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  Waving her hand in the air, she said, “Is this the beginning of the sweeping me off my feet thing? Ha, ha.” She felt so awkward. She really just needed to stop talking.

  She’d meant it to sound funny, but Kyle’s expression turned softer. Then he was closing the distance between them and gently leaning in. “Can I give you a goodnight kiss?”

  Her breath caught, and she put her hand and her other arm out to brace herself on his shoulders. She’d never felt the “weak in the knees” thing before, but now she was feeling it with a vengeance. “I just don’t …”

  “What?” His breath was warm against her lips.

  Then she was lost. She kissed him. It was just his lips, but it was long and slow and everything. It left her heart racing and all kinds of explosions going off inside of her.

  Gently, he brushed a hand down her cheek. “Good night, princess.”

  She watched him go and thought that Kyle Bones was definitely sweeping her off her feet.

  Chapter 11

  Kyle woke with a start the next morning to the sound of pots banging. For a second, it had mirrored the sounds of war in his dreams. His heart raced as he rolled out of bed and into a catlike position on the floor, ready to pounce.

  The smell of bacon wafted through the air, and he relaxed, realizing Kennedy must be cooking. Taking no thought as to how he looked, he rushed out of his room, straight to the kitchen. He didn’t want her to have to cook for him today. This was her trip.

  He got to the living room and saw her next to the stove. She was manning the bacon, using a fork to turn a piece. He stopped and sucked in a breath. Kennedy was a little mussed herself. Her hair was disheveled, and she wore what looked like pajamas shorts with surfboards on them.

  There was a song playing, and she started to sing. “Going home, going ho-ome, that’s right. I’m going home.”

  It startled him, how rich and beautiful and clear her voice was. He waited, wanting to hear more.

  “The time was never right, the place was never there; all I could think about was you and how to fill this hole inside of me. This hole inside of me.” Gently, she swayed with the music.

  Kyle awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other. This felt like a personal moment, and watching and listening to her seemed intrusive, but he pull himself away.

  “Going home, going ho-ome, that’s right. I’m going home.”

  Taking his time, he sauntered into the kitchen and sneaked up behind her. “Hey, no working this weekend.”

  She jumped and swiveled around. “Hey.”

  “You’re with a prince. No working.” He tried to take the fork from her.

  “No.” She batted him away. “I got this.”

  All he could do was give her a stupid grin. What he really wanted to lean in and get a whiff of that lemon scent, but he held off. He also wanted to demand she sing more for him.

  Slow, he commanded himself. After those kisses yesterday, it’d been hard to let her out of his arms before bed. This girl was different. He respected that.

  She put her hand up to block her view of him. “Would you put a shirt on, please?”

  Kyle snickered. “Are you serious?”

  She scowled and tended the bacon. “I’m serious.”

  “I know. It’s just, I don’t think any woman has ever asked me to put my shirt back on.”

  She grunted. “Did I mention how humble you are, too?”

  He stood there, unable to resist this quiet chemistry that pulsed between them. Reaching out, he grabbed a piece of bacon out of the pan, but burned himself. “Ouch!” He dropped it on the floor.

  “Ugh.” She shook her head. “Wasteful.”

  He had already bent to pick it up. “No worries.” He grabbed it and popped it into his mouth. “Five-second rule.”

  Her laughter rang through the kitchen. Sensing her relaxing, he tried to grab another piece.

  She swatted his hand and pointed down the hall. “Shirt, please. And hurry, because I’m hungry.” Picking up the pan handle with her good hand, she moved to the counter.

  Kyle rushed down the hall, loving that she was so pushy. He found himself really liking that she wanted boundaries. It was refreshing.

  Grabbing a clean T-shirt out of his bag, he put it on. When he dashed back to the kitchen, he saw her pulling some plates out of the cupboard, and he took the plates out of her hand.

  “Hey, I can do stuff.”

