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Skull entered the pool area with Bones trotting beside him. His MWD loved the water, and he figured it couldn’t hurt to keep his pup’s swimming skills sharp. You never knew when they’d have to jump in the drink. He spotted Boomer sitting on the edge of one of the lounge chairs, tying and retying a rope. Knots were a huge part of a sailor’s life, and practicing them was as essential as horseback riding, driving anything that moved, climbing buildings, learning languages, or even dancing. Tango, anyone?

Skull nudged Boomer, who couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Taylor Hoffman. All of them were antsy after two days with nothing to do. SEALs were Type A personalities, and leaving them idle was a mistake. A man can only work out so much, not to mention that every one of them knew that two of their own were in terrible danger. Inactivity gnawed at them minute by minute. They were special operators who could adapt as fast as the environment changed. These were men who could focus on many things at once, work together as a team, and learn new skills quickly—all while under unfathomable stress.

So why did women like Hummingbird and Taylor send them running for cover when they had survived BUD/S, combat, and all the subsequent training? Hell Week stripped them down to their core. They weren’t just men who knew how to do the job. They were men who could do the job with their eyes closed and one arm tied behind their backs.

He’d almost rather HAHO jump. Yeah, jumping with a tank and mask because thin oxygen levels can cause dizziness, fatigue, headache, massive confusion, shortness of breath, and even complete loss of consciousness. Brave that, while wearing full combat gear, a sixty-pound ruck, a ballistic helmet, and night-vision goggles, deploying a square chute that propelled him forward at twenty-five miles per hour and having to navigate in pitch black to hit a drop zone with pinpoint accuracy while toting sixty pounds of canine who had his own mask, goggles, and combat gear. Yup. Easy fucking day. Walker…not so much.

Boomer caught Skull’s eye. “What?”

“Stop staring at her,” Skull said. “It borders on creepy, man, and no one wants to be that guy.” He knew Boomer had been through the same training he had and was as rock solid as any of them. But when it came to babe combat, all those skills might as well be left outside the wire. When a woman you find irresistible wraps her skillful mouth around your dick, all bets were off.

Digging deep for control wasn’t the tough part. Finding his moral code amid all that mind-bending, body-overloading sensuality was nearly impossible. His character just happened to trump all of that because his intention , his interest in Hummingbird was more than physical, and when everything else failed, he would remember that. Until he got her to understand the same thing, he was going to remain steadfast. No sex with her until that was evident. And yeah, that kind of integrity was going to cause more blue balls than all his teenage years and all his time at BUD/S. Truth be told, he wasn’t getting as much action since he’d laid eyes on her. Whether he liked it or not, that was where he was right now.

Boomer ducked his head and looked chagrined. “Fuck. I can’t help myself, even though I know she’s not interested.”

“How do you know that?”

He released a heavy sigh, dealing with his own female issues. Boomer had it bad for the German bombshell.

He sighed again and shrugged those broad shoulders. “She told me, sort of.”

Skull could imagine that stung, even for a man used to rejection. When it came from a woman a guy wanted, it hurt like hell. And whether Boomer wanted to admit it or not, he was vulnerable after the divorce. From what Skull could tell, Boomer’s breakup with Lila had been brutal. Matters of the heart were different from the mental toughness required in training and battle. It just was.

Skull sympathized with Boomer. It was clear the man had been devastated by his divorce, though Skull didn’t know what caused the rift between Boomer and Lila. Boomer had joined the team at the tail end of his divorce. The guy had evolved from a bitter, insensitive jerk into the more rounded man they knew today. Skull suspected Boomer hid his sensitivity behind a mask of anger to get through the days and nights. GQ’s influence when they’d been in London had helped temper Boomer and made him realize how he was acting.

“Sort of?” Skull asked, shooting a glance over to Taylor. He frowned. She was stealing looks at Boomer. That didn’t seem like the behavior of a woman who wasn’t interested. “What do you mean?”

“She overheard us talking about her,” Boomer said with a rasp. “I’m sure she thinks we have terrible manners.”

