Page 55 of In Hiding

“Do they know about me?”

He didn’t want to lie. “Even if they did, the information would be safe with them. I promise.”

She pointed at him accusingly. “That’s not an answer.”

She moved to step passed him, but he caught her arm as gently as he could. “He doesn’t know anything. Please trust me.”

“Don’t lie to me, Jake.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I won’t. I ran into them purely by coincidence. As far as I knew, they were all Killed in Action more than a decade ago.”

Her focus dropped to his hold on her arm. His first thought was to let go but instead, he drew her closer. The scent of apples filled his nose. Unintentionally, he rubbed her arm with his fingers. Her muscles flexed under the skin.

“You’re safe with me, Sarah,” he whispered.

Green eyes met his, the fear in them pinning him to the floor. “It’s not just me I have to think about.”

“I know.”

Her pupils flashed though he couldn’t read the emotions roiling in those deep dark pools. The desperate need for her acceptance encouraged him to drop to his knees and plead with her to trust him, but it wouldn’t work. She believed action over words. All he could do was stay the course and pray he did enough to win her over.

Her nostrils flared as she inhaled a long, deep breath. “Is that why you insisted on this new security system?”

“Of course. You’ll have a three-sixty view around the house, and it’s monitored twenty-four-seven. Ben knows what he’s doing. He’s good at his job.”

Ben didn’t know how to be shit at anything.

“It will protect you and Will, and it’ll give me piece of mind when I’m out running errands.”

Her eyes softened. “Oh.”

The sensual round shape of her mouth woke a desire he hadn’t quenched in twelve long months. “Your safety is my priority, and if that means bringing in someone I trust to help me protect you,” he winked and leaned close enough to kiss her, “you bet your ass I’ll do it.”

Sarah licked her lips and swallowed, the sound loud in the quiet space. Recognition passed through her eyes as her breath washed over him. He needed to let her go, to put some distance between them before his libido got the better of him. Too sexy for her own good, she blinked slowly and touched his cheek.

“Thank you, but perhaps in future, keep your eyes off my ass.”

The tension between them broke and he could breathe again. Relaxing his grip on her, he pulled back and allowed himself a cheeky smile.

“They’re my eyes. You can’t tell me what to do with them.”

Chuckling, she took hold of the handrail and started down the stairs. “Yeah, but it’s my ass.”

And what a sensational ass it was.

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