SuddenHeat Read Free Page A

She’s still trying to decide what she wants to be when she grows up.
She got out of the military ten years ago, right before this last war.”
    Silence wrapped them for a few moments before she said, “Was
she tough on you and your brothers?”
    “Yeah.”
    She sensed a lot more to that story but didn’t feel
comfortable going deeper. “What does your father do?”
    “Travels with my mother. He was a Mr. Mom through our
childhood. He’s a travel writer too. He’s a great dad. We always know that he
loves us. He’s pretty easy to talk to.”
    She popped out with, “Unlike your mom?”
    He smiled. “How did you know?”
    “Lucky guess.”
    They went silent again for a short time before he asked,
“You more like your mom or your dad?”
    She winced. “I’m guilty of being like both of them equally.”
    In the semidarkness his face didn’t reveal much. “Do people
think you’re not approachable?”
    That question stopped her in her tracks. She shifted on the
hard floor, her mind awhirl, wondering why he’d asked. “How did you guess?”
    “At Patrick and Danelle’s party the other night you seemed a
little cool.”
    Defensiveness almost won. She modulated her voice. “So did
you.”
    He laughed, and this time it was a purr of sound that wended
its way inside her. “Touché. I’m good at giving orders in the marines. Not so
good at relating with small talk.”
    “You’re doing a great job now.”
    “You’re…different. I find it easy to talk to you. And I
don’t consider this small talk. It’s too significant for that.”
    A low, sensual response unfurled in her and threw her off
guard. How had he managed to draw her into this kind of conversation when a
nutjob was nearby threatening people’s lives? He’d calmed her just by making
conversation, and she was grateful.
    She found her voice. “Men are intimidated sometimes after
they’ve talked to me a while. I figured that’s the way you felt.”
    “I see how some guys would be intimidated. Not want to get
to know the real you.”
    She didn’t want that to hurt but it did. “Story of my life
but I’m working hard to change. I’ve spent too much of my life isolated from
other people.”
    She took a big chance revealing this much to a virtual
stranger.
    “Hard to keep cool, calm and collected when there’s a
firefight. Even if it’s in the mall,” he said.
    She snorted a small laugh. “My number-one priority used to
be keeping my cool.”
    “You did a good job at the party. Your eyes were throwing
daggers at me.”
    “ You scowled at me .”
    Surprise filled his voice. “I did?”
    “Yes. You scowl a lot.”
    He shrugged. “I’ve been accused of having this pissed-off
face when I’m deep in thought. It wasn’t anything personal. I don’t even know
when I’m doing it.”
    “A couple of times you looked like a deer caught in
headlights when I talked to you.”
    “I think the deer in headlights thing was probably because
you’re beautiful and I was stunned.”
    Surprise held her silent for a moment. “Oh.” Holy cow. “Thank
you.”
    My God. This guy kept getting better and better. Something
about this man touched her in deeper ways she didn’t understand. If it had been
just good looks she could have ignored that. This…this had bite. Substance. A
lick and stroke that demanded her attention and played along her skin like good
sex but with a lasting finish that didn’t wear off the next morning.
    “I’m sorry.” She closed her eyes as she laid her head back
against the wall. “I’ve been chattering. I guess being scared as hell does that
to me.”
    “You never know how you’ll react to something like this
until it happens.” Finished texting for the moment, he turned out the
flashlight. He sat at her left side. “You okay?”
    She drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. “Yes. No.”
    He made a sound, just enough to convey amusement. “We’ll get
out of here soon.”
    She wanted to believe him. A short