None of them say anything except that it was a really bad mission.”
By the time she finished, she realized how loud she had gotten. The silence was almost deafening.
“Okay, so maybe they aren’t ready to talk. You don’t know what happened, might never. Remember, my dad was Special Forces. There are just some things they are never going to tell you. But what are you going to ask from Kade?”
Everything.
The word whispered through her mind, but she didn’t say it. If she did, it wouldn’t come true. She knew she was being a coward, but she had to be careful around him. Pushing him after such a traumatic situation was too much.
She opened her mouth, but Simon shook his head. “Don’t say a word. I know. Just make sure that at some point, you tell him what you want. He might be hurting now, but believe me, Kade’s a Seal. He can handle a few demands from you. It might be good for both of you.”
When Simon finally left her alone, she realized that there was some truth to what he had been saying. She had been holding back, and she normally wouldn’t. Yes, he had only been back in her life for less than a week, and their relationship had come out of a friendship. Because she had known him for years, it seemed like a long time, but it wasn’t. Their sexual relationship had only been a few nights. Demanding an answer wasn’t smart. It wasn’t something she even wanted. Shannon knew men, she knew herself even better. She wouldn’t be happy to be pushed at a time like this if she were suffering. She would give him what he needed and wait. Someday, she’d make sure he understood he had to make a choice.
She just hoped she could hold out that long.
Chapter Ten
Kade had been feeling antsy all evening. He couldn’t really put his finger on it. It was as if something was crawling under his skin, urging him to some kind of action. The docs told him he would have times like this. Kade had been pretty sure the physicians had lost their minds until he came to see Shannon.
He wanted to say it was anything but the woman across the table from him. Shannon had brought home dinner from her bar, and they’d eaten by candlelight. Rain was pattering on the roof again, and there were soft blues filtering through the house. It should have been romantic. It was. Beyond romantic. She was sitting there, a smile on her face, looking like the woman of his dreams. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something really bad was about to happen.
He hated to think it was Shannon. He wanted her so much he thought he would die if he didn’t touch her. At the same time, he hated himself for that. It made no sense. Any man would be happy to sit in his place and have this woman across the table smiling at him as if he were the best man on earth. He couldn’t face it, didn’t want to. It was their last night together, and he didn’t want to ruin it with stupid thoughts.
“You done?” she asked, no reprimand in her voice.
He nodded, knowing he had been a bad dinner companion. And that irritated him more. She said nothing as she picked up the plates and took them to her sink. He watched her wash them off, then place them in the dishwasher. He was ruining the little time they had left. He was being a moody ass.
He brushed the thoughts away and rose to follow her to the sink. He stepped up behind her and placed a hand on the counter on either side of her. She stilled then leaned back against him with a purr.
“Are you back with the living?”
“Sorry.”
She turned and met his gaze directly.
“Don’t be. I told you, I understand. Mal does it sometimes. Dad did, every now and then. He was in Vietnam the last few years we were over there, and when I was younger, I remember he would get quiet every now and then. I realized later it was after he heard from one of his old military buddies.” She rose to her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry so much.”
The worries he did have disappeared in that kiss. It was not a
By the time she finished, she realized how loud she had gotten. The silence was almost deafening.
“Okay, so maybe they aren’t ready to talk. You don’t know what happened, might never. Remember, my dad was Special Forces. There are just some things they are never going to tell you. But what are you going to ask from Kade?”
Everything.
The word whispered through her mind, but she didn’t say it. If she did, it wouldn’t come true. She knew she was being a coward, but she had to be careful around him. Pushing him after such a traumatic situation was too much.
She opened her mouth, but Simon shook his head. “Don’t say a word. I know. Just make sure that at some point, you tell him what you want. He might be hurting now, but believe me, Kade’s a Seal. He can handle a few demands from you. It might be good for both of you.”
When Simon finally left her alone, she realized that there was some truth to what he had been saying. She had been holding back, and she normally wouldn’t. Yes, he had only been back in her life for less than a week, and their relationship had come out of a friendship. Because she had known him for years, it seemed like a long time, but it wasn’t. Their sexual relationship had only been a few nights. Demanding an answer wasn’t smart. It wasn’t something she even wanted. Shannon knew men, she knew herself even better. She wouldn’t be happy to be pushed at a time like this if she were suffering. She would give him what he needed and wait. Someday, she’d make sure he understood he had to make a choice.
She just hoped she could hold out that long.
Chapter Ten
Kade had been feeling antsy all evening. He couldn’t really put his finger on it. It was as if something was crawling under his skin, urging him to some kind of action. The docs told him he would have times like this. Kade had been pretty sure the physicians had lost their minds until he came to see Shannon.
He wanted to say it was anything but the woman across the table from him. Shannon had brought home dinner from her bar, and they’d eaten by candlelight. Rain was pattering on the roof again, and there were soft blues filtering through the house. It should have been romantic. It was. Beyond romantic. She was sitting there, a smile on her face, looking like the woman of his dreams. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something really bad was about to happen.
He hated to think it was Shannon. He wanted her so much he thought he would die if he didn’t touch her. At the same time, he hated himself for that. It made no sense. Any man would be happy to sit in his place and have this woman across the table smiling at him as if he were the best man on earth. He couldn’t face it, didn’t want to. It was their last night together, and he didn’t want to ruin it with stupid thoughts.
“You done?” she asked, no reprimand in her voice.
He nodded, knowing he had been a bad dinner companion. And that irritated him more. She said nothing as she picked up the plates and took them to her sink. He watched her wash them off, then place them in the dishwasher. He was ruining the little time they had left. He was being a moody ass.
He brushed the thoughts away and rose to follow her to the sink. He stepped up behind her and placed a hand on the counter on either side of her. She stilled then leaned back against him with a purr.
“Are you back with the living?”
“Sorry.”
She turned and met his gaze directly.
“Don’t be. I told you, I understand. Mal does it sometimes. Dad did, every now and then. He was in Vietnam the last few years we were over there, and when I was younger, I remember he would get quiet every now and then. I realized later it was after he heard from one of his old military buddies.” She rose to her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry so much.”
The worries he did have disappeared in that kiss. It was not a
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