Page 37 of Heat Force

CHAPTER 15

Dinner was a quiet affair, it seemed she wasn’t the only one who was sad to see them go. “We’ll miss you,” Estelle said, ever the gracious host.

Robert nodded in agreement. “You’ve been instrumental in turning this place around.”

Lexi made the appropriate remarks, but barely tasted a thing. Once they’d finished eating, she set her knife and fork down and forced a smile. “That was delicious, Estelle. Thank you.”

Estelle beamed. “The salad and vegetables are all organic. Blessing’s husband grows them behind the lodge.”

“I’m impressed,” Hawk added. He sat beside her, as he had throughout dinner, but their conversation had been maddeningly polite. A comment about the food here, a remark about the project there—each word felt hollow, as though both of them were skirting the truth.

The end of the project loomed like a storm cloud on the horizon. Tomorrow, the United Nations peacekeepers would arrive to escort the three men to Kinshasa. From there, Hawk would fly back to the States, a world away from her. The thought made her chest ache, but she buried it beneath the mask of a polite smile.

Robert stood, raising his glass, and said a short speech. He thanked Hawk for his generosity, praised his leadership during the clinic rebuild, and spoke of how his contributions had been instrumental in restoring hope to the sanctuary.

Hawk responded with humility, his deep, steady voice carrying easily through the room. He talked about how his time here had been life-changing and how hard it was to leave, but duty called. As he said the words, his eyes flicked briefly to hers. Her heart constricted.

She knew he didn’t want to go, just as she didn’t want him to leave, but what could either of them do? His world was so far removed from hers, here in the jungle.

Lexi excused herself as Estelle began clearing the plates. “It’s really warm in here,” she murmured, avoiding Hawk’s gaze. “I think I’ll get some air.” Leaving the men to talk, she slipped out onto the deck.

The night air was cooler but did little to calm her swirling emotions. She leaned against the wooden railing and gazed out into the jungle. As always, it was alive with sound: crickets chirped in unison, frogs croaked, and leaves rustled softly in the breeze. The rainforest felt as restless as she was, the air thick with tension.

She heard the door creak open behind her and didn’t need to turn to know it was him. His presence was unmistakable, like an invisible gravitational pull.

“You okay, Nymph?” Hawk’s voice was low, filled with quiet concern.

She turned as he came to stand beside her. “You haven’t called me that for weeks.”

“I was trying to keep my distance.”

The dim light spilling from the lodge illuminated his features—the strong jaw, the shadow of stubble, the piercing intensity in his eyes. Her heart gave an involuntary lurch.

“I know,” she whispered.

“I tried to stay away, but it didn’t work. Then I thought we could be just friends, but that didn’t work either. It just made me want you more.”

Crap.

Tears pricked at her eyes. The knot of emotions inside her felt impossible to untangle. “I didn’t want to fall for you,” she whispered. “I tried hard not to, but you made it impossible.”

“I made it impossible. You’re blaming me?” His midnight blue eyes slanted in the lamplight.

“You saved me from the rebels, you financed a new clinic, you’re good with the animals. You didn’t leave when you had the chance. Dammit, Hawk, you helped us rebuild with your bare hands. How could I not fall for a guy like that?”

He gave a soft snort, then enveloped her in a hug. It was so sudden, so unexpected, that she melted into him. At the same time, it felt so right.

After the last few weeks of talking, sharing stories and growing closer, it didn’t feel weird at all when his long, tanned arms closed around her. “If I could stay, I would. You know that, right?”

“I know,” she murmured into his chest. He smelled so good, like the sea on a summer’s day. She inhaled, trying to dedicate it to memory.

He held her for a fraction longer, then released her. The look in his eyes made her breath catch. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Lexi. I just wish… I just wish we had more time.”

Her chest tightened, and she gulped over a lump in her throat. “Me too.”

The silence that followed was heavy, charged with something unspoken. Lexi’s pulse quickened as his gaze lingered on her face, his eyes tracing her features as though trying to memorizethem. The air between them felt electric, and she knew she should step back, break the moment—but she couldn’t.

“Do you ever regret leaving him?” Hawk asked, his voice quieter now. “Charles, I mean. Was it … hard?”