Kitabı oku: «A Soldier for Christmas», sayfa 2
“Sure. It’s only dinner.” Amusement quirked the left side of his mouth. “C’mon, you gotta eat.”
“True, but you probably have better things to do on a Friday evening.”
“I can’t think of one.”
It’s gotta be the uniform, she told herself as she assessed him carefully. “They must not let you out much if you think sharing my dinner break is your best option.”
“What can I say? I could use a friend. How about it?”
Kelly’s heart twisted hard. There was no mistaking the sincerity in his steady gaze. He meant those words. How could she say no? She knew a thing or two about wanting a friend. “You’ve got a deal.”
“Excellent. How do you like your hamburger?”
“With cheese and mayo, no onions and tomatoes.”
“I’ll be back in an hour. Thanks, Kelly. I’m glad I ran into you.”
“I’m glad, too.”
He was military-strong and nice. What a combo. She couldn’t help liking him. Who wouldn’t?
She watched him stride away, cutting through the long rays of sunlight and disappearing into the glare. She couldn’t help the little sigh that escaped her. The bell jingled and the door swished shut and he was gone.
The dying embers in her heart ached. Be careful, she warned herself, holding on tight to her common sense. A man like Mitch could make her want to believe. And it was the wanting that got her into trouble every time—the longing to belong, to be loved, to know that soft comfort of a loving marriage and family.
“Hey, who was that?” Back from her run to the bank, Katherine, Spence’s sister, swished behind the counter. “He looked like a very nice, very solid, very fine young man.”
“Oh, that was just a customer.”
“No, he was trying to ask you out. I happened to overhear. Accidentally, of course.” Katherine leaned against her closed office door, looking as if she’d just received the best news.
That was Katherine. Always wishing for happy endings for other people. “It’s not how it looks. We’re just friends.”
“Right, well, that’s the best way to start out. You never know what will develop from there. I’m saying prayers for you. No one deserves a happy ending more than you.”
“There are no such things as happy endings.” Kelly knew that for an absolute fact. “This isn’t a fairy tale. He’s only in town for a little while.”
“You just never know what the Lord has in store for you. It wasn’t fair what happened with Joe.”
She had to go and mention it. Kelly swallowed hard, wrestling down painful memories—the weight of them heavy on her heart, along with too many regrets. Too many failures. “Life is like that. It’s not fair.”
“No, but in the end, good things happen to good people. I believe that.” Katherine breezed into her office, sure of her view of the world.
Kelly didn’t have the heart to believe. She could not let herself dream. Not even the tiniest of wishes. She was no longer a girl who believed in fairy tales, but a grown woman who kept her feet on the ground.
She had no faith left for dreaming.
Chapter Three
“I think it’s gonna be a quiet Friday night.” Spence emerged from one of the fiction aisles with a book in hand. “How’s the studying coming?”
“I’m less confused, I think. I haven’t taken math since high school and I’ve forgotten just about everything but the basics.”
“That’s why I use a calculator.” Spence nodded toward the front windows. “The soldier who was in here earlier? He’s back.”
“He is?” It took all her effort to sound unaffected. She turned slowly toward the front, as if she hadn’t been of two minds about their upcoming dinner. She squinted through the harsh sunshine that haloed the wide-shouldered man.
She recognized the silhouette striding away from a dusty Jeep, carrying a big take-out bag and a cardboard drink carrier in one hand. The light gave him a golden glow, and he was all might and strength and integrity. She remembered what he’d said about needing a friend. It had to be a lonely life he’d chosen.
Spence cleared his throat. “I’m glad you’re dating again.”
Heat crept up her face. She busily set the alarm on her watch, so she wouldn’t go over her allotted break time. “It isn’t like that, Spence. Really.”
“Okay.” Like Katherine, he didn’t sound as if he believed her. “Go ahead. Have a nice time.”
It was Mitch. How could she not have a nice visit? As he strode her way, she beat him to the door. His welcoming smile was lopsided and friendly—definitely a smile that could make a girl dream. “I’m free for half an hour.”
“I’m glad they loosened the chains.” His shadow fell across her, covering her completely. “Wanna eat across the street? I saw a couple of tables and benches. Okay?”
“Sure. I eat over there all the time.”
