The next morning…
Shadow abandonedthe computer program that was still working to ID the bomber. She glanced up from where she sat on the couch to glance across the room to where Slade stood.
He was in the kitchen, whipping them up something that smelled absolutely heavenly, and if she wasn’t mistaken, the stoic former SEAL was…smiling.
To be fair, she’d been doing a lot of that herself this morning. Smiling. Humming. Remembering.
Memories from the night before—and their unexpected lovemaking session in the shower a couple of hours ago—were still so fresh and all-consuming it was nearly impossible to concentrate on anything else. But she had to.
For her mother and father.
For herself.
Because Michael Stanton was still out there, rubbing elbows with many of the country’s top leaders. The asshole was walking around, spending his days as a free man and believing he’d quite literally gotten away with murder.
But Shadow was going to put an end to that even if it was the last thing she ever did. Whatever she had to do, no matter how long it took, she was going to make sure he paid for his crimes.
I won’t let him get away with it, Mom. I promise you, I won’t.
“Order up!”
Slade’s deep voice called to her from the other side of the kitchen’s sizeable island. She blinked her thoughts back into the present and refocused on the sexy man staring back at her instead.
Shadow pushed herself to her feet with a smile, secretly wondering when she went to mentally referring to him as Slade, rather than Digger. Her smile grew even more with her very next step, because she knew exactly when the mental change had occurred.
Say it again.
His whispered plea from the night before sounded inside her head. A familiar tingling in her lower belly made its presence known.
Between last night and that morning’s mind-blowing scene in the shower, she would have thought her libido would be ready for a break. But as Shadow made her way over to where her sexy personal chef was waiting, she wondered if there would ever be a time when she didn’t look at him and crave more.
“This looks amazing, thank you.” She walked over to him with the sole purpose of going in for a kiss.
Shadow started to rise onto her tiptoes to reach him, and Slade leaned in to meet her halfway.
“You’re welcome.” He pressed his lips to hers. “Now go sit down and eat while it’s still hot.”
“Yes, sir.” Shadow gave him her best imitation of a military salute before turning to round the island’s end. When she did, he gave her rear a playful slap with his palm. “Hey!” She swung her widened gaze back to him with a mental note to pay him back in full when he least expected it.
Not bothering to hide the breathtaking smile on his rugged face, he motioned to the mounds of food he’d spent the last forty-five minutes preparing.
“Dig in,” he handed her a plate and a fork, waiting for her to take her portion first before getting his own.
A gentleman at heart.
After dishing up some of the breakfast casserole he’d so generously made, Shadow slid onto one of the island’s four barstools before giving into temptation and taking her first bite.
“Oh, my gosh!” she exclaimed before she’d finished chewing her food. “This is so good. Where on earth did you learn to cook like this?”
While she took another bite, and then another one after that, Slade dished out a heaping portion of the cheesy egg, onion, and sausage bake he’d created and placed it on his plate.
“I’m self-taught, thank you, very much.” He shot her a look. “And you don’t have to sound quite so surprised.”
“Can’t help it.” Shadow flashed him a grin as he came around the island to sit on the stool to her left. Using her best British accent, she jutted her chin and tilted her head. “If I’ve learned anything the last few days, it’s that you, sir, are a man of many surprises.”
The crooked smile he gave made her heart flip inside her chest.
“Yeah?” Slade flattened his palms against the granite before leaning toward her. “Well, stick around, princess.” He gave her a wink. “’Cause you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