Skull scoffed. “She eavesdropped. That’s rude.”

Boomer smiled. “Yeah, but she didn’t seem offended. She just told me she’s no longer with that underwear model and added that she isn’t interested in…well, I didn’t let her finish, but I suspect she meant me.”

“I don’t know. She’s giving you looks that say she thinks you’re hot.”

Boomer shook his head, his eyes bright with hope he wouldn’t let himself believe. “What? Naw.”

“Yeah. I know that kind of look. She wants a piece of the Boom Boom.”

Boomer shrugged with a self-deprecating smile. He said nothing for a moment as his brain worked overtime. It all affected his heart. “What’s the point? Long distances are too hard, especially with our jobs. I’d be wasting her time. Best we just keep it platonic,” he said, as if the words were stuck in his throat.

“Look at Kodiak if you want an example of what a woman will do for her man. I don’t think you should discount her just because it’s too hard,” Skull teased in a mock whiny voice. “Remember, the only easy day was yesterday.”

Boomer didn’t reveal his true intent. The next thing Skull knew, he was airborne and then underwater in the pool. Boomer had casually shoved him in. Skull came up sputtering. “You’re gonna pay for that, asshole.”

“Yeah, right. I’m so scared,” Boomer retorted.

Skull whipped his hair from his eyes and caught the cute smile on Taylor’s face. Then Boomer took off his shirt, and Taylor’s face went slack. Yeah, right. It was obvious she was all kinds of interested in Boomer’s compact, muscular body.

Skull glanced at Bones, who was still sitting exactly where he had been when they entered the pool area. With one word, Bones sprang into action. The dog flew at Boomer, hit him with his compact body, and shoved him into the pool beside Skull. Bones landed gracefully on his four paws.

Boomer came up sputtering with laughter. “Damn, fur missile. I forgot you’re always armed and dangerous, even without any weapons.”

Bones barked and looked down into the water with a nearly gloating expression, his ears pricked and ready for action. Skull could barely keep himself afloat, his stomach aching from laughter.

“That’s right. Don’t mess with the dream team,” Breakneck said, coming forward like the tip of a spear, grinning widely at everyone who had witnessed Skull’s slick revenge. The only person missing was Iceman, and Skull knew their boss was chomping at the bit for a target package that would get them one step closer to rescuing Leigh and Hazard. If there was a secret weapon on their team, it was their leader. He was probably breathing down Anna’s neck, and it was nothing but an icy chill down her spine, he was sure.

That’s the kind of man Iceman was. He set the example, made the decisions, unified the team, and took care of them like they were his family. They were brothers in battle, thrown into high-stress situations with no place to hide, where true character emerged. They came out the other side because of their die-hard belief in having each other’s backs and the leadership of Christopher “Iceman” Snow.

The CIA had their own secret weapons in their Shadowguard, namely Hummingbird and Strekoza.

Over breakfast, Anna revealed some info about the hard-to-pin-down, sassy operatives. She said Hummingbird and Strekoza were two of the best. Each was a crack shot with handguns and sniper rifles. Strekoza edged Hummingbird out by a bit, but Hummingbird’s unique fighting style gave her an advantage. Hummingbird was a gut fighter. She worked on instinct. Skull had been on the receiving end of her style, and he could attest to its painful efficiency. Anna confided that Hummingbird was unorthodox but provided an instant advantage on the battlefield, a leveler when the odds were stacked. And she would always have their backs, something Hummingbird considered worth guarding.

This mission was no walk in the park. Most of their assignments were classified as dirt missions, but every once in a while they got a cushy Gucci mission.

Anna continued, explaining that even though details were scarce, the women had tracked down an Indonesian terrorist group, one the government didn’t even want to mess with. They had effectively dismantled every cell, diverting nineteen million dollars of high-grade heroin slush funds into the government’s coffers. That won the White House many quality points with the Indonesians.

Nineteen million gratitude points were nothing to scoff at. It was hard not to be impressed by two women who often worked without a net.

