Page 24 of Hero Unbound

She softened even further against him. “Yeah, for the pups. They deserve it.”

He couldn’t stop himself from running his fingers up and down her spine. She was still in his shirt, and there was nothing he’d like more than to peel it off her, if only to feel her skin on his, but he didn’t want to do anything that would break this easiness between them.

She shifted, and he reluctantly moved his hand away, thinking she was getting up. But instead, she tucked her fist under her chin so she could look at him.

“Do you remember me from when we were kids and my family would come here to visit?”

That wasn’t what he’d been expecting. “Not so much. If I recall, I was fairly convinced girls had cooties at that time, so I tried to stay away from them as much as possible.”

She smiled and pressed her fist more firmly into his chest. “Seriously.”

He bent his elbow and tucked his arm under his head so he could see her better. “Honestly, not really. My life was pretty tumultuous when I was young before Dorian and Ray took me and my sister in. And even after that, I always felt like I needed to be on guard. I wasn’t much for kid stuff.”

She nodded. “My brother Sam was like that too. So serious. So protective. Even when we were kids.”

“Sam is part of the Teton Helitack crew, right?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Something with firefighting. I haven’t really talked to him in a couple years. We’ve both been busy.”

Theo wondered if he should tell her that the helitack crew sometimes showed up in Oak Creek when they were off duty. Especially if there was a band at the Eagle’s Nest on the weekend—Oak Creek was the biggest town near their facility. “I’m sure he would love to talk to you.”

“Yeah. Maybe.” She closed her eyes then opened them a second later. “Did you tackle me last night in the second barn?”

He grimaced. “In case I haven’t apologized enough for that, allow me to say again how sorry—”

He was cut off by the press of her lips against his.

He didn’t know why she was kissing him, or why she’d asked if he’d tackled her, and honestly, he didn’t care.

Her mouth was still against his, as if she wasn’t sure what she was doing—or even worse, wasn’t sure if he really wanted this—so he was more than happy to take over. He trailed his hand up her spine, threading his fingers into her hair so he could hold her head still and his lips could explore hers.

He teased her lips slowly, nibbling at them, as if they had all the time in the world. And as far as he was concerned, they did. Forget work; he could spend all day kissing her, feeling her soft body pressed up against his. Everything else—all the things she wasn’t telling him, all the other things that needed his attention—would have to wait.

He kept it slow and easy for a while, but when her tongue darted playfully into his mouth, the mood shifted for both of them. Her breath released in a soft gasp as she pressed farther against him, and he swallowed a groan as the kiss turned hot. Demanding.

He tried to pull her closer with an arm around her hip, but a wiggle between them stopped him. Sugar popped his head up from where he’d been sleeping to see what was going on.

Eva let out a soft laugh. “I think someone is trying to chaperone.”

Theo was about to offer to let the pups out when he heard a vehicle pull up outside. “Looks like we’ve got company anyway.”

She instantly sat up and away from him, the moment between them totally gone. “I should probably put my clothes back on. It doesn’t matter if they’re dirty.”

“I washed them, and they’re in the dryer.” She was getting more tense by the second. “It’s probably just Lilah or Tucker.”

But he was talking to her back. She darted for the laundry room, grabbed her clothes, and went into the bathroom, taking the dogs with her this time.

Theo got up and made his way over to the door, opening it and walking outside. He’d been mistaken. It wasn’t Lilah or Tucker.

“Hey there, Sheriff Webb. What brings you out here?”

Callum Webb had been the sheriff in Oak Creek for over fifteen years. The man was in his mid-forties and not a native to Oak Creek, although he had enough connections that he could be.

He’d been a federal law enforcement agent for many years—working with Linear and Zodiac Tactical multiple times during that tenure—before something had happened and he’d decided to take the sheriff position in Oak Creek.

Callum didn’t talk much about whatever had happened to cause him to make that switch; it tended to be shrouded in mystery. Theo liked and respected the older man and could respect his need for privacy. Theo didn’t have much need to know other people’s secrets.

Except, evidently, when it came to Eva.

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