“Not unless you count a girl I went with in high school for a year.”
“No. I don’t,” she said. “Why not?”
“I loved my career more than I enjoyed the company of a woman.”
“That’s pathetic.” Fay laughed. “But maybe you dated the wrong women.”
“Now you sound like my mother.” He closed the gap. “And for the record, I have a lot of respect for women and I’ve always liked being around them. I just never wanted to be with the same one for any length of time.”
“Why is that, do you suppose?”
He stood so close she could feel the heat from his skin coat hers like a warm breeze on a summer night. “My sister’s theory was that I never dated anyone that challenged me intellectually. That I needed someone who was smarter than me.”
“That’s not hard to find.”
He laughed as he rested his hands on her hips.
Her first instinct was to take a step back, but she resisted that urge. No way would she let him know that he’d rattled her nerves. Or that being so close to him reminded her that she was indeed a woman with all the needs and desires that came with it.
“You’re probably right. Only, there weren’t very many women in my field and those that I did come across were looking for the experience of being with a SEAL, if you know what I mean.”
“Are you trying to tell me that ladies used you?”
“Something like that, but to be fair, it’s the situation I put myself in because I wasn’t looking to be tied down. I didn’t want to split my focus.”
“What about kids? Don’t you want to have a family?”
“Do you?” he asked as he pulled her tight to his chest.
“I did once,” she admitted.
“What changed your mind?”
“It didn’t work out and my career took off,” she whispered. With no place to rest her hands, she placed them on his broad shoulders. “What are you doing?”
“If we’re going to fool Lee, we need get this out of the way.” He pressed his lips over her mouth. His kiss was soft and tender, and she eagerly greeted his tongue like an old lover would.
There was nothing awkward or tentative about the kiss. It felt natural. As if she belonged in Walker’s arms and he in hers. She kept telling herself to take a step back. To break the embrace.
But instead, she deepened the kiss.
She dug her fingernails into his back. A sense of kinship that she hadn’t ever felt before filled her heart. There was a deep connection that she couldn’t deny, even though she wanted to.
He palmed her cheek and pulled away. “Wow,” he said. “That was nice.”
“Nice. That’s all you got.” She wiped her lips and hoped her cheeks hadn’t turned red. “How about the best damn kiss you’ve ever had.” She poked him in the chest. She needed to reduce this to a practice round, like in golf. “You wanted real. I gave you real.”
“You sure did and I wouldn’t mind another.” He took her chin with his thumb and forefinger and before she had the wherewithal to even blink, his tongue was doing the tango with hers and his hands were roaming her backside.
And the honest truth was she didn’t want him to stop.
But she needed him to or this was going to end up with her naked on the kitchen table.
“I think we’ve both made it clear we can play this up,” she mumbled as she tried to catch her breath and slow her pulse.
“Who said anything about playing at this point.”
“Aren’t you cute.” She patted his chest.
He grabbed her by the wrist. “From this point forward, we’re a couple. Even alone.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but he pressed his finger against her lips. “We can’t afford to blow our cover regarding the case. Your position with Beck and the Brotherhood Protectors depends on it, but this thing with Lee has me worried.”
“Is that because Hank and Jake want us to pretend with him too when most know it’s not true?” She’d thought about that last night and again this morning, but she hadn’t wanted to vocalize that opinion. There could be half a dozen reasons why their bosses want the ruse to continue and who was she to question it.
“That’s part of it.” Walker loosened his grip.
She tilted her head. “What’s really bothering you about Lee coming here?”
“This isn’t the kind of job he’s cut out for.” Walker stepped around her and opened the freezer, pulling out a box of waffles. “When we’d all sit around and shoot the shit about what we’d consider doing if we couldn’t be SEALs, working for an organization like the Brotherhood Protectors was something that Lee turned his nose up at. He swore up and down he’d rather die than be a paid bodyguard. His idea of a career outside of the Navy would have been a mercenary overseas. And he wasn’t kidding. He’s a bit of an adrenaline junky and a narcissist.”
“You didn’t tell this to Hank or Jake. Why not?” Fay asked.