Page 9 of Protected By West (San Antonio S.W.A.T. #1)

He raised a brow at that.

"You fed me lunch-"

"Which you hardly ate and it was a sandwich-"

"I ate it during a break after the first breakout session." She dropped her chin a little and looked up at him with a bit of a smirk on her lips. "And now you want to feed me dinner?"

"People gotta eat."

Her shoulders shook with laughter and the look on her face? She was beautiful, achingly so.

"Besides," he was trying to figure out what to do with the evening and the safest thing was going out to eat. Anything away from his room, hers, anywhere in the hotel, "I asked the staff in the lobby. They like this barbecue place at the edge of town. "

There was hardly a swipe of makeup on her face, but he'd never seen a woman look so damn good.

"Barbecue?"

Damn it, she sounded like he'd just offered her the world. "Yeah, barbecue."

She lifted a brow at him and with the look of pure mischief he saw in her eyes, he wanted to kiss her right then and there.

"What if we get messy?"

The slight growl she added at the end of her question did something to him.

Smiling back at her he lifted their joined hands until he could rub his lips lightly over her knuckles. "It's barbecue, baby. If it's not messy-"

"It's not good." She leaned back a little and looked down at her clothes. "I'm going to need to change clothes before we go. I don't know what kind of sauce they have but I know it's not coming out of this fabric."

He started walking them toward the elevators, her hand still in his and she laughed as they came to a stop.

"You're going to drag me out of my shoes. You're that much in a hurry to eat?"

He looked down at her and he wasn't sure what she saw in his eyes but she seemed to like it. "I've got big plans, Tracy Fagan. Big, big plans."

The elevator doors opened and this time it was her turn pulling him along and into the elevator. Inside, she pushed the button for her floor and paused before she pushed the button for Weston's floor. "Are you headed up to your room or-"

"I'm not about to give you a chance to slip by me tonight. I'm going where you go."

Tracy lowered her arm to her side and the doors slid closed.

Weston switched his cowboy hat from his right hand to his left and threaded their fingers together, smiling.

In the mirrored panel of the elevator door Weston could see her smiling.

As the elevator started to climb higher, Tracy turned her head slightly and he turned his head to see her sly look out of the corner of her eye.

"So the cowboy thing is real?"

He nodded. "You want me to take you riding?"

He saw her lips twist up in a humorous grin.

"Riding?" She turned her head away toward the wall but he could still see the bright color in her cheeks. "So many uses of the word."

Weston rocked back, putting his weight on his boot heels. "Whatever way you want to take it, I'm game."

She tightened her hold on his hand, her fingers squeezing his hand for a moment. "I don't know how adventurous you think I am."

"I'm along for the ride... However you want to take the words."

"Well, that puts my actual question into dangerous territory."

Weston heard the slightly breathless quality of her voice and saw the rise and fall of her shoulders as she took in and let out a breath. "So what was your actual question?"

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open.

Tracy stepped out first, still holding onto his hand. She turned around to face him, her cheeks filled with color, but her eyes were bright with something he thought might be... excitement.

Or maybe anticipation?

He stepped out after her, almost coming toe to toe with her.

"I really want to know."

She bit down into her bottom lip and it took everything he had not to kiss her senseless and forget dinner.

She took a step back, keeping a solid hold on his hand. Then, with a roll of her eyes as if she couldn't believe she was about to say the words that came out of her mouth.

"I was wondering if you knew any tricks with a rope."

He grinned at her as the blood pumped faster through his veins. "I've got some skills that I'll be happy to show you later."

He watched as the tips of her ears turned red with color and her lips parted on an exhale.

Tracy turned away then, walking them toward her room.

Weston was left looking at the back of her head and the curves he couldn't wait to get his hands on.

When they walked into Tracy's room, Weston stayed by the door. He didn't trust himself any deeper in the room.

The bed was too damn close.

It was hard enough knowing that she was in the bathroom, changing clothes.

The door was open just a crack so he could see colors and lights through the opening.

He couldn't see her exactly, all he could do is imagine.

And he had a really good imagination.

The bathroom door opened a few minutes later and Tracy stepped out as her hands finger combed her hair back from her face. Then she took a clip off of the front pocket on her jeans and clipped her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck.

Weston didn't want her to put her hair up, but he knew it made sense. Loose hair and barbecue sauce could be a recipe for disaster. The jeans she was wearing were worn, but they fit like a glove. She laughed when his gaze met her feet. She was barefoot at the moment with her toenails painted red.

"Sorry, my shoes are out here."

He shook his head and moved his hand until he was holding the brim of his hat with both hands. It was a convenient excuse to hide how tight the fit of his own jeans had gotten in the front. "I'm curious what you're going to wear."

She sat down on the edge of the bed and reached down. She slipped some sandals on and Weston watched as she secured the straps around her ankles.

He had no idea what it was called, but he liked the look of it.

He liked everything on her.

Tracy finished securing the second sandal and stood up, smoothing her hands down the sides of her T-shirt, a black shirt with the Pistol Annies printed on it in Vintage Font with six-guns and flowers as decoration.

Smiling at him, she gestured to her shirt. "It's dark and has lots of color. If I get a stain it probably won't show. Lord knows I'm not wearing a white T-shirt to a place with sauce."

He straightened from the wall and hoped that the walk down to the lobby would be enough time that he wouldn't give everyone an eyeful of how he felt about the woman at his side.

It didn't help that she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm as they moved through the lobby.

The valet was worth their weight in gold and had his Chevy Tahoe at the curb and Weston opened the passenger door for Tracy before watching her climb up into the vehicle.

Yeah, her jeans were perfect. Just enough to stretch to show him just what it was wrapped around.

She met his gaze as he handed her the seatbelt. "Thanks for sticking to your guns, not taking no for an answer."

He nodded. "I knew you were worth it, Tracy."

He stepped back out of the doorway when he heard the click of the seatbelt.

"I'm a pretty damn good judge of character."

He saw her cheeks flush with color as he closed the door.

Weston made quick work getting in the driver's seat, he was getting really hungry, but dinner had to come first.