He gave her a sharp smile that should have worried her, but instead, it had her aching. Stupid hormones.
When he leaned closer, she wanted to kiss him but kept those thoughts to herself.
“It’s a promise.”
Eleven
Ian was losing his patience. He was known for it, and when he had been part of the Elite Eight, he’d had a reputation as being stalwart. He stood his ground, waiting hours, sometimes days, for his target. Lately, though, that well-known patience seemed to be tied to a woman who was now looking at him like he had lost his mind.
“What the hell?”
All he had told her was that he wanted her to sit on the floorboard of the SUV just like she had on the way from his house to the private airfield. And worse, every time she used that tone with him, it made him want to kiss her.
“It’s the smart thing to do,” he said.
“This is why I shouldn’t be here. I’m a target and, therefore, I put a target on your back.”
They had been lucky to land at Dillingham Field. It was a smaller airfield on the other side of the island; one used mainly for hang gliders. The traffic would be on the lower end this time of day, and there would definitely be less people there. Also, their safe house was in a forested area near the North Shore, not too far from the airfield. It made it easier to get there without detection.
“Seriously, get in the SUV and get on the floorboard.”
Her nostrils flared as her face flushed, and, dammit, even that turned him on. The woman was starting to work on his last nerve, and he was getting hard for her. She flounced away slipping into the SUV with a grumble.
He had never wanted a woman more in his life.
“It’s all show you know?”
Ian drew in a breath, ordered his dick to behave, and glanced at Stryker. “What?”
He motioned with his head and while Ian didn’t like being out in the open like this, he decided to indulge the man. Stryker had allowed them to use his plane. He stepped closer.
“She’s trying to protect you, but part of it is for show.”
He took a couple of seconds to study the man. There was nothing but sincerity in his eyes.
“You know this how?”
“I know her. Not personally, but she’s a legend in the business. You don’t think someone with a genius IQ could have figured out a way to escape from you? I would bet that attack scared her more than she’s letting on.”
“Again, you know this how?”
Devon glanced over at a parked convertible with a woman sitting in the driver’s seat. Her long chestnut hair was dancing in the wind.
“Experience. Those smart ones are a pain to capture and convince you’re worth their time, but the payoff is amazing.”
“I’m not trying to capture her.”
His mouth twitched. “Sure, Mix.”
The fact that he knew Ian’s nickname didn’t surprise him. Stryker had a close connection to his boss, so he’d probably told him. Still, it irritated him.
“Thanks for the use of the plane.”
“Anytime. And I mean it. I want that meeting with your woman as soon as this is all cleared up.”
“She’s not my woman.”
“Like I said before…sure.”
