She’d never felt like this. Could love be happening … for her and for Zeke? She’d enjoyed dating, flirting, and getting to know a variety of men, but there’d been a worry in the back of her mind that she’d never settle down, never find a man she wanted to be wholly committed to body, heart, and soul. Could Zeke be that man? Even if he was, could she truly break through his no-touch, toughened military heart?
Holly was giving her a stern glare, what her children would call a mama stare down if she’d ever had one. “Heneedsyou?”
“Auntie.” Mia was feeling decidedly better, though she was tired and her feet and hands ached. That awful pinprick feeling of blood returning to her extremities wasn’t fun. “You know I adore you, but I am a grown and successful woman and I don’tneedyou poking into my love life.”
“Love life?” Holly sprawled on top of the bundle of blankets covering Mia, hugged her through them, and let out a whoop into the blankets so Zeke or nobody else would hear. She yanked back upright, her hazel eyes sparkling.
“Iknewit.” She tried to talk quietly, but her voice was pitching up. She leaned in. “Of course I knew Zeke was the military machine we needed to protect you from that stupid stalker, but I knew you two were a match as well. I just knew it! I don’t know if Abi is going to hate me or love me for this one. If you relocate to America, she might never forgive me.”
“Auntie, keep calm. Just keep calm.” Mia couldn’t get her hands free all bundled as she was and with Holly leaning on her, but she wanted to grab her arm. She wasn’t concerned at all about her mum’s reaction. Her mum would be thrilled if Mia was happy, and her dad would hate the very idea of her falling for American. All Mia was concerned about was Zeke. She didn’t want to push him away when he finally seemed to be falling for her. Her eyes flicked to the bathroom and the shower that was now not running. “You realize he has … issues,” she whispered. “I’ve got to help and coax him into opening up and healing without pushing him away.”
“Ah, sweet girl. Of course you do.” Holly patted her cheek. “But if anyone can do it, you can. Isn’t he the most commanding hero you’ve ever seen in your life? I mean, I love him like a son, but sheesh! I bet he heats your blood up just like Joseph does to me.” Her grin grew. “And he carried you up here, I heard? Does he not flip out when you touch him or when he touches you? I couldn’t believe it when he touched your chee—”
The bathroom door opened. Holly scrambled off the bed and to her feet, looking guilty and adorable. “Soup and tea coming up. Maybe some sandwiches? It’s after eleven, close enough to lunchtime. Right?” She grinned from Mia to Zeke and then spun and rushed from the room, slamming the door behind her.
Mia let herself focus on Zeke. She let out a breathy sigh. Holly was right. He was the most commanding, handsome, heat-a-woman-from-head-to-toe hero she’d ever seen. He stood in the doorway as if not sure if he should get too close.
He was in a simple T-shirt and twill pants, his eyes more gray than blue. Stormy. Was he upset at her? Hadn’t they just had that beautiful moment where she’d said he needed her and his eyes had seemed to agree?
She needed him. She wasn’t afraid to admit it. She was a successful and independent woman who could stand on her own, but she’d much rather stand hand in hand with him. If he’d hold her hand. He had carried her so beautifully up to the house and touched her while he was … helping her get out of her wet clothes … then he had touched her cheek. Sadly, she’d been a popsicle and couldn’t fully enjoy most of that touch. Had he only been reacting in those moments? Was it still off-putting to touch her?
Slowly approaching the bed, his eyes never left her face. “Your color is coming back.”
“That’s good.” She lifted one hand out of the cocoon of blankets.
“Stop,” Zeke cautioned, hurrying to her. “What do you need?”
She smiled. Seeing this ultra-tough man so concerned made her heart race. “I was just going to pull the blanket turban off my head. It’s a bit much.”
He returned her smile. “I can do it.”
“Thanks.” She studied his strong jawline, shadowed with short brown hair. Were there shades of red in his beard? Ooh, she liked that.
He unwound the blanket around her head and set it aside. She scooted up in the bed, resting her back and head against the headboard and freeing both arms. The blankets slipped down off her shoulders, but she wrapped her arms and hands over the blanket so her chest stayed covered.
Zeke’s eyes widened and he seemed to freeze. His gaze focused on her bare shoulder as if it were a living thing. Mia would’ve thought it was comical, but she was too impressed and incredulous at his reaction to even smile. Zeke could be in charge of the entire world, yet there was an innocence about him that appealed to her as much as his tough body.
Her bare shoulder and the tiny bit of bra strap showing weren’t much more revealing than the tank top she’d worked out in this morning, but it was throwing him for a loop. Her body got all warm and she wondered how she’d ever been cold at all with him around, but she wanted to honor and preserve his innocence.
Carefully, she tucked one arm and then the other back under the blankets. She clutched the blankets to her neck from the inside and asked softly, “Better?”
Zeke blinked, rubbed at the back of his neck, and said in a raw voice, “Sorry I’m such a …”
“Honorable man?” she supplied.
His eyes darkened, going almost a grayish black. He searched her eyes as if searching her soul. “Mia.” His voice was gravelly, and she feared she’d caused him pain. She wanted to take away his pain and help him heal the wounds from whatever abuse he’d experienced in childhood on up through becoming an elite shoulder and having to kill, be wounded, and watch others he cared for die.
He leaned closer, which she loved. She inhaled his clean scent and murmured, “Scrummy.”
He smiled, but it disappeared quick. He pushed off the bed and started pacing next to it. Storming, really. What had happened? She got whiplash from watching him. She wanted to spring out of the bed and hold him, but she could hardly do that when she was very nearly starkers.
“Zeke,” she said, probably too loudly.
He spun and stared at her.
“What happened? What’s wrong?”
He just stared at her. He was pulling away from her. Not that they had truly connected, but her hopes had sure risen high. Crikey! How to get through his walls?