“I’m staying.” She confirmed with a grin.
“I’m glad. I wasn’t ready for you to leave yet.”
“I’m finding more and more reasons to stay.” Her voice turned husky, as she leaned forward.
“Oh, yeah. Like what?” He wasn’t normally one to fish for compliments, but he was curious what Olivia had to say about him.
Olivia looked up at the sky, like she had to think about it. “There are lots of nice people here, I miss small towns, and I feel safe here.”
“Anything else?” He leaned closer, drawn to her like a moth to a flame.
“Are you fishing for a compliment?” She asked with an arched brow. “Hoping I’ll say you? Sorry, I hardly know you.”
“Well, let’s remedy that.” He said, sitting back up. If he stayed that close to her much longer, he might throw her down and kiss her, until neither one of them could remember their name. “Ask me anything you want.”
Olivia laughed.
“I’m serious. You can ask me anything you want, and I’ll answer what I can.” As long as it wasn’t about his military career. That he couldn’t talk about.
“How long have you lived here?” She asked, after a moment of silence.
That was an easy question. “I’ve been stationed here for the past six years.”
“Wow. Is that normal to be stationed somewhere for so long?”
“It can be, but everyone is different.” This was their home base, so as long as he was a Delta Force operative, he wasn’t going anywhere. “I’ve known guys stationed to one base their entire career.”
“That must suck if you joined the Army to see the world.”
Heath shook his head. “Just because your stationed at one base doesn’t mean you don’t see the world. I’ve been to dozens of countries over the years.” None that he could mention, since they were all due to ops and not vacations.
“I didn’t think of that. It would be amazing to travel the world. What was your favorite place to see?” She asked excitedly, leaning closer to him.
Heath sucked in a breath, when he noticed how close Olivia had leaned towards him. Their faces were only inches apart. He wished it was lighter out, so he could see the color of her eyes. The dome light behind them cast a shadow over them, which was a pity.
“Heath?” She prompted.
“Hmm?”
“Are you going to answer my question, or just keep staring at me like that?”
“Stare at you like what?” He couldn’t help but tease. He was willing to tone it down for her, but he couldn’t completely give up teasing her. Especially, when she blushed so beautifully, like now.
“Like you want to kiss me again.” Her voice dropped an octave, like she was thinking about it, too.
“I do.” All the time. “But I made you a promise that I wouldn’t without your permission.” He would never want to force her to do something she didn’t want, too. Not that he thought she would be opposed to him kissing her again. Her eyes were misty; her breath in short pants. She licked her lips several times now. All signs she was ready and willing for him to kiss her, but he wanted her to say it first.
“You did,” she said, looking down, before meeting his eyes again. “Answer my question, and then you can kiss me.”
He liked the sound of that. What was her question again? Oh yeah, his favorite place to see. He had to think about it for a moment. Most of his travels were missions, and he wasn’t there to take in the sights, except those out of a scope. But one little village did stick out in his mind that he passed through. “Hallstatt.”
Olivia made a face, like she tasted something sour. “Now, you’re just making up names.”
Heath chuckled. “No, it’s a real place I assure you. Hallstatt, Austria you can look it up.”
“Why that place?”
“Now, you’re adding stipulations. What about my kiss?” He stuck out his bottom lip in a pout.