  He grunted. “Remember, it’s not about thinking you can’t do stuff. It’s about—”

  “Being a gentleman.” She gave him a brilliant smile.

  “Exactly.” He put the plates down and reached into another cupboard for cups, then filled them at the fridge. He stared at the scrambled eggs and pancakes she’d added to the table. “This looks delicious.” He wondered about the past couple of women he’d dated. None of them had ever made him breakfast. Not that they’d been there in the morning. He took the glasses to the table and grabbed some silverware and napkins.

  “So, your caretaker gets everything ready before you come here?” she asked.

  He nodded, sensing that she found his money hard to handle.

  She began putting items on her plate. Pancakes, bacon, and eggs. She picked up the syrup and gave herself a generous helping. He liked that too. That she ate. How many women did he know who ate like a bird?

  “What?” she asked, and turned to meet his gaze.

  “Nothing.” He picked up the plate of eggs and helped himself.

  She waited for him to load his plate before picking up her fork.

  “Can we say grace?” he asked.

  “Oh.” She put her fork down. “Of course.”

  He put his hands together, bowed his head, and said a quick prayer before they dug in. “Am I making you uncomfortable?” he asked, wanting to know more about her beliefs.

  She flashed him a grin. “I grew up in a Christian house, and we prayed over the food all the time. I just … it’s complicated.”

  “Faith always is,” he said softly.

  She waited and then closed her eyes.

  As they ate, he couldn’t help but stare at her, and happy feelings rolled around inside of him.

  “What?” she asked through a bite of pancake.

  He wanted to tell her she was gorgeous. “The food is delicious,” he said quickly. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She lifted and lowered a shoulder. “Thank you for bringing me. If I haven’t said it before now.”

  “You haven’t,” he said softly, loving the fact she was sitting at his table looking so fresh and happy.

  She rolled her eyes.

  “And you’re welcome.” He wanted to know everything about her. He’d heard about the crash and her parents, but he wanted to know more. Slow, he reminded himself.

  “So can I know what we’re doing next?”

  Checking the time, he smiled at her. “Good thing you were ahead of me for breakfast, because we need to change, and you need to wear stuff you can hike in.”

  “O-kay.”

  “But to get to the hike, we have to take the helicopter.”

  A look of pure delight washed over Kennedy’s face. “Are you serious?”

  He laughed. “What did you say? I shouldn’t spend an absurd amount of money that should be donated elsewhere? Yep, get over it. That’s happening on this trip.”

  Chapter 12

  If someone had walked up to Kennedy last weekend when she’d left Kyle Bones standing by himself in the middle of the dance floor, and told her that she’d be flying across the sky with him in a helicopter, she would have laughed her butt off. Gazing out across the Jackson landscape was breathtaking.

  “What do you think?” Kyle asked.

  She smiled at him. “The mountains are amazing. I grew up in Montana, but isn’t it funny I don’t remember coming to Jackson? When I moved to Colorado, I thought the mountains were huge, but these mountains …” She could see why they were called Tetons as the tips
of them peaked. The trees were beautiful, and she basked in the feel of the air and the smell of pine. “Incredible.”

  Kyle nodded. “Yeah, as a Florida guy, the first time I came here last year I fell in love with it.” He pointed to the town. “I’m kind of a geek, and I do the research on the places I love, so here’s the tour guide version. Jackson became incorporated in 1914. It was named after David Edward Jackson, who trapped beaver.”

  She grinned at him as she took in the view. “Breathtaking.”

  “Yes,” he said, and took her hand.

  It was insane how much his hand was already feeling familiar after only two days. Very unnerving, but wonderful. She leaned into him, allowing herself to enjoy this “adventure,” as her roommates would call it. It was interesting, but truthfully, it meant even more that she had her hand in his, that she felt confident leaning into him, that she trusted him.

  Ever since the plane ride, when he’d been so frank with her about what a jerk her ex was, her feelings had begun to change. She wasn’t sure if she was comfortable with that or not. Yet here she was, on a trip with a hot millionaire ex-Navy SEAL, and it was awesome.

