A muscle jerked along the square line of his jaw.
“I mean, what are you?” As Cassidy continued, she let her own anger out. He would help her. “The EOD is always ex-military, right? You barely make any sound when you move—your reflexes are the best of any agent I’ve seen.” She could still remember how quickly he’d pulled his gun in that ballroom. “I’m thinking you’re—”
“Army ranger. Ex-ranger.”
Cassidy nodded. She’d figured as much. “Well, since I conveniently have a former army ranger right here with me, I thought I might use your services to stop this killer before he takes any more lives.”
Using Cale would sure make things easier on her.
“And what if I hadn’t been here?” Cale took a step toward her. “If Mercer hadn’t sent me down here to watch over you—what would you have done then?”
She licked her lips. His gaze fell. Heated. Oh, boy. “Come up with a plan B,” she whispered. Actually, she already had her plan B. It was the plan she’d been using before she realized who Cale truly was. But plan B involved a whole lot more risk.
His gaze was still on her mouth, and there was a sensual awareness kindling in his stare. Her heartbeat kicked up even more, and when had all the air left the room? Sucking in oxygen suddenly became a lot harder.
Her gaze slid over him. Had his shoulders gotten bigger?
“You’re in over your head,” Cale told her.
He took another step toward her.
That big body of his had been on top of hers when they’d sought cover on the street. Adrenaline had spiked her blood, then, and she’d been thinking mainly about survival, but now...
Now she was thinking far too much about him. “Will you help me?”
His hands had fisted. Why? So he wouldn’t touch her? She rather liked the feel of his warm, calloused fingertips on her skin.
“My job is to follow Mercer’s orders.”
Like a good soldier. Always following orders. “Sometimes, you have to break orders.”
His pupils had widened, the darkness swallowing the blue of his eyes. His gaze was back on her mouth.
He definitely felt the same awareness that she did.
Only he wasn’t coming any closer to her.
Fine. She’d get closer to him.
She sucked in another deep gulp of that precious oxygen, and then she was sliding closer to Cale. Her fingers rose and pressed against his chest. He’d ditched the tux and wore a dark T-shirt and jeans. Beneath the thin cotton of the T-shirt, she could easily feel the hard strength of his muscles.
Someone liked to work out. A lot.
“Help me,” she said, glancing up at him. “Please, Cale.” Then, because it was what she wanted, and she hadn’t taken what she wanted in so very long, Cassidy pushed up onto her toes and put her mouth against his.
At first, he didn’t move. Not even an inch.
His lips were firm and cool beneath hers, and his body was rock hard. Her mouth moved lightly against his. Please, don’t let this be a mistake. Don’t let it be—
His hands lifted, locked around her and hauled her against him. Their bodies pressed tightly together and his mouth took hers.
His lips parted. So did hers. His tongue thrust into her mouth, and, oh, wow, but the agent could sure kiss. Her knees did a little jiggle as she pressed even closer to him.
Heat uncurled in her stomach, a long-denied need that had been buried for too long. But this man, with his strength and the aura of danger that clung to him like a second skin, he made her feel. He made her burn.
He made her want.
Her arm wasn’t hurting anymore. Or, if it was, she sure didn’t feel the pain. All she could feel was him, surrounding her, making the desire that she felt for him grow ever stronger.