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“Somebody tried to kill me!”

Jenny could not remember ever being so pissed off. Not even when her mother had died and left her alone in her childhood home with George Rivers. It hadn’t been logical to be mad at her mother for dying, but as she ducked her father’s slaps, fists, and kicks, she’d been beyond logic. Anger had just welled up. Kind of like today.

“Eat,” Brax said as he pushed her plate of food toward her across the kitchen table.

“I’m too mad to eat.”

“Fainting from hunger is not going to help you find out what is going on.”

Jenny squinted and gave Brax an assessing look. “You know something, don’t you?”

“If you eat your eggs, I’ll tell you what I know.”

“I’m not a child.”

“No, you’re not. Trust me, I in no way think of you as a child. I do, however, worry about you. So, for my piece of mind, would you please eat? You slept through dinner.”

Jenny saw nothing but concern on his face and felt herself melt. The last person who had really cared about her like Brax did was her college roommate, Tina.

Damn, I need to call her.

“Okay, I’ll eat, but you better fess up to everything when I’m done,” Jenny said as she pulled her plate closer and picked up her fork.

“As long as you take your medicine as well.”

“I don’t need anything. I’m fine. I don’t hurt.”

Brax shook his head. “I can’t believe that you can look me straight in the eye and lie to me like that. This does not bode well for our marriage.”

The orange juice that she had just sipped went down the wrong tube and she started to cough…and cough. It took a long minute for her to recover. “Did you say marriage? Are you licking lizards again?”

“Nope, I just like to plan things out. Obviously, we were meant to be together, and the next step is marriage. Be happy I haven’t gotten to the procreation stage.”

She didn’t know what to say, so she just stared at the madman sitting across from her.

“Your eggs are getting cold.”

“How do you expect me to eat when you’re spouting off nonsense like this?”

“I’m not spouting nonsense. I’m giving you something to think about besides someone shoving you into the street. Now eat up.”

“You’re crazy, you know that?”

“I defuse bombs for a living. I’ve been called crazy more than once in my life.”

She already knew he was an explosive ordnance disposal technician, along with a couple of other skillsets that boggled her mind. Frankly, they scared her, and she tried not to think too much about them. Of course, those skills, and the skills of his other teammates had rescued her and kept her alive, so she really ought to be grateful, not scared.

Jenny sighed and started in on her eggs. “Hey, wait a minute. What did you do to make these eggs come out so nice and fluffy? Mine never come out like this?”

“Add a tiny bit of milk and flour. Works like a charm.”

“Huh.” Jenny continued to eat as she tried to work out why someone would want to hurt her. It made no sense. Finally, she was done and she moved to get up so she could carry her plate to the kitchen.

“Whoa, what are you doing?”

“I was going to rinse off my plate and put it into the dishwasher.”

Brax shook his head. “No, you don’t. Right now, you are the invalid and it’s my job to baby you until you’re back up to your fighting weight. Do you need to lie down?”

“You’re kidding, right? I just spent ten solid hours in bed. I need to stand.”

“Okay, but you’re not going to do dishes. You can stand on the other side of the kitchen island and admire my domestic skills. That way if you get woozy you can lean on the counter. Got it?”

Jenny thought about it and realized she might actually have to lean.

Dammit.

“Okay.” She got up slowly and followed Brax over to the kitchen island and watched as he rinsed plates and put them into the dishwasher. He had his shirtsleeves rolled up and she noticed the corded muscles of his forearms and his strong hands. Hands that she wouldn’t mind having touch her body. All over her body.

Damn, I am getting woozy.

She leaned against the counter.

“See, I was right.”

“I guess so,” she agreed.

“Let’s get you back on the couch. You don’t have to lie down, you can just sit and veg out for a bit.”

“Don’t you need to go into work?”

“I took the day off.”

“Brax, just how many days off can you possibly take?”

“I had a lot of PTO accrued. I’m covered. And then when I’m not, CiCi will be stopping by to stay with you.”

“I don’t want to put all of you out.”

“You’re not. I’m right where I want to be.”

Jenny frowned. He wasn’t making any sense. Brax must have seen her. He finished putting the last dish in the washer, then came over to stand next to her. He wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck, gently forcing her to look up at him.

“Haven’t you figured it out, beautiful? I’m serious about you. I know you’re not ready to hear this, and I’m more than willing to go slow. Consider me in first gear. We’re friends who kiss. I want to build on that.”

“Sex?” she squeaked out.

“Eventually.” He grinned. “Is that really so scary?”

“Uhm. No?”

He laughed. “Love the enthusiasm, Babe.”

