In the Line of Fire by Jennifer LaBrecque Page A

making any bones about it, I’d sure like to—why wouldn’t we?”
    He didn’t think for a minute she was confused but she sure as hell had him all tangled up. She was talking circles around him.
    â€œYou know good and well why not.”
    â€œNo, I don’t. For a man of logic and reason, you’re not making a bit of sense.”
    â€œYou’re off-limits. You’ve always been off-limits.” Dammit, that wasn’t what he’d meant to say. “I’m too old for you. Our mothers are best friends and your brother is my best friend.”
    She shook her head, obviously not buying into it. “I’ll be the first to admit when I was twelve, you were a little long in the tooth for me. Even when I was sixteen and you were twenty-two, that would’ve been a huge gap but come on, give me a break. I’m twenty-six and you’re thirty-two. That’s perfectly acceptable.” She glanced around the car. “And I don’t see either of our mothers or my brother here. Besides, I know Rion made out with Mattie at least once because I saw them.”
    Rion and Mattie? What the hell? And was Colton totally clueless when it came to what was going on around him? Apparently so. “When was this?”
    Andi waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh, roughly sixteen years ago or so. And now what? Does that make you want to go find him and protect her honoror something? Does that change anything between the two of you?”
    He was surprised, but that was it. “No.” But that was in part because they’d made out as teenagers. They hadn’t been involved in anything more. Rion was his best friend but Colton wouldn’t appreciate his friend applying his same love-’em-and-leave-’em standards to Mattie that he did to the other women in his life.
    â€œSeriously? Knowing that didn’t ruin your friendship?” She feigned shock. “You haven’t lost all respect for him? I don’t know what to think.”
    â€œVery funny.” And even though he was the object of her mockery, it was funny. Andi had always had a good sense of humor. And he wanted to make sure she knew exactly what their situation was. “You realize you’re rebounding?”
    She shrugged off his comment. “If that’s what you want to think. I consider it celebrating my good sense not to marry a man I don’t love and then to kiss a man I’ve been wanting to kiss for years.”
    Although her words were light and playful, he could feel her longing, so like his own, that had been held at bay for years. “You’re killing me, Andi.”
    â€œThat’s not my intent, Colton. Now, you tell me what it’s going to be. Do I take you home or do you go with me? If I thought I’d get away with it, I’d kidnap you but that’s not going to really work out well and I don’t want you under those conditions.” Her smilenever failed to tangle him up inside. She bridged the gap between them and placed her hand on top of his. Her touch echoed through him. “I don’t want you coming with me because I’ve forced you or because you feel obligated to look out for me. If you come with me I want it to be because you want to spend time with me, because you want to get to know me. So, what’s it going to be? I’ll respect whatever decision you make with no hard feelings.”
    There wouldn’t be any hard feelings but there’d sure as hell be hurt feelings. But where would they both be at the end of this trip? The bottom line was he desperately wanted this time with her. And when would they ever have this opportunity again?
    He could spend time with her without crossing that line again. It would be a chance to get to know the woman she’d become before he returned to Afghanistan. They could be friends. He turned his hand so they were palm to palm and clasped her hand in his. “I want to go with