we’ve thoroughly satisfied our intellectual and emotional needs.”
Laughter burst from his throat. “What?”
She gave him a steely look. “I’m serious. You and I are gonna make sure this relationship is built on a stable foundation.” A crooked grin tipped her lips. “Not just heat.”
“Speaking of heat.” He pointed to the slice of pizza on her plate. “You’d better finish that before it gets stone cold.”
She pushed the plate away. “Nah, I’m no longer hungry.” She shifted in her seat, her jaw working like she was collecting her thoughts.
“Crap! I’ve started something now. Maybe we should just go back to the kissing,” he teased as he held out his arms. “Come here, darling, and I’ll lay a kiss on you that’ll curl your toenails.” He went into his cowboy drawl. “Sugar, you and me will suck face until the rooster crows.”
She giggled. “I don’t think so.” She paused, giving him a determined look. “Okay, I’ll start. Back to the question I asked you earlier. Are you okay with giving up your other job to come on tour?”
He caught her eyes. “The tour does have its benefits.” He liked how color seeped into her cheeks. She remained silent, waiting for him to elaborate. He could tell that she was serious about the Q&A session. He pulled in a breath. “All joking aside, it’s a big leap for me to move into another phase of my career.” He paused. “But it was time. I’m ready for some stability.”
She arched an eyebrow. “And you consider traveling the world stability?”
He didn’t skip a beat. “If it’s with you and Cash … yes.” He could tell from her expression she was touched by his words. “My former boss is a class act. He was super understanding, even to the point of allowing me access to any of his resources that I might need in the future.”
“I’m sure that speaks to your upstanding work ethic.”
“Nah,” he said playfully, “just my good looks.”
She laughed. “If the shoe fits,” she said appraisingly. “How did you end up becoming a Navy SEAL?”
“Wow, we are diving deep.”
“That’s the plan.”
He fingered the napkin resting beside his plate. An unbidden image of a lifeless Allison flashed through his mind, his insides drawing up two sizes too tight.
“Have you figured it out yet?”
“Huh?”
Her eyes simmered with perceptiveness. “How much of your past you’re going to actually tell me?”
He coughed, nearly choking on his own saliva. “What?”
“Don’t try to deny it. We’re too much alike, remember?”
He took in a deep breath feeling the levity of the evening give way to a stony seriousness. “Okay.” His eyes flicked to hers. “You sure you’re ready for the pure, unvarnished truth?”
She leaned forward, her jaw tightening. “Absolutely.”
“It all started with my college roommate, Edison Duffey.” A brittle laugh moved through his throat. “I often think about that day and how everything changed so fast. I was so worried about my exams, so sure of what my future would hold.” He paused. “And then, everything blew up in my face.” The words came surprisingly easy as Ramsey told Hartley about Allison’s kidnapping and his and Edison’s visit to Jefferson and Bitsie Post’s mansion.
Hartley interrupted him. “Are you talking about Senator Jefferson Post?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow,” she uttered. “Okay, continue.”
He told her about following Edison to the cabin in the woods. How he’d gone into the house. How he realized that he’d been betrayed by those he thought were his best friends. “Sweet, innocent Allison masterminded the whole plan. She was gonna shoot me.” He related how he and Edison fought for the gun. “It went off,” he said quietly. “Allison got shot.” He looked across the table at Hartley’s stricken expression. It was a piercing reminder of how harrowing the experience had been. Ramsey had been so naïve back then, completely unaccustomed to the malice and craftiness that humans were capable of. “I called 911.” He offered a melancholy smile. “But Allison died before the ambulance arrived. Edison got sent to prison. Voluntary manslaughter. Jefferson and Bitsie Post went on with their lives. I couldn’t handle being in school anymore, so I joined the Navy where I eventually became a SEAL.” He shrugged. “The rest is history.”
Compassion rippled in Hartley’s eyes. “It wasn’t your fault that Allison died,” she said fiercely.
He exhaled a long breath. “Yeah, I know that … here.” He tapped his temple. His hand went over his chest. “But here …” His voice trailed off, melancholy wrapping him in a tight hold.
“I understand,” she said quietly.
The haunted look on