Hearing that Hummingbird could break a guy’s balls without breaking a sweat came as no surprise to Skull. He’d almost broke up in the shower and felt a surge of pride that he had survived her special brand of ball breaking, a method that was more about pleasure than pain. That was the kind of personality he was up against, and jumping out of a plane from thirty thousand feet still looked like a better alternative.

The rest of the team soon arrived, and Skull noticed how GQ trailed behind everyone. There was an uneasy vibe among them, and it was clear something had happened. GQ wasn’t himself at all. Normally easy-going, he now seemed as if the operator inside him had taken over. He looked grumpy, moody, and ready for a fight—not a good combination.

They walked toward the pool’s edge. “I don’t know what we’re fucking doing here,” GQ snapped. “Everything but going after Hazard and Leigh is a waste of time.”

“We’ve been over this, GQ, and nothing’s changed. Until we get the intel, we don’t have a package,” Preacher said in a tone that sounded like he was at his wit’s end.

“Goddamned CIA is just dicking around. It’s been two days,” GQ paced, his agitation growing.

Unfortunately, the goddamned CIA in the form of two Shadowguard entered the pool area. Hummingbird and Strekoza sauntered over, Hummingbird dressed in a white tank top and short black Lycra shorts. GQ stiffened and before anyone realized what he was going to do, he belligerently stepped in front of them, his chin out, his eyes blazing. “What the fuck is going on? Why are you here and not out gathering your fucking almighty intel? This isn’t a vacation!”

The petite blonde considered him for a moment, and without a word, she tried to sidestep him. But GQ was worked up, his adrenaline pumping. Skull saw the signs of an operator going off the rails. “Don’t you dismiss me, bitch. I asked you a question!”

“Whoa,” Preacher said as GQ grabbed her arm. Things got really hairy as Bones started barking from the tension.

She turned toward him, and just like Skull’s beatdown in that alley, GQ was soon laid out on the deck. The team rushed toward the two women. Both went into a fighting stance as Skull and Boomer swam for the edge of the pool.

As they pulled themselves out, a booming shout rang out over the pool deck. “Stand down! Everyone, stand down now!”

Iceman stood at the entrance. He strode forward like a battering ram. “What the fuck is going on here?”

Kodiak helped GQ up, rubbing his neck as he glared at Hummingbird. “She attacked me,” he said.

Their boss strode over to them. His face was blank, his eyes empty of emotion. “He was being a complete asshole,” Hummingbird said.

There were soft murmurs all around. “Is that true?” Iceman asked, turning to GQ.

“I was only asking her why they were here instead of out gathering intel. Hazard and Leigh are out there, and they’re in trouble. We’re just…doing nothing!”

Iceman’s jaw clenched so hard his muscles rippled under his skin. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “They’re here because they got us a solid lead. They did their jobs, and now it’s our turn. Anna and her team are working on a target package. Until then…” He scanned the room and spotted a white ball. He strode over, picked it up, and tossed it at GQ. “Burn off some of that energy with a game of water polo. I don’t want any more fighting or accusations. We’re a team, Remmy. Nothing has changed. You will act like a US Navy SEAL and not a petulant, spoiled kid. We all care about Hazard and Leigh, but the world won’t stop turning. Understand me?”

GQ swallowed hard. “Yes, boss. I understand.” He flicked a glance at the two Shadowguard. “I’m sorry. I’m worked up, and I was out of line,” he said reluctantly.

Hummingbird shrugged. “Everyone’s on edge.”

GQ tossed the ball into the water, and one by one the team jumped in, including Boomer and Skull.

The guys were all in, but they were two men down. “We’re a little uneven, so I nominate Bones for a position,” Skull said. He looked over at Taylor, and Boomer followed his gaze. “No…don’t you?—”

“Hey, Hoffman?” Skull shouted, drawing a smirk from everyone except GQ.

“You’re all a bunch of fuckers,” Boomer growled.

Taylor turned and said, “Yes?”

