Page 42 of Steers and Stowaways
She made a pfft sound. “Maybe I can’t help myself,” she teased. “You’re like a walking commercial for western wear.”
His neck turned red. “You’re not just bored. You’ve lost your mind.”
“Probably,” she agreed cheerfully, “but in the spirit of full disclosure, you’re about to have your mind blown as well.”
“Mal,” he warned. “Whatever you’re thinking of doing, don’t.”
“I have to.” All laughter left her. “Chip made it clear I’m not the one the narco rustlers are targeting.”
“For which I am very grateful.” Tucker scowled at her. “You should be, too.”
She was too fearful for his safety to take comfort in any such thing. “He never said you weren’t a target.”
He shrugged. “Investigators are always in the crosshairs. Welcome to my world.”
“It feels imminent, Tuck. If you saw the way Chip was looking at the back of your head a moment ago…” She stopped in mid-sentence, knowing how foolish she sounded.
“Listen, Mal.” Tucker straightened and opened his door. “I appreciate your concern. I do. But I can take care of myself.”
He leaped to the ground and hurried around the truck to open her door for her.
She pointed at the door, eyes growing wide. “Did you just—?” She stepped on the running board, then hopped to the pavement, chuckling. “Now, who’s flirting?”
Movement at the front entrance of the service station caught her attention. Chip was returning.
She swung into action before she lost her nerve, darting in front of Tucker to slide her arms around his neck. Chip needed to understand how important Tucker was to her.
He’d been in the middle of taking a step, so his hands settled on her waistline to keep from mowing over her. “Mal? What are you…?”
She tugged his head down to touch her lips to his.
His response was immediate. He slanted his mouth over hers, taking them deep. So deep.
The world faded. The rising danger, rumble of motors, and bite of December wind faded beneath the way his heart pounded against hers.
Tucker Pratt didn’t just kiss. He claimed. He possessed. He built a fence around it.
She felt like laughing, crying, dancing, and singing all at the same time. It took a second or two to realize she was doing the first two items on that list.
Tucker raised his head, looking all disheveled and blazing-eyed at her.
Emotions tumbled and crashed over her, too many to sort out. “Tuck, I didn’t mean?—”
“I know.”
“I was just so afraid.” She tightened her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. “For us. For you.”
“I get it. It’s okay.” He sounded winded even though they hadn’t started walking yet.
“It’s not okay. We’re about to become business partners.” Her emotions were all over the place, like a rubber ball pinging around a racquetball court. Never before had anyone thrown her so thoroughly off her emotional axis. “I just want you to know I would never, ever take advantage of a coworker. I totally respect?—”
“Shut up and kiss me again.”
Tucker wasafraid she wouldn’t do it, but he was even more afraid that she would. He wasn’t sure what had spooked her so badly. How she’d chosen to handle her fear, though, was a-okay with him.
“I’m terrified something bad might happen to you.” She spoke against his lips. “And I’m not gonna stand by and donothing about it.” She quickly poured out her suspicions that Chip might be communicating with the narco rustlers through his electronic game. Then she doubled down on how much she didn’t like the way Chip had been looking at him while he was driving.
“Thank you.” Tucker palmed her face, brushing away her tears in awe. Though he wasn’t sure it was wise to read too much into the actions of a messed-up teenager, no one had ever cared about his safety like this—whether he made it home after work, whether he lived to fight another day. Well, except for Braveheart. To have another human being care for him this way, though, felt miraculous. Mallory was an all-or-nothing kind of gal, so Tucker knew better than to take what she was doing lightly.
