Page 16 of Rhys

Rhys watched silently as she made her way toward the modest kitchen at the room’s far end, her good hand reaching out to trail a soft line along the island’s granite countertop as she passed by.

An unsettling feeling began to creep in, and he shuffled his stance in response. He wasn’t used to having someone else in his personal space. Especially a female.

Especiallyher.

Sure, he’d had the guys over before. Hell, before Greyson fell head over ass for his former SEAL teammate’s little sister, the big guy would come here to watch the week’s biggest football games. But Rhys never brought a woman to his home.

Not fucking ever.

This was his space. His place to relax and unwind after a hard day’s—or sometimes a week’s or even a month’s—work. A safe haven where he could be himself and be by himself. A place where the ghosts of his past could appear, and no one else would be the wiser.

But now, the one ghost he’d spent the last two years doing all he could to forget was standing smack dab in the middle of his private abode. Only she wasn’t a ghost at all. She was real and very much alive.

But she wouldn’t be if you hadn’t gone to meet her.

His heart kicked against his ribs at the stark realization. Not because he fancied himself a hero, but because it was the truth. If he’d ignored her message and stayed home, Vanessa would most likely be dead.

For the firsttime since their harrowing reunion, Rhys allowed himself a moment to really think about what that meant. If the shooter had succeeded in killing her, the woman who’d caused him so much pain and anguish would be gone.

Just like that, he would have been rid of her forever. There’d be no more looking for her face everywhere he went. No more racing heart every time the phone rang with the hope that it would be her voice on the other line.

And most importantly, Rhys would finally, finally have a chance—a real chance—to move the fuck on with his life and quit second-guessing every word that came out of a woman’s mouth.

She’d done that to him. God, he hated admitting it, even to himself. But she had. Vanessa had ruined his chances of ever finding what his teammates had…

That one true love that would last them a lifetime.

Rhys had that once. At least, he thought he did. But it turned out to be a big fat lie.

Every whispered word. Every brush of her lips. It was all a ruse to help solidify her cover. And when her job was done so was she.

So yeah, after knowing all that, knowing he could finally get some closure, the thought of this woman disappearing for goodshouldbring with it a bit of comfort and peace. Only…

I don’t want her to disappear. I still want…her.

It was a ridiculous thought. One that probably made him a masochist. But it didn’t make it any less true.

Deception or not, the physical attraction was still very much there. Much to Rhys’s chagrin. But damn if his fingers didn’t still twitch with the urge to touch her long, curly hair. It was brown instead of the red he remembered, but the bottled color didn’t take away its beauty.

Speaking of beauty…

Vanessa’s almost perfectly symmetrical features created a face that could easily shine on the big screen. And her body…holy hell. The petite woman was fit and toned, but she still had all the same curves that made his dick stand up and take notice.

So yeah, she was gorgeous. Head-to-toe the woman was the same tempting package. But it hadn’t been her thick red hair or heart-shaped ass that had first drawn him in.

No, the day Rhys had first spotted her in Kabul’s fresh marketplace, he hadn’t noticed any of those things. Not at first, anyway. It had been those haunted emerald eyes that had instantly drawn him in.

The same way they threatened to now.

He blinked and looked away, unwilling to travel down that same dangerous path. The attraction was still there, sure. But so was his unwavering control.

“There’s a spare bedroom and bathroom at the top of the stairs. You’re welcome to it.”

“Thanks.” Vanessa stared back at him with a guarded smile. “You said your friend was bringing my car here, but I didn’t see it out front. Was it gone when he got there?”

“It’s in the garage.”

“Show me.” A softness entered her weary eyes. “Please.”

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