Page 56 of Her Tempting Protector

Cullen relaxed.

“Yeah,” he said. “You guys have never let me down.”

“Exactly.”

* * *

By the time he had walked back to the truck, Cullen had taken his teammate’s words to heart. Worrying was stupid at this point, and Raiden was right, his team always came through. What’s more, he desperately needed some sleep. When he got to the bed of the truck, he saw Carys setting down her treasured soda to pile some spiced potatoes onto a piece of flatbread.

A strand of her hair had made its way out of her braid and it was now curled around her face. She swiped at it like it was a spider or something. Then she shoved it back into her braid and gave a sigh of relief. There was definitely a story there.

“Well, come sit down and eat and tell me about the call,” she motioned for him to join her.

“Let’s wait until after dinner, okay?”

“Did you find out about my friends?”

“No, I didn’t.”

She slumped, then sighed. “Okay, we can wait until after we eat.” He watched as she took a delicate bite of her food, thoughtfully chewed, and then smiled. “This is good. I never quite know what I’m going to get. Of course, I always pretend it’s good. But this, I actually like.”

He liked that. Every one of his team members respected the different cultures that they encountered and were always polite and gracious. The fact that Carys was the same way just raised her even higher in his esteem.

“So, it’s not just the sweets that you like?” he teased.

She gave a wry smile. “So, I didn’t hide my mouth watering over the cake as well as I’d hoped, huh?”

“I thought you might scratch my eyes out if I had suggested we share.”

“Nah, you’re a too good of a driver.” She said before taking another bite.

He grinned around the large bite of food he had taken. After he swallowed, he asked, “Wanna tell me what other vices you have?”

“Oh no, you asked all the questions last time, soon it will be my turn. But it’s doctor’s orders that you rest as soon as you brief me on the call.”

The woman was right. It was time for shut-eye. She’d been an absolute trooper, but the dark mauve bruising under her eyes was visible even under the quarter moonlight. All the care she had been giving to her two charges had drained her, and no amount of sugar was going to recharge her the way that some rest would.

He settled back against the side of the truck and finished up the rest of his Fanta, then opened up one of the bottles of water and handed it to her.

“Thanks.” She took a sip and her hair got in her way again, then she swiped at it angrily.

“Carys? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m just overtired and when I am, I hate it when my hair is in my face.”

He reached out slowly and brushed it back behind her ear. Her sigh of relief was audible.

“It’s a phobia.”

“No big deal. We all have them.”

“Now that’s two for me. Messy hair and scorpions. At least I don’t faint at the sight of blood.” Her eyes twinkled.

“Yeah, you’d be kind of a crap doctor if you did.” He nudged the piece of cake toward her.

She shook her head. “I’m going to save it for breakfast. I would give it to Shada, but she’s still sound asleep and on the off-chance she needs surgery when we get there, I want her stomach empty.” She leaned over to her medical kit and pulled out an empty bottle of water. He watched as she poured the rest of her soda into the empty water bottle and capped it.

“What are you doing?”