He nodded. “I do. It’s not the easiest path, but it’s worth it.”
He hoped it was worth it. Sometimes belief and reality conflicted, but it all worked out in the end. There were things he thought were awful at the time that eventually came through for good.
They headed out to his car and drove over to the burger place. It wasn’t too busy and didn’t take long to order. He saw Stanley and Chase come in and waved. Some of the guys were headed home. It was late, and he didn’t blame them. Tomorrow, they might be pulled into another activity. They still had their work, and the issue with Garnet hadn’t been expected.
This was probably the biggest threat they were facing, but they were trying to keep the pool of people who knew small. If too many people found out, it would hurt their efforts. Some missions there were hundreds of people in on the secret. But this time, they couldn’t read people in.
Their order was made quickly, and he grabbed the bag. Stanley waved, and he moved to him.
“We’ll be back there in a bit.”
“Thank you for helping,” Garnet said.
Stanley raised his chin. “Hey, you’re helping us.”
“We’ll see you over there,” Chase said.
“Sure thing.”
They left the restaurant and drove back to the building where they were working. Most people had left for the day, heading home after a full day. Though many people had gone home, the buildings were never left empty. Someone was always up watching. It was how the military operated, and how they kept peace across the globe. It was more difficult to keep the peace with everything going on, but he was dedicated to the cause.
He could tell Garnet was dedicated, too. It wasn’t the time to tell her how he felt, but he needed to mention something soon so it didn’t come out of left field for her. Maybe nothing would happen, but based on the way she looked at him, he figured she had some kind of feelings for him even if they were small.
Chapter 22
Relief filledGarnet as they headed home. They’d worked until ten that evening, and her eyes hurt from looking at screens. It was a slog to get through all the photos of everyone who attended the conferences, picking out who had attended her sessions.
She fell asleep fast and woke to the sounds of the coffee maker brewing. When she rolled to get out of bed, soreness hit hard. There’d been too many hours in the same position. Today, she needed to move around more.
She couldn’t believe they’d slept in the same bed with nothing happening between them. Then again, they’d both been tired, and she’d fallen asleep way too fast for him to try anything.
After a quick shower, she wrapped her hair in a towel, put on clothes, and headed out to the main room. Brady set a mug on the bar, his smile warm.
“Good morning. How are you feeling?”
“Good. I’m ready to get back at it.”
“I have a good feeling about today.”
“Good. So do I.”
“How long will it take your hair to dry?”
She shrugged. “I was thinking about letting it go natural, so I need to keep it in the towel for a few more minutes, then I’ll put product in it, and we can go.”
His lips tipped up more. “I like your hair curly.”
She picked up the mug and took a sip. “Good, because the curly version is easier.”
He came around the bar and leaned against the counter, his gaze on her as he sipped his coffee. She held his gaze, wishing she knew him well enough to put her hand on his arm, then pull him into a kiss.
Heat rose, tracing a path up her neck to her cheeks. She was pale and knew he could see the effect he had on her.
They were still holding eye contact, the intensity growing, when he set his mug down. He took her mug and set it on the counter before he cupped her face and leaned in. His thumb smoothed over her cheek, and his breath warmed her.
“If you don’t want this, tell me now,” Brady whispered.
“I’m not very experienced.”