  They flew for about ten minutes before the helicopter descended to a mountain.

  “A helicopter pad!” she exclaimed. “We get to land on the top of a mountain on a helicopter pad!”

  Kyle laughed. “This is the Jackson Hole Ski Resort. The helo pad is for search and rescue, but I wanted to immerse you in the setting.”

  It was incredible to think that he had planned all of this. She blinked and was overwhelmed with emotions about this man. It’s not real. It’s just a trip. At least, that’s what she told herself. But it was sure starting to feel real.

  The helicopter landed gently as a feather, and they sat inside while the rotors winded down. It was so stinking cool.

  He smiled at her. “Are you ready for a hike and picnic?”

  “Yeah!” She did feel like a princess. Like she was dating a royal and she could go anywhere on a helicopter.

  They climbed out, keeping their heads low, and Kyle grabbed a backpack she hadn’t seen before.

  “What is that?” she shouted over the noise of the helicopter.

  He shrugged and shouted back, “I planned ahead!” He winked at her and took her hand to pull her a little farther from the noise. “Let’s get hiking so we can work up an appetite.”

  She laughed. “It sounds like you just want to hike so you can eat again.”

  Wiggling his eyebrows, he lifted and lowered a shoulder. “I like to eat.”

  Intrigued, she followed him down a little trail that wound around the mountain. Everything was green and beautiful, and the weather was just perfect. They were high enough to see for a hundred miles. “I can’t … there’s not words for this kind of beauty.”

  Kyle stopped abruptly, and she almost ran into him.

  “What?” She laughed at the intense way he was looking at her.

  “I was just thinking that you’re the most beautiful thing I have seen for a long time. I’m really glad you agreed to come on this trip.”

  Her pulse raced and her mouth went dry. Was he serious? Could Kyle Bones actually be interested in her? There was no explanation for the outlandish way he’d gotten her on this date. There was no reason for any of it. “Why do you want to date me?”

  Gently, he reached up and touched the back of his hand to her cheek. “I’ve been trying to date you since I met you, if you hadn’t noticed.”

  His simple touch magnified the feelings that had been roiling inside of her since she’d left him standing on the dance floor. Feelings she didn’t know how to handle. “Why? I’m, like, just an ordinary …” She trailed off, trying to describe how she was compared to him.

  “Shh. You’re beautiful, talented, and kind.” The side of his lip tugged up. “I think I started falling for you when I first saw you surf, but I really fell for you when I saw you teaching that kid to surf.”

  She was uncomfortable. It felt like he could see her, see too much. She pulled back.

  “You don’t like that, do you?”

  She turned and began to walk quickly down a path.

  Kyle hurried after her. “You don’t like taking compliments at all.”

  “Don’t pretend you know me,” she snapped at him, trying to put her wall back up.

  He took her hand and pulled her to a halt. “Would you just stop for a second?”

  Yanking her hand back, she wanted to … to …

  He scowled at her in that Navy SEAL way and seemed to take up all the space in front of her, like he expanded or something. “Just wait. I’m trying to get to know you. I can see that’s uncomfortable for you, but don’t run from me. And don’t shut down. That’s not fair.”

  “Fair?” She threw up her hand. “What are you talking about? This isn’t anything. This is just a trip.”

  He blinked. “Is that …” He turned and clutched a hand into a fist. “Is that all you want? Because I would like to get to know you. I would like that a lot, but if that’s too uncomfortable for you, then yeah, let’s just make this a trip.” He bit off the last word like it was bad-tasting food.

  She hesitated. What did she want? It was like all the walls had fallen between them, and she wondered if this man was just as lonely as her. It seemed impossible because he was who he was, but …

  “Please, just tell me why you wanted me to come so badly?” she asked, raw and vulnerable. She couldn’t wait a second longer to find out the truth and make sense of her feelings.

