Suddenly, there was a clanking noise coming from the large garage door.“They’re opening it!”she said urgently.
They’d barely slipped inside the small storage room, Boone closing the door behind them, when the sound of voices carried across the warehouse as several people entered the building through the open garage door.The rumble of a truck followed as it pulled inside.
Radley stiffened, and Boone eased her against the wall behind the door, his body shielding hers.It was dark in the storage room, and she didn’t dare move, much less turn on a light.She was clinging to him, she realized, her hands fisting his shirt.Boone was ripped beneath that soft cotton.His abdomen was nothing but a wall of solid muscle.And damn, he smelled good.Musky and clean and pure male.She had the weirdest urge to bury her face in his chest, soaking in some of his heat and strength, which was all sorts of inappropriate.
His hands flexed on her hips, and she realized he was holding onto her as well.A delicious shiver raced down her spine.Maybe she should be frightened, but Boone had literally placed himself between her and the door.She almost didn’t know what to make of his protectiveness.Her old colleague had essentially sold her out to the enemy while on foreign soil.Boone was the exact opposite type of man—one who’d protect her, putting his own life on the line.
The sound of footsteps and voices were still far away, but there was no telling if anyone would come looking for something in here.
She looked up, barely able to see in the dark.A tiny beam of light came in from beneath the door, and she took in Boone’s strong jaw and chiseled features.His eyes sliced toward hers in the darkness.The way they were clinging to each other felt intimate.She felt closer to him than she had to any man in ages, which was wild given she’d just met the guy.
Radley felt safe with him though.She was attracted to him, yes, but it was something more.She could sense his innate goodness.Boone was a man who fought for what he believed in, consequences be damned.Wasn’t that why he’d come out of retirement, so to speak, to join Bravo Team?Holt had given her the brief rundown, and a new respect for Boone washed over her.He didn’t have to be here with her.Yet here he was, ready to kick ass and take names, all for the greater good.
“Who made this mess!”a voice yelled, and Radley sensed rather than saw Boone smile as she looked toward the door.
He was right.
They’d assumed one of their own guys had carelessly stacked things by the entrance, the mess of it falling over and blocking the way.The rest of their conversation faded as the men moved to the other room.
Boone ducked his head, his mouth at her ear.“Told you.”
Heat licked through her.She looked up, meeting his gaze in the darkness.She was acutely aware of all of him—his wide shoulders, the rise and fall of his broad chest, even the strength of him as his big hands gripped her hips.Her eyes ran over his strong jaw, his full lips.
Radley released him.
She pressed closer to the door, putting her ear against it to try and hear what the men were saying.The sound was muffled, but Boone did the same, also attempting to listen in to their conversation.
“We need to hurry.Finish loading the truck!”
“We need to get to—”
The rest of the sentence became inaudible as the man turned away, and Radley silently cursed.
Go where?
There was a shuffling sound and hushed words they couldn’t hear.As the footsteps moved in their direction once more, Boone pressed her back against the wall again.His big hands on her waist made her belly flutter, and he didn’t release her—just held her where he wanted.
She tensed as the sounds grew louder, but then there was a curse and the footsteps moved in the opposite direction.
“Doing okay, kitten?”Boone asked, his voice a low murmur at her ear again.
“Couldn’t be better.”
“Uh-huh.”
The smile that spread across his face both irritated her and made her like him all the much more.He hadn’t exactly called her out, but Radley realized she’d been clutching onto him yet again.Maybe her old colleagues had shaken her more than she realized.She was usually more collected than this on operations.Or maybe the fact that Boone was essentially locked in the closet with her was affecting her more than she wanted to admit.Radley had worked alone for the past few years—or with her twin sister—and having a big, muscular man protecting her with his body had her feeling all sorts of things she shouldn’t.
The minutes dragged on, but they finally heard the men finish loading up the truck.The engine started, and then it was silent again after the garage door was pulled close, the two of them still hiding in the dark.
“Do you think they’re gone?”she whispered.
“Guess we’ll find out.Stay behind me,” he ordered.Boone didn’t wait for her reply, just turned and opened the door, confident she’d listen to his direction.He’d drawn his weapon, and she watched as he slid back into the warehouse.Boone’s footsteps were silent—surprisingly so, for such a large man.She pulled her own gun free from the holster and followed him, the two of them quickly clearing the space.
Radley’s heart fell as she realized the men had loaded all the boxes from the stack they’d begun to search.“We need a damn camera in here,” she said.“I couldn’t hear most of what they were saying, and we lost our chance to track that shipment.”
Boone looked equally frustrated.“Let’s head back to Shadow Security to get the necessary equipment and tracking devices,” he said.“I doubt they’ll be trucking anything else out immediately, but they might bring in supplies to fill the other crates.Hopefully we can track the next shipment if we get in and get out quickly.”
“Agreed.How many men do you think were here?”she asked.