his collar, and his skin told of someone who enjoyed the outdoors, but the strong,
edgy aura surrounding him made me pause. So did the grim look in his navy-blue eyes, turning them darker than the impending clouds during monsoon
season.
I held his gaze and fought the urge to squirm as memories pressed close and
heat bloomed in my face.
“Should I pose for a picture?” His voice held a knowing edge that left me grinding my teeth in a mix of embarrassment and frustration.
Unwilling to reveal how deep he was wedged under my skin, I forced my
lips into a mockingly sweet smile. “Lieutenant Kayden Shaw.” Yeah, there was
enough scorn in that one name to get me in serious trouble if I cared or still wore
a uniform. Since I no longer did either, it didn’t matter. “Ever hear of knocking?”
His broad shoulders rose and fell in a casual shrug. “Since your last visitor
left a footprint by the doorknob, I thought knocking would be overrated.”
His unexpected quip snuck under my guard and made my lips twitch. I
covered my reaction with a delicate snort. “Why are you here?”
Instead of answering, he asked, “Spoken to Tag lately?”
“No.” A stone settled in my stomach, and I blinked at the unexpected sting of
my former teammate’s name. Answering a question with a question. Nice
diversionary tactic. What did good ol’ Tag have to do with anything? “Been a little busy.”
Kayden’s curse was too soft to catch. “He was going to call you.”
“Well if he did, I didn’t get a message.” I squashed the twinge of guilt at the
lie, recalling the second number on my cell that I had deliberately ignored for months. Using the staff I still held, I pushed to my feet and avoided his gaze.
“Besides, I just got back into town.”
He watched me stand. “Where were you?”
Resentment rose at the implied order underlying his question. Keeping my
face pleasantly blank, I met his gaze. “In case it slipped your mind, Shaw, I no
longer answer to the Corps.” Some of my fury slipped through. “Since I’m a private citizen, why don’t you get the hell out of my house.” I stepped over his
legs and headed back to the front of the house.
“Cyn.”
The seriousness in his tone and the strong fingers wrapped around my calf stopped me, but I didn’t look down.
“You need to listen.”
Couldn’t miss the order in that one. Alpha males might be fun on the pages
of a book, but in real life they were a pain in my ass. Based on his current fashion choices, Kayden couldn’t possibly still be in active service, so there was
no reason to follow his orders ever again. What was the worst he could do? Haul
me back before a kangaroo court? Been there, done that, didn’t even get to keep
the T-shirt.
Yanking my leg free, I headed toward the kitchen. If I was lucky, he’d leave.
I set the walking stick against the counter and grabbed a glass. Sticking it under the tap, I let it fill, using the familiar motions to still the small tremors wracking my body. Unfortunately, the sound of the front door closing never came. I got a few small sips in before my attempt to calm was interrupted.
“If you won’t talk to me, then call Tag.” For such a big man, Kayden moved
like a cat.
Persistent little bugger. My fingers tightened on the glass that was halfway to my lips, then I took one last, deliberate sip before setting my glass on the counter with studied care. I turned to the man who once fascinated me beyond reason, and found him leaning against the entryway, his arms crossed, and blocking any