Walking at his side, she realized that he was bigger and taller than she had thought. He was a big powerful bear of a guy, his field boots thudding against the pavement. She felt safe with him. Comfortable. “Isn’t Montana a little landlocked for a marine?”
“It would be, if I worked on a ship. That would be navy.”
“But you’re training at the army base?”
“I’m doing some advanced mountaineering. They train their Rangers there, and they’re letting my platoon climb around on their rocks.”
“Advanced mountaineering. That sounds serious.”
“We’re doing tactical stuff while we’re climbing,” he explained with a shrug.
“You must be pretty good.”
“I haven’t fallen yet.”
She stopped at his side, at the curb, waiting for the few cars and trucks to pass. “What exactly do you do in the marines?”
“I’m like a scout. It’s clear,” he said, referring to the traffic and, as he stepped off the curb, laid his free hand on her shoulder. Not exactly guiding her, as much as guarding.
Kelly shivered down to her soul. Nice. Very nice. What girl wouldn’t appreciate a soldier’s protective presence? They stepped up on the curb together on the other side of the road, and his hand fell away. The world felt a little lonelier.
“How about that table?” She nodded toward the closest picnic table in the park, which was well shaded beneath a pair of broad-leafed maples.
“That’ll work,” he agreed amicably.
It was hard to keep pace with him as they made their way across the lush, clipped grass. He didn’t walk so much as he power walked, even though he was obviously shortening his long-legged pace for her. She had to hurry to keep up with him as he crossed the grass. “How long are you going to be in Montana?”
“I’ve been here three weeks. I’ve got five more to go.” He set the drinks and food on the table, then pulled out the bench for her. “That means I’ll be outta here mid-September.”
“And then back to California?”
“Like I said, they keep me busy.” Mitch could only nod. He waited while she settled onto the bench, and the breeze brought a faint scent of her vanilla shampoo. The warmth in his chest changed to something sweeter.
She watched him with gentle blue eyes. “I didn’t know marines climbed mountains.”
“We climb whatever we’re ordered to climb.” He freed a large cup from the carrier. “I brought orange soda or root beer. The lady picks first.”
“I love orange soda. Good guess.”
He didn’t mention that he’d noticed the pop bottle she’d had on the store counter beside her schoolbooks. He set the cup beside her. Had she figured out that this was a date yet?
“Cheeseburger, as ordered.” He handed out the chow. “Do you want to say grace or will you let me?”
“Go for it.” She folded her hands, so sincere.
He brimmed with a strange tenderness as he bowed his head together with hers. “Dear Father, thank you for watching over us today. Please bless this food and our renewed friendship. Amen.”
“Amen.” A renewed friendship, huh? Kelly unclasped her hands and unwrapped her burger. At least he wasn’t trying to make this a date. “Why the marines?”
“That’s easy.” He dug a few ketchup containers out of the bottom of the bag and as the wind caught the empty sack, he anchored it. “My life has a purpose. I make a difference.”
“That matters to you.” She took a long look at him. “Making a difference matters to me, too.”
“When I was a kid, watching the news coverage of Desert Storm, I was blown away by this segment they did on the marines. They were these powerful men with weapons, and they were taking care of refugees from the fighting. One of the refugees said how amazed he was by these big men. They looked fearsome, but they were also kind.”
That pretty much summed it up for her. Kelly blinked and tried to act as if his words hadn’t sunk into her heart. He’d grown up and grown well. She only had to look into his clear, expressive eyes to know that he was a very fine man.
Mitch took a big bite of his burger and leaned closer to dig a handful of fries out of the container. “Then it hit me, just how great that was in this world. To be a warrior fierce enough to protect and defend, to stand for what is right. That’s honor, in my opinion. And that’s how I serve. I do my very best every day.”
What on earth did she say to that? She seemed frozen in place. She wasn’t breathing. It seemed as if her heart had stopped beating. His gaze met hers, and the honest force of it left her even more paralyzed. The magnitude of his gaze bored into hers like a touch, and she felt the stir of it in her soul, a place where she let no one in. How had he gotten past her defenses?
He grabbed more fries. “How about you?”
“M-me?”
“Sure. Why social work?”
“I didn’t tell you that.”
“I noticed your textbooks. Are you getting your degree in sociology and a masters in social work?”
“That’s the plan. I want to help children. There’s a lot of need out there.”
