“I thought so. Hand if over. You’ve got some work to do.” Noni held out a wrinkled hand and Kate passed her the bag.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to wash these?” Kate hedged.
“I’ll handle the clothes. You go handle him.” Noni hooked a thumb over her shoulder, in the direction of the back of the house. “If his expression was any indication, he’s about to wipe the backyard with my grandson.”
Kate fought the blush heating up her cheeks, mumbled out a ‘yes, ma’am’ and fled down the hall. She didn’t relish the idea of facing Ethan again, but she would do it.
She was a CIA agent. She was trained and fit for duty. She could control herself for the duration of this mission.
If only she could control Ethan as easily, but she had a feeling he'd be the one flipping her upside down.
The pity in Kate’s gaze taunted him. She felt sorry for him because he’d grown up without a family. He should have never of even hinted at his past with her. He’d put that behind him years ago, transitioning into military life without looking back.
The years of conditioning had taught him to block out the pain from his past and move on beyond his childhood fears, so much so that didn’t even want to put down roots anywhere anymore. Forming an attachment to a place or a person didn’tinterest him in the least. Besides, relationships were a mirage. Smoke and mirrors as the military called it. None of them were real. People bolted at the first sign of trouble; that was human nature. He was better off relying on himself.
And his Team.
Other people, including green eyed enchantresses, didn’t fit into that equation.
“You gonna stand there all day or are we going to do this?” Aaron cocked his head to the side and arched a brow.
“Just giving you time to chicken out.” Ethan ducked down and to the right, driving forward in a surge of power to ram Aaron in the gut and throw his teammate to the mat laid out in the backyard. Aaron grunted, tucked his knees to his chest and shoved Ethan off. Both men got to their feet and crouched in a fighting stance, Ethan facing the back and Aaron facing the house.
“Nice try.” Aaron's grin looked more like a grimace.
“That was more than trying. Why don't you go ahead and give in now? We both know who's gonna win this round.” Ethan lunged in a fake right and Aaron countered.
“I'm so going to enjoy watching you lose it around her.” Aaron gave a quick jab with his right, barely missing Ethan's jaw.
“I don't know what you're talking about. I'm her trainer. That's it.” Ethan surged forward, wrapped his hands around Aaron's shoulders and yanked him down as Ethan raised a knee.
Aaron twisted out of his grip a second before Ethan's knee connected with his face. “That's why you were practically drooling on the front porch. Admit it, you really like her.”
“You’re nuts. She’s practically a man. I have absolutely no interest in her.” Ethan circled right and left, always moving, even as Aaron's words brought on the memory of Kate’s lips.Fuck, forget her lips and focus.
“Oh, you got it bad.” Aaron dove forward and Ethan used his own momentum against him, swinging him around and throwing him to the ground.
“I don't think so.” Ethan stood over his friend and grinned. “Besides, we'll see how you handle it when Celine gets here.”
Aaron jumped to his feet and barreled forward, slamming his shoulder into Ethan's stomach. He let out a whoosh of air and then immediately started raining blows down on Aaron's back. They broke apart, Aaron's grin just as vicious as Ethan's. “I'm just glad to know I'm not the only one panting after a hot piece of tail.”
For some reason, Aaron's comment pissed him off and Ethan reacted on pure instinct. He threw out a straight jab, going for Aaron's mouth. Aaron ducked back, barely missing losing a few teeth.
“Oh, I struck a nerve. You really do like her.”
Aaron's words fueled him, the irritation spurred through his body. Kate had struck a chord in him – an immediate tightly wound cord that she had no business touching. “She's weak. She needs to learn how to control herself.”
He'd been able to read every individual flicker of emotion that flashed across her face, from the way her pouty lips turned down at the corners, to her overly bright green eyes that belied every thought. Including her pity at his slip up about his past. God, he was losing his mind. “Why don't you give up? You never seem to come out on top in these matches.”
Aaron's smile stretched wide, showing a flash of bright white teeth in his bearded face. “I have a feeling today is going to be my lucky break.”
“You said that the last time and I believe I kicked your ass then, too.” Ethan embraced the free flow of adrenaline their bare knuckled brawling brought on. Even more so when Ethan took his fellow teammate to the ground.
Aaron stopped moving and stared past Ethan's shoulder.Ethan growled, “Come on man, don't wuss out now.”
“Look.”
“You really think I'm falling for that?” Distraction was literally the oldest trick in the book.