“How about we make this five-man, one-dog outfit into a perfect six? Three on each side. To be transparent, this is going to be a down and dirty game,” Boomer proposed.

She smiled, nodded at the two women nearby, and headed for the pool. She pulled her white T-shirt over her head and shucked off her dark shorts, showing not only an amazingly toned body beneath the navy blue racerback tank suit she wore but a competitive gleam in her eyes. He liked that.

Boomer closed his eyes while Skull laughed. “Why don’t you guard her?” Skull teased, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

While treading water, Boomer managed to double-bird Skull, but Skull wasn’t fazed. Boomer then looked slyly at the two Shadowguard, and Skull shook his head. “Don’t you?—”

“Hey, ladies. We could each use a fourth player on our teams. You game? Down and dirty water polo?” Boomer called out.

“Claiming Strekoza,” Preacher said. “She’s as tall as some of us.”

That left Hummingbird on Skull’s team. He gritted his teeth as her gaze remained fixed on him. He groaned softly while Boomer chuckled. That left him with Breakneck, but the kid was a ringer—he’d played water polo in high school and college. A dog and two women made for a misfit team indeed.

Taylor swam over to Skull and said with the confidence he liked, “We’ve got this.”

He looked over at Hummingbird again and sighed. “Well?” he asked.

She stood at the edge of the pool, looking at him with a mix of challenge and anticipation. Without saying a word, she dove into the pool, quickly followed by her partner.

“Watch out,” Skull murmured. “Here comes some down and dirty trouble.”

“Here you are,” she said just for his ears, “wet and bothered all over again.”

Skull felt a swift jolt deep in his gut as her words brought back all those tantalizing memories of the last time they were together. He swallowed hard and shoved those dangerously arousing thoughts aside. But despite his iron will, he still had to deal with the flesh-and-blood woman treading water in front of him—a woman who seemed to enjoy torturing him every chance she got. Maybe it was his fighter side, but he loved the way her reckless, seductive quality played out in those sparkling blue eyes and that lush mouth that made his body ache with desire.

“Good job getting us a lead. I’m sorry about—” he began, relieved they would soon have something to chase.

“GQ is worried about them. I get it, but no one’s going to treat me like that and get away with it. Anna will have a target package for us soon.”

“Seriously, that fast?”

“Lives are hanging in the balance. Eva and I took off our kid gloves and got some answers. We’re pulling out all the stops, Cooper. You can be sure of that.”

The sound of his first name spoken in that strong tone made his heart flutter in a way he didn’t want to acknowledge. He couldn’t help but notice her white T-shirt was see-through, turning this into one distracting, wet T-shirt water polo match. “What the hell is your first name?” he asked, his voice hoarse. Their lips were only inches apart. “I think I delivered on the kiss.”

The challenge was to kiss her like he meant it. He had no choice, and that goaded him because he knew that somewhere along the way things could get more complicated if he let his heart get involved. What she said in the bar hadn’t been prompted by her trying to get him into bed, and it was the one thing she could say that would make him want to go.

She blinked a few times. “And then some,” she murmured softly. “My first name is Walker.”

He narrowed his gaze, scrutinizing her. “So, do I have to fuck you for your last name?”

“No. I was totally pressing your buttons on purpose. Trading sex is unsavory, and I’d prefer that you’d want to engage with me on a naked level.” She smiled softly. “My last name is Adams. Like that grizzly guy.”

Every muscle in his body went taut with that ongoing awareness. She was sublime, with her soft, tousled platinum blonde hair, her fearless blue eyes, and that daunting, delicate, but determined chin. Her petite body was compact, toned, and supple. “You’re far from grizzly,” he murmured, and her eyes lit up.

“Yeah?” That little vulnerability threw him, something she masked way too quickly, making him question whether he’d seen it. Did she doubt her beauty, or how he would perceive her deeper than her skin? Real and candid feelings were more important than vulnerability, and if she wanted, again, to entice him into bed, this worked too damn well. Fuck. He was halfway there, and his dick was happy to push him the rest of the way. But he suspected that, when it came to any mission, that was the grizzly part of her. Nevermind she was an infuriatingly smart-mouthed witch who had the ability to frustrate the hell out of him with her bold and brash ways. Despite all the reasons he was being cautious, she claimed his attention whenever she was anywhere near him.

