women and kids to make their getaway was low. Really low. But Gillian wasn’t surprised. They were drug-dealing terrorists, after all.
Trying to shake off her sudden bad mood, Gillian headed into the kitchen to find something to make for dinner. She wasn’t really hungry anymore but knew she needed to eat, otherwise she’d feel sick tomorrow when she had to talk about the hell she’d been through two months ago.
She was staring blankly into her pantry trying to decide on what to make when the buzzer for the downstairs door sounded. Frowning because she wasn’t expecting anyone, Gillian went over to the wall and pushed the intercom button to see who was there.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me.”
Immediately, Gillian’s mood shifted. “Walker! What are you doing here?”
He chuckled. “Let me up, and I’ll tell you.”
Gillian immediately pushed the button to unlock the door to the building. She ran a hand over her hair, wondering what the hell she looked like. Walker had made it very clear he liked her exactly how she was—with mussed hair in the morning, or all made up for one of their dates—but she still couldn’t help wanting to look her best for him.
She’d never seen Walker look anything but completely put together. Even down in Venezuela. He was dirty and sweaty, but she’d still thought he looked intimidating and hot in his black soldier ensemble. Not only that, he had confidence and manliness oozing from every pore at all times.
Gillian had the door open and was waiting impatiently for him when she saw him exit the stairwell and head her way. He was holding a large bouquet of flowers, and inside, she melted a bit. Seeing such a tall, masculine man holding a delicate bunch of flowers made him even more heart-stoppingly gorgeous.
The smile on his face as he approached made her heart rate pick up, and she tipped her chin higher as he got near. The feel of his lips on hers made an electric shock shoot from her lips to her toes. As usual, however, he didn’t deepen the kiss, but put his hand on her waist and encouraged her to step back inside her apartment.
When the door shut behind them and he’d locked it, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Can’t I come visit my girl?”
“Of course,” she told him with a smile. “But it’s Wednesday.”
“I can’t come visit in the middle of the week?” he asked.
“You can, but you have work tomorrow. PT early. And it’s not like you to just pop in on a random Wednesday.”
The small smile that had been on his face disappeared and he put the flowers down on her kitchen counter. Then he leaned in and held her face in his hands.
Gillian loved it when he did that. She stared up at him as he spoke.
“Tomorrow’s gonna be hard on you. There’s no way I wasn’t going to be here to support you through that. You don’t need me here, but I need to be here.”
Gillian couldn’t remember a time when a man’s words felt so good.
“And PT?” she asked.
“The guys know I won’t be there.”
“That’s two,” she told him.
“Two what?”
“Two times you’ve missed PT because of me.”
His smile was tender. “And I’d miss a hundred more if you needed me.”
“Walker,” she sighed.
“Come ’ere,” he said and pulled her into him.
Gillian went willingly. Without shoes, she was quite a bit shorter than him, and she could easily bury her nose in the crook of his neck and shoulder. She inhaled deeply, loving the way his woodsy scent made her feel safe and cared for.
They stood like that for several minutes before he pulled back. “Your appointment is at nine, right?”
She nodded against him.
“Austin traffic sucks, so we’ll leave at seven-thirty and if we’re early, we can stop and get some chocolate doughnuts for you.”
Smiling, Gillian raised her head. “What’d I do to get so lucky to find you?”
Walker didn’t answer, but his smile said it all for him. “How’d your call for the Howard anniversary shindig go today? You find a venue?”
“Yeah, The Driskill Hotel agreed to my terms. The party’s less than two months away.”
“That’s good they agreed,” he told her.
“Next weekend, I’ve got a corporate event I organized. It’s a casual family thing the president is throwing to show his appreciation for his employees. He’s rented out the Austin Zoo for four hours, and I have four food trucks parking nearby where everyone can get lunch and drinks for free…do you want to come with me?”
“You want