Part 24 (1/2)

first ran her hands over bare skin. He'd thought he'd died and gone to heaven when her fingertips skated across his chest. She smoothed her hands along his sides, then stopped when her fingers brushed the leather hilt at the small of his back.

He swore at the distraction, wis.h.i.+ng he'd had the foresight to disarm himself

first. ”A knife,” he said. ”I found it in the fis.h.i.+ng shed and... borrowed it.””I don't mind. It must be hard to be on protection duty with nothing to protect with.”

He smiled. ”Oh, you'd be amazed at what can be used as a weapon.”

”I can only imagine.” She raised a finger to his lips. ”And I'd just as soon leave it at the imagination level, if you don't mind.” She ran her hands along his sides, then looked him in the eyes as she boldly let them run over his

backside and around his thighs. ”Any other... armaments I should know about?”He was torn between amazement and amus.e.m.e.nt. The sheer joy of her had him swinging her up into his arms. She spluttered and that just made it all the more enjoyable. ”It's time to find that bower.”

”What are you talking about?”But he merely held her tighter when she struggled, humming a tune as he looked for the right place. There was no perfect place-something he swore he'd correct next time-but he wasn't about to take her up against a fence.

”I can walk, you know.”

”So can I. Now hush, I'm thinking.”

She rolled her eyes. ”Yes, we all know how taxing that is for you.”

That was another odd thing. The more biting and sarcastic she became, the

more he wanted her. Then the answer came to him. It wasn't perfect, but it was right. ”Do you have blankets somewhere around here?” X ”What for?”

”Just answer the question.”

She smiled sweetly at him. ”Put me down and I will.”

”Can't you just let me be in charge of anything for more than five minutes?”

”I'm not good at delegating,” she said. Then she winked at him when he

reluctantly set her on her feet. ”But I promise to let you be in charge later.”

He actually choked. ”Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it.” He tugged her against him and surprised her with another lingering kiss.

”What was that for?”

”You're more easily managed when you're breathless,” he said.

She shot him an arch look, but couldn't maintain it. ”You're probably right,”

she said, grinning unabashedly. ”Wanna test that theory again?”

”As soon as you find those blankets.”

”You drive a hard bargain.”

”You don't know the half of it,” he said under his breath.

She pulled free and turned toward her truck. He caught her hand. ”Wait up.”

”I'm just going to grab some blankets from my truck. I tossed some in the back

seat in case I needed them at the fair, but I never used them.”

”You're not going anywhere without me.”

She stopped and looked at him, uncertainty in her eyes. ”Do you really think

there will be trouble tonight?”

He cursed himself. ”Only if you don't hurry,” he said with a grin, hoping to

distract her. When it didn't work, he moved in close to her. ”We'll be fine tonight, Tali. I won't leave your side.”

”Good.” Her eyes were s.h.i.+ning in antic.i.p.ation. She seemed to trust him to

make it all okay. It would have terrified him if it hadn't made him feel so d.a.m.n good.