Three Little Words (Fool's Gold #12)(77)

“You’re willing to sit through Sleepless in Seattle?”

He smiled. “I’ve sat through worse.”

“There’s an endorsement.” She ran her finger across the spines. “These are okay, but they usually get the action sequences wrong. Or the bad guys are terrible shots. I see that on TV all the time. Our heroes can kill them with a single bullet, but the bad guys fire and fire and nothing happens.”

“Maybe the bad guys need more training.”

She shrugged. “I guess it would make for a short series if the lead guy was taken out in episode two.”

She turned her attention back to the titles. They’d come down here to pick out a movie for after dinner. Kent had invited her over a few days before, all the while making it clear this was a date. Reese was spending the night at Carter’s house. It was just the two of them.

Consuelo was willing to admit to a few nerves, but only to herself. She found dating complicated. Real dating. In the service, she’d occasionally hooked up with guys, but not often. In her line of work, a relationship had seemed impossible, and she was just enough like most women to not love casual sex. There were times when she wanted to be held because she was important to a man and not simply as a means to getting laid.

But this was Kent, which meant a traditional date. As he’d yet to do much more than kiss her, she wasn’t sure what, if anything, was going to happen tonight. She supposed if she wanted things to go further, she could make the first move herself.

Except she didn’t want to. She wanted...to be wooed.

Ridiculous, she thought, scoffing at the weakness the desire exposed. She didn’t need anyone. She was self-sufficient. A warrior.

“Hey, come back.”

She turned and saw Kent standing next to her. His dark eyes were concerned as he studied her face.

“What?” she asked.

“You were looking pretty pissed about something. I knew you’d gone away.”

His ability to read her surprised her. “How do you know I wasn’t annoyed with you?”

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

She smiled. “You’re right. I did go away. Sorry.”

“Want to talk about it?”

She shook her head. There was so much she couldn’t say. Not just the classified stuff. Those secrets were easy to keep. It was the rest of it—what she’d done. He understood the broad strokes, but that wasn’t the same as really knowing. Not that he could, because she wouldn’t tell him, and if she did, they were back to the classified issue.

“Stop,” he said quietly. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop.”

She blinked at him.

“I can feel you withdrawing,” he told her. “Don’t do that. Stay with me.”

“I’m here,” she assured him.

She could see he was worried. There was tension in his shoulders. He was frustrated by what he didn’t know and too much of a gentleman to push for an answer. An impossible situation. She didn’t know how he stood it.

Not knowing what else to do, she closed the distance between them and put her hands on his chest. “Kiss me.”

He wrapped his arms around her and obliged.

As always his mouth was firm but gentle. His lips claimed hers with restrained passion. He wanted her, but he wouldn’t push. He wouldn’t take. When he moved his tongue against her lower lip, she parted for him.

With the first stroke, she felt the burning heat of arousal between her thighs. Her br**sts ached. She wanted to tell herself it was because she hadn’t had sex in what felt like forever. But she knew that wasn’t the reason. The real reason was she hadn’t made love with someone she liked in years. Not since she was much younger and willing to trust.

He drew back. “Stop it,” he told her. “Stop going away.”

He felt that? Could sense her mind drifting?

“I can’t help it,” she admitted, unsettled by his ability to read her. She both wanted more and was terrified by the implications. “You frighten me.”

“Not possible. How can I do that?”

She turned back, aware her emotions had come to the surface. Control seemed tenuous at best. But this was Kent and she couldn’t lie.

“You like me,” she admitted. “You know as much as I’ve ever let anyone see and you like me.”

He looked confused. “I don’t understand.”

She waved at him, indicating his face and his body. “This is who you are. You have flaws and good qualities. Your life is predictable. You call your mother, give to charity. I’ve been trained to reveal nothing. To give the appearance of being someone I’m not. I survived by being tough.”

“Not exactly pillow talk, but okay.” He stepped toward her. “I trust you, Consuelo. You’re right. I like you a lot. You’re complicated, but I can deal.”

There it was. Acceptance. He knew there were secrets and he didn’t care. He trusted her.

She wanted to argue, to tell him he was wrong. That she wasn’t trustworthy. Only she knew in her gut that she would never do anything to hurt this man. She couldn’t. It would be easier to cut out her own heart.

Walking away was the easy answer, she thought. So simple and what she knew. The harder path was to stay.

She glanced at the stairs, then back to him. Without saying anything, she took his hand.