“You know your mum would tell me to give you a swift swat on the fanny,” Holly called back.
Zeke smiled, but then he easily plucked her off her feet and carried her to the glass and marble shower. “I’ll see you in a minute.” He released her and turned to go.
She put a hand on the warm flesh of his back. He didn’t even jump, but he did react. He looked over his shoulder swiftly at her, and with the warmest blue she’d ever seen in his eyes.
“This is to be continued,” she said, pointing at the bathroom door where she’d almost gotten a kiss out of him. She couldn’t let this perfect moment and opportunity go so easily.
“You might talk me into that.” He grinned, and her knees went weak. She leaned against the glass shower for support.
“Zeke. Mia!” The door handle rattled.
Zeke tilted his chin to her and then strode out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Mia immediately heard Holly laying into him. She smiled. Holly would get after him, but it would be out of love. She knew Holly Delta would never hurt or belittle anyone. Especially not someone tender like Zeke.
Tender? The man was built like a tank and didn’t let anyone into his heart. But it seemed he was letting Mia in. A pleasant shiver raced through her.
She pulled the shower on and turned to look at herself in the mirror. She looked awful. Horrifically awful. She couldn’t think of the last time she’d looked this awful. Her hair was matted to her head on one side, frizzy and sticking out at odd angles on the other. She had black streaks of makeup under her eyes like a ghastly shadow. The rest of her face and her lips had no color in them at all. Zeke’s shirt hung on her like a burlap sack.
She looked at herself in wonder, picturing how Zeke’s blue eyes had been warm and full of longing as he stared at her. He’d thought she was beautiful … like this.
Had a more perfect man ever been created?
Now to make sure he didn’t retreat when she’d finally gained a huge victory. Then to also somehow break through all his walls and help him heal from the sadness of his childhood. Help him see God’s hand in his life.
That sobered her. They had a hard road. But heaven willing, they could fight through it together.
ChapterEleven
Zeke paced the living room, waiting for Mia to come out. He was in deeper emotionally than he’d ever been in his life. Instead of feeling cornered, worried, or uneasy, he felt … happy. It made no sense, but he couldn’t deny it. He’d never been happy like this.
He tried to tamp down all the happiness and warmth that Mia stirred in him. He shouldn’t be so focused on her, but she was all he could think about. He wanted to explore the fact that he not only wanted to touch her and wanted her to touch him. He longed for her touch, couldn’t stop thinking about her smile, and was consumed by all things Mia.
He grinned just thinking about her pinning him against the bathroom door and touching his shoulders, him pulling her in tight, their teasing banter.
Teasing banter … Captain Zeke Hendrickson had participated in, initiated, thrived on, and vastly enjoyed teasing banter. It had been made even better by Mia’s perfect shape in his arms, her golden-brown eyes gazing warmly up at him, her in his T-shirt.
Whew. It was really hot in this living room.
“Do you think he even knows we’re here?” Joseph asked.
“He doesn’t care,” Holly replied.
Zeke stopped pacing and looked down at the couple sitting on the couch and watching him. Joseph held an iPad for when Mia’s dad called. Both of them smirked up at him. He wanted to hug them both. No, not really, but he was tempted to hug Holly and shake Joseph’s hand vigorously. They’d brought him here; they’d orchestrated him being Mia’s bodyguard. Had it really just been yesterday evening he’d tried to protest, tried to get out of this assignment? He rubbed at his chest, a knot of panic rising at what might’ve been. He would’ve missed out on … Mia. And more happiness than a crusty frogman like him deserved.
“Thank you,” he managed.
“For?” Holly quirked a brow.
“Bringing me here.” He couldn’t spell it all out, but he thought Joseph and Holly were the most incredible people on earth. Next to Mia. And his men.
His men! Chaos, Preach, and Wolf were going to be in shock when they found out their Cap had fallen. How was all of this going to work? Who cared? Where was Mia? How soon could they get rid of Lewis, get the sheriff’s guys and Chaos here, figure out how to track down her stalker, and then could he simply kiss Mia, talk to her, hold her, figure out how to … date her? Could he do something so basic as date her? How would that work? Where? Here? In Virginia Beach? In England?
He rubbed at his chest again. The happiness and Mia were both going to disappear. There was no way this would work.
“Cap.” Joseph stood and held up a cautioning hand. “You look like you’re about ready to explode. It’s been a crazy couple of days. Let’s focus on not killing Commander Lewis, talking things out with the duke, and keeping Mia safe. The rest will have to work itself out later.”
The rest? Did he mean Zeke couldn’t be going insane over Mia and wanting to kiss her more than he wanted oxygen? He rubbed at his neck. What was happening to him? It was terrifying and exhilarating.
“The rest?” Holly leaped to her feet and faced her husband. “My Zeke is in love, and you act like it’s a book he needs to put on the shelf until the movie’s over. No way!”