Page 23 of Knight Watch

It took her a moment to realize Kingsley was frozen solid in place, arms wide, and barely breathing. The image it conjured in her head bubbled into chuckles. “Maybe they don’t do hugs the same in England, but here we respond by returning the hug.”

She heard the air whooshing back into his lungs at her words. Ever so slowly, as if she was made of glass, his muscled arms came around her smaller frame, light as a feather at first, and firmer as time passed and he relaxed. When he finally put his bearded cheek on top of her head, she allowed herself to enjoy the embrace.

“Look, Sydney, I get the feeling something happened to you. Something more than your parents dying or being kidnapped. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or push any boundaries.”

Through the rumble, she almost missed his words. It made sense why he was always on his guard with her, anticipating the worst. He was a good man. However, the more time she spent with him, the less her body agreed with being good.

“You’re right, something did, but I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”

His lungs filled, and he exhaled with a sigh. Sydney did the same in return. It was as if all that warm strength of his was seeping into her, infusing her with courage and a feeling of safety. The list of men she’d felt safe with was short, and had only contained her dad. Now she could add Kingsley to the list. Only in a very different way, and the underlying attraction she felt for him simmered in the background. Pressed against him, she felt her body coming alive, emerging from a long slumber.

Sydney was the first one surprised. She’d tried over and over again with the few men she’d dated to become aroused, and now, just by being there, this man made her tingle with a desire she’d thought was gone forever. The more she relaxed, the more that feeling overtook her body. Exhilarated, feeling alive, her core clenched, and she decided to ride the wave. Carpe diem, as they said.

Rubbing her cheek against his pectorals, she let her hands trace the warm path of muscles over his shirt. The quick shiver she felt under her hands brought her such a surge of joy and power. It fueled her even more.

Kingsley’s breathing accelerated, but his arms remained still, waiting.

Unwilling to let go of her sudden courage, Sydney circled his neck and brought his lips to hers. The man yielded to her silent command and wisely left his large hands on her hips.

Strong emotions battled inside her head as they kissed—astonishment, lust, apprehension, and fear. A damning fear that rose steadily and threatened to destroy the moment until Kingsley emitted a low groan, his hands twitching. The feel of his controlled strength against her, the taste of him, brought her back to the present, reminding her of her own courage and of something she’d never thought would happen again. However, before she could indulge more, she forced herself to step back.

The sun was getting lower, and when Sydney was able to focus again, her eyes went to him, his face bathed in the late evening light. Her heart stuttered—he was breathtakingly handsome. Even if neither of them had moved, they were both breathing hard.

Kingsley swallowed, clearly trying to get his thoughts together. “Are you all right?”

It took a moment for Sydney to gather her thoughts to reply, and she smiled at the words they used so often. They had become a kind of barometer to reassure themselves. Once she did, she bit her lips. “In case you missed it, I’m the one who jumped you.”

The grin that split his beard was a mix of amusement and hunger. “Sydney, you can jump me whenever you feel like it. My body is at your disposal.”

Laughing and slightly embarrassed by his words, she was tempted to take him up on his suggestion when a buzzing noise intruded.

Kingsley retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and slid his finger across it before reading the incoming message. “The plan is working. Mercy just texted to say they’re being followed. It’s discrete, but it’s there. We should get going. Who knows how long it will take them to discover our little scheme? You good to go?”

Reality had a way of sneaking back with a vengeance. Nodding at Kingsley, it was true that she was ready. Some of her old self, from so many years ago was coming back, and she welcomed it.

As she walked to the car, Sydney remembered why they had initially stopped, but the nightmare seemed so far away now, so inconsequential compared to their mission that it lost its importance. On this empty side of the road in the middle of nowhere at sunset, somehow, things had changed, and she was glad.