Page 25 of Honoring Freedom

The tension faded as they stood there staring at each other.

“Is that so?” she said and broke the silence.

“Yeah, it’s so. I plan on being in your life.”

“Keller, it’s not that simple—”

He gently held her cheek, and she glanced up at him. His eyes were so full of kindness and reassurance that she felt tears welling up. She wasn't accustomed to someone stepping in to help her or looking at her with such genuine concern that it melted through all her defenses.

Growing up with a stubborn father she’d learned to put strength before emotion.

“I understand that both of us have our boundaries, and you need respect from the hands, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the connection between us. Am I imagining the chemistry? Does it no longer exist?” he asked in a husky tone.

“Why are you doing this?” She lowered her eyes.

“Look at me,” he demanded.

Bringing her gaze back up, she swallowed against the constriction in her throat. “What?”

“Didn’t I just make it clear why I’m saying this? Now it’s your turn. Tell me if I’m wrong?”

There was an urgency in his tone that reached inside of her and softened her resolve. She could make him think he was wrong, but she’d be lying, and that wasn’t like her. “There is a connection between us. I’m not denying that, but…”

Then he cupped her other cheek, holding her gaze on him. “Tell me.”

“I don’t want things to get messy. The crew should see me as a strong, knowledgeable leader and not a woman who is using hands to scratch an itch. I see their looks. I can read into their thoughts.”

“I’m not a hand.”

“But…but…”

He dropped his hands. “I don’t want to put any pressure on you.”

With space between them, she felt a sudden void. A cold sinking into her skin and bones.

She found herself stuck between what she wanted and what she needed. However, with Keller she both wanted and needed him.

“I like my privacy.”

“Freedom…”

“Wait, let me finish. This is dangerous.” She stepped forward. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Stepping onto her tiptoes, she pressed her mouth to his. At first, the kiss was a gentle exploration as if they were finding each other through a fog, and then his tongue slipped between her lips. He tasted like mint laced with whiskey, an aphrodisiac.

Something came over them, a reunion of desire and emotion.

Wrapped up in each other’s arms, neither of them had noticed that the backdoor was left unlocked and Pok had slipped outside before he could be spotted.

Anger ripped through him.

He wanted to hurt someone. He wanted to hurt the doc.

Freedom turned out like all the rest. She was just like her sisters.

A box opened inside him. All his emotions came to a head, and he could barely breathe.

He stopped to stare inside the window at the couple who were going at each other like bunnies. It made his stomach turn. Pok left the window and strode through the dark and headed on the path to where he’d parked a mile down the road. Impulse made him stop. He searched the ground for the biggest rock he could find and was satisfied when he found a large one that he had to pick up with both hands.