back to sleep. He wormed his way out from under her and settled her down on his pillow.
He stared at her as she grumbled and snuffled and nestled back in. His hands closed into fists to stop him from touching her. That was how strong the urge was within him. But if he touched her once, he wouldn’t stop and they’d be at it again.
How many times had they made love in the shadows of the night? He couldn’t recall. At some point, their wild trysts had all merged together into one. They had merged into one.
She’d drained him. With her mouth, her hand, her body. She’d drained him. But he was pretty sure he could rise to the occasion again, if he needed to.
With a chuckle, he yanked on his pants and turned toward the shelves where they’d stocked the food and pulled out the pancake mix. He hoped she liked pancakes. She needed to eat. Refuel her stores.
He didn’t know how much time they’d have together, but by God, he was taking advantage of every flipping minute. He caught himself grinning as he mixed up the batter. Funny how it didn’t surprise him so much anymore—that smile. Like a new pair of shoes becoming comfortable in the fit.
When he’d first met her, and she’d made him smile, made him laugh, it had thrown him for a loop. He’d never been what one could call a light-hearted man, but in the past years, with the weight he had to carry, he’d become almost…dour.
She did something to him. Lifted the blanket smothering him. Let in the light.
It was a wonderful feeling, and a terrifying one.
Because when a man had something he craved, he had something to lose. He was weakened. He was vulnerable.
If he was smart, he’d cut off these feelings at the knees. Negate them. Repudiate them.
But something within him would not allow that. Something within him required her brightness, her presence.
“What are you making?” Her scent curled around him as she came up behind him.
He smiled down at her. “Pancakes. Do you like them?”
“Right now I could eat shoe leather.”
“I have some of that.” He chuckled.
It was cute the way she smacked him. Hell, she was cute, wrapped in the blanket, and little else, her hair a tousled mess. “How long?”
“You are hungry, aren’t you?”
“Someone gave me a workout last night.” She turned away and dropped the blanket, rubbing her round ass with both hands.
When she shot a taunting glance over her shoulder, he growled at her. “Do you want to eat?”
“Yes.”
“Then quit teasing me or these pancakes will go the way of the Rudolf.”
She glanced at the fireplace, where their skewers still lay, half in and half out of the hearth. The marshmallow treats were nothing but charred remains. She quirked a brow. “Is that a threat?”
“That is a promise. And Michelle?”
“Yes, Ben?”
He shivered at the sound of his name—his real name—on her lips. “That’s something you need to know about me. I always keep my promises.”
Their gazes locked and a message passed between them, something ephemeral and profound.
“So do I,” she whispered.
His secure cell phone buzzed just then and he had to look away, though he hated looking away from her. He pulled it out, tapped in his security code and read the text from his boss.
Extraction imminent.
Shit.
“Get dressed,” he said. “Company’s coming.” He didn’t mean for his tone to be so sharp, but she seemed to understand his angst and scuttled to comply. Their time together, alone, was over.
Damn it all. He’d hoped to have her, hold her, love her one more time.
Just one more time.
He flipped the pancakes and let them cook—no doubt the extraction team wouldn’t think to bring them takeout—while he gathered his things, pulled on his shirt and flak jacket.
When he was done, he turned the pancakes onto a plate and held it out to her. “Eat.”
She wrinkled her nose and muttered, “Bossy,” but took one of the steaming cakes.
“How is it?” he asked as he took one for himself.
“Okay.”
He frowned. “Just okay?”
“It would be better with blueberries”
He grunted.
“Or bacon.”
He waved at the stockpile on the shelf. “We have jerky.”
The face she made was adorable. “Oh, please.”
He opened his mouth to respond, something pithy and clever, something that might make her laugh, but before he could think of something, the door flew open and three men, dressed in black and holding rifles, burst in.
His first thought was that it was the Elite Metal team and he was going to bust their