“There is.” His voice deepened with understanding. There was something about a powerful man who radiated more than just might, but heart, too. “I remember back in high school that you were on your own a lot.”
Keep the pain out of your words, she reminded herself. She wasn’t willing to confess about the loneliness and the fears of a child growing up the way she did. “I know I can help kids who are in a similar situation. I want to make a difference.”
“I’m sure you can.” He studied her, his hazel eyes intensified. It was as if he could see the places within her that no one could. “You were in foster care. Is that right?”
“On and off, depending on whether or not my mom was in jail for drugs or if my aunt’s bipolar disorder was under control.” She forced her gaze from his, breaking contact, but it was too late. She already felt so revealed. “I was lucky. I made it through all right. A lot of kids aren’t so fortunate.”
“You’ve done very well for yourself.”
“Not by myself.”
“By the grace of God?” Mitch waited as Kelly stared toward the far end of the park. There was nothing there, no people to watch, no traffic, nothing but a row of shrubs shivering slightly in the balmy evening breezes. He knew it wasn’t the foliage she saw, but the past.
He didn’t take for granted one second of his life, especially his childhood with two loving parents in a middle-class suburb. It was a start in life for which he was thankful. “About six years ago, I was training at Coronado when I got the word my dad had had a heart attack. I made it home in time to see him before he went into surgery. I think the good Lord was reminding my family just how lucky we are. We take nothing for granted, not anymore.”
“Wise move.”
He washed his emotions down with the ice-cold soda. “I’ve seen enough of the world to know that I wouldn’t be who I am without them. It’s a blessing to have parents like mine. Remember that favor I mentioned back in the store?”
She dragged a pair of fries through the ketchup container. “I thought this dinner was the favor.”
“Nope, this is my apology. For sticking my foot in my mouth and bringing up a subject that hurt you.”
“You couldn’t have known. It’s all right.” She froze for a moment, and sadness flashed in her eyes again. “What’s this favor?”
“I’ve been trying to find a gift for my mom. No luck. I’m clueless.”
“You don’t look clueless. And you can’t be serious. You look around, you find things and you buy them. It’s called shopping. That’s how you find a gift. Our store is full of wonderful gifts. Why didn’t you say something when you were in before?”
“I wanted to get a look at the jewelry store down the street first.”
“Jewelry is always good. We have some lovely gold crosses.”
“That’s what I got her last Christmas. She has everything else, a mother’s ring, more lockets than she can count. A charm bracelet so full of charms there’s no room for more. I need help.”
“You certainly need something.” He was way too charming for her own good, Kelly decided. And she had a hard time saying no to a worthy cause. “When do you need this gift?”
“Her birthday dinner is Sunday night.”
“I should have known. A last-minute gift.”
“Last minute? What do you mean?” He feigned mock insult. “This is Friday. I have two more days.”
Why wasn’t she surprised? Kelly took the last bite of her burger. “Okay, what are your parameters?”
“Something unique. Personal. It has to be fairly inexpensive. I’m thinking around a hundred dollars.”
“That’s not so inexpensive. Have you tried the mall?”
“You’re kidding, right? I avoid those at all costs.”
“Why is that?”
“No amount of military training can prepare a guy for the conditions that await him in a mall. I’m mall-phobic.”
She seriously doubted that. She couldn’t imagine Mitch being afraid of anything. “Mall-phobia. I think I read about that in my abnormal psychology class.”
“Funny. So, you’ll help me?”
“It’s the least I can do for a friend.” Friend being the operative word. The beep of her alarm made her jump. Had that much time gone by already? “I’ve got to go.”
“Duty calls.”
“Exactly. Did you want to come with me? We can go through the sales books together.”
“No time.” Disappointment settled like lead inside him. “I’ve got to be back by twenty hundred hours, and I’ve got over a two-hour drive ahead of me.”
Was it his imagination, or did she look disappointed? Good. Now was the time to set up date number two. “I’m coming back to town on Sunday. How about the two of us get together and put in some serious shopping time?”
“Sunday, then.” She folded her empty burger wrapper neatly.
He held the food sack open for her, waiting to toss in his wrapper, crumpled into a ball, after hers. “Where do you want me to pick you up?”
