Zeke made no move on her. He broke her gaze and turned toward the stairs, gesturing. “After you.”
Mia’s stomach went from happy and filled with butterflies to a boulder settling in it. She wanted to protest, pin him against the wall like she had last night, and kiss him until he knew what she knew … that they were meant to be together.
But he was the alpha male, and it was imperative he made some of the moves in this relationship.
Who was she kidding? They had no relationship. How many men had sped to the DTR, trying to define the relationship with her on the second or third date, and she’d been annoyed with them or embarrassed for them? She’d tried to gently let them all down.
Now she was the one speeding into a relationship in her mind, ready to package the perfect dress and ship it to retailers when Zeke hadn’t even agreed to the fabric or the pattern. She should slow down. She wasn’t certain how when they didn’t have much time and she was already far too invested and probably scaring him away.
She walked down the hall to the steps and he followed. Her mind spun. Somehow, she would help him overcome the pain of his past and look toward a future together.
But how? She had no idea. Captain Zeke Hendrickson was so different from anyone she’d ever known. It made him irresistible, alluring, and perfect, but it also made cracking through his buff exterior seem almost impossible.
ChapterNine
Zeke rubbed at the back of his neck as he and Mia stood at the edge of the lake with half the stinking Delta family surrounding them.
He’d made the mistake of texting Thor to let him know he was going to do a cold plunge. He was only trying to ensure Mia was protected while he was in the lake for seven to eight minutes. He should’ve realized who he was texting. It was Thor. Suddenly, Zeke’s dip in the lake to clear his mind and cool his too-drawn-to-Mia body, instead of his usual reasons for the cold plunge to heal wounds from battle and muscles from intense workouts, had become an event.
Okay, half the family was a bit of an exaggeration. Keith, Joseph, Thor, Bailey, Klein and Alivia were all here to show their support. Greer was watching the monitors and Charlie was on guard duty. The rest of the Deltas were at their day jobs or not around. Joseph had cautioned that he’d better hurry before Holly and Myrna got back from the store. He could just imagine Holly’s reaction. Who knew or cared where Commander Lewis was. Probably off sulking.
Zeke shouldn’t have humiliated Lewis, but the guy had it coming and needed to be put in his place. He’d held back with Lewis. He could’ve destroyed him. Zeke had never met a man he couldn’t defeat. Chaos gave him a run for his money sometimes, but not always. Lewis had no chance.
“I’m going in,” he said, slipping out of his unlaced boots, tugging off his shirt and standing in the snow in only his workout shorts.
“He’s going in,” Thor cheered.
Zeke chuckled. How could you not like Thor? “I keep trying to tell you this isn’t a big deal.” He had an ice barrel at home and he did this every few days when he was stationed on base or on leave. He only stayed in six to eight minutes, the optimal time for healing and recovery, and it definitely wasn’t exciting.
He looked at Mia, and suddenly an ordinary ice plunge was very, very exciting. The way she was studying his bare chest accelerated his pulse and made him pant for air. This was exactly why he needed this ice bath. He needed to clear his head and escape from all the tension and desire swirling between them and his crazy need to touch her and tell her personal stuff he hadn’t spilled to anyone. Even on missions where death seemed to be inescapable and the toughest, most hardened men he’d ever met started spewing personal details or praying when they never had before, he’d kept things clamped inside and had never turned to the heaven his parents had thought was their just reward for dealing with him.
Mia was a believer, and she was pure and kind. She didn’t seem to look down on him or think he was damaged goods. It was obvious in those beautiful brown eyes of hers that she wanted to help him. She wanted to heal him. She wanted to be the one woman who could get through his armor and secure his warrior’s heart.
How could he explain he wasn’t certain he had a heart? If he did, what would happen if he stopped resisting her and thrust his heart into her hands? She’d inadvertently stomp on it when she went back to her busy, successful life and dating every man around. Mia would never intentionally hurt him, but it would destroy him when she got bored and moved on.
He rubbed at his neck and strode into the icy water. And it was icy. Chunks of ice brushed at his bare legs. A few steps in, he pushed off and performed a shallow dive. Bits of ice stung his face, arms, shoulders, and chest. It felt awesome. He glided through the slushy water with a dolphin kick and arms outstretched. When he could see he was deep enough, he surfaced, stood, and blinked the water out of his eyes.
He turned to face the group, in just below his chin. His teeth wanted to chatter, but he clamped his jaw and folded his arms across his chest and his hands under his armpits. His temperature was dropping quick. The ice stung at his skin like a million pinpricks. He’d go numb soon.
He already felt more like himself from that quick swim through the water. Zeke loved the water. When he was young, he’d been able to hide in the murky pond near his house for hours, sometimes all night. His mom loathed the “disgusting” and chilly pond. Even when she caught him surfacing if he couldn’t hold his breath for one second longer, she’d rarely come in after him. It was the one place she couldn’t clamp onto his arm until he bruised and yank him around.
“Eight minutes?” Thor called.
“Yep.”
Zeke focused on Mia. She gave him a warm, welcoming smile and he wasn’t sure if the water was cold enough from the rise in temperature that simple smile brought to his chest. She was far too perfect. How could he keep his distance when she was right there, so perfect, so … touchable? She made him want to throw every concern in the garbage and see exactly how it felt to touch and be touched by Mia. Not just physically, but disconcertingly he wanted to be close to her emotionally as well. Nope, it wasn’t only about the physical touch with Mia. Her vibrant, irresistible personality seemed to touch his very soul.
Ah, sheesh. The cold wasn’t helping at all. Not while she was right there. Fifty feet away and looking gorgeous in that white coat belted at her tiny waist.
A man approached from the house, and then Lewis pushed through the snow and approached the group.
Zeke rolled his eyes. What did the loser want now? He had to give it to him, though—the guy had guts. Most men wouldn’t keep coming after him once they’d gotten a glimpse of his strength and fighting abilities.
“You want a challenge, Captain America?” Lewis called to him.
The group turned to look at the idiot. The Avengers’ Captain America was far too kind and smiley to even be loosely associated with Zeke. He was more the Hulk who never changed back to Banner.
Lewis reached the group and stopped next to Mia.