"Oh." She swallows. "That’s such a sweet thing to say."
"It’s not." I search her features. "It’s the truth. Don’t ever change, Harper."
She tips up her chin and sways toward me.
It’s the most natural thing in the world for me to lower my chin. My lips are poised over hers, her breath warm on my cheek, her green eyes glowing like emeralds, when a dog barks. I blink.What am I doing?I step back, let go of her hand.
A dog pads past, tugging at his leash. His owner follows holding a plastic bag in hand.
"James," she whispers.
I shake my head. "Sorry, for a moment there, I forgot myself."
She seems crestfallen. She opens her mouth, then shuts it. Then looks at the view for a few seconds. When she turns back to me, she seems more composed.
"Thanks for bringing me here."
I tilt my head in acknowledgement.
"But the night’s not over yet." As if to punctuate her words, her stomach grumbles loudly. "I know this little restaurant which serves the best Italian."
"It’s good, right?"She licks her lips.
Instantly, I’m erect. I’ve grown increasingly hungrier with every mouthful she’s eaten. And it’s not for food.
A dot of tomato sauce clings to the corner of her mouth. "You have something there," I touch the corner of my lips.
She licks her mouth again, misses it completely.
Without allowing myself to second guess, I reach over and scoop up the sauce. Then I bring it to my mouth and suck on it.
Her pupils dilate. "Umm, why did you do that?"
I survey her features. "I’m not sure," I answer honestly.
She nods slowly. “I’m old enough to know my mind."
For a second there, she does sound wiser than her years.It doesn’t negate the fact that she’s my little sister’s best friend.No matter that she’s an adult.
"If you were indeedmature, you’d know how dangerous it is to hang out with someone like me."
"Someone like you?" She frowns.
"I’ve seen too much darkness." I look into her eyes. "I’ve experienced the depths to which humans can fall. I’m so damaged, I’m bound to infect anyone I come in contact with, with my ghosts."
Her features soften. "You may think you’re beyond redemption. But from where I am, I see a man who puts his life at stake for his country. Who fights those who’d harm us so I can sleep easy at night. Someone who’s noble and dedicated to a cause bigger than himself. The fact that you’re hot doesn’t hurt either."
She flushes after that last sentence.
Damn, but she’s cute. And yes, my ego is more than stoked by her compliments. I try and fail to stop my lips from twitching. "You give me too much credit."
"You face down bullets from enemies in real life, so I don’t think I am."
"I have been involved in combat missions." I tilt my head. "But a lot of what I do is strategic. Often, I’m stuck in a room and engaged in intelligence assessments and operational coordination."
"Like I said, you are a real-life hero."
"Thank you." I fork up some of the pasta, chew, then swallow.
