Page 75 of Lucky Charm

She giggled softly. “You and I haven’t even been on U.S. soil together. Where do you live?”

“San Diego, Coronado. When I’m there. Are you going back to San Antonio when you’re done here?”

“For a bit to wait new orders. But God, I hope not long-term.”

Hunt raised a brow. “Sounds like there’s a story there. Do tell.”

Cait shook her head. “Not now. I’m not in the headspace to dig into that memory.”

“But you will?”

“Yes. I will.” She squirmed off his lap and went back to the hot chocolate, dumping the cups into the hot pot to warm.

Hunt’s phone beeped.

She turned to glare at him in a mock-stern tease. “Gads, that’s what happened last time, and I haven’t even started kissing you yet,” she complained, keeping a smile on her face.

He glanced at the phone. “Doogie. I have to go. Commander looking for me.” He rose and grabbed his coat. “I’ll catch you later.”

“You sure you aren’t going on another mission?”

“With the weather pending and so much unresolved, I don’t think so. I’ve heard no rumbling. Unless somebody saw IQS pointblank like you did. Which I doubt. How you saw him is still a mystery to me.”

Worry washed through her, and she struggled to keep it off her face. This man’s profession could get him killed, but she wasn’t going to be the partner that tanked the relationship with fear. This would be her reality if she – if, pfffft – because they were together now.

Coat zipped, he walked to her and kissed her. Hard. A wall of muscle cradled her as his firm lips took hers. Heat washed through every cell. Her body sighed from head to toe. With intentions clear, she let her emotions heighten and flood through her, responding as thoroughly to his hunger as he responded to hers. He tasted every inch of her mouth before finally pulling away. His warmth washed over her. “Later,” he muttered. “I gotta go handle whatever mess is waiting for me.”

“Keep your cool, frogman. No blood.”

“I’m not even close to cool. That’s a new experience.”

She went on her toes, kissed him quickly, and swiped the moisture off his lips. “Embrace it.”

“Easy for you to say.” He went out the door without looking back, and she stood there grinning stupidly for too long.

Breaking from the lure of what could be, she debated sleep and resigned herself to being wide awake. Pouring a fresh cup of hot chocolate, she took her sandwich and went to her bed. Pulling her drawing pad and pencils from a storage bin under her bed, she settled in to draw and to eat.

Drawing usually released a lot of stress for her. She’d been using it as a technique for channeling her emotions and anxiety since high school. The dreams from the ordeal on the mountain sucked, and she didn’t want to bring a whole mess of war trauma to the start of their relationship. But getting them to let go of her brain was proving a challenge, and she had to get them to let go. Hunt felt bad enough as it was, and she couldn’t imagine waking from the vivid, punishing dreams with him in her bed to witness it.

She munched on her peanut butter and jelly and started to sketch.

∞∞∞∞∞

Hunt walked into the Operations Center and arrowed right to Doogie. “Where we at?” He glanced at the television running a news feed but didn’t take time to catch up. What would they cover anyway? Another explosion? Another terrorist to hunt for? He stared at the TV.

Doogie pointed at the monitor. “Yeah, news about Haquiri is out. How, I don’t know. Where have you been?”

He muttered a swear word, rolling the implications through his head before answering. “Hospital. Saw Baxter. Questioned Doc again. Why?”

“I was there. Didn’t see you. The place is a hotbed of gossip. Be careful.” Doogie held an impassive face.

“She’s off. I walked her to her quarters. Don’t want her wandering around alone with darkness falling until we figure things out.”

Doogie stayed silent and stared at him. Because he needed to keep his secrets private, Hunt threw him a bit of the truth.

“Conversation. That was all. I get mired in more, I’ll tell you.” Admitting that much felt like a betrayal to Cait. He trusted Doogie with his life and his secrets all the time, but Cait didn’t know him and might not feel comfortable with their relationship broadcast. That was what they did, right? Start a relationship? Consult each other when they had problems?

Hunt shrugged away the uncertainty. Their personal relationship had escalated with the force of a spark to tinder, but every part of those moments felt right. That was a good start.