His body was all lean muscle from the slabs of his pecs with their dark curls and flat nipples to his biceps, abs, and obliques. A dark trail of curls disappeared behind his waistband, drawing her gaze to a place where it had no businessbeing.
He was saying something. “If anything happens, I don’t want the two of us getting confused and shooting eachother.”
Okay, that wasimportant.
She jerked her gaze back to his face, swallowed. “Right. I’ll grab my weapon and run into yourroom.”
“Perfect.” He walked over to her. “Let me know if you need anything,okay?”
Being close to him like this was overwhelming. Mia could feel the heat radiating off his body, smell his skin. It wasintoxicating.
She stood on her toes, pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks, Joaquin, for everything.Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” He stood there and watched her as she walked into his spare room and closed the door behindher.
* * *
Joaquin layin bed looking up at his ceiling in the dark, unable to sleep, what Mia had told them running through hismind.
Ice Queen, Iron Maiden,bitch.
Powell, thatcabrón, hadn’t gotten what he’d wanted from Mia. Rather than facing the fact that she wasn’t interested in him, he’d pulled one of the oldest tricks in the book and made it seem like something was wrong with her. Yes, she was reserved, but she had passion. Joaquin had seen the glint of anger in her eyes when she’d talked about how Powell had treated her. He’d seen compassion, too, for the soldiers who’d beenhurt.
Mustard gas? ¡Carajo!
Powell’s reprisals against her ought to have gotten him thrown out of the Army long before he’d had the chance to fuck up anyone else’s life. Coffee cans of shit? Making her ask for tampons? Camelspiders?
Hell, Joaquin didn’t even want to know what thosewere.
Whoever the killer was, he’d gotten close to Mia tonight. She had given Wu a list of the men who’d been a part of the looting, even those who didn’t live in Colorado. Wu would be checking into them, but it would taketime.
In the meantime, they needed to help Mia get that concealed carry permit and keep her safe. Whoever this guy was, he was former military, just like she was. Although Joaquin knew that Mia was tough—she’d had to be tough to make it through that living hell of a deployment—all it took was onebullet.
Mierda.
Joaquin closed his eyes, willed himself to relax, images running through his mind like a slideshow. Mia standing near the barricade tape the night he’d met her, her face lined with worry. Mia smiling as she danced with him. Mia in shock over the medic’s murder. Mia looking at him through pleading eyes, trying to decide whether to trust him. Mia standing in a white nightgown and robe, her red hair hanging loosely around her shoulders, her gaze fixed on hischest.
Hell, yes, he’d caught that. Had that been desire in hereyes?
And what are you going to do about it if itwas?
Nada. Nothing. Not yet. The last thing Joaquin wanted to be was the next man in Mia’s life to let her down by putting his dickfirst.
But, oh, if she ever told him she wantedhim…
He touched a hand to his cheek where she’d kissed him, his skin burningstill.
If that day came and the two of them crossed the line into sex, he was pretty certain they would light his bed onfire.
* * *
Joaquin madehuevos rancheros for breakfast while Mia showered. They lingered over their coffee, talking about her job, about the concealed carry permit, and what to do to keep hersafe.
“I’ll be fine.” She gave him a smile that put a hitch in his chest, her red hair hanging in damp ropes around her shoulders. “I’m touched that you worry aboutme.”
“Of course, I do.” He reached out, took her hand, ran his thumb over her knuckles, her skin soft. “You’re a special woman,Mia.”
Color came into her cheeks, and she shifted her gaze to the window—but she didn’t pull her hand away. “If it makes you feel better, we’ve got armed guards at the Gardens, and there are people and security cameraseverywhere.”