She tasted a bite of chicken. “This is good.”
“Kind of hard to screw up chicken,” Cap replied.
The room fell silent, giving her time to reflect. What a mess she found herself in, and she wondered how long she’d have to stay in this cabin. A couple of days? A week? She just wanted to go home and pretend this never happened. Better yet, rewind her life back to what it was before Jonathan.
Turning her head, she looked at Cap, who forked the last of his food and popped it into his mouth. He chewed, swallowed, and then washed it down with the last of his water.
He caught her stare.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she replied as she shifted her gaze back to her plate.
Cap rose and carried his plate to the sink, where he rinsed it and placed it on the countertop, then spun around and took her empty plate.
“What happens now?” she asked.
“We wait. Chief has posted on social media that you’re missing and included a description of Jonathan’s truck, hoping people will post tips so that the Colombians still think you are in the area. If they’re still here, it should draw them out.”
Renewed fear crept up her spine.
In an instant, Cap’s arm wrapped around her, and he pulled her tight to his hard-muscled body. Without hesitation, she leaned into him, soaking up his warmth and strength.
“You’ll be fine. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
His warm breath washed over her.
“I’m sorry. It’s just a little overwhelming. You must think I’m the biggest wuss ever.”
Cap’s hold loosened, and he slid his hands from around her back, over her shoulders, and didn’t stop until his palms rested on her cheeks. Her face heated in the comfort of his touch.
His warm chestnut gaze held hers. “Wuss, that couldn’t be further from the truth. I can’t believe you’d even think that. What you are doing here is beyond brave. Most people would have run for the hills, but you stayed to help lure out a drug dealer and get him off the streets. That matters. You’re saving lives at the risk of your own.”
His last words echoed in her head. Risk of your own. Her breath hitched.
Cap’s expression tightened. Regret flashed in his eyes.
“It won’t come to that. I won’t let it. You’ll be fine,” he added.
He lowered his head and pressed his lips lightly to hers, then lingered as if waiting for her to set the tone. The tingling sensation rippling through her entire body let her know what she wanted to do. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for more.
Soft kisses ensued, but she needed more, so she parted her lips to invite his tongue into her mouth. His warm tongue soothed her nerves. Slowly, he kissed her senseless. Comforting her. Giving her exactly what she needed. Not too much, and not too little, teetering on the line. How did he know?
Chapter Thirteen
Cap knew he should stop, but couldn’t. Emma’s mouth was too warm and inviting. But she was vulnerable. Fresh out of an engagement. The last thing he wanted was to take advantage of her position or, worse, to be the rebound guy.
His chest tightened. He had strong feelings for her. How in the hell had that happened in the short period he’d been with her? Especially after their rocky start. During his first impression of her, he pegged her as entitled and distant, but that impression had been wrong in every way. Emma was down-to-earth and strong in ways that weren’t evident at first glance.
He closed his eyes and indulged in another of her sweet kisses. When her lips parted, he knew she wanted more, as he did. Just a bit more wouldn’t hurt anything, right?
Her tongue tasted sweet. Needing more, he lingered. Her arms tightened around his neck, signaling her desire. Still, he kept it lighter than he wanted. He had to.
With as much as he felt rejuvenated by this ‘sort of’ law enforcement assignment, it wasn’t technically his job anymore, but the instinct to protect Emma was fierce. Kissing her while she was under his protection felt like crossing a line, even though it was the deputy outside who officially carried that responsibility now. The devil on his shoulder whispered it was fine to keep kissing Emma.
Reality however, reared its ugly head and reminded him of the danger of their situation. He pulled back and dropped his hands to his sides.
“Let’s sit for a bit and talk…watch some TV,” he suggested.
