Page 51 of Steel Vengeance

He looked down at his hands—scarred, marked by battle. “It’s complicated. Maybe I should check your wound.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it,” she said as he unwound the bandage. He’d already told her more than she expected.

She winced as he peeled off the gauze. It was still tender.

He focused on her arm, the neatly stitched wound. “We were ambushed in the Afghan mountains. Most of my team didn’t make it back. Only two of us survived.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He exhaled, replacing the bandage. “I couldn’t go back after that.”

“What did you do?”

“I wandered around until I took refuge in a village in the mountains. I’d been there before, helping them out as a medic, so they knew me.”

She nodded, listening intently.

“That’s where I met my wife.” Pain flashed across his face, raw and undeniable.

“The village Omari attacked?”

“Yeah.” He closed his eyes, blocking out the memories.

Her heart ached for him. She wanted to help, but she didn’t know how. Instead, she rested a hand on his arm, hoping to provide comfort. His muscles flexed beneath her fingers.

“I appreciate you telling me,” she said. “Now I get it.”

“I think you always did.”

She held her breath. It was true, she’d sensed something had a hold on him from the start—she just hadn’t known what. His skin felt warm and firm beneath her hand, the muscles hard and sinewy. She fought not to trace them with her fingers.

Oh, God.

Stop!

“I couldn’t hide it from you. You saw right through me.”

His face was so close now. Those blue eyes pulled her in like magnets. As he leaned closer, the mattress shifted, and she toppled toward him. Suddenly, she was clutching both his arms, his face just inches away. He reached for her, his hand resting on her hip.

She glanced down at his lips.

So close…

The pain in his eyes was gone, replaced by an intensity she hadn’t seen before. Her heart pounded so loudly she thought it was about to somersault right out of her chest.

She didn’t know what was happening, but right now, all she wanted was to kiss him.

And then it happened.

He closed the space between them, their lips meeting—soft, firm, deliciously hot.

Sloane closed her eyes and breathed him in.

Then she felt him freeze. His hand slipped from her hip, and he pulled away. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this.”

Her lips still tingled where he’d touched them. So brief, so sweet.

Almost a kiss.