She put her hands on his chest. “I’m sorry. I mean, yes?”

“Is sex so scary?” Brax teased.

“No, you big goof. Yes, eventually sex.”

“It won’t be sex. By the time we get to fourth gear, it’ll be making love. But like I said, we have all the time in the world.”

Jenny felt the steady beat of his heart under her palms, and her breasts ached and her core melted. “It better be sooner than that,” she whispered.

“We’ll see. Now let’s get you back to the couch. Do you need ice on the ribs, or heat?”

Jenny thought about it. “Heat.”

“Okay, then.”

“But don’t think you’re getting out of telling me everything you know.”

“It’s not much, but I’ll tell you everything,” he promised.

How in the hell was he so lucky? He hated paperwork, and somehow, he was stuck with the gear accountability report for the month. What in the hell had he done to deserve this nightmare? Oh yeah, he’d requested PTO on the day everybody had to beat their obstacle course records. According to Linc, that was hell. Kostya must be getting them ready for another mission.

Brax had already tallied everything he’d needed when he went to the armory, now it was just a matter of inputting it into the computer. Gideon had laughed at him for not putting it into the tablet in the first place, thereby skipping a step. He was probably right, but trying to fill out those little columns and rows on the computer as he was accounting for everything was just asking for errors. Brax preferred his method, even if it took a little longer.

So far, everything was coming out perfect. That was because Nolan was responsible for gathering all of the gear at the end of each mission. Nolan was as OCD as they came when it came to the job, and thank God for it.

“You almost done?” Mateo asked as he popped his head over the cubicle where Brax was working.

“I need fifteen or twenty more minutes.”

“You would have been done already if you would have just?—”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

Mateo shrugged. “We’re going to Marti’s Grill for a beer. You in?”

Brax considered it. CiCi was at his house with Jenny, and the idea of talking to some of his teammates sounded good. “Yeah, I’m in.”

“See you there,” Mateo said. Then he was gone.

Brax finished up in twenty minutes, but before he closed down his computer, Kostya came around the corner. “How are you doing?”

“Fine. Everything came out perfect.”

“No big surprise. I’m going to hate it if Nolan ends up leaving to work for Simon in Jasper Creek.”

Brax chuckled. “Yeah. Just don’t put Ryker in charge, then you’ll be all right.”

Kostya nodded in agreement. “How’s it going with Jenny?”

“Fine.”

Kostya didn’t respond, at least not verbally. He just raised his eyebrow.

“Is this a counseling session?”

“Do you need a counseling session?” Kostya asked.

“I was thinking of doing it over beers tonight, but this might be better. It’s killing me that someone is out after Jenny.”

Kostya came in further into the cubicle and leaned against the side of the desk. “Understandable. Is that all?”

Brax shook his head. “You know I’ve been talking to her every day since she got out of the hospital, right?”

Kostya nodded.

“I’m in deep. She’s something else. Strong. Funny. She has a big heart, and cares about a lot of people. But she doesn’t let people in. She doesn’t believe that people will be there for her.”

“What’s her background? What’s her story?”

“She’ll tell me about college, but nothing sooner than that. Oh, she told me she’s from Kaycee, Wyoming and confirmed both of her parents are dead. I think it has a population of three. Anyway, she let it slip once that dealing with the guards in Bangladesh was easier than dealing with her dad. When I tried to follow up, she shut down, so I know it had to be bad.”

“What did she tell you about college?”

“She only has one friend from college, her old roommate, but she hasn’t even reached out to her since she’s been back in the States. It’s weird.”

“Sounds like a tough nut to crack, but if she’s talked to you so much, you must have broken through.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want it to be just because I was the one that she associates with having rescued her. You know?”

“I see your point. But the woman you’re describing isn’t who Lark has described to me. She did say she was reticent. But Jenny opened up. Smiled. Laughed. Was easy to talk to. Seems to me that whatever she was like in the past, maybe her captivity has changed her.”

Brax felt a weight lift off his shoulders. “That’s really good to hear.”

“What’s your gut telling you?” Kostya asked.

“I know what my dick is telling me.”

Kostya chuckled. “I’m sure you do.”

“My gut’s telling me that she wants something, but she needs to be coaxed. Not pushed. Just coaxed.”

“That sounds right. Talk to Nolan. Out of everyone, Maggie was the one who needed to be coaxed. She came from a world of hurt growing up, and learning how to believe in something different was tough for her, but Nolan got through.”

That was a good idea. Brax nodded. “Thanks.”

“Are you heading to Marti’s Grill?” Kostya asked.

“I think I’ll pass. I want to get home.”

“Understood.”