Page 2 of Undeniable

“Oh, not me.” I grinned at him finally. “You should know that by now.”

Something flashed across his face and was gone. It happened so quickly, I couldn’t be sure what it was, but I suspected it might be discomfort although I wasn’t sure why.

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I suppose I should.”

The barista was the girl regularly on duty and she grinned at me when she held up my standard flat white and I passed her a bill.

“So, no more? What happened, you get tired of it?”

“Aged out. I stayed until thirty-nine, so you could say I was there for my own curtain drop. They wanted to put me on a desk: run the show, not be in it. Wasn’t for me.” I grinned, even though I felt a little twinge inside. Identifying as a PJ for the last few years of my life meant I didn’t exactly know who I was now that I wasn’t in pararescue.

Adam’s eyes went wide as he did the math in his head and I knew he was realizing for the first time that I was no longer twelve.

“So, what brings you to New York?” he asked, his eyes tracking my movement as I lifted the steaming cup to my lips.

“Besides growing up here? I’ve still got some family here, as you’ll recall, and maybe work.” I took a cautious sip. “My brother told me his buddy’s got a security firm that needs a couple more solid employees. I figure I’m a pretty good candidate: medical training, security clearance, combat experience…I’m a triple threat.”

“Not gonna hurt anyone’s feelings to look at you either.” Adam grinned at me, and I wasn’t sure he knew he’d said it out loud.

“Doubt that’s part of the job description,” I said smoothly, feeling for the first time I might have the upper hand when his cheeks colored with just the faintest pink.

Yup, he’d had no idea he said that out loud.

Adam and my brother Steve were five years older than me. When I was ten the age gap put me firmly into Annoying Territory and I didn’t leave it for the next six years.

Both of them had gone to school locally and it meant that I had them in my life until they were twenty-two and graduated from college.

When they joined the Army as officers, with degrees under their belts, I cried myself to sleep for months.

I missed my brother. He’d lived at home until the day he shipped out, but the truth was that the day they shipped out, I also lost the man I’d been in love with for the better part of a decade.

When you’re seventeen, you can convince yourself you’ll never overcome that first loss.

“Adam Fucking Beckman.” I took another sip and watched his eyes go wide.

What the hell did I have to lose? I was gonna go for it.

“You havenoidea the massive crush I had on you when we were kids.” I laughed. “I must have beensoannoying.”

The massive crush I still have.

His cheeks pinked again and I wondered for a second if he did actually have some idea.

“Your brother would’ve kicked my ass.” He grinned, holding his hand out for the cup the barista passed across the counter to him.

My brother would probably still kick his ass–or try to–Adam was bigger than him these days.

“You two are a gorgeous couple,” the barista said softly to us, leaning over the counter, and it was my turn to blush.

“Oh, no. I mean, thank you, but we’re not…that.”

The girl raised an eyebrow with a smile directed at Adam. “I’d call that a shame.”

That’s for damn sure.

Shut up, inside voice. No one asked you.

“You, uh…meeting someone here?” He looked a little nervous.

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