  The line between his brows furrowed, and he let out a long breath. “The truth?”

  “The truth,” she repeated, even as a voice inside yelled at her to stop him before he told her a truth she didn’t want to hear.

  Squinting at her, Kyle shrugged. “You’re different. And—” He smiled at her. “—maybe I fell under your spell.”

  “Right.” She scoffed, unsure of whether she should be flattered. She didn’t know where he was going with this, and she wasn’t sure she liked it. This was Kyle freaking Bones. Gorgeous women threw themselves at him constantly.

  He put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m serious. Not stupid, cookie-cutter insta love or any of that junk. There was just something there, and you can’t deny it.”

  “Oh, I can deny it.”

  The side of his lip turned up. “Whatever, Dawson. I know you feel it too.”

  “Hmph. Why would you say that?”

  “Because you kissed me on the plane. That was all you.”

  “I knew that was a mistake.” She turned from him.

  Gently, he took her hand and pulled her close to him, but didn’t kiss her. Their breath mingled. “No, not a mistake, Dawson. Definitely not a mistake.”

  * * *

  Man, he wanted to kiss her, but he resisted.

  She pushed him in the chest. “Let’s hike.”

  He relented, and they fell into a rhythm and a comfortable silence.

  After a bit, he asked, “So are you going to tell me your story or not?”

  “You didn’t hear it already? My roommates usually tell my story before I can. In fact, the whole reason I got an interview on the radio was because of Carrie’s blabbermouthing. She’s the one who entered me into that contest.”

  He couldn’t tell if she resented that or not. He waited, then said, “Okay, they told Russell about the crash and about your parents and losing your hand.” Silence reigned, and he wondered if he’d overstepped bounds, but the truth was that this was more than a weekend to him. Somehow, he’d become completely invested in her. “I’m so sorry.”

  It took a long time for her to finally answer and meet his eyes. “I had had my license for two weeks, and my parents were both schoolteachers. We had been at a school function where my father had just been awarded teacher of the year, and—the car came out of nowhere. It just …” She shuddered. “There was such a loud crash. There was glass shattering. There was … There was blood, and I was upside down
. The car had rolled, and I was pinned.” She lifted her arm with the missing hand. “I lost them.”

  Neither of them spoke. After a while, he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.”

  She sniffed, but didn’t look at him. “This is probably nothing compared to the things you’ve seen.”

  He couldn’t stop himself from taking her hand. “Pain is pain.”

  She still didn’t look at him, but she kept her hand in his.

  “Pain is pain. It hurts like hell, and it’s usually not fair. That’s the worst kind of pain.” He hesitated, then said, “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woken in the middle of a nightmare, one where I watched a friend get blown up. It’s like it’s the first time, and it’s real, and it’s like a sucker punch to the chest.”

  “And you wish you could stop it,” she said quietly.

  He nodded. “But nothing stops it.”

  “Because it’s not a nightmare.”

  “It’s real,” he filled in for her.

  She blinked.

  “What are you thinking about?” Kyle asked.

  She sighed. “I usually never talk about this stuff.”

  Kyle gestured to a rock, and they sat. He didn’t try to hold her hand or touch her. He just sat close.

  She smiled at him. “The only time I do feel better is when I teach kids how to surf.”

  “How many kids do you teach?”

  “I teach lessons to the general public, but last year, I had Benjamin’s mom come ask if I would teach him. He was born with only one hand.”

  “That’s cool.”

  “My boss is trying to sell the surf shop right now. I wish I could buy it and do what you’re doing with Sparring for Vets for disabled kids and surfing.”

  Kyle shook his head. “I’m sure that’s not a viable business.”

  She frowned. “That’s rude.”

  He laughed. “All I mean is that you would need funding like how the Kincaids fund Sparring for Vets.”

  Her brow furrowed. “Hmm, so would I have someone buy the shop and run it from there.”