Her pulse picked up a few extra beats. Silently she cursed her very feminine reaction to him. The more determined he was, the more she was attracted to him.
He helped her into the vehicle. “Buckle up, Elissa.”
Was that a warning?
After donning a ball cap that had been on the floorboards, Jacob climbed in next to her. Then he grabbed his cell phone and activated a button on its side. “Wildflower on the move. And we’d like some privacy.”
“Roger that.”
Without another word, he slid the device into a plastic holder attached to the dash.
“For a minute, I actually forgot why I was here.”
“Good. I want you to relax.”
Even though she honestly believed there was no real threat, there were constant reminders.
“We’re doing our best to keep the intrusions to a minimum.” He started the vehicle and headed down a narrow dirt road, in the direction of the distant Saddle Mountain.
“So who were you talking to?”
“Lifeguard.”
She waited for him to go on. Instead, he focused on the road in front of him, features inscrutable. “Are you going to tell me anything more?”
“He’s a coordinator, of sorts.”
“Is this part of you trying to keep the intrusions to a minimum?”
After sparing her a quick glance, he nodded. “It’s a balancing act. There’s a lot of activity in the background that you don’t see. And you have a right to the information you want to receive.”
She was more curious than ever. “You said the man on the phone is a coordinator, of sorts. What does that mean?”
“When we’re running ops, he oversees them. No one knows more about the nitty-gritty details of how Hawkeye is organized than he does. He works out of a control center where he monitors everything and provides us with any assistance required.”
As much as the safety belt would allow, she angled her body toward him. “Go on.”
“He has our backs—handles any emergency call from anywhere on the planet and dispatches appropriate resources. Police. Fire. EMT. FBI.” Jacob paused. He appeared to want to go on but didn’t.
“And other people?”
He didn’t respond. Instead, he deftly changed the conversation. “He was injured in combat, and he lost the use of his legs.”
“Is he a friend of yours?”
He kept his gaze trained on the road ahead. “Yeah.”
“And Hawkeye’s?”
“We go way back.”
“To the service? Peru?”
“Astute guess. When you go through something like that, it changes you. Those of us who made it out are still close. Well, except for one guy.”
She remained quiet, studying him. A line furrowed between his eyebrows, and his lips were set. Lost in the past? “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t pry.”
“It was a long time ago.”
“But you still never talk about it.”
“No. I don’t.”
What must it be like to have seen so many horrors and to continue on? Jacob found solace in the land, while Hawkeye still sought refuge in his work. “And you don’t forget.” It was more of an insight than a question.
Just when she thought Jacob might ignore her, he reengaged in the conversation. “I moved on. That’s the best I can hope for. Hawkeye is as loyal as they come, never forgets his men or their capabilities. He believes in people, even when they’ve lost faith in themselves. And Lifeguard? Taking care of us—protecting us—is his purpose. It drives him.”
“What kind of phone is that?”
“Designed by—”
“Bonds?” It was a guess, but no doubt a good one.
“It has a few extra features that are useful in an emergency. He has one that allows him to see holograms.”
“That—what? Like in the movies?”
“Entertaining as hell, but I’m not sure how useful it is. I generally like to keep my discussions more private.”
“From what I’ve read, he’s constantly dreaming up new ideas. Some of them are just for his amusement.”
“Probably accurate.”
A minute later, he stopped the UTV to point out a mule deer. As if realizing she was being watched, the animal froze, staring back with enormous eyes.
When they remained in the vehicle, she eventually looked away and began grazing again.
“Thank you. That was amazing.”
“I thought you might like it.”
A few minutes later, he hit a big bump, tossing her around, and she grinned. “This is fun.”
“Fun? In that case, I’ll let you drive us back.”
“I’d like that.” She took in the endless expanse of sky and a few puffy clouds. Because of their speed, the breeze managed to whip a few errant strands of hair across her cheeks.
Less than half an hour later, he braked to a stop in a small clearing.
After unbuckling, she joined him at the back of the vehicle. The ground was carpeted in green, and a few shrubs sprang from the earth. “This is a wonderful spot. So beautiful, peaceful.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
While he set up the table and chairs, she wandered down to the river. Because it was only a tributary, it wasn’t wide, and it was shallower than she expected. Colorful river rocks adorned the bed, and water burbled along invitingly. She crouched to test the temperature, then pulled her hand back against the bite of the chill. “It’s freezing!”
“When the sun heats you up, you won’t be able to resist the temptation of getting naked,” he called back.
“You are persistent.”
“I haven’t even started turning on the charm yet.”
Shaking her head, she returned to the makeshift campsite. He’d covered the table with a red-and-white-checkered cloth, and the picnic basket sat on top.
“Are you ready to eat?”
“I can wait for a little while.”
“Good. That’s what I was hoping to hear.”
She shivered. “Do you ever stop?”
“Tell me honestly…” He thumbed back the bill of his baseball cap. “Do you want me to?”
The world went silent for a moment, and she found the courage to admit her truth. “No.”
“Then we’re in agreement.” Gently, he captured her chin.
Her heart fluttered like a butterfly’s wings. Even though she’d known him only a short amount of time, she craved him.
The intensity of his kiss shocked her. Rather than relaxed, it was urgent, and she responded to his passion, meeting each thrust of his tongue with a parry of her own.
He made her heart hammer and her thoughts swoon.
When her knees buckled, he caught her and pulled her tight against his chest.
“I’ve got you, Elissa.”
Recognizing the inevitable, she surrendered. “Yes.”
Jacob captured her mouth a second time. He slid his palm against her buttocks, pressing her against his pelvis. His cock was already hard, and the knowledge he wanted her turned her on. Response flooded through her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, silently giving more than he asked.
He released her momentarily, long enough to search her features and to thread his fingers into her ponytail. His grip firm, he held her in place as he sought her lips once again, devouring her moans and whimpered pleas.