“I always need medical attention.” He winked.
Unwelcome butterflies exploded low in her abdomen. God, he had no right being that handsome and that charming when he was such a complete jackass. “You shouldn’t, you know. Maybe it’s time to stop looking for physical pain. But I’m not your psychologist, thank goodness. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d really like to get back to the great dreams I was having.”
Ace’s brow lifted. “That was a lie.”
She blinked. “Why would you say that?”
He stretched out his long legs, crossing one ankle over the other. “I’ve always had a knack for spotting when someone’s lying. I think it’s a family gift. We all have it.”
Heat crept up her neck.
Even though his proximity was causing her pulse to spike and her skin to sensitize, having him there made her feel safe. She couldn’t afford that. “Gifts are great, Ace.”
“Tell me about your scary dreams, because I know that’s what was happening. Don’t lie to me, Doc.”
She threw up a hand. The guy was like a dog with a bone. “I was dreaming about winter in Alaska.”
Sympathy shone in his eyes. “We do have someone ripping people’s eyes out, so that tracks.”
She gulped, the unease sliding back in. “I’m well aware of that sad fact.” As a topic change, she’d take it. “Is Christian still trying to hunt down the killer?” He’d been contracted by the local AWT guru but only temporarily until he left for training.
“For another week. Then he has to leave for Sitka for the training. He’ll make an excellent AWT.”
“Yeah.” May could see the quiet Osprey brother doing just that.
Silence stretched for a beat. The air felt warmer than it should’ve. Or maybe that was just Ace sitting there, big and solid in her small living room, his powerful presence pressing at her senses.
“What about you? Are you ever going to get a job?” she asked.
Ace huffed a laugh. “I’m investing with Amka. Projections are impressive.”
It had taken discipline to save that kind of money while he’d served in the military. Still. He had shown up uninvited at her door, so perhaps she didn’t need to be as polite as usual. “Why don’t you tell me about your plane wreck?”
Ace stilled.
Not dramatically. Not obviously. But everything about him went tight and quiet. Like the air itself paused. He exhaled slowly. “How do you know it was a plane crash?”
She blinked. “Everybody knows that. Small towns don’t exactly run on secrecy.”
“True.” His eyes flicked toward her. “Like the doctor who ran from a senator.”
Her mouth went dry. “I’m not on the run.”
Ace’s gaze didn’t waver.
“If I were,” she added carefully, “I wouldn’t be working as a doctor, since it’s easy to find us.” Partially true. She honestly hadn’t believed Kyle would ever track her to Knife’s Edge. This place barely felt real on a map, let alone somewhere he’d bother looking.
Ace tilted his head. “Why don’t you tell me the story?”
“I asked first.” She held her breath.
He held her eyes for a moment longer. “Fair enough.” Man, that shirt stretched tight across definite muscles. “I can’t tell you much, but I was flying a deep strike mission in a Lightning—stealth configuration.”
She stared. “A what?”
Ace’s mouth twitched. “An F-35C.”
“Oh.” She nodded like that explained anything. It absolutely did not.
