Page 153 of Sin With Me

“I… I don’t know. We don’t ask questions like those.”

“Why not? Mrs. Gladden from the bakery seems nosy enough, and she didn’t know either. Neither did Sherriff Lowes when I bumped into him at town hall. Yet Missy seems to live on the same property John Huntz used to occupy. Don’t you find that odd?” I asked as Eric made his way around the truck and got into the driver’sseat.

“I guess I never thought about it. Wait a minute. That’s wrong. I remember Huntz’s house being torn down after he vanished because no one in town wanted anything to remind them of the man that hewas.”

“Except at the town hall, in the registry section, the records say he owned two properties. But I doubt many people check those files.”

Eric looked at me from the side as if I’d just solved the crop circle mysteries.

“Well, then please accept my apologies, Emma. Here I thought you went on a shopping spree – not that there’s anything wrong with that – and in two hours you find more information than I did in months.”

“You just need to know where to look.” I lowered the window.

Shifting to the side, Eric just stared at me in that same adoring way he had earlier, when he was leaning against thecar.

“What?” I asked.

“Your intelligence turns me on.” His low voice curled through my entire body, lighting it on fire. How did he do that? I had a sudden urge to quote Einstein and Tolstoy, but found it difficult to reach for anything clever in my brain when I was near Eric. And the E=mc2 formula was definitely not on top of the sexy things to say to a manlist.

“I’m just doing my job, Eric.”

And why had my voice quieted? Since when was I shy around men? Never. Except Eric was a kind of man I’d never met before. He was a perfect mix of caring, strong, and polite that was difficult to find in NewYork.

“You shouldn’t hide how smart you are. It’s sexy and intriguing.”

“I’m not trying to hideit.”

“I just never met anyone like you, Emma. So beautiful and clever. And those legs of yours are driving me crazy.” His gaze shifted from the road to my exposed thighs. “Has anyone ever told you that they’re stunning?”

“Ahm, no. Thank you. But your flirting is pretty blunt.”

“Just telling the truth. And that pink shade on your cheeks when you blush is like adrug.”

He shivered as if shaking off the after-effects of cocaine before adjusting his crotch. That’s when I noticed that Eric in fact was turned on. Knowing how he felt around me forced me to tense my thighs and that funny and welcome feeling returned to my belly. I couldn’t sit still. The swelling between my legs was becoming unbearable too, dampening my panties, and I was beginning to wonder how I would make it through the night, all alone in Eric’sbed.

“I better concentrate on the drive. Wouldn’t want to get us in an accident.”

Ten minutes later we pulled up the driveway at the ranch. Eric unpacked groceries while I got started on a late supper, and soon we were sitting in his back yard, enjoying ourmeal.

“So, tell me. Why didn’t I find anything about you in the military?” I asked. He had to give me a little more than what he had earlier.

“My lips are sealed.” He pulled his hand across his mouth and stabbed a roasted pepper onto hisfork

I cut through my steak with more force. “Well, then, now you really need to tell me. Comeon.”

“OK. But know that if you try to verify this anywhere, you won’t find anything to confirm it. And you may have an angry bunch of people after you if they find you were snooping.”

“I promise not to say a word.” I crossed my heart and opened my eyes wide, leaning in closer.

“Derek and I were recruited at the same time. A guy showed up at one of the fests, telling us about making a change and supporting your country, and the next thing I knew I was lying to my parents that I was going to Haiti to help build houses. I just wanted to feel like I could accomplish something and make a change.

“The training started as soon as we arrived at the Seals’ headquarters. It was the most grueling two weeks of my life, but I doubted months or years would have prepared us for what we’d experienced.”

Eric looked out into the distance, remaining quiet for several minutes. I didn’t dare interrupt. As the sun lowered, its orange glow highlighted Eric’s protruding cheeks and defined jaw, where I saw a hint of tension.

“The thing is, Emma, that we promised ourselves not to speak about it to anyone – ever. Because witnessing humanity capable of gruesome tortures tends to fuck with your brain, ya’ know? So as much as I can’t tell you, I honestly don’t want to tell you. I won’t be responsible for stealing your innocence and hope.” He cracked his fingers and neck, once to each side. “Bottom line is that we accomplished our mission but didn’t come out unscathed. Some physically, all emotionally. Derek slipped up, thinking we were in the clear. It was time to celebrate and we did, without knowing that we were being hunted by those we’d crossed a day earlier. Derek was leading our group and blames himself until this day. All I remember was Reeve carrying my motionless body to a chopper.”

Eric lowered his head and pulled his hair apart at the back with his fingers, revealing his scalp. There was a scar running across the back of his head and another perpendicular one that drew up. “Let’s just say that I’m not looking forward to the day I lose my hair and am forced to go bald and to explain myself to my family and friends. Ain’t gonna happen.”

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