“No. We don’t have time for an argument. Drop it. Right now.”
I use that cold, authoritative tone fairly often. It’s one of the strategies that has worked to hold on command when I’m small and blond and young-looking in a role where none of those characteristics are advantages.
But I almost never use that tone with Ben.
He eyes me sharply but without any resentment. He’s not angry or offended. He’s still trying to figure out what’s going on in my mind. But he doesn’t say anything else, which is a relief.
We have only three minutes until the guard passes this way on his patrol.
We wait for two minutes in unmoving silence. There’s no reason to rush into things. One thing that can be counted on with Central Cities guards is that they’re as prompt and regular as clockwork.
The guard is not going to be early. Or late. Or anything other than exactly on schedule.
When my watch shows only one minute, I shift my position, turning toward Ben’s big body. He wraps one arm around me and eases me closer to him. I bend my legs to make the shift in position feel more natural.
“All right,” he murmurs. “Here goes.” He leans down and kisses me.
I’ve never kissed Ben before. That needs to be clarified first. We’ve been partners and companions for years. Not really friends and definitely not anything sexual or romantic.
Kissing him now is… strange.
Not unpleasant. At all. He smells clean and natural, and his lips are relaxed and dry. He’s keeping his tongue in his mouth—intentionally, I’m sure—and even as one of his big hands slides down my back toward my ass, it’s not demanding or entitled.
But I haven’t kissed anyone in years, and being so physically close to someone is unnerving. What’s even stranger is the disconnect between our bodies and our spirits. I’m far too distracted and on edge for my body torespond as it might have in a different situation, and Ben is clearly holding himself back.
He’s notinthis kiss all the way any more than I am. Not the way he’s beeninevery other time he’s been by my side on a mission. He’s withdrawn his big, gruff heart from what he’s doing right now, and it bothers me even more than the feel of his fingers at the crease where my butt connects to the back of my thigh.
My unexpected response to kissing him is irrelevant. It doesn’t matter.
What does matter is that the guard on patrol at the outpost is marching through his scheduled route, and he’s now seen us making out against the tree.
“Hold!” he bursts out. “Hands up!”
Ben and I jerk apart with a show of fear and shock. Ben lifts both hands as he turns toward the guard, and I make a whimpering sound as I hug my arms to my chest. “Oh no! Please don’t hurt us!”
I never—never—whimper in that way. My instinct when scared has always been to not make a sound.
I’m not scared now, however. I’m playing a part. And this guard needs to believe I’m scared, confused, and vulnerable.Helpless.
“Hands up,” the man says, gesturing toward me with his pointed gun.
I put my hands up immediately, whimpering again. “Billy, please. What’s happening?”
“I dunno. We must’ve gotten too close to some kinda military place.”
I’m genuinely impressed by how dull and clueless Ben sounds and looks as he blinks in the light from the flashlight attached to the guard’s weapon.
“Up! Up, both of you. You’re trespassing, and you need to come with me.”
“Oh no, please!” I’m standing up with my hands still raised above my head as I plead. “We didn’t know! We were just trying to get some alone time. We’ll leave and never come back. Please don’t arrest us!”
The guard doesn’t appear entirely heartless. His mouth twists briefly before he composes his expression. “I can’t let you go. Got to follow regulations. I don’t think you’ll get into big trouble since it was an innocent mistake, but I have to take you back to my supervisor.”
I pretend to cry, hiding my face in Ben’s shirt to really sell the act.
“I got no choice. Just do what you’re told and apologize, and he’ll probably let you go. He’s not a hard-ass about this kind of thing.”
I straighten up and step away from Ben, sniffing and pretending to compose myself. “Okay. We’ll be real good. Promise. Just please don’t get us in trouble. My uncle got arrested for poaching, and we never saw him again.”
