shelter,” Chase said grimly. “If we come under mortar attack, the sirens will go off. You grab your helmet and your vest and you run as fast as you can to this shelter, you got that?”
Elena glanced around at the dark room, feeling claustrophobic despite the open doorway that allowed some light to enter. She nodded, “Yes, I understand.”
“You don’t stop to grab your pocketbook or your ID card or anything else. You just get your ass in here, under stood?”
Elena stared at him. “Yes, I understand. Now let go, you’re hurting me.”
Chase snatched his sunglasses off and although he loosened his grip, he didn’t release her. “I’m dead serious, Elena.”
“So am I.” She tried to disengage herself, but his fingers were locked around her arm. “Listen, Chase, I appreciate your concern, I really do. But just because we…” She broke off, not sure how to continue and then decided to just be blunt. “You’re not responsible for me just because we spent one night together.”
“I know that, damn it.” He stepped closer, and Elena felt her breath catch at the intensity of his expression. “But the fact is, whether you like it or not, we have a connection. Don’t pretend that you don’t know it’s true.”
They had a connection. Elena’s heartbeat quickened and the air changed. She could almost feel the electric charge that crackled between them. But there was no denying that what he said was true. There was a connection between them.
“Yes,” she finally acknowledged. “I know it’s true. But you said yourself that you won’t give me any preferential treatment, so why are you doing this?”
“Because I don’t want you to rely on anyone else—not the female soldiers you bunk with, and not even me—to help you out if there’s an emergency, okay? You need to know exactly what to do without being told and without freaking out.”
Elena arched an eyebrow at him. “I assure you that I would not freak out. ”
“Let’s hope we never have to find out.”
His expression was inscrutable in the hazy light, and Elena was suddenly conscious of the fact that they were alone in the bunker. He was standing close enough that she could actually smell his scent, and it brought all the memories of the previous night rushing back. The feel of his lips. The texture of his skin.
The way he tasted.
“I—I should go,” she said, aware of how breathless her voice sounded. Her gaze drifted over his face and lingered on his mouth. He still held her, but now his grip changed. His hand slid down the length of her arm and captured her hand, turning it over and stroking his thumb over her palm.
“So fucking soft,” he muttered.
The expression on his face was so sensual that Elena’s breath caught, and she couldn’t prevent her fingers from curling around his. “Chase…”
He made a rough sound of defeat and hauled her against his chest as he lowered his head toward hers. Elena had only an instant to register the unyielding surface of his protective vest and the hard jut of his utility belt when a voice interrupted them from outside the bunker.
“Sergeant McCormick, sir! You down here?”
Chase pushed Elena away from him just before a shadow appeared in the entrance to the bunker. The soldier came to an abrupt halt when he saw Elena.
“Sorry, sir,” he said in a rush, and Elena saw it was Mike Corrente. “You’re needed at tactical. Intel says a large force of Taliban fighters is congregating about six miles down the south road.”
The transformation in Chase was immediate and a little alarming to watch. In the space of a heartbeat he went from warm and intimate to cold and professional.
Gripping Elena’s elbow, he steered her toward the entrance, his strides long and purposeful. “I’ll take my men and use the north road to circle around and position ourselves above them.”
Elena had to trot to keep up with Chase as they exited the bunker, and her heart rate kicked up a notch at
Elena glanced around at the dark room, feeling claustrophobic despite the open doorway that allowed some light to enter. She nodded, “Yes, I understand.”
“You don’t stop to grab your pocketbook or your ID card or anything else. You just get your ass in here, under stood?”
Elena stared at him. “Yes, I understand. Now let go, you’re hurting me.”
Chase snatched his sunglasses off and although he loosened his grip, he didn’t release her. “I’m dead serious, Elena.”
“So am I.” She tried to disengage herself, but his fingers were locked around her arm. “Listen, Chase, I appreciate your concern, I really do. But just because we…” She broke off, not sure how to continue and then decided to just be blunt. “You’re not responsible for me just because we spent one night together.”
“I know that, damn it.” He stepped closer, and Elena felt her breath catch at the intensity of his expression. “But the fact is, whether you like it or not, we have a connection. Don’t pretend that you don’t know it’s true.”
They had a connection. Elena’s heartbeat quickened and the air changed. She could almost feel the electric charge that crackled between them. But there was no denying that what he said was true. There was a connection between them.
“Yes,” she finally acknowledged. “I know it’s true. But you said yourself that you won’t give me any preferential treatment, so why are you doing this?”
“Because I don’t want you to rely on anyone else—not the female soldiers you bunk with, and not even me—to help you out if there’s an emergency, okay? You need to know exactly what to do without being told and without freaking out.”
Elena arched an eyebrow at him. “I assure you that I would not freak out. ”
“Let’s hope we never have to find out.”
His expression was inscrutable in the hazy light, and Elena was suddenly conscious of the fact that they were alone in the bunker. He was standing close enough that she could actually smell his scent, and it brought all the memories of the previous night rushing back. The feel of his lips. The texture of his skin.
The way he tasted.
“I—I should go,” she said, aware of how breathless her voice sounded. Her gaze drifted over his face and lingered on his mouth. He still held her, but now his grip changed. His hand slid down the length of her arm and captured her hand, turning it over and stroking his thumb over her palm.
“So fucking soft,” he muttered.
The expression on his face was so sensual that Elena’s breath caught, and she couldn’t prevent her fingers from curling around his. “Chase…”
He made a rough sound of defeat and hauled her against his chest as he lowered his head toward hers. Elena had only an instant to register the unyielding surface of his protective vest and the hard jut of his utility belt when a voice interrupted them from outside the bunker.
“Sergeant McCormick, sir! You down here?”
Chase pushed Elena away from him just before a shadow appeared in the entrance to the bunker. The soldier came to an abrupt halt when he saw Elena.
“Sorry, sir,” he said in a rush, and Elena saw it was Mike Corrente. “You’re needed at tactical. Intel says a large force of Taliban fighters is congregating about six miles down the south road.”
The transformation in Chase was immediate and a little alarming to watch. In the space of a heartbeat he went from warm and intimate to cold and professional.
Gripping Elena’s elbow, he steered her toward the entrance, his strides long and purposeful. “I’ll take my men and use the north road to circle around and position ourselves above them.”
Elena had to trot to keep up with Chase as they exited the bunker, and her heart rate kicked up a notch at
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