Everything around me fades into unimportance—everyone bustling around getting the bar ready to open, the clank of pots and pans in the kitchen, the beep of a delivery truck backing up outside—as I give myself over to Alec. As I twine my arms around his neck and kiss him harder, meeting each plunge of his tongue with a matching one of my own.
But all too soon, Alec breaks the kiss, leaving me breathless and tingling all over. He sweeps his thumb across my sensitive lips and gives me a regretful look. “I’d love to continue this,” he says, “but considering you’re at work and I’m supposed to be protecting you…”
My cheeks go hot. I glance guiltily around the room and spot Wendy behind the bar, grinning widely at me. “Right. Work. Protection. Not kissing.”
He presses a soft kiss to my forehead. “No more kissing for now. But later, once you’re done with work?” His gaze heats. “I plan on doing alotof it.”
Anticipation bubbles up inside me. “So you’re still coming over after, right?”
“Of course.” Alec smiles. “I thought we could pick up pizza on the way home. How does that sound?”
“And some cuddling on the couch after?”
“Absolutely.” He gives me a soft look. “I can’t wait.”
Oh.
There goes my heart again, melting into a puddle of goo on the worn wooden floor. “I can’t wait, either.”
“Hazel?” A feminine voice calls across the room, jerking me rudely back to the present. A present where I’m supposed to be working and not fantasizing about spending the evening making out with Alec.
I look to my right, where Angel is approachingme with an apologetic expression. “Sorry,” she says. “I hate to interrupt, but I was hoping you could help me in the kitchen? The iced tea machine needs to be cleaned and it’s too heavy for me to pick up by myself. I’d ask Frank or Wendy, but they’re both busy…”
“No, it’s fine.” I give her a reassuring smile. “Of course I’ll help.”
Before I leave Alec’s table, I ask him, “Do you want anything to drink? Soda? Water? Coffee?”
“Nothing right now,” he replies. “Go do your thing. Don’t worry about me.”
“Okay.” I catch his hand and give it a little squeeze. “I’ll come back to check on you soon.”
Reluctantly, I follow Angel into the kitchen, each step away from Alec harder than the last. Right before we push through the swinging double doors, I glance back over my shoulder to see Alec’s soft gaze shift to a watchful one. He’s no longer just the man I’m dating, but the Special Forces operator focused on protecting me.
Once Angel and I enter the kitchen, she turns to me. Her eyes are bright with enthusiasm. “You guys are so cute,” she says. “I’m so happy for you, Hazel.”
I smile back at her. “I’m happy, too.”
“So.” She grabs a cleaning packet before heading towards the iced tea machine, which is set on a counter near the dessert cooler. “Are you two officially together? Or still figuring things out?”
I join Angel at the counter. “We’re dating. But it’s new. So I guess we’re still figuring things out, too.”
Angel nods. “Nothing wrong with taking things slowly.” The light in her eyes dims. “My problem was always jumping in too fast. That’s how I ended up—” She cuts herself off. “Anyway,” she adds more brightly, “we’re not talking about me and my screwed-up relationships. We’re talking about you and Alec.”
“We’re taking things slowly,” I agree. “Neither of us has dated in a long time, so I think it’s probably better that way.”
The fearful part of me says it is, at least. The frightened part that worries I’ll somehow get Alec hurt. That the person who came after me twice will make a third attempt, and Alec will end up injured, or worse,killed, because of it.
And I can’t let that happen. Not again.
Angel lifts one side of the dispenser and waits for me to pick up the other. As we carry it over to the sink, she says, “I’ve never seen Alec show the slightest interest in another woman. But he used to watch you.”
“He used to watch me?” That’s news to me.
“Not in a creepy, stalker-ish way. More like… he was trying not to watch, but he couldn’t help himself.”
My heart jumps. “Oh. I didn’t realize.”
“It was sweet.” As we set the dispenser down, sheturns to me. “I never said anything because you always said you wanted to stay single. But…” Her lips lift in a wistful smile. “The way he looked at you… I wish I had a man who looked at me that way.”
