Page 76 of Critical Alliance (Rocky Mountain Courage 3)

TWENTY-TWO

Mackenzie shifted on the sofa, nursing her aches and pains from a day of activity to which she wasn’t accustomed. More than that, her heart was bruised and her mind traumatized from watching her new acquaintance, Chad, fall to his death.

Exhaustion pressing down on her, she struggled to appreciate Alex, the man who was not only protecting her but also watching out for her. She’d showered and changed into comfy sweats, grateful that Alex had brought her duffel from his cabin. She appreciated that he’d arranged for her to stay at this ranch—like he said, he had more resources than she could have imagined. Here at the ranch, she hoped to stay out of reach of the ghosts from her past, present, and maybe even future.

And that kiss ... her desperate emotional need for physical connection. But she knew it was so much more than that—when it came to Alex Knight. She’d liked him, really liked him, that very first day she spent with him. So throw them both together into a crucible and let the pressure build and heat up, and yeah ... that kiss was bound to happen. Or was she making excuses for her own weakness?

Whatever the reason it happened, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. She didn’t want to associate a man’s death with the first kiss she shared with Alex.

She pressed her palms over her eyes. Listen to me, I’m thinking about first kisses as though there will be more. She let out a soft groan.

While sitting here, she certainly wasn’t making progress on hunting for a cybercriminal, but on the other hand, she couldn’t make progress until she found a way into the real target at Hanstech.

Alex shut the door. He’d been on the porch talking to Terra, who’d brought them barbecue, and he was supposed to explain to Terra that Mackenzie didn’t feel up to hanging out with a bunch of strangers at the main house. Of course, Alex would word it better. She definitely didn’t feel up to handling questions about what happened today. Or smiling. Or tolerating the gentle treatment. She couldn’t be around people.

But if she was staying at the ranch where Alex’s friends and their significant others frequently congregated, she would have to show up once in a while. Still, she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze from the soothing green forest or the sound of rain dripping from the needles and leaves. She’d opened the window to listen to the rain, and when that stopped, the dripping slowed just enough to ease the tension in her neck and shoulders.

She glanced up to find Alex setting a plate with a barbecued chicken quarter, corn, and potatoes on the coffee table.

“You need to eat.”

She recalled her first “date” with Alex. They’d eaten delicious grilled elk burgers at the ranch house. “It looks good. Your friends have all kinds of culinary talent.”

“It’s takeout. Erin picked it up in town.” Alex came around to sit on the edge of the sofa.

“You need to eat too,” she said.

“I will, if you will.” He smiled, directing that entirely too-roguish grin at her, the grin that had probably broken too many hearts.

If she wasn’t so gutted over today, her heart would be pounding—because, oh yeah, she liked his smile. “Why are you doing this?”

“What exactly am I doing?” Elbows on his thighs, he shifted forward. Alex had pushed up the sleeves of his shirt. One of his endearing habits, though she had no idea why she liked it so much.

“You’re taking care of me.” I don’t need to be taken care of. If he wasn’t here, she would survive. She’d survived on her own for years, long before he showed up. Not just survived but excelled. Succeeded. “When I asked you to help, I hadn’t intended so much.”

Except ... someone had shot at her. Someone wanted her gone. And she still hadn’t figured out what today was about. But a man was dead.

An accident?

Intentional?

Because of her or unrelated?

“I would be here anyway. Don’t you know that?”

Yes. I do.

She shouldn’t look so long into those deep gray eyes, because, really, what was she searching for? What did she think she would find?

“Mackenzie ... about that...” His hesitation told her he was thinking about the kiss.

“About what?”

He rubbed his hand over his lips and chin. Something ... untamed ... sparked in his eyes. Her heart jumped. Yeah, he was thinking about that kiss. And right now, so was she. Was he going to apologize?

Mackenzie sat forward and stared at the barbecue. Eating would be a distraction from this awkward moment. Time to redirect. “You said you would eat too.”

He left her and headed to the kitchen, then came back with his own plate. He cut into the chicken, apparently unwilling to use his fingers. “Mackenzie ... I...”