The words come out rougher than I intended. Her lips part slightly. Her pulse beats visibly in her throat.
I want to kiss her.
The realization slams through me with the force of a mortar round. I want to take her face in my hands and find out if her mouth is as soft as it looks. I want to swallow that sharp tongue and see if she tastes as good as she smells. I want to pull her into my lap and show her exactly what happens when the tactical planner loses control.
"Boone." My name is a breath on her lips. Her eyes drop to my mouth.
"Mara."
She leans closer. I don't pull back.
"Hey, Boone!" Sadie's voice cuts through the moment like a gunshot. "Wolfe wants to know if you're doing the dawn patrol tomorrow or if he should swap with Ryder."
I jerk back. Mara does the same, her cheeks flushing pink beneath her freckles.
"Dawn patrol," I manage, my voice sounding strange in my own ears. "Tell Wolfe I've got it."
Sadie gives us a look that says she knows exactly what she interrupted, but she just nods and returns to her conversation with Wolfe.
Mara stands abruptly, smoothing her sweater. "I should... it's been a long day. I should get back to the cabin."
"I'll walk you."
"You don't have to?—"
"I'll walk you." I stand, my body close to hers by necessity of the cramped seating arrangement. "It's protocol."
Her laugh is shaky. "Right. Protocol."
We make our excuses to the group. Vivian gives Mara a hug that surprises both of them, and Natalie promises to send her the recipe for her herb bread. Deck nods at me, his expression carefully neutral, but I can see the question in his eyes.
Later. I'll deal with that later.
The walk back to Mara's cabin is silent. The night is cold and clear, stars scattered across the sky in a display that never gets old. Our breath fogs in the air, mingling briefly before disappearing.
At her door, she pauses with her hand on the frame.
"Boone."
"Yeah."
"What just happened in there." She's not looking at me, her eyes fixed on the doorknob. "That can't happen again."
"I know."
"You're my bodyguard. I'm your client. My father is your friend. There are about seventeen different reasons why whatever almost happened is a terrible idea."
"I know."
She finally looks at me, and the want in her eyes makes my hands clench at my sides.
"So we agree," she says. "Professional distance. Clear boundaries. No more..."
"No more."
She nods. Opens her door. Steps inside.
Then she turns back, and her voice is barely audible. "For what it's worth? You're not just an asset or a nightmare to me either."
