Chapter 17
17
Sisco slipped out of Evie's room after the little girl had declared he had to read one of her stories. He didn't mind spending more time with her, although sitting on the edge of the small bed filled with her stuffies caused Evie and Lenore to laugh.
He'd grinned as Evie snuggled under the covers and bent to kiss her cheek. Now, linking fingers with Lenore as they moved past the kitchen and into the den, he pulled her down next to him on the sofa.
She flopped and leaned back on the cushions, but their hands remained clasped. Rolling her head to the side, she held his gaze.
“Can I ask you a question?” he asked.
“Anything, anytime,” she replied.
He was instantly humbled by her trust. “There’s a picture on the wall… it’s you and Evie… at a salon…”
She grinned. “That’s not really a question.”
He chuckled, but she continued, “If you’re asking if I shaved my head to match Evie’s, the answer is yes. We talked to Evie about her hair falling out, and she had seen other children at the hospital, so she understood a little bit about what would happen. When we got ready for chemo, she and I went together to get my hair stylist to shave both of us.”
“Jesus, Lenore. I’m so impressed with you.”
She scoffed and shook her head. “It was just hair, Sisco. It would grow back.” She fingered the flippy ends of the hair resting on her shoulders.
“Can I ask if?—”
“Nope. Don’t even bother. William not only would never consider shaving his head, he was furious that I did.” Snorting, she admitted, “I knew long before our divorce that we weren’t going to make it. I think I held on because there was so much happening. I could only handle one major life event at a time.”
He squeezed her fingers. “Once more, Lenore, I’m so impressed.”
“Can I ask you a question?” she asked.
“Anything, anytime.”
“Earlier, you said that your security company doesn't do constant monitoring except for your houses or people you're associated with.”
He waited, but it seemed she had expected something from him, so he nodded. “That's right. Some security companies will provide twenty-four-seven surveillance for their clients, but we don't do that regularly. We provide this kind of security for an ongoing mission.”
“But you have it on your houses.”
Again, he nodded. “Yes. Not all of us have a house. A bunkhouse on the compound holds six Keepers semi-permanently as they decide whether to buy, rent, or just stay in the bunkhouse.”
“Oh. Okay. Um… do you live there?”
“In the bunkhouse? I did when I was initially hired. Devil and I were the first people Logan contacted, and we both came on board immediately.” He smiled at the memories. “It was amazing to help build LSIMT from the ground up. It was the best thing I've ever done, including my days as a SEAL.”
He shifted to face her with his arm along the back of the sofa, his fingers tracing circles on her neck's soft skin. “I bought a house about a year ago. It's outside Cut Bank, on four acres, and backs to a ranch. I can be at work in ten minutes. And even better? I can get here in thirty minutes.”
She laughed, and her smile sent tingles throughout his body.
She pressed her lips together, rubbing them back and forth. “And the security for people you're associated with?”
His thumb traced her hairline at the back of her neck, trying to decide which was softer—her hair or her skin. Deciding it was a tie, he focused on her question. “Yes, but to be honest, none of the other Keepers are in a relationship. If they were, they'd have security placed on those homes, just to make sure there's no blowback from any of our missions.”
“Oh,” she said, nodding slowly, but a crinkle formed between her brows. “So, um…” She waved her hand around the room. “All this is because I'm an active mission, but will it be taken out when Raul is captured?”
He reared back, his hand still on her neck. “What? No. You're not a mission.” Seeing her body jerk, he groaned. “That's not what I meant. You are a mission. But you're not just a mission. You're…” He chuckled. “I was going to say that you're mine. But we already had the possessive alpha conversation, haven't we?”
Her shoulders shook with mirth as she nodded. “Maybe I just needed to have all this security clarified. I'm sure it's top-of-the-line and very expensive.”
“This won't cost you anything,” he exclaimed. Seeing tension lines bracket her mouth like last night, he sighed. Shifting again, he dragged her legs over his lap as he moved closer. Her gaze never wavered from his, and his arm circled her shoulders. “Okay, let me get this out without fuc… um… messing it up.” He took a big breath and realized he'd never been in this situation. And he really wanted to get it right. “This system wasn't put in just because you are a mission. There's no cost to you for any of this. It's all covered by LSIMT. And before you ask why, it's simple. I felt something for you the moment our gazes met at the hospital. Can't define what I felt, but when we met in the chapel, that feeling didn't go away. Instead, it only increased. Then I wanted to meet Evie, and I knew I wanted more. When everything happened to us, I made it to the compound knowing two things… I would do anything to protect Evie, and I would burn down the world to find you.”
