Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43456 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43456 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
She looked different today. Not relaxed like before, when she’d seemed quietly curious about her surroundings. Now she looked anxious. Stressed. Her shoulders were stiff, the delicate lines of her frame taut with a worry she couldn’t conceal, even from this distance. I frowned, shifting slightly to get a better view.
Her head dipped low, but her gaze darted around her frequently. Her fingers tapped restlessly on her desk, betraying an uneasy agitation. My stomach knotted, instinct telling me something had gone wrong.
I watched her carefully as she stood and gathered a stack of folders into her arms. Then she left the office, and I saw her through the glass door, coming down the short hallway toward the tarmac. My entire body tightened, something fierce and protective roaring to life in my chest.
She emerged from the admin building, walking along the edge of the flight line—the same path she’d taken the first time—but her stride was hurried, her footsteps quick and clipped. Her posture was tight and uneasy. Her bright eyes didn’t lift to meet mine. Instead, they flitted nervously around, scanning her surroundings.
My lips twitched when I saw her bright yellow flats that had a rhinestone strap across the top of her foot. The thought occurred to me that I might like to fuck her while she was wearing a pair of her surprisingly sexy shoes.
Then I caught sight of the slight tremor in her hands as she adjusted her grip on the files, her knuckles white around the edges. She kept glancing back over her shoulder as though she expected someone to be following. I didn’t like the way fear sharpened her features and worry tightened her soft mouth. She looked over her shoulder again, even though there was no one there, her breath quickening in her chest.
Her obvious anxiety sent my protective instincts roaring to life. Whatever had happened since our last meeting had left Linden rattled and afraid. The sight of her distress hardened something fierce and unyielding in me.
At that moment, I knew one thing for sure. I was going to find out who’d put that fear in her eyes. And I was going to make sure they regretted it.
“Linden,” I called out, my voice carrying just enough to cut through the quiet of the airfield without startling her too badly.
Even so, she jumped a little, the stack of folders trembling slightly in her arms as her head snapped toward me. Those wide green eyes met mine, alarmed for a heartbeat, before recognition sank in, softening the rigid line of her shoulders. I watched tension bleed from her posture as relief spread across her delicate features, her breath rushing out in a quiet sigh.
“Keegan.” A tentative smile curved her soft lips as I closed the distance between us. It damn near took my breath away just seeing her look at me that way.
“You good?” I asked, my voice pitched low even though something fierce and protective still raged hot beneath the surface.
Her eyes widened again, surprise flickering in their bright green depths. Her cheeks flushed slightly, the freckles standing out as she blinked up at me in confusion, like she couldn’t believe I’d actually noticed her agitation. For a moment, it looked like she might confess something. Then, with a slightly forced laugh and a shake of her head, she offered a dismissive shrug.
“Oh yes. Everything’s fine.” She tried to appear casual as her gaze skittered briefly away from mine. “Just a busy day. A lot of files to process.”
It was the worst lie I’d ever heard.
My brow furrowed slightly, and I took a deliberate step nearer, closing the space between us just enough that she had to tilt her head up to maintain eye contact. The urge to reach out and touch her was overwhelming, but I forced my hands to stay at my sides, keeping my posture easy and open. I didn’t want to intimidate her, but I wasn’t going to let her brush me off either.
“Bullshit.” I kept my voice firm but gentle enough not to frighten her. Her eyes widened again, her lips parting on a quiet gasp as I leaned just a little closer, my voice dropping to a low, protective rasp. “You’re scared, Linden. Something’s happened. Someone’s rattled you—or threatened you. Maybe you feel like someone’s been watching you?”
She didn’t deny it. Her gaze darted away, skimming across the tarmac as though looking for an excuse or distraction, but she didn’t pull back. Instead, she tried again for casual, shrugging one slender shoulder with a dismissive little smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“It’s nothing.” She shook her head. “I’m probably just being paranoid. It’s been a long couple of days, and I haven’t been sleeping well. Honestly, Keegan, I’m fine.”
She moved to step past me, but I reacted instinctively, gently catching her by the elbow and stopping her retreat. Her breath hitched, her eyes flicking up to meet mine again, uncertainty and something warmer swirling together behind their bright depths. My touch wasn’t forceful, but it was clear—I wasn’t going to let her leave without giving me more.