Page 25 of Shadow Redemption

Holy cow! He’d been holding back. Last night’s kiss had been tame compared to this one. This kiss smacked of possession in capital letters. Was Ben trying to gain her cooperation or was he finally letting his real feelings escape that quiet reserve he showed to the world?

The long, deep, drugging kisses made it impossible for her to think, to reason. She wanted to stay sheltered in his arms forever. A soft moan escaped her throat as her arms encircled his neck.

Minutes passed as the kisses went on and on. He broke the kiss long enough to drag in a breath, then pressed more kisses to the side of her throat, down along the curve of her shoulder, and back up to plunder her mouth again. Heat blasted through her, obliterating the chill that had sunk deep into her bones when she’d overheard his comments to Zane.

When Ben eased away, Ruth dragged him back for another kiss. Addictive. Ben Martin was more addictive than her love of chocolate.

He gave in for a minute, then broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “We have to stop, baby. I’m hanging on to my control by a thread.” While waiting for their breaths to slow, he ran his hand slowly up and down her back.

Minutes later, he leaned back to look her in the eyes. “I won’t step aside, Ruth. Don’t ask that of me. We’ll deal with whatever comes. Asking me to leave your safety in the hands of another operative?” He shook his head. “Won’t ever happen.”

Stubborn man. Didn’t he understand why she was afraid to keep him by her side? Evidently not. Fine. He could deal with the truth. “How can I protect you?”

He looked stunned for a second, then rallied. “Do everything I tell you to do when it comes to your safety. Give me your trust.”

This wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned trust. “You have to know that I trust you.” How could he think otherwise? If another man had kissed her, Ruth would have panicked. The kind of kisses she and Ben had shared? They were more meaningful than Ben realized. The handsome operative had strong feelings for her despite not wanting to feel anything. At his core, he was a protector.

Satisfaction flashed in his eyes. “I won’t let you down.”

“I never doubted that for a minute, but I want you safe. If something happens to you....” She trailed off.

“I’ll be fine. Shadow has my back.”

Ruth did, too. She would protect him, no matter the cost to herself.

She stepped out of his hold. “I’ll shower and pack.” Although she longed to dive back into his arms for more blistering kisses, that wasn’t fair to him and would torture her. She made herself head upstairs.

After showering, she dressed for her luncheon and packed a suitcase. When she’d double-checked her makeup supplies to be sure she had everything along with her toiletries, Ruth called it done and locked her suitcase. She set the case on its wheels and rolled it from her room.

Ben must have been waiting for her because he hurried upstairs to take the case from her. “Need me to carry anything else?”

She shook her head.

“You travel light.”

“The clothes for the photoshoot don’t belong to me so I don’t have to transport them.” She followed him to the first floor. “Talk about traveling light. You have one bag.”

“Two. My equipment bag is in the SUV.”

“What kind of equipment?”

He grinned at her. “The fun kind. Guns, bullets, knives, C-4, detonators, grenades, RPG, plus a medical kit. It’s not as fancy as Sam’s mike bag but it will do in a pinch.”

Ruth stared. He was kidding, right? “RPG?”

“Rocket-propelled grenade launcher.” He slid her a pointed glance. “You saw the kinds of weapons we carry when we freed you in Mexico.”

“I knew what Trace carried. I didn’t realize you all had the same equipment.”

“Not exactly the same. The others don’t carry C-4 and only Joe and Trace carry sniper rifles. Does it bother you?”

Did it? She examined her response and realized she was surprised rather than upset by his revelation. If having the equipment kept Ben safe and brought him home from his missions in one piece, she was in favor of him carrying whatever he needed. “Not upset, no. I’m surprised by how extensive your supplies are.” Another question occurred to her. “Are you always armed?”

“I never leave home without weapons.”

His gentle voice caused a shiver to race along her body. Man, he was potent. Even his voice did things to her that should be illegal. “Why?”

“Bad things happen all the time. I protect innocents. That’s my job. I can’t do that as effectively if I’m not armed and ready at all times.”