be for a woman? She’d be alone for most of the year, wondering when I’d come home, and if it would be in a body bag. There aren’t many women who can tolerate the long absences.”
“You’d think they’d understand that when they signed on to marry a Delta Force soldier,” Sunny said.
“It’s all love and happiness for the first few months until the Delta is deployed with an indefinite return date. We can be gone for a few weeks up to a year, or more, at a time. That leaves the woman alone for all that time. Not everyone is good at being alone. Especially when small children are involved. It really takes two to parent.”
Sunny frowned. “No, it takes a strong woman to hold down the fort while her husband is deployed, fighting for his life, or for the lives of his teammates.”
“Exactly,” Dash said.
“Tell me about your sister.” Sunny smiled. “Is she in the military, too?”
He laughed. “Oh, hell no. But get this…she’s in love with a buddy of mine from one of the other Delta Force teams.”
“Is she strong enough to handle being without her man for extended periods?” Sunny asked.
“In Briana’s case, she doesn’t have to worry about that. Rafe, her fiancé, left the military and took a job with a security company up in Montana. He’s working as an agent for Hank Patterson’s Brotherhood Protectors. His company provides security and assistance using former military special forces men and women.”
“So, he’ll be home more than he’s away.” Sunny smiled. again. “That’ll be better for their relationship.”
Dash nodded. “He still has assignments, but they’re mostly stateside. And my sister loves to work and take care of children placed in the foster system. She knows how to keep busy. It’s good that he gave up the military before committing to my sister. Being Delta Force doesn’t lend itself to marriage.”
Sunny’s brow furrowed. “Or is it just that you don’t want to marry, don’t want a family and don’t want to commit, and Delta Force is just a good excuse to play the field?”
His jaw hardened. “Maybe I don’t want to commit because I don’t want to put a woman through what she’d have to deal with.”
“Or maybe you haven’t found a woman who is strong enough to handle being alone for long stretches of time.”
He dipped his head. “You have a point.”
“What about your sister?” Sunny asked.
Dash laughed. “I’m not marrying my sister.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Sunny frowned. “What about her and the Delta she’s falling in love with? He might not be active Delta, but his work as a security agent might take him away for long stretches of time.”
“My sister is a badass. She can handle it.”
Sunny cocked an eyebrow. “And you think she’s the only woman who’s tough enough to handle it?”
Dash shrugged. He didn’t like being put on the spot like this.
“You know what I think?” she said waggling her eyebrows.
He rolled his eyes. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“I think you’re selling yourself short.” She lifted her chin. “If marriage and a family is what you really want, you should find that woman who could handle it and make it happen.”
“You know what I think?” Dash echoed.
Her eyes narrowed. “What?”
Dash leaned forward and touched the tip of her nose. “That you need to go to sleep.” Then he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, leaned closer and pressed his lips to hers.
It happened so fast he didn’t have time to think. He acted on an urge that was as natural as breathing.
The fact that she kissed him back hit him square in the gut.
Shocked by his action and her reaction, he leaned back, his gaze locking with hers for a long moment.
She raised her hand to touch her lips. “Why did you do that?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “It seemed right at the moment.” His brow descended. “But if you ask me to apologize, I’m afraid I can’t do that?”
“Why?”
His thoughts lightened as the truth shone through. He smiled. “Because I liked it too much to be sorry I did it.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have done it,” she said, her voice breathy.
He chuckled. “It’s too late. I already did.”
She sat up straighter, her eyebrows coming together over the bridge of her nose. “We should probably get a few things straight.”
“Really?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “What things?”
“What I tell all the men who provide security services for me.”
“And what is it you tell them?” he asked.
“Number one,” she said