CHAPTER FIVE
“Geez,” whispered Bailey. “It’s so dark you can’t see anything.”
“The headlights aren’t the best but to be honest with you, I’m okay with that. We look like locals and hopefully no one will see us.”
She nodded but said nothing to him. He’d been looking at her profile on and off for thirty minutes, trying to figure out why she wasn’t married yet.
“Why are you staring at me, Angus?” she smirked.
“I’m trying to figure out why no one has snatched you up and married you. You’re obviously smart, you’re beautiful, you’re resourceful. What’s the problem? Have you been pushing men away?” She chuckled and he thought it was the cutest thing he’d ever heard.
“No. I haven’t been pushing men away. Truth is, I don’t really date. I went to school close to home, got my degree in psychology and then hostage negotiation, minoring in law.”
“Wow. Color me impressed,” he smiled.
“Thank you, but it’s something I always enjoyed. I mean, I used to be the one to settle the fights between Cole, Ambry, and me.”
“How is she?” he asked.
“She just got married. She married Pierre Robicheaux.”
“No kidding! Hey, that’s great. But that doesn’t answer my question. There are a ton of young men at Belle Fleur. No one special.”
“Not really. I thought Joey Dougall and I might have something but we really are too different and better as friends.”
“I see,” he nodded.
“Men get intimidated by smart women, Angus. I can’t hide smart. I can’t hide that I’m tall or blonde or that my entire lineage is bad ass. I can’t and I won’t.”
“Nor should you,” he said parking the truck behind a burnt-out home. “We’ll park here and walk. He’s within the radius of these buildings and was walking toward that mountain.”
She nodded and got out of the truck, waiting at the front of it for Angus as he gathered the gear.
“Ready?” he asked. She gripped his hand, holding it tightly.
“In case I forget, thank you for this Angus. You just escaped a hostage situation yourself and I’m placing you in danger again. I’ll never forget what you’re doing.”
“For you? Anything,” he smiled.
“Anything?” she asked with an enticing smile and a hint of mischief.
“What did you have in mind, Bailey?” he smiled.
“Kiss me.”
“Kiss you? Have you never been kissed?”
“Not really. I mean, pecks, horrible wet kisses, but nothing meaningful, nothing that felt true.”
“And you think a kiss from me will feel that way?” She nodded and he stepped forward, placing a firm grip at the back of her neck. It was just one kiss. A stupid kiss for a young woman. What could it hurt?
Angus lowered his mouth to hers as her innocent blue eyes stared up at him.
He was going to let her watch the whole show if she wanted to, he damn sure was.
Her soft lips immediately melted against his own, hot and wet.
She moaned and he pulled her tighter, closer to his own body, sliding the rifle to his back.
When she opened her mouth, he knew he was in trouble. Little Bailey wasn’t so little anymore and she was a damn fast learner. He pulled back, staring down at her.
“A kiss,” he whispered.
“It was a good kiss, Angus. The way I dreamed it would be.” She started walking away and Angus cursed himself.
“Yeah. Me too.”