Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88057 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88057 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
I found Ambrose and Hercules tucked into a deck chair on the balcony, away from the last stragglers of the cast and crew.
“You okay?” I asked as I closed the glass door to the deck behind me.
“Me?” He looked surprised to see me but not scared, which was a relief. Then he smiled, and a knot I hadn’t been aware of in my chest loosened. “I’m grateful. I’m safe. Spooked a little, but I’m fine. I was worried about you though.”
“You were worried about me?” I frowned. I wasn’t used to being fussed over at all. My personnel all knew I was a capable operator, and after a mission, both civilian and SEAL, I was inevitably the one worrying about everyone else.
“Sure.” Ambrose nodded like his concern was natural. He pointed to the chair next to him. “Sit. That was quite the tackle.” He reached for my arm, inspecting my palm and forearm. “Did you get scraped up?”
“Maybe a little.” I couldn’t lie with the evidence—raw spots on both elbows, road rash from the sand on my inner arms, and scrapes across both palms. And damn. His touch felt amazing. The way he gently looked me over. Each brush of his fingertips was electric and soothing. And his eyes were so damn fierce like he’d enjoy making the suspect answer for my injuries.
He made a clucking noise as he continued searching out my bruises and scrapes. “You’ll be sore tomorrow.”
“Probably.” I tried to shrug, but my back was too tight. I’d likely tweaked something on the way down, but hell if I was gonna admit it to Ambrose, who already looked ready to haul me off to urgent care. “Good night’s sleep, and I’ll be fine.”
“You should take an Epsom salt bath tonight to ward off the stiffness. You’re not a spring chicken.” Strangely, his lecture felt good. Caring. I wasn’t sure I’d inspired this level of concern in decades, especially in someone who wasn’t a relative. I’d spent twenty years in the navy being ordered to run into danger. Having someone scold me was a novelty, and it made my tense shoulders loosen, pecs and lats warming under his concern.
“You’re telling me, old man.” I chuckled, voice as relaxed as he made my insides. “But all in a day’s work.”
And it was. This wouldn’t be the last time I’d stare down danger, and I could honestly say I loved my job, loved keeping people safe, loved the adrenaline rush. But this, sitting quietly here with Ambrose, was a nice wind-down. Made me want to be a little more cautious about my own hide, for his sake if nothing else. I reached over and scratched the dog’s ears.
“How’d you figure out the kid wasn’t an extra?” he asked.
“I guessed.” I was nothing if not honest. “Tried to think like you, actually. Visualizing the look you would have wanted for the scene. A goth kid didn’t fit. Then I saw metal, and the rest was instinct and training.”
“You’re remarkable.” His awestruck tone made my cheeks heat something awful. I wasn’t all that. Definitely didn’t deserve his admiration, good as it felt.
“Nah. Just someone with adequate hand-to-hand combat practice.”
“Whatever you say, boss.” Ambrose laughed at his imitation of me, which I had to admit was spot on. And okay, maybe I’d let him have a little of that admiration because hanging out and joking like this was better stress relief than a hard workout or long TV binge. “Anyway, I’m glad you found me. I was hoping to catch you to talk about the trip.”
“Yeah?” I asked cautiously. Damn it. Maybe I had freaked him out after all. “We still on?”
“Of course.” He groaned, stretching his surprisingly sturdy arms overhead. He’d lost his blazer some hours earlier, and his shirtsleeves were rolled up, exposing his forearms. “No way will I be able to talk Cressida out of extra security after today.”
“Nope.” My gaze stayed riveted to his arms, trying to make sense of something just out of reach. I couldn’t say I’d ever found the spot where someone’s arm and wrist met sexy before or noticed how appealing muscled and lightly hairy forearms poking out of a crisp dress shirt were. I wasn’t anywhere near a virgin, but damn if Ambrose didn’t make me feel like one. Like I didn’t even know my own body.
“I was trying to decide which car is best.”
“Which car?” I finally managed to look back at his face, hoping I hadn’t missed some key detail while my brain had been otherwise occupied.
“I have more than one option.” He waved a hand like this should have been obvious. And had I not been distracted, I would have known that. Plenty of our clients had more than one vehicle, and Ambrose had a second double garage on the property. Figured that he’d want to put it to use. “I love driving my new beamer, but the charging needs make it more of a challenge on long trips. Not impossible, but my SUV might be more practical. More room for sure. But I’ve also got the Corvette. Tight quarters, yet the fun factor—”