He snorted, not used to giving anyone quarter, but her response in the bar last night during his low point with his worry for his dad made him want to cut her some slack, and to soothe her instead of calling her out. “You know you’re beautiful, Walker.It was how you got the drop on me in Milan, so your partner could clean my clock.”

She winced and at the same time was moved by the use of her real first name…if it was real. Her eyes widened a fraction, and her breath hitched. He wouldn’t put it past her to scam him again.

“That gave me no pleasure. It never does…unless the person I’m dealing with is all kinds of evil. Then I might get some satisfaction from killing them.” She caressed her hand along his jaw, her touch soft, running her thumb over his bottom lip as her gaze roamed over his face. There was something in her eyes, some vague expression touching on…tenderness. There was much more to this woman than met the eye. His instincts told him she was worth the effort it took to delve deeper, push her for…what? He wasn’t sure. On some innate level, she scared him, threatened his formidable control, but instead of anger, he was just cautious. She blinked a couple of times, and shifted against him, her eyes dropping as if she was reinforcing herself in some way. When she met his eyes again, they were twinkling and carefree. She smiled seamlessly, falling back to her husky, teasing tone. “Show me your boo boos, and I’ll kiss them for you.”

He’d seen enough of deflection, and with that sexy remark, she brushed off the building tension between them. Hell, he used it himself, but there was a sense of disappointment that Hummingbird—Walker was hiding herself from him. There were plenty of reasons people did that, and damn if he didn’t want to know every reason she did it. He let her have her secrets because forcing someone to divulge them wasn’t productive or effective. If a person didn’t want to open up, that was their business.

They barely knew each other, and in his book, it was even easier to maintain that illusion physically. Walker was a closed, guarded, isolated woman, and he suspected that hurt her deeply, but that pain didn’t seem enough to overcome what she was more afraid of. He let her keep her armor, so grateful for his relationship with his parents and the brotherhood he enjoyed with his fellow teammates. “SEALs are much too macho for boo boos. We either get injuries or wounds,” he said, his tone low and rough, though he felt like he was missing an opportunity here. Maybe he was acting like a coward too.

He dismissed that thought. She wasn’t the right woman for him in the long run. Why would he invest way too much of himself in a losing battle?

There was an undercurrent of relief in her tone and her eyes that were quickly masked with her Hummingbird seduction. She smiled softly. “Well, I’ll kiss anything you want me to.”

He released a breath. He might be treading water, but he was drowning. She was reckless, frustrating, and trouble just waiting to happen. Yet Skull couldn’t get past the unguarded, unplanned glimpse into a woman he would want to get to know if she would allow herself that luxury. But maybe in her line of work, she kept that hard, impenetrable outer shell to protect herself. He could fully understand that reasoning, but he got the feeling that wasn’t the case, and her camouflage was all about something else entirely. He wanted to dissipate all this sexual tension so Boomer wouldn’t be looking at him like there was glitter all over his body. “So, they give you fake FBI badges, huh?”

She shot him a sly side-eye as she swam beside him. “It’s not fake. It’s just another layer of deception and cover for us shadowy types. We like to be in plain sight sometimes. It makes for a level playing field, and technically, I’m not allowed to operate on US soil.”

“You don’t say? But level playing field. You? Ha,” he snorted.

Skull had to keep his mind on what was at stake. Hazard and Leigh’s lives were on the line and the text from his mom this morning that his dad had to put on a ventilator was a blow he hadn’t seen coming. It churned up all the guilt in his push/pull between his family and duty. Anger surged hot and fast through his veins, and he fought to keep it in check. For a brief, weak moment, he thought about Archer, about how devastating it would be to lose him, and how hard Leigh had fought for her life, battling PTSD and never backing down from a challenge. The thought of his dad so deserted and ill in a hospital bed all tore him up, but he forced himself not to let fear or helplessness in, even for a moment. He had been a rock for his dad, and he would be a rock for his teammate and the woman he loved. They were a package deal.