She grabbed one last fry from the tub before she twisted off the bench, graceful and lovely. She backed away, studying him through her long lashes with those big stormy-blue eyes. “The Gray Stone Church on the corner of Glenrose and Cherry Lane. Meet me there. Ten o’clock sharp.”
“Meet you there? No, I should pick you up.”
“It’s not a date, remember?”
Have it your way, pretty lady. He watched her jog away, her hair brushing the back of her shoulders and swinging in time with her gait.
Mitch could only stare, unable to move, waiting as she crossed the street. She was like a vision, awash with light. He remained vigilant until she reached the storefront and disappeared inside.
You’re heading to Afghanistan in six weeks, he thought, hardly noticing the crinkling sound the food sacks made when he bunched them and tossed them into the garbage can. What he did was dangerous. He’d learned the value of starting each day without regrets.
If he didn’t make the most of this second chance to get to know Kelly, wherever that path might lead, he’d regret it. Six months from now, he’d be shivering on some rock in the border mountains of Afghanistan or belly down on a dune in the Middle East, and he didn’t want to be wondering what if.
It wasn’t only exhaustion weighing her down as she climbed the flight of steps to her apartment. Not the late hour or the dark shadows that fell from the whispering poplars. She felt as if the past clung to her with a tenacious grip tonight, like the stars to the black velvet sky.
Kelly sorted through her key ring as she climbed the outside stairs that brought her to her third-story landing.
In the end, good things happen to good people. I believe that. Katherine’s words. They were part of what troubled her tonight and made the shadows so dark, the quiet so deep. Those words haunted her last steps and followed her into the soft pool of illumination from the light over her door. She fitted her key into the deadbolt and turned it with a click. The metallic sound seemed to echo in the chambers of her heart.
Everyone she’d ever depended on had let her down, so it was hard to believe in good things. God never promised that life would be easy or fair. A heart can be broken too much. And she’d learned that every time a heart is broken, it is never the same again.
She withdrew the key and inserted it into the doorknob, turning the knob and shouldering open the door. Her heavy backpack clunked against the door as she stepped through the fall of porch light and into the dark quiet of the foyer.
Mitch had stirred up some of this uneasiness, too. What a great guy. At least he was only interested in a friendship. How could it be anything else, with him leaving for California and beyond?
She could relax and not worry about him leaving—it was a given. She knew what to expect.
The luminous numbers of her stove’s clock cast a green glow bright enough to see by as she pushed the door shut behind her, turned the deadbolt and slipped her keys onto the small table between the door and the hall closet. Her pack made a thump when she set it on the floor.
Hot, stifling air greeted her thanks to keeping off the air conditioning. She headed straight for the living room and unlocked the wide window. Cooler air felt heavenly against her overheated skin. She stood for a moment letting the breeze fan over her. Outside the poplars cast dancing shadows from the streetlights and rustled cheerfully. She pressed her hot forehead to the cooler glass, breathed in the fresh night air and let her feelings and thoughts settle.
Mitch. Just thinking of him brought a smile to her face. He was back at his base by now. This was going to be different—interesting, but different—to have him for a friend.
She was actually looking forward to Sunday.
Chapter Four
Mitch scanned the light-veiled sanctuary, crowded with worshippers and loud with their conversations, searching for Kelly. To find her, he only had to follow the sunshine as it slanted through the glittering panels of stained glass.
Kelly. When he saw her, brushed with golden light and goodness, his heartbeat skipped. The sanctuary, full of light and sound and families getting settled, faded away and only the silence remained. She was sitting in a pew near the middle, her head bowed as if reading.
She hadn’t noticed him yet, so he took a moment just to drink in the sight of her. Her honey-gold hair was unbound and framed her heart-shaped face. The lavender summer dress she wore shaped her delicate shoulders and fell in a complimentary sweep to her knees. A book bag slumped on the bench beside her. Matching purple flats hugged her slim feet.
He liked the way she looked, so pure and bright. She made a lovely picture, sitting so straight, with her Bible open on her lap. It wasn’t too much of a hardship to look at her. He eased into the row and onto the pew beside her.
She jumped, and her Bible tumbled onto the polished wood bench between them. “Mitch! You snuck up on me!”
“Hey, I’m no sneak.”
“Then what do you call that? You didn’t make a sound. That’s sneaking in my book.” Her eyes twinkled like aquamarines.
