CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Boone made his way down the hall toward where light spilled out of the open doorway of Luna’s workshop. She sat at her workbench, a small screwdriver in her hand, her entire focus on the satellite phone she was holding. He crossed his arms, leaned his shoulder on the doorframe, and watched her.
She was so fucking gorgeous, especially when she was doing something she loved. And messing with electronics was definitely something she loved doing.
She’d somehow figured out a way to tweak their satellite phones to increase their line of sight to a satellite.
An invaluable asset when out in the field.
In the past, any kind of cloud cover, dense forests, narrow streets in a city lined by tall buildings, or deep natural valleys would mess with the satellite’s ability to communicate with the phones and fuck up their reception.
She set the phone down on the workbench and tilted her head side to side. She clasped her hands, held them above her head, arched her back in a stretch.
Did his gaze stray to her breasts? Absolutely. Did he feel bad about that? Nope. From what he could tell through her T-shirt, they appeared to be the perfect size for his hands—not too big, not too small. His plan was to confirm that very soon.
They’d exchanged a few texts since he dropped off his equipment for her to inspect.
He’d learned that the app she’d created to track the satellite’s movement had gone off at two forty-seven in the morning their time, which would’ve been eleven forty-seven in Aliabad.
She’d gotten up and connected her laptop to the secured network, then sat up for two hours listening for any sign of Udall.
When she didn’t hear anything the first time, she’d enhanced the sound and listened to it again.
She did that three times and ended up only getting about two hours of sleep.
Luna dropped her hands and let loose a massive yawn.
Time to go.
“Knock knock.” He spoke softly so as not to startle her.
She turned to him and smiled. “Hi.”
When she looked at him that way, he felt powerful, and he wanted to conquer worlds for her.
“Hi, yourself.” He shoved off the doorframe and moved toward her.
Her eyes remained on him, and when he stopped next to her stool, she tilted her face up to him, exposing her long, graceful neck.
Boone leaned down to kiss her—keeping it light—then straightened and turned her stool so that her back was to him. He slid her ponytail over her shoulder to hang down one side of her chest, then began rubbing his thumbs and fingers into her neck and shoulders.
Her head dropped forward on a long moan, and he was instantly hard.
“Ready to go?” He bent to kiss the back of her neck, then continued massaging her tight muscles.
“Not if it means you’re going to stop doing what you’re doing.” She looked at him from the corner of her eye.
“How ’bout this?” He moved his thumbs in a circular motion. “Let’s do like I suggested earlier—grab some food on the way to my place and go for a quick ride—then we can soak in my new hot tub.”
“Wait a minute.” She sat up and spun to face him. “Since when do you have a hot tub?”
“It was delivered while the team was in Denver.” He’d had it on order for the longest time, and it finally arrived. “I installed it a couple of days ago.” He leaned forward so his face was inches from hers and propped his hands on his knees. “Does that plan work for you?”
She draped her arms lazily over his shoulders. “That plan sounds perfect to me.”
“I thought it might.” He turned his head to kiss each of her arms and lifted them from his shoulders. “Are you done here, or do you need some more time?” He checked out the workbench behind her.
“I’m good to go.” She set the phone aside. “Viking’s sat phone needed a new battery, but he left for the day to spend time with Marigold before … well, you know. He’ll pick it up tomorrow.”
Before we leave, was what she couldn’t bring herself to verbalize.
Boone remembered her earlier worries about this mission and expected they would need to talk in more detail about that at some point. But now was not the time nor place for that conversation, so he steered toward something less ominous.
“Have you eaten anything today?” He’d looked in on her a few times throughout the day. Each time she’d had her head down, working on something, and he hadn’t wanted to disturb her.
“I’m pretty sure I had a banana earlier.” She put away a couple of tools, stood, and clicked off the light over her workspace. “But now that you mention food, I am kind of hungry.”
“How does Chinese food sound?” He pulled his phone from his back pocket. “There’s a really good place on the way to the ranch.”
“Sounds perfect.” She gave him her order, and he called it in while she was packing her laptop into her backpack.
“Okay, food’s ordered.” He slipped his phone into the back pocket of his jeans. “Here, let me carry that.” He relieved her of her backpack and looped the strap over one of his shoulders.
“Sheesh, that thing looks so small when you hold it.” She reached up to fix the strap where it was twisted on his shoulder. “Oh, do you mind if we stop by the training facility on our way out? I keep a bathing suit in my locker for when I swim laps.”
