page38 (1/1)

But if Callahan, who loved Mandy with a singleness of mind and heart and soul, could walk away from her to protect her, Cody could do the same with Keira He could lock away his desire, place it where it wouldn’t put her at risk Because a rew careless of his surroundings, as he’d already proven And he couldn’t afford to be careless, not where the team—not where Keira—was concerned

“You’re right,” he told Callahan eventually, although he had to drag the words out “Thanks”

The other ed “I owed you” was all he said

Cody started to ask for what, and then he reht with this ainst his will A promise that he’d take care of Mandy if Callahan didn’t survive that night’s deadly encounter with David Pennington A promise that would have destroyed Cody because he’d known by then that Mandy would never love him, could never love him as she loved Ryan Callahan But he had promised

God had been kind—Callahan had survived, and Cody had been spared the cruelest fate ashot by Mandy wasn’t as bad as what could have happened to him

And now there was Keira He realized with a start that he finally understood where Callahan had been co fro happened to hier and he wasn’t there to rescue her as he had once beforeCody couldn’t even bear to think of it

Keira thought she was tough, and maybe she was She could take care of herself under normal circumstances, maybe even under fire—she’d been a marine after all, same as him But the New World Militia wasn’t a nor to protect her had absolutely nothing to do hether or not she could protect herself

His right hand clenched as coldness descended on him Anyone who touched Keira was a dead man

Chapter 9

Keira dureen beans into a large pot, placed it on a burner of the propane stove and watched it as it heated Most likely the men wouldn’t care she’d combined the cans, and it was faster this way, less to clean up afterward

But she wasn’t thinking about the food, even as she stirred the pot She was thinking about Cody About his kiss Kisses, she amended The one outside that had roused her physically so that she hadn’t cared about anything but having him touch her And the one in here that had roused such powerful emotions it had wreaked havoc on her heart

Her body still ached with unrequited desire from both kisses She hadn’t realized a woman could hurt that way, the way a man could That her body could need fulfillment and release And she hadn’t realized how deep the well of her own passion was Cody had done that to her, had awakened desires that didn’t fit with the accusations thrown at her by back-to-back high-school boyfriends—that she was frigid, sexless Accusations she’d come to believe and accept about herself Until now

Cody’s first kiss had awakened her body His second kiss had awakened her heart And while the first kiss had taught her what itand virile, to hold her in his arnite the fire, it was the second kiss she would remember forever

At first she had tasted his contrition, but that hadn’t lasted long Then she’d tasted his desire, and it was a potent aphrodisiac, taking her places she’d never drea When Cody had kissed her, she’d had a vision of the two of the but the blue sky above the out the sun, his vivid blue eyes alight with passion

When he’d pulled her hips into his and she’d felt hiainst her softness, she had suddenly wanted to lie doith hiainst hers She had wanted to slide her hands across those muscles and make him tremble as he made her tre for release, both his and hers

Not sex Any iven her that She wanted Cody—his smile that melted her heart, as well as his passion that melted the ice She wanted him to fill the emptiness inside, a place she hadn’t even known existed until he showed her what need was She’d been that close to co where they were or who else was around Then Ryan Callahan’s yawn had ied on her consciousness, and she’d been shockedand dismayed at herself