“Don’t.”
His mouth moved to her jaw, her throat. She arched against him, head falling back.
A knock came from the door. They froze.
“Commander?” Vivi’s voice rang out. “Is Claire okay? I wanted to check on her.”
Reality crashed back in, cold and brutal.
Claire and Wolf stared at each other, his hands still on her. Her fingers were still under his shirt. Both of them were breathing hard.
“Oh my god,” Claire whispered. “What are we?—”
Wolf stepped back, releasing her and pulling away from her grip. He ran a hand through his hair.
Claire tried to straighten her clothes. Her hair. “We just?—”
“Yeah.”
“Wolf?” Vivi knocked again.
“She’s fine,” he called. His voice was steady and normal, like he hadn’t just been kissing Claire as if his life depended on it. “Give us a minute.”
There was a pause. “Of course. I’ll be in the ops room.”
Her footsteps retreated.
Claire stared at Wolf. This man, who’d pushed her to fury. Who’d just kissed her like?—
“I don’t even know your name,” she said.
He went very still.
“Your real name. Not your call sign. Not Wolf.” Claire’s voice shook. “I just kissed a man whose name I don’t even know.”
Something flickered in his eyes. Something that looked like pain. He didn’t say anything, though.
“What? Is it top secret?” She needed to know. Needed something real. “Please. Just tell me.”
He opened his mouth. Closed it. The walls went up again, distance slamming back into place.
“We should get back to the team,” he said. “We have a lot to coordinate with the locals.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one I can give right now.”
Claire’s chest tightened. She’d been vulnerable with him, and he wouldn’t even tell her his name.
“Right,” she said, straightening her shirt. “Dr. Montgomery is waiting.” Claire couldn’t look at him. Couldn’t process what just happened. What it meant. What it didn’t mean.
She opened the door. Vivi stood ten feet down the hallway, tablet in hand, expression carefully neutral.
Heat flooded Claire’s face. Her lips were probably swollen. Her hair mussed. Her shirt wrinkled.
“Everything okay?” Vivi’s voice was as neutral as her expression. “Was it another panic attack?”
Claire couldn’t meet her eyes. “I’m fine now.”
