Page 11 of Protection for Rowan

"So you understand what our work-life balance is like."

Laughter bubbled up. "You mean lack of work-life balance."

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah. I know it’s intense. I signed up for it. I like the rush. Don’t get me wrong, I know the job isn’t my life, but right now, with some of the operations we’re running, it is life.”

“I really do understand.”

“So you’d be okay being in a relationship with someone who takes off and doesn’t call for weeks on end.”

She reached across the table and held his hand. "If we get together, it will be complicated. We're no longer kids. As adults, we've lived through some stuff. We both have lives we've established. There are things I'll do that will probably annoy you, but if we want something, I think we can work through the hiccups. Even the hiccup of you leaving town for a mission."

He stood, and she didn't understand for a moment until he moved to the seat next to her. His arm went around her shoulder, and he leaned in close, his lips next to her ear. "I would love to see how we fit together. I know we should consider ourselves strangers, but I don't see you that way. I want this to work. Maybe you can come over to my place a couple of nights this week, and I'll come to your place. We'll go from there."

Excitement filled her, and she resisted the urge to squeal. “I like that. I want to see you.”

"Can I come by your place on Monday?"

She pulled out her phone and checked her schedule. “My final client is at two thirty that afternoon. Unless I get an emergency, I’ll be home by four.”

“How about I call at four and make sure you’re okay with me coming over. I’ll bring dinner.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t?—”

He put his fingers on her lips. “I can’t invite myself over and expect you to cook. We’ll figure out a pattern for cooking and getting dinner prepared. I’ll have meatballsand spaghetti sauce. Then we can boil the noodles when I get there.”

She nodded. “That sounds great.”

“Good. I’m looking forward to seeing you on Monday.”

They both stood, and he walked her to her car, giving her a sweet kiss before taking off. They'd had an excellent time together. She knew it would take time for them to get to know each other, but she was thrilled that it seemed like he wanted more because she certainly wanted much more from Shine.

Chapter 9

Shine gruntedas he jumped down to do another burpee, his thoughts straying to Rowan. She was so beautiful, and he was caught up in lust and desire for her. He'd had to jack off last night and this morning when he woke. He was getting attached to Rowan, and it felt good.

“Yo, Shine, you’re somewhere else. What’s up?” Squat asked.

He shook his head, not wanting to talk to them about Rowan. She was from his past, but he really thought she was his future. There was just something about her, and he wanted to explore it before he got into the details with his buddies. "Nothing. I'm here."

“Dude, you got a silly grin on your face. Are you seeing someone?”

Squat's question hit right where he didn't want to focus. The guys knew him too well. It happened when people were trapped in a desperate situation with lives on the line, and the only way to safety was to trust the men in your unit fully. He trusted these guys with his life because he had to, so they knew him. They could see rightthrough his bullshit to the core of who he was. If he lied right now, they would know, and that would damage their trust.

He wiped his hand over his face, unsure how to talk about Rowan. They'd never seen him interested in a relationship. He'd talked in depth about how he wasn't ever going to get involved, and here he was, thinking about how to fit Rowan into his life.

Griz narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “He met someone.”

Apple turned to look at him. “What? You met someone?”

Shine’s lips thinned. “Look, it’s not a big deal.” That was a lie. It was a huge deal.

“Don’t lie,” Sharp said as he wiped his hands on his shorts.

They were all covered in sweat and sand. They’d been working out hard for over an hour and were almost done. Now was as good of time as any to get into it.

"Okay, okay. It really isn't a big deal." The guys laughed like they knew he was being less than truthful. "Back when I was a teenager, I met someone. I saw her again, and it was great." He hadn't told them that he'd survived a plane crash. Back when he'd first joined, he hadn't wanted the crash to define him. Usually, he kept his private life close to the vest. He loved these guys, but the plane crash was way in the past.

Griz shook his head and held up his hand. “Nope. That’s not the whole story. Tell us. Now.”

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