Janie Crouch - Armed Response

“I didn’t, really, not when you knew me before. Not that there was much space for animals in downtown Tulsa anyway. But we had bomb dogs when I served over in the Middle East. Really found I had a love for them. So I’ll be raising them and some other animals. Working with vets, too.”

Hopefully providing people with PTSD a place to come and heal for a little while when things got to be too much.

“That sounds amazing. I’m glad your experience in the military was a good one.”

“You would’ve done well in the military, too.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Lillian should’ve gone into the military with him. That had been their plan. The military had catered to both of their strengths.

Now she really wouldn’t look at him. “Yeah. I always thought so.”

He had to decide right now whether to battle this out—what had happened between her and his brother—or leave it alone. He didn’t want to fight with her the entire time he was here—that would be counterproductive to his ultimate mission of getting closer to her—but he didn’t want to leave Daryl as the elephant constantly in the room between them.

He leaned in just slightly closer to her. “Twelve years was a long time ago. I think it’s safe to let bygones be bygones, right?”

Now her brown eyes peered up at him. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s true.”

“And if it means anything, I’m sorry Daryl passed away so soon after the two of you got together. I don’t know if it would’ve lasted or whatever, but I’m sorry you didn’t get the chance to find out.”

Jace had never seen the blood drain from someone’s face so quickly. Lillian’s slight weight fell back more heavily against her car. Jace couldn’t help himself. He reached toward her. “Are you okay?”

Did the thought of Daryl’s death still hit her so hard?

“Daryl and I would never have made it as a couple.” Her laugh was bitter. “If there’s one thing I’m sure about, that’s it.”

She pushed herself away from the car and he could almost see her withdraw into herself. Part of him wanted to press, but on the other hand, he really did not want to know intimate details about her relationship with his brother.

She turned and reached for the car door, opening it. Jace took a step closer, boxing her in.

They both felt it. The attraction between them. Daryl or not, it was still there. It had been buzzing around them all day, and now it was pooling in the air between them.

It didn’t matter about twelve years, it didn’t matter about Daryl, it didn’t matter that they didn’t know enough about each other now to be sure if they even liked each other.

The heat was still there, just like it had always been.

“You need to talk to Ren,” she finally said, her back to him.

With his hand on the frame of her door and the other on the roof of her car, she was, in essence, trapped in his arms. If she turned around, it would almost be like in an embrace.

But she didn’t turn as she continued. “Tell Ren this won’t work. Help him find someone else.”

“Why do I make you so uncomfortable, Tiger Lily? You’re the one who gave me up, remember? And like we said, it was over a decade ago. It shouldn’t matter now.”

She shook her head with a little jerk. “It’ll be easier for both of us if you’re not here.”

“Since when have you or I ever done anything the easy way? We are a good team. You had to have seen that out there today.”

She nodded stiffly. Jace took a step forward, which caused Lillian to turn around. Suddenly all he could see was her mouth.

Cursing himself, he brought his lips down to hers. He couldn’t help himself, it was like being caught in some tractor beam from a science fiction movie.

Her lips were as soft as he remembered. As sweet. Sweeter, if possible.

She held herself stiffly for the first few seconds, as he teased her lips slowly, nibbling at them, but then he felt her give in. She sighed as if she couldn’t fight it, either.

Her fingers slid into his hair, pulling him closer, and a sound of hunger left him, his mouth moving more hungrily on hers, their tongues twining. The attraction and heat pushed at them in waves.

When Jace finally stepped back, they both just stared at each other. Then, without another word, Lily got in her car and started it, pulling away so quickly that if he hadn’t stepped back she might’ve run over his toes. All he could do was watch her drive away.

He muttered a curse under his breath. He’d been sent here to do a job, get more info, find out if Lillian had anything to do with this mole. Not kiss her senseless within the first few hours of his being back in the same general vicinity as her.

He’d counted on his sense of betrayal to help him keep his distance from her. To be able to remain objective and even cold.

Jace should’ve known better. He’d been many things around Lillian Muir, but cold was never one of them.

Seven hours into this mission and already things had become a hell of a lot more complicated.

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