shake of his head. All of this was just bluster. He’d seen the ping of tension in Rose’s body at the mention of his name, the way her shoulders had stiffened and he’d been about to ask Ethan to reconsider his choice. But seeing her reaction fueled his fire. He’d never run from a challenge and Rose Wyndham was no different.

Most people thought he was easygoing, quick to smileand share a laugh. But that was because he showed people what they wanted to see. He’d learned a long time ago to keep his true feelings hidden. He could handle the prickly doctor and then some.

He blew out a breath, as he checked his watch. In just eight hours, they would be in the water, the mission finally underway, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. They were unpacking the most advanced dive gear known to man, yet here they were, in the middle of the desert, miles from anywhere, sweating like pigs.

He turned to head back to the table, air tanks in his arms and stalled. Rose was making her way over to Liev.

Shit.

He adjusted the tanks and forced himself to walk over to where she was now speaking to Liev.

Keep it casual.

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