Chapter Four
Six Months Later
A rcher “Silver” Ross was a man in trouble. He should’ve ended the text messages between him and his teammate Joker’s sister, Addison, months ago, but damn if they weren’t the best part of his day. He couldn’t get attached, but maybe it was too late for that. He’d always promised himself he’d never purposely build his life around someone he could lose. Still, when it came to his friend’s sister, he didn’t always think rationally. Music pumped out of the speakers, filling the white tent.
He stood on the edge of the dance floor at his friend Ransom’s wedding and pretended not to be simply enthralled by the young anthropologist who was dancing to her own beat. He hadn’t seen her in months if you didn’t count his dreams, and she was even more beautiful than he remembered. Soft, sandy waves cascaded down her back, and the long linen dress hugged her willowy figure. She’d been on the dance floor for hours with Ransom’s brother, Jacob, spinning his wheelchair and twirling with their friend Hannah’s son, Collin. The two boys had turned their tight-knit team of four Navy SEALs into a true family. They’d all formed a deep bond with Jacob, who had cerebral palsy, and his autistic best friend, Collin.
The boys were his official cat-sitters each time he went on a mission. Jacob laughed hysterically when Pretzel climbed up his wheelchair, and Collin snuck him bits of his pizza creations. When he’d gotten back from a three-week mission, the Pretzel he’d dropped off was barely recognizable, making him look even more like the cat Quinn once had.
Silver smiled as Addy ducked under Collin’s arm in a twirl. She’d put aside her round-framed glasses for the evening—ones he found as endearing as they were adorable. She spun his way, and before she opened her eyes, he could picture the way the woodland green depths would flood with warmth when they landed on him.
She traveled the world studying cultures and learning how to best preserve and protect them. She was fun, quirky, and utterly fascinating but the little scholar was completely off-limits. He had no business thinking what it would be like to wrap his arms around her, to kiss her. He’d fall too easily. Maybe part of him had already. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he moved to retrieve it. He glanced down, and his pulse ticked up at Addy’s name on the screen.
The thing about Addy was absolutely anything could pop up in her messages. Sometimes she shared a new piece of research she was excited about, or a fact that piqued her interest. Other times she’d ask about his past or tell him a story from her childhood.
Have you ever seen a meteor shower?
He smiled. Told himself it was a mistake and typed in a response.
No. But it sounds like I’m going to.
Even as he wrote the message, he knew he was toeing a very thin line. One that could have serious consequences. Still, he’d go wherever she asked. For someone who thrived on being in control, he had very little of it at the moment. And damn if he didn’t like that Addy was the one calling the shots. When the song ended, she all but floated off the dance floor toward him.
“You look like you’re having a good time out there.” He grinned, unable to keep his eyes off her.
“I am.” She smiled. He should’ve been prepared for the wash of light-headedness that overtook him whenever her gaze was aimed his way, but his defenses were weak around Addy. “But I am wondering why you’re not joining in the celebration.”
“I’m not a dancer.” While he wasn’t lying, there was no way he could dance with her and not raise the suspicions of his team, mostly her brother. He wasn’t sure how Joker would react, especially because his buddy knew he wasn’t the kind of man to get involved.
“Maybe you need the right partner.” Her eyes sparkled, reflecting all the colors of a serene forest. He could spend a lifetime studying the rich array of olive, jade, hazelnut, and mahogany in those hazel depths.
“Addy—”
She reached out, taking his hands, pulling him slowly toward the dance floor with an encouraging smile on her face. “Dance is just another form of human expression.” The music switched from a fast rhythm to something slower and more sensual. Even though he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Addy by trying to do the tango or something, it certainly was preferable to the way her arms were winding around his neck. “Relax, Archer,” she said, stepping closer. An honest-to-God shiver quaked low in his gut as his name, the real one, not the nickname given by the teams, rolled off her lips. “You’re so tense. Let the music flow through you. Just feel my body against yours.”
Feeling her body was the problem. Having her tucked against him, her curves pressed into him, her sweet mouth whispering encouragements was too much. Her scent, just like everything else about her, drew him. The earth after a wild spring storm. Pure, open skies and herb cuttings from a garden. They swayed slowly as she told him about the universal influence dance had in every culture. He could listen to her talk for hours. The way her voice lit with wonder as she talked about her studies and the places she’d been was nothing short of fascinating. She wasn’t bragging about the cultures she’d studied over the years, the scholarly articles she’d contributed to; she was swept away by her simple love of people and the human experience. Kind of like he was becoming swept away by her.
“When is this meteor shower?”
“In the early hours of the morning. I promise it will be spectacular.” Her eyes danced with excitement. “I was going to go alone, but it’s so much better to have someone to share it with. I’d never dream of asking Julian when Sam is so close to giving birth.”
“As in tonight?” His shoulders tensed.
Addy giggled. A sound he hadn’t heard from her before. It packed a punch and reminded him how much younger she was. He should be playing the role of protector, not entertaining totally indecent thoughts about a woman he wouldn’t, couldn’t, keep for the sake of his sanity.
“If you need to get some rest, I can be the lookout and wake you when it’s time. It’s a short hike to the clearing I scouted.”
Like he could ever fall asleep in Addy’s presence. Being around her was like being struck by a live wire. Then her words resonated in him, and fear clenched his stomach. “You were planning to sleep in the woods alone?”
“I’m most at home in nature. It wouldn’t be the first time I slept outside. The weather’s going to be mild. The sky clear.”
“I know you have plenty of experience, but I hate the thought of you being vulnerable.”
She nodded and patted his chest. “You’re an alpha. Bold, demanding, a protector. Just like my brother. I don’t have anything to worry about when I’m with either of you.”
He nearly let out a sarcastic laugh. Keeping his body under control was taking all his strength. He’d never hurt her, but keeping his attraction a secret was going to be damn near impossible. He could feel eyes on his back. Whether it was Joker wondering why he was still holding his sister in his arms, or his own conscience was yet to be decided. Shit. He shouldn’t spend the night watching shooting stars with her. It was wrong and he knew it. If he didn’t go, though, she’d trek out into the woods by herself. Were he a better man, he’d talk to Joker about his growing feelings and the reason he wasn’t going to pursue them. The selfish bastard in him bristled at the thought, wanting this time with Addy more than he wanted to wake up in the morning.
The teammate, the brother in him recognized the unforgivable trajectory of his actions. He wouldn’t put himself in a position where he’d sleep with Addy. Like watching an explosion that had already been detonated, he couldn’t stop the words from passing over his lips. “No, you have nothing to worry about. Not from me.”