SEAL's RESOLVE - Rebecca Deel Page 0,27
to deepen the kiss, she didn’t hesitate to give him what they both wanted. Why should she deny him or herself when Kristi wanted this kiss more than she wanted her next breath?
Heat poured into her bloodstream as the kiss went on and on, the SEAL changing the angle of the kiss until the touch was perfect. Good grief. Rafe Torres had serious kissing skills. Those butterflies in her stomach now turned into dive bombers, flying this way and that as his kiss deepened further, ramping up her desire and his.
When he broke the kiss, Rafe looked into her eyes. “Should I apologize?”
“Don’t you dare. I’ve never been kissed like that in my life, and I enjoyed every second.”
Rafe’s gaze darkened. “Did you enjoy the kiss enough for a repeat performance later?”
She smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”
His gaze locked with hers, Rafe raised her hand and kissed the center of her palm. “We need to go.”
Right. More kisses could wait. The Fortress counselor, however, had a schedule to keep.
Soon, Rafe led her into a small room where a dark-haired man waited for them. He stood and held out his hand to Rafe. “Good to see you again, Rafe. It’s been a while.”
“How is your wife?”
“Staying busy with the community center. She’ll want to see you if you have time to stop by.”
“I’ll try. Marcus, this is Kristi Stewart. Kristi, my friend, Marcus Lang, the pastor of Cornerstone Church and one of the Fortress counselors.”
She shook his outstretched hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Pastor Lang.”
“Marcus, please. Have a seat.” He indicated one of the chairs on the opposite side of the table. “May I call you Kristi?”
“I’d prefer that.”
“Do you want Rafe to remain in the room or wait in the hall while we talk?”
“I asked him to stay.”
Marcus sat across from Kristi. “Before we start, do you need water or a soft drink?”
She glanced at Rafe. “Do you mind getting me a drink?”
“Of course not. I’ll be back in a minute.” Rafe looked at Marcus.
The pastor chuckled. “I’ll watch over her.”
“Coffee, Marcus?”
“I’d appreciate it. I was on call overnight as chaplain at the hospital.”
When Rafe left the room, Marcus said to Kristi, “Tell me about yourself while we wait for Rafe’s return.”
Relieved that she wouldn’t have to dig into the past 48 hours without Rafe for moral support, she told Marcus about Kristi’s Bridal and the story of how she became interested in designing wedding dresses.
Just as she finished, Rafe tapped on the door and walked inside with a tray. He set a to-go cup in front of Kristi along with a bottle of water, then handed Marcus a cup and claimed the last one on the tray for himself.
After he sat, Rafe tapped Kristi’s cup. “Chamomile and mint tea from Nate. He said if that didn’t help to let him know. He has a few other things he can try.”
She smiled. “It’s one of my favorite teas.” One she often used when memories pressed too close and prevented her from sleeping at night, a common occurrence.
Marcus sipped his coffee and sighed. “Nate still has the magic touch. Only Sasha’s coffee is better.”
“Not surprising. She owns a coffee shop,” Rafe said.
The pastor shifted his attention to Kristi. “Are you ready to talk about your experiences the past few days?”
Immediately, her stomach knotted. She set down her tea, afraid she wouldn’t be able to swallow more of the soothing liquid. Under the table, Rafe’s hand wrapped around her own.
She turned her hand over and threaded their fingers together. Kristi drew in a breath and nodded at the counselor. “I’m ready.”
“There’s no rush. Remember that everything you tell me is confidential. No one will hear any of this from me, and Rafe is a vault when it comes to secrets. You can trust him. With that in mind, take as much time as you need to tell me what happened.”
Kristi’s fingers clenched around Rafe’s. His thumb stroked the inside of her wrist, the touch grounding her in reality instead of allowing her mind to be sucked back into her nightmares. How did he do that with one simple touch?
“I drove to the Sandoval Hotel in Gatlinburg to deliver a wedding dress to one of my best friends.” She stopped, her eyes widening as dismay filled her. “Abby’s getting married right now. I promised her I would attend the wedding.”
“She’ll understand,” Rafe murmured. “Abby won’t care that you missed the wedding as long as you’re safe.”
“You delivered Abby’s dress?” Marcus asked.
Kristi