“Sure.” Bummer. Hoping she’d be naked had been wishful thinking on his part.
Boone was struck by an all-too-vivid image of her wet skin all slick and shiny, bubbles churning around them as she straddled his lap and he sucked on her nipple. The thought went straight to his dick and nearly threatened his ability to walk straight.
“You were hoping I would go in the hot tub naked, weren’t you?” Her smirk told him it wasn’t really a question, but he answered it anyway.
“Honestly? Yeah, I was.” He wrapped his arm behind her back and led her to the elevator. “Can’t blame a guy for dreaming, can you?”
She stopped at the elevator and pressed the button. Then she moved to stand in front of him and looked him dead in the eyes. “Ya know, some dreams do come true.”
Ding. The elevator door slid open.
She patted him on the center of his chest, casually turned, and stepped inside.
Well, shit. He shifted his hips to adjust the insta-boner her words inspired, and when he moved into the elevator, he backed her into the corner as the door slid shut.
“You want to know what I really dream about?” He pressed closer to her until their bodies touched from chest to hips.
“I dream about you and me naked on a blanket, your hair spread out like a fan as we make love under that old willow tree.” He stroked his thumb along her jaw.
“So, I told you mine. Now it’s your turn to tell me yours. ”
“My dreams?” She swallowed so hard, you could hear it in the quiet elevator. “I dream we—”
Ding. The door slid open, but he ignored it until he heard someone clear their throat.
Boone turned to stand in front of Luna, and she craned her neck to see around him.
“Shit.” His head dropped forward on a sigh.
“Mind if I ask what the hell is going on here?” Caleb O’Halleran, her sister’s extremely protective husband, the man who considered Luna another sister, loomed like a dark thundercloud outside the elevator.
His hands were fisted at his sides, and his feet were set apart like he was preparing for battle. “You okay, Luna?”
What the fuck?
“Of course she’s okay.” Boone was disappointed. How the hell could Caleb think he’d do anything to hurt her? “Jesus, Caleb, what the fuck did you think I was doing to her?”
“Caleb, you’re being ridiculous.” Luna actually shifted to put herself in front of Boone and crossed her arms.
“Lunaaa.” Boone growled at her unnecessary show of bravado on his behalf. He put a hand on each of her narrow shoulders and gently moved her aside.
“What?” She glanced at him, clueless about what she’d just done.
“He’s growling like that because you put yourself between him and a perceived threat.” Caleb’s right eyebrow lifted. “I thought we talked about that.”
“Like I said, you’re being ridiculous.” Luna crossed her arms again and mean-mugged him.
A heavy silence hung between them for what seemed liked minutes until Caleb broke the tension.
“Ha! I’m just fuckin’ with you guys.” His entire demeanor changed in an instant, and he was back to his easygoing self. “You should’ve seen the look on your faces.” He laughed a little too hard at their expense.
“You are such a jerk.” Luna’s words held no bite, especially when she followed them up by leaving the sanctuary of the elevator to give her brother-in-law a hug.
“Hey, kid.” He draped his arm lazily over her shoulders and gave her a little shake. “How’s it going?”
She just rolled her eyes and shook her head, though she appeared to be stifling a small smile.
“Jesus, Caleb.” Boone stepped out into the foyer and shook his hand. “For a minute there, I thought you might start throwin’ fists.”
The elevator whispered shut behind them.
“Naaah.” He gave a dismissive flick of his wrist. “Dawn and I are trying for another kid, and I’ve been practicing my mean face, just in case we ever have a daughter.”
“Well, it worked.” Boone hadn’t been excited about the idea of scrapping with Caleb.
For one thing, the man might act like a laid-back beach bum, but he was a hell of a fighter. Secondly, he would’ve hated for Luna to be caught between Boone and family.
But he wasn’t going to let anything or anyone come between them.
“I didn’t know you guys are trying to get pregnant again.” Luna’s face displayed a mixture of concern and excitement. “But aren’t you worried? I mean, Dawn had a tough time delivering Cade.”
“Her doc says she’s good to go,” Caleb said. “If she’d given us even the slightest indication something could happen to your sister, there’s no way in hell I would be okay with her taking that risk. Especially after what Jonathan went through.”
He noticed the confused look on Boone’s face.