Enchanted—he was simply enchanted. And she looked glad to see him. What was a helpless guy to do? He shrugged. “Sorry. It’s habit, I guess. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You are a scary man, Mitch Dalton.” Her smile said the opposite as he rescued her fallen Bible from the bench between them. “Do you have a chance to attend a service when you’re overseas?”
“Usually a chaplain holds service every Sunday. I attend whenever I’m in camp.” He studied the Bible in his hands. It looked like his, treasured and well-read. He handed it over. “This is some church. It beats a tent hands down.”
“A tent, huh?” Her fingertips brushed against his, feather-light and brief.
Wow. Her touch stilled his senses. As if from somewhere far away organ music began, and late worshippers hurried to find seats as the minister stepped up to his podium. The congregation rose.
Kelly stood, and somehow he was on his feet beside her. She was so small and feminine at his side. All he knew was that he liked being with her. Not a comfortable thing for the lone wolf he was. But not bad, either.
She went up on tiptoe to tell him something, and he had to lean so she could manage to whisper in his ear. “I’m wearing my shopping shoes. I hope you can keep up with me.”
That was funny. Little did she know what he was capable of doing in a single day. “Bring it on, little lady. I can do anything you can do.”
“Be careful. I just might drag you to a mall.”
“Hey, we had a no-mall agreement.”
“I made no promises, soldier.”
Kelly felt as light as air. Happy. She’d been working and studying so hard lately, she was glad she’d agreed to spend this time with Mitch. Besides, it was never a bad thing to have a handsome man—er, friend—sit beside you at church.
Mitch. She couldn’t help noticing he had a very nice singing voice and yet he didn’t attract attention to himself. His voice was quiet and his manner solemn. And he stood powerful and tall. Very masculine.
Not that she was wishing.
As she bowed her head for prayer, she caught sight of the Bible passage on the program. The typed words were the last thing she saw as she closed her eyes and the words from Isaiah emblazoned themselves on her eyelids. “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’”
It had also been the exact passage from her morning devotional. Coincidence? Probably not.
I’m trying, Lord, to follow where You lead.
But she was so adrift. Even with Mitch at her side. Even in the peace of God’s sanctuary with heaven’s light falling all around her.
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’”
With the minister’s message in his heart, Mitch stayed at Kelly’s side as they inched patiently down the main aisle. Maybe this was a sign he was on the right path. A new one for him, considering his wariness of long-term relationships. And a strange one, because God’s plan for him was thousands of miles away, across an ocean.
Kelly introduced him to the minister, who warmly thanked him for coming. As they followed the departing worshippers down the front steps and out into the bright sunshine, he stayed at Kelly’s side, protecting her from any jostling from the crowd.
“Well, soldier, are you ready for your mission? Or do I leave you to survive shopping as best you can?” Her smile was as sweet as spun sugar.
He liked it. “I’ve already confessed that I’m retail-challenged.”
“A big tough guy like you? C’mon, soldier up.” She winked, and couldn’t help laughing. “I expect a marine to be tougher than that.”
“I’ll survive with a pretty girl like you watching my six.”
“Your six? Oh, I get it. Watching your back. You’re going to need it where I’m taking you. Peril and danger abound.”
“I live for danger.”
“That makes two of us.” Kelly liked the look of worry crinkling his forehead. She guessed he was only halfway kidding her about having mall-phobia. “At ease, sir. I spent some time thinking of a few good ideas for your mom. And we don’t have to set foot inside any mall.”
“I’m gonna owe you big-time for this.”
“No way. What’s a little favor between friends?”
Mitch frowned. He had to set the groundwork for date number three. Something gave him a clue that she wouldn’t make it easy for him.
He’d just have to wow her so much, she’d want to go out with him again. Maybe even call it a date next time. A man could hope. “You wanna grab a bite first?”
“I didn’t think you soldiers took detours when you were on a mission.”
“Right, but I’m gonna need fuel. No way can I shop on an empty stomach. Oh, wait. I get it. You don’t date. And you’re afraid that eating together twice would make it look like we’re dating.”
“It could look that way, but it’s not. Right?”
Was that a shadow of fear he saw in her gentle blue eyes? Why would she be afraid? Then in a blink, it was gone.
