When A.J. unbuckled, whipped his sunglasses off and faced her, his eyes were the color of the ocean during a storm. His forearm rested over the top of the wheel as he studied her. Words on the tip of his tongue, and this time, she didn’t have a clue as to what he might say.
She gulped and studied him while the vehicle shook as cars and trucks flew past them.
“No, I’m not defending your ex,” he growled out in a low, raspy voice. “But I am defending the kind of man I am.”
Her fingers feathered across her chest as he kept his eyes pinned on her in an intense gaze. “And what kind of man are you?” she whispered, her body tensing up.
“I’m a man who will do absolutely everything in his power to protect the people I care about, and right now, that person is you. I can’t imagine you being out here alone, FBI agent or not, and if my wanting to help keep you safe bothers you, well, tough shit,” he hissed between his teeth, edging his face even closer.
Chills coated her body as she waited for him to continue, knowing he had more to say.
“And no, hiding out with you was never the original plan. You look guilty as sin when you stack all the cards up, but I believe you. I just fucking do. So, maybe you don’t like getting help, or having a man protect you, but I’m here now, and you ain’t gettin rid of me, sugar.” He jerked his focus back to the road and reached for his seatbelt, but she extended an arm, unable to stop herself.
He tensed and let go of a deep breath but kept his eyes set on the road. Jaw tight. Angry. This was a man hurting. A man who’d experienced pain, and it was pouring right out of him so hot and heavy she physically felt it.
“Look at me,” she requested, her tone soft. “Please.”
“I’m looking at you,” he announced when facing her. “Right now. Right here. I see you.” He pointed a finger, and it nearly touched her chest. “I see a woman afraid to let her guard down, especially to someone like me. But you need to, or you’ll get us both killed. And I reckon you don’t want that, now, do you?”
She leaned in closer, unaware she was even doing it. “I don’t know how to do that, how to let my guard down,” she murmured, surprised he’d managed that confession from her.
And yet, here he was, shattering her world alongside a highway.
“I can teach you.” He added a genuine nod that had her nearly believing it was possible.
Cold and dead on the inside didn’t feel like the truth with his eyes and his trust pointed her way. More like warmth and sunshine. “I’m not an easy student. I’m stubborn,” she admitted, those annoying tears creeping back into her eyes as she spoke, and when he cupped her face with his warm hand, one tear slipped free like a drop of truth had snuck through the cracks. “And I can be hard to deal with. A total pain in the ass.”
He wet his lips, his tongue peeking out for the briefest of moments, drawing her attention to his very kissable mouth. “Then it’s a good thing I love a challenge.”
His warm hand on her flushed skin felt decadent and delicious. And she wanted nothing more than for that hand to travel all over her body. To awaken every fiber of her being.
She had a mission to complete, so did he. But she was beginning to wonder if A.J.’s mission now involved having Ana fall for him. And if so, did she want him to succeed?
Chapter Fourteen
A.J. rolled up to Grant Walker’s place later that afternoon. Ana had been a champ the entire trip and didn’t request a pee break but once, nor did she complain that they survived off gas station snacks for food on the way down.
When they were forty-five minutes away from his friend’s house, A.J. stopped at a Piggly Wiggly to grab groceries. He didn’t want to risk being seen out in public in his small town. Even though the townsfolk kept secrets from outsiders better than most, he wanted to avoid questions as to why he was staying at Grant Walker’s house instead of with his family.
Grocery shopping with Ana had felt normal somehow. Easy. Like they were a married couple, quibbling over which brand of milk or flavor of chips to buy.
They’d loaded up their cart with all the essentials, including wine and beer. He didn’t normally drink on the job, but if he was going to be alone with Ana, they needed something stronger to drink than sweet tea or Coke.
After their impromptu roadside chat that morning, they’d mostly spent their time in the car fighting over the radio controls while avoiding serious conversation. Ana had shored up her walls shortly after giving him a glimmer of hope she might be ready to open up. Still, he was satisfied he’d made some progress with her. Sooner rather than later, though, he’d need her to reveal more and trust he was there and with her for the right reasons.
“Not bad for a hideout.” Ana opened the SUV door, stepped outside, and stretched. “And you said this place belongs to an Air Force buddy?”
“Yup.” He came around the vehicle on the circular driveway to stand alongside her and eyed the house. “Six bedrooms. Nine bathrooms. Infinity pool, pond, and hot tub out back. Plus, a hangar for his bird. Not too shabby.” Maybe he’d even have a place like this someday. Probably half the size and without a helo out back.
“I never understood the idea of having more bathrooms than bedrooms.” She smiled and pointed to the bed of pink flowers in front of the gray-bricked home with a wraparound porch. “Pretty flowers.”
“They better be. Camellias. Alabama state flower.” He motioned toward the side of the house where a three-car garage was located. “I should park and get the groceries inside.”
“Don’t want the ice cream that’s surrounded by the two bags of ice you bought to melt.” Her lips teased into a fuller smile.
“Nothing comes between a man and his ice cream.”
“Sure you don’t mean a kid and his ice cream?” She winked, and he resisted the urge to slap a hand to his heart.
By some miracle, Alabama was already doing her thing and loosening Ana up.
“But, um, did the Air Force get a pay increase I’m unaware of? I’m thinking the Bureau should do the same.”
He set a hand on top of the warm hood of the SUV. “One of our friends started a bourbon business a few years back, and Grant used some of his inheritance to invest in the company. Let’s just say I’m regretting my choice not to buy in.”
She tugged at the bottom of her yellow tank top as if trying to coax a breeze. “Looks like the heat wave followed us here.”
“Nah, the heat wave was born in Alabama.” He pointed to the trunk. “And that ice cream—”
“Is about to die a quick death.” She kicked the tip of her shoe at the driveway. “Who from your team is coming to Alabama?”
He hadn’t planned on revealing the fact some of his teammates would be arriving soon for backup should they need it, but the woman was worse than a bloodhound.
“It’s fine. I’m not too keen on the idea of involving more people, but I take it you all are a packaged deal?” She crossed her arms while waiting for a response she clearly already knew the answer to.
He cocked his head and smirked. “It’s almost as if you got a thing against ice cream, distracting me with conversation, so I don’t go rescue it from melting.”