Lenore stared, eyes wide, her chest heaving. The only sound was the ragged breathing from both of them. Then moving as one, they crashed together. His lips sealed over hers, and as the sparks flew all around, she opened easily, allowing his tongue to thrust inside her warmth, exploring, tasting, and tempting.
She managed to shift upward and over so that she straddled his lap, and his cock answered the call of nature and pressed against her heat. He had no idea how long the kiss lasted because everything else fell away, leaving only the two entwined together.
With his arms wrapped around her, he twisted and fell backward on the sofa cushions, her landing on top of him. Somehow, their lips didn't separate, nor did their teeth clash.
His tongue traced along her mouth, memorizing her taste and feel. Each swipe of her velvet softness against his caused his nerves to tingle a straight path to his cock. It had been a long time since a kiss had so moved him.
One-night stands offered a purely physical release and usually didn't involve much kissing. And it had been a long time since he'd been involved with someone. But this, right now with Lenore, was the start of something he hoped would grow.
He gentled the kiss and slid his lips along her jaw, his nose nuzzling the sensitive skin near her ear. Trailing kisses down her throat, he dragged his tongue over her collarbone. She hummed, and he felt the vibrations against his lips.
Finally, he pulled back, and with his fingers diving through her hair, he pushed the soft tresses away from her face. “You are so beautiful, Lenore. You captivated me. You appeared so much like a Madonna figurine while sitting in the cafeteria.”
“A Madonna?” she barked out, scoffing. “I'm usually such a mess at the hospital—I can't imagine what you saw!”
“You had been toying with your salad, then lifted your head slightly so the sunlight coming through the window was on your face. You appeared so serene and reminded me of a beautiful statuette my mother used to have.”
“I just remember feeling the warmth of the sun coming in and wanting to soak it up before heading back to the sterile hospital environment.”
“Is that why you stopped in the chapel?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Sometimes you just need peace, you know?”
As hard as it was to move away from her body plastered against his when he really wanted to take their kiss further, he shifted them to a seated position again. “I hate to end our day, but I know you're exhausted.”
“Right… you're right. I am. Since tomorrow is Sunday, Evie and I can rest so we'll be ready for the school week on Monday.”
She slid from his side and stood, although, by her sigh, she appeared as reluctant as he to end the day. Standing, they walked hand in hand to the front door. He encircled her in his arms and bent to take her lips, losing himself once more in the kiss. Finally, pulling back, he said, “I want to see you again.”
“I want that, too.” Her brows lowered, and she nibbled on her bottom lip. “Um, with my mom on a cruise, I'll need to find a babysitter?—”
“Not needed.”
She cocked her head to the side, and his gaze left her eyes as her top teeth still pressed down on her bottom lip. Bending again, he kissed the reddened flesh, breathing her in. Muttering against her lips, he said, “Jesus, if I don't get out of here, I'll never stop kissing you.”
With a long breath released, he stood tall, towering over her. Looking down, he focused on her Montana-sky blue eyes. “I want to get to know you, and Evie is part of that package. There'll be times when we plan just for us, but to start with, I want us together.”
Her lips curved until her smile beamed, and he felt her happiness down to his bones. “Let me know your schedule, and we'll plan.”
“It's easy,” she said in a rush, her palms resting on his chest. “I teach at the high school across the street from her elementary school. It's only a few minutes away, so we leave at seven thirty each morning and get home about three thirty unless there is a special activity.” She hefted her shoulders, still smiling. “Evenings and weekends are almost always free.”
“Perfect. I'll check my duty schedule and call.”
He hesitated at the door, but she stepped closer and, holding his gaze, said, “My baby had cancer, and my husband left us because of that. I've dealt with a lot in the past five years. Believe me, Sisco… I can handle anything. But I'm not stupid, so I promise to keep my house alarmed.”
With another kiss that nearly derailed his good intentions of leaving, he opened the door and forced his body to leave her warmth and smile.
Climbing into his SUV, he backed out of her driveway. As soon as his gaze hit the rearview mirror, he grinned. It looks like I need to shop for a booster seat.