LITMIR.BIZ

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try falling on an adversary!”

      “Ineffective unless you want to gain three hundred pounds,” he returned. He grinned. “Although, you could certainly experiment on me, if you want to. It might immobilize me. We won’t know until we try it. Want me to lie down and let you practice?” he added with twinkling eyes.

      She laughed, but nervously. “I don’t think I’m ready to try that right away.”

      “Suit yourself. No hurry. We’ve got plenty of time.”

      She remembered Jess and the drug lord and her eyes grew worried. “Is it really dangerous for us at home…?”

      He held up a cautioning hand. “Stevie, how about a soft drink?”

      “That would be great!”

      “There are some cans of soda in the fridge in the kitchen. How about bringing one for me and your aunt as well?”

      “Sure thing!”

      Stevie took off like a bullet.

      “Yes, it’s dangerous,” Eb said quietly. “You aren’t to go alone, anywhere, at night. I’ll always have a man watching the house, but if you have to go to a meeting or some such thing, let me know and I’ll go with you.”

      “Won’t that cramp your social life?” she asked without quite meeting his eyes.

      “I don’t have a social life,” he said with a faint smile. “Not of the sort you’re talking about.”

      “Oh.”

      His face tautened. “Neither do you, if I can believe Jess.”

      She shifted on the mat. “I haven’t really had much time for men.”

      “You don’t have to spare my feelings,” he told her quietly. “I know I’ve caused you some sleepless nights. But you’ve waited too long to deal with it. The longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be to form a relationship with a man.”

      “I have Jess and Stevie to think about.”

      “That’s an excuse. And not a very good one.”

      She felt uncomfortable with her memories. She wrapped her arms around her chest and looked at him with shattered dreams in her eyes.

      He took a sharp breath. “It will never be like that again,” he said curtly. “I promise you it won’t.”

      She averted her eyes to the mat. “Do you think Jess and Dallas have done each other in by now?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

      He moved closer, watching her stiffen, watching her draw away from him mentally. His big, lean hands caught her shoulders and he made her look at him.

      “You’re older now,” he said, his voice steady and low. “You should know more about men than you did, even if you’ve had to learn it through books and television. I was fiercely aroused that day, it had been a long, dry spell, and you were seventeen years old. Get the picture?”

      For the first time, she did. Her eyes searched his, warily, and nodded.

      His hands contracted on her soft arms. “You might try it again,” he said softly.

      “Try what?”

      “What you did that afternoon,” he murmured, smiling tenderly. “Wearing sexy clothes and perfume and making a beeline for me. Anything could happen.”

      Her eyes were sadder than she realized as she met his even gaze. “I’m not the same person I was then,” she told him. “But you still are.”

      The light seemed to go out of him. His pale eyes narrowed, fastened to hers. “No,” he said after a minute. “I’ve changed, too. I lost my taste for commando work a long time ago. I teach tactics now. That’s all I do.”

      “You’re not a family man,” she replied bravely.

      Something changed in his face, in his eyes, as he studied her. “I’ve thought about that a lot recently,” he contradicted. “About a home and children. I might have to give up some of the contract work I do, once the kids came along. I won’t allow my children anywhere near weapons. But I can always write field manuals and train teachers in tactics and strategy and intelligence-gathering,” he added.

      “You don’t know that you could settle for that,” she pointed out.

      “Not until I try,” he agreed. His gaze fell to her soft mouth and lingered there. “But then, no man really wants to tie himself down. It takes a determined woman to make him want it.”

      She felt as if he were trying to tell her something, but before she could ask him to clarify what he’d said, Stevie was back with an armful of soft drinks and the moment was lost.

      JESS AND DALLAS WEREN’T SPEAKING at all when the others arrived. Dallas was toying with a cup of cold coffee, looking unapproachable. When Eb came in the door, Dallas went out it, without a word or a backward glance.

      “I don’t need to ask how it went,” Eb murmured.

      “It would be pretty pointless,” Jessica said dully.

      “Mama, I learned to do breakfalls! I wish I could show you,” Stevie said, climbing into his mother’s lap and hugging her.

      She fought tears as she cuddled him close and kissed his sweaty forehead. “Good for you! You listen when Eb tells you something. He’s very good.”

      “Stevie’s a natural,” Eb chuckled. “In fact, so is your niece.” He gave Sally a slow going-over with his eyes.

      “She’s a quick learner,” Jessica said. “Like I was, once.”

      “I have to get back,” Eb said. “There’s nothing to worry about right now,” he added, careful not to speak too bluntly in front of the child. “I have everything in hand. But I have told Sally to let me know if she plans to go out alone at night, for any reason.”

      “I will,” Sally promised. She didn’t want to risk her aunt’s life, or Stevie’s, by being too independent.

      Eb nodded. “We’ll keep the lessons up at least three times a week,” he told Sally. “I want to move you into self-defense pretty quickly.”

      She understood why and felt uneasy. “Okay.”

      “Don’t worry,” he said gently. “Everything’s going to be fine. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

      She managed a smile for him. “I know that.”

      “Walk me to the door,” he coaxed. “See you, Jess.”

      “Take care, Eb,” Jessie replied, her goodbye echoed by her son’s.

      On the front porch, Eb closed the door and looked down into Sally’s wide gray eyes with concern and something more elusive.

      “I’ll have the house watched,” he promised. “But you have to be careful about even normal things like opening the door when someone comes. Always keep the chain lock on until you know who’s out there. Another thing, you have to keep your doors and windows locked, curtains drawn and an escape route always in mind.”

      She bit her lip worriedly. “I’ve never had to deal with anything like this.”

      His big, warm hands closed over her shoulders. “I know. I’m sorry that you and Stevie have been put in the line of fire along with Jess. But you can handle this,” he said confidently. “You’re strong. You can do whatever you have to do.”

      She searched his hard, lean face, saw the deep lines and scars that the violence of his life had carved into it, and knew that he would never lie to her. Her frown dissolved. His confidence in her made her feel capable of anything. She smiled.

      He smiled back and traced a lazy line from her cheek down to her soft mouth. “If Stevie wasn’t

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