He stepped off the curb, looking for traffic, but there were no cars headed their way. He fished his keys from his pocket. “Don’t even worry. Friends go out to eat together sometimes.”
“I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I know you’ll be leaving in a month or so—”
“Exactly, so don’t sweat it. We’ll do whatever you want.”
“I’ve got the best shop to show you. I really think you’ll find what you want there.”
“You mean this could be a one-stop deal?”
“It might even be painless.”
She was doing her best to thwart his plans for their date. He was going down in flames. Not good. This had to be about Joe. What had happened? What had he done to her? He hadn’t known the guy except as a name back in high school.
Whatever had happened, it had sure made Kelly afraid to try dating again. As he unlocked the passenger door, a mild breeze whispered through the maples overhead and shifted the lemony sunshine over them. In the dappled mix of shadows and light he opened the door and took Kelly’s hand to help her up.
She dodged him, as if too independent for such a gesture, but he sensed it was something more as she slipped past him. Her cotton dress gave a whispering rustle, and the vanilla fragrance from her shampoo scented the air between them.
Unaware of how she moved him, she climbed into the passenger seat and settled her book bag on the floor at her feet. She sat there in a swirl of lavender summer cotton and dappled sunlight and sweetness. Feelings came to life within his heart and weren’t like anything he’d felt before. They were soft and warm, and as soothing as prayer. Tenderness lit him up from the inside out. He felt every inch of his six-foot-two-inch frame as he closed her door and circled around to his side.
Her smile was calm, her blue eyes bright and friendly. “It’s not far from here. If you can pull a U-turn and avoid the traffic jam up the street?”
“Inciting me to break the law, huh?” He winked as he started the engine and belted in. “I’m shocked. A sweet girl like you.”
“Ah, the things you don’t know about me.”
“I’m beginning to get the picture. A hard-working college student who goes to church every Sunday. Yep, you’re trouble.” He checked the mirrors and the pedestrian traffic before turning sharply out from the curb and down the narrow tree-lined residential street.
Then he saw the sign, allowing U-turns in the wide, turnabout intersection.
“No more trouble than you are, I bet. Sunday service and then dinner at home with your parents.”
“Not until six tonight. Until then, I’m a reckless man on the town.” A gray tabby cat paraded off the sidewalk about ten yards up the residential street, and he slowed to a stop.
“Yeah, reckless. I see that.”
He could feel her gaze like the softest brush against the line of his profile. He’d like to know what she thought about him. Come September he’d be on a bird out of here and he wouldn’t be back this way again except for a rare, quick family holiday.
He wanted…he didn’t know what he wanted. But he liked being with her.
Once the cat was safely across the street, he hit the gas. A four-way stop was ahead. “Which way?”
“Right. And take the first parking spot you come to.”
“It’s that easy? I can’t believe it.” He whipped the Jeep over to the curb and parked. “I just might make it out of this mission without a casualty.”
“No casualties, remember? I’m watching your six.”
“Then let’s do it.” He killed the engine and released his seat belt.
Kelly took a deep breath and tried to steady herself, to just breathe. What she couldn’t explain was why he’d affected her like this. Why he’d slipped through her defenses as if they were nothing.
She didn’t have a clue. He was already out of the Jeep and slamming the door, moving with an easy, latently powerful bearing around the front of the vehicle.
Why was she watching him? Because it was impossible not to. He looked like everything good in the world, honorable and strong. He made the broken places within her heart feel less cracked. He made her laugh and smile.
It was hard not to like him a little more for being a gentleman as he caught the edge of the door when she opened it with his big powerful hand. Golden flecks twinkled in his eyes as he grinned at her. “This might not be a date, but I’m getting the doors for you anyway.”
“You’re going to spoil me, and then where will I be?”
“You’ll be treated the way you deserve.” He held out his big hand, palm up and waiting.
She hesitated. He was simply being a gentleman, nothing more, but that’s what scared her. There was danger in taking even the first tiny step in leaning on anyone. When you started leaning, you started hoping.
And in the hoping, dreaming.
The pieces of her broken heart ached like shattered bone. Friendship was one thing, but she could get out of the Jeep on her own, thank you very much.
As she tipped off the edge of the seat, his hand shot out, caught her forearm, the tricky guy. His grip was iron-strong and commanding. The warmth of his touch, and the strength of it, rocked through her.