Through Walker’s sheer guts and brains, she had figured out where the van had been headed. Unfortunately, they were too late to stop the people who had flown Hazard and Leigh out of the country. From the little intel they got from the asshole Walker had wounded, Skull suspected she was right. They hadn’t dismantled the Alzate Cartel. They had just battered and bruised them, and now the cartel was out for blood.

That suited him and the team just fine. The cartel had killed two of their valuable members, and as the cartel had learned with Angel, payback was a bitch.

She chuckled, and the sweet sound of it made him want to find somewhere with a bed. Anywhere that was private and comfortable…fuck it didn’t even have to be comfortable. Most of him wanted that, but there was a part of him that was still reluctant. He wasn’t quite sure why, but he’d hopefully figure it out before he did get naked with her. It might be an inevitability.

Where the hell was his parachute? He was falling fast at thirty thousand, and the landing was going to be hard.

“You can start,” GQ said, offering up the white ball. Walker had to pull her attention away from Skull to look at him. The concession made her realize that GQ thought they were outgunned. She chuckled. “We don’t need to be coddled,” she said in a sugar-sweet tone. “We’re going to kick ass and not even bother taking names.”

“Oooh,” the foursome chorused, as if she’d just issued the ultimate challenge to their fighting spirits.

GQ glowered. “Don’t expect us to go easy on you because you’re a girl.”

She tossed her head back and laughed. “And don’t whine like little boys when you lose. No offense, Eva.”

“None taken. I never whine.”

Preacher looked worried—and he should. His wife was a former Shadowguard.

“Geezus,” Skull said. “Trash-talking is in your blood, lady, but do you have a death wish?”

She laughed. “I’m gonna eat their lunch.”

“Let’s go then,” Skull said, catching her completely off guard with a warped little smile. The bottom dropped out of her stomach. Was that admiration in his eyes? It felt so good. Standing on thin ice, she looked at Eva, who shook her head as if to say, I-told-you-so . She held Eva’s gaze for a moment before refocusing on the game. A shaky feeling slid through her. Dammit. Why did he have to do that to me?

The rules of water polo were simple. The game started with a swim-off, no pity hand-offs. The first team to reach the ball got possession. Players threw the ball to teammates or pushed it ahead. They scored by throwing the ball past the goalkeeper. In this case, Taylor and Kodiak manned the goals. Players couldn’t touch the bottom of the pool and could only hold the ball with one hand.

Realizing that Eva was watching her with a steady, reflective look, Walker prepared for battle. Skull was whispering to the dog, devilry glinting in his eyes, and as far as she was concerned, Bones was a ringer. He could move faster, and everyone knew how much dogs loved their balls.

When GQ counted down to three and shouted “Go,” Skull unleashed the dog. Bones made a beeline for the ball, got there before GQ, nudged it, and swam back to Skull at rapid speed. With a bad-boy grin, he swam toward Bones, grabbed the ball, and scanned for his teammates.

Breakneck was already near the opponent’s goal as the other team chased Bones. Skull heaved the ball, and Breakneck caught it. He swam impressively, popped out of the water like a dolphin, and chucked the ball over Kodiak’s head. It landed in the net.

They were on the board!

“Bones one, our opponents, a big fat zero,” Walker crowed.

In the next play, Taylor manned the net and shouted something in German. Before GQ could score, Bones grabbed his swim trunks in his teeth and pulled. His bare white ass broke the surface, forcing him to drop the ball in a hasty scramble.

That gave Bones the opening to seize the ball once more and dash back toward Skull. When Skull got it, he threw it to Walker. She caught it, turned toward the goal, but Preacher was there. Before she could throw, Preacher grabbed her in a headlock and wrestled for her arms. But he made a mistake. He only grabbed one hand, and she used the other to strike him right under his armpit, hitting a pressure point that sent her free. Soon she was off, swimming like a fish, and when she reached the goal, she faked Kodiak out and slammed the ball home.

