Northern Rebel Daring in the Dark - By Jennifer Labrecque Page 0,28

the end of the sidewalk, then turned to cross the road.

“Oh,” Delphi said. “Your brother didn’t come here to start a wilderness survival camp?”

“Nope. He was just angry and didn’t know what to do with himself when he got a medical discharge. He needed somewhere to go and sort himself out, so he came here.”

“And now you’re here...temporarily,” she said.

They waited until a four-wheeler and a pickup passed and then crossed the street.

“Yep.” He opened the airstrip/bed-and-breakfast door and waited on Delphi to enter before him. “Just like you, only I’m even more short-term.”

As they mounted the stairs to their rooms, a teasing smile hovered about her lips and glinted in her eyes. “I suspect truer words were never spoken.”

The conversation had moved to a different realm, which was fine with him.

“I can confirm that for you.” They stopped outside her door and Lars stepped in closer. “So, there, we have something in common.” She smelled like sunshine and fresh air. “We’re both short-term. Maybe you don’t trust me—which isn’t personal because you don’t trust anyone—but you don’t have to trust me. I’m not making any promises. I don’t want anything beyond the chance to enjoy your company for the next five days. And I’m not offering anything outside of the next five days.”

She leaned against the wall, looking up at him, the expression in her eyes indiscernible in the dim light. “What if I’m not interested in the next five days?”

He wanted to kiss her lips, mingle her breath with his, bury his face in her neck, and he would gladly, easily take her in the hallway against the wall. However, now was not the time.

Nonetheless, he shrugged. “Then you’re not interested. I have my leave, which won’t be quite as good as it could be, and then I go back on active duty.”

“And what if I want more than the next five days?”

She was definitely playing devil’s advocate.

“Delphi, my job, my life, depends on my ability to assess a situation, the risk and the most likely outcome. It’s highly unlikely you’ll want more than the next five days—not because we won’t hit it off, but I don’t think either of us are in that headspace.”

There was a slow, sultry quality to her smile. This woman certainly set his charge. “I think you’ve said that once or twice before,” she said.

“Readily admitted. I like to be straight up. I’m attracted to the kind of woman who isn’t looking to fall in love. You strike me that way. The last thing I want is to break anyone’s heart.”

“If I say no? What happens then? Some men don’t take no very well.”

He thought they’d just covered that. Apparently somewhere along the line, and he’d guess recently, someone hadn’t taken her refusal in stride. “Then I’ll be disappointed, but that’s that. I’m attracted to you, but I’m not desperate. If you say no...well, then you’ve said no.” He took a step backward and leaned against the wall, as well, giving her more room. “I’m not some whack job like the chick who tried to take Tansy out so she could have Liam.”

“What?!”

He forgot she’d only just arrived and wouldn’t know about the incident last year. “Some military historian followed Liam here and said she wanted to write his story. Little did he guess that she was obsessed with him. He and Tansy flew out to check on the land for the survival camp. Mallory stalked them and tried to kill Tansy.”

Delphi looked both horrified and fascinated. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

Lars shook his head. “I wouldn’t kid something like that. He’d turned her down and she decided it was Tansy’s fault. In her mind the best way to get Liam was to eliminate the competition.”

“Oh, my—”

“I know.”

“What happened?”

“Liam disabled her.”

“How?”

“He had no idea who the shooter was. He only knew someone was trying to hurt Tansy. Liam neutralized the threat with a shot to the shoulder.”

“Wow.” Delphi tilted her head to one side, the wheels obviously turning. “Depending on how and where it hit, she might’ve needed rods and joint replacement.”

Lars simply stared at Delphi for a moment then laughed. Desire and amusement made an interesting combination.

“What’s so funny about that?”

“Mallory was damn lucky Liam wanted answers. He’s a sharpshooter. He could’ve easily killed her if he’d wanted to. And all you can talk about are rods and artificial joints.”

She shrugged. “Hey. I see things in medical terms. So shoot me. Wait, that’s the wrong thing to say to you guys, isn’t