Page 53 of Burning Secrets

He’s dangerous.

Yeah, Skye had hit it on the head. She had no idea how dangerous.

“It’s late. You guys okay with me bunking with you?” Crew said, pushing himself up from the chair.

“Grab a bunk. There’s a couple extra sleeping bags hanging in the entry,” said Logan.

Crew walked past her, glanced down at her, and how terribly obvious would it be if she got up and followed?

He stopped. “Walk a guy home?”

A couple smiles, from Jade, then Crispin.

She took his hand, let him lead her from the firepit toward the cabins. He wove his fingers through hers, walked in quiet.

“I know you want to chase wolves,” he said, his voice easy, low, “but you have a good thing going here with this team, Jo. Maybe you stick this out for a while.”

She looked up at him.

“Maybe I become a smokejumper.” He lifted a shoulder.

“You’d make an amazing smokejumper,” she said, but weirdly, the idea had her seizing up inside. What?—

And maybe he saw it, because he frowned, then pulled her away, between the cabins, into the shadows. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m being stupid.”

He leaned back against the cabin, pulled her into his embrace. “You’re not stupid. You figured out that map. That was brilliant.”

She ran her hands over his chest, smoothing out his shirt. He’d showered, smelled like cedar and pine and his own perfect musk. “I need to tell you something.” She’d been avoiding thinking of it ever since she’d confessed to Skye. But, okay, here went nothing. “I was engaged.”

He stiffened, stood up, set her away from him. “What?”

“Many years ago. To my high-school sweetheart.” She stepped back from him, met his eyes. “He was killed.”

His mouth opened. “Oh, wow, I’m so sorry.”

She nodded, her throat weirdly thick. “He joined the Marines, died in training. It was a freak drowning accident but…anyway, it’s crazy, because I’m fine with any of those guysjumping out of planes, risking their lives, but you…” She shook her head. “Sorry. I’ve been haunted for the past four days by the thought of you back in that camp, and now, I don’t know…I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

He stepped up to her, lifted her face, his hand under her chin. “I think that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

It was?

But she didn’t have time to respond, because he kissed her. Sweetly, his lips against hers, and then deeper as his arms moved around her. He backed against the cabin again, pulled her into him, and his kiss turned from gentle to possessive, to belonging and oneness, to beauty and peace.

A kiss that explored and discovered and knew, and she found herself with her arms around him, discovering and knowing too.

Yes, she was falling for this man. And maybe life was dangerous, but maybe it was supposed to be met by dangerous men who stood for and believed in something.

All the way to the end.

And it struck her, even as Crew leaned away, met her eyes, that maybe Crew needed her to have the courage to love a man like him.

No matter what it cost her.

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Okay then. Eyes open.

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