Score!

Boomer took control next, lunging at her with a gleam in his eyes. When she dove, he came in with all the power of a SEAL using his fins. He swam under her, surged for the goal, and even though Bones pulled his trunks off again, Boomer didn’t hesitate this time. Boom , he scored on a thoroughly distracted Taylor.

Everyone burst out laughing. The cute German blushed deeply, and Boomer swam on his back to retrieve his floating trunks. When he popped back up, chaos broke loose.

The fight was on. There were only down-and-dirty moves everywhere. Skull grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her onto his shoulders. The feel of his hard body beneath hers distracted her as he swam toward the goal. He threw the ball up to her with one-armed precision, and she hammered it toward the net. The other team tried to come back hard, dunking them, restraining them, covering their eyes.

When the splashing finally cleared, everyone was breathless from wrestling, laughing, and swallowing pool water that made them feel like their lungs were seizing up. Exhausted after a sleepless night chasing leads, Walker pulled herself out of the pool. Laughter still bubbled in her chest as she leaned over, wringing water from her hair and bracing her hands on her thighs. Man, it had felt so good to laugh like that, to be carefree for a bit. Her nipples hardened in the cool air, and she shivered from being cold and wet.

A towel appeared in front of her face. She straightened up, dragging her hair back and meeting Skull’s flat expression. “You’re showing more than I think you want to,” he whispered, nodding toward her exposed breasts. She glanced down and saw her rosy nipples visible through the wet, white fabric. It struck her that he cared about her modesty. She really didn’t have much, but it touched her that he did.

He was towering over her, and he made her feel so delicate and protected. Such an odd sensation. His chest glistened with droplets as they coalesced and ran down all that lean, segregated muscle to soak into the waistband of his trunks.

“You are a beast,” Breakneck said, bumping his fist against hers. She pulled the towel around her shoulders and obliged Skull. Breakneck grinned and whooped.

Her heart rolling over in her chest, she pulled the towel close, laughter still bubbling up inside her.“I don’t think I’ve ever been called a beast. Does that make you Beauty?” She’d say so. He was so damn gorgeous that she couldn’t drag her eyes away. Why did he have to ruin it with his chivalrous ways? Damn, sex was so easy. This? What was happening between them was dangerously complicated.

Holding her gaze, he shook his head, his eyes glinting with humor. “I think I can safely say there were serious breaches in the rules here.”

She managed a shaky laugh, though her chest ached. She didn’t think she could want him more than she did at that very moment, but it wasn’t smart. More than anything, more than her next breath, she wanted to step into his arms and rest her head on his shoulder. She wanted to hold that feeling and never let it go.

She shivered, not from cold and wet, but from the emotions welling up inside her. He lifted his arm but then let it drop. She was sure he was going to slip it around her shoulders, but she thought better of it. Comforting her might have been the last straw in the weight of his character, enough to break more than her back.

She had always felt safe in her job—the isolation, the travel, the work—pushing feelings aside. She’d never felt threatened by any man when it came to her softer side. She had done away with that, or so she thought. Until him. Until Skull made her feel too vulnerable. All her scars were hers to keep, buried deep, and she had no desire to let anyone get close enough to unearth them. As a result, her relationships were nonexistent, short-lived, purely physical, and empty.

Opening her heart? Never on the agenda. That would expose her to too many emotions. She felt crowded and scared. And that realization shocked her—Cooper Sullivan had a power that seemed to slip past her walls, and it shook her to the core.

“Walker,” he whispered, “why are you looking at me like that?”

She didn’t want to answer. She looked away and pulled the towel closer, searching for warmth and escape.

“Debrief in fifteen! Get cleaned up!” Iceman shouted from the open door of the pool house. Then he was gone. She was so relieved that she bolted, telling herself she needed a hot shower. She decided to use Eva’s room instead. There was no way she wanted to explain anything to him. No way could she remain as closed off as she wanted to be.