Free Code Name: Kayla's Fire by Natasza Waters Page B

him there if he touched Kayla again,
wasn’t taken seriously.
    “You’ve always been a good guesser, Mon Belle ,” Lapierre rumbled in her ear. “A siren of the seas
casting magical spells.” She laughed, and swatted him on the ass.
    Lapierre held her hand as she sat down. When she settled, he reached
for the other and cupped them in his, giving her a deep once-over. “Angel,
you’ve been holding out on me,” he said in a teasing but concerned way.
    “What?” her eyes widened, and then narrowed as she shot a look his
way.
    “You’ve been having your—moments—again, non ?”
    She bit her lip, and tried to pull away from him, but Lapierre
wouldn’t let her go. He tenderly brushed her cheek. “Don’t you dare lie to me,
Angel.”
    She nodded. “Yes, but they’ve eased off, I’ve got it under control.”
    He drew her hands to his lips, and gave them a quick kiss. “Right,” he
said as if he didn’t believe her.
    “Don’t worry. Now, tell me about home.”
    While Lapierre and Kayla caught up on people and places he didn’t
know, he ordered a round for them. Amanda was a sharp woman, and saw the same
thing he did in Lapierre’s expression. Love—pure, unadulterated love. Kayla
mirrored it, but without the final piece. He felt like a third wheel, but he
had no choice but to accept Lapierre. Kayla did not intend to let the man stray
too far.
    With Kayla’s presence, Lapierre evolved into a different guy. He was
relaxed, sexually charged, and sending out all the signals a guy can send with
charm and warmth. They constantly touched each other, and it bothered him that
she seemed completely relaxed with Lapierre, more than she ever was with him.
She and Lapierre had chemistry, but Kayla withheld the final element that would
make them combustible.
    “Can I take you out to dinner?” Lapierre asked.
    “Sounds good to me, I don’t feel like cooking much these days. I know
this great place near the Landing where I live.”
    An arrow of jealousy shot through Thane. She was talking about the
Italian restaurant he’d taken her to the first time they’d spent any meaningful
moments together. In reflection, probably the first time he admitted to himself
that he was having a hard time seeing her as just one of his staff. He
intervened. “Actually, there’s a new place in the Gaslamp district, Italian,”
he said sharply. Kayla turned, and gave him a contemplative look. The Landing
was their place, their memory, and he didn’t want her making any new ones with
Lapierre.
    His cell buzzed, and he palmed it reading the text. No fucking way. His presence required
ASAP at the base. He darted a look at Lapierre. One black slash of eyebrow rose
with triumph. “I’m needed at the base.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll catch up
with you later.”
    “Captain?”
    Shit, he wished she’d stop calling him that, especially in front of
Lapierre. It put distance between them. He didn’t want that, not any more. He
wanted her. All of her. Asking her to be his girlfriend hadn’t taken the balls
of steel he thought it would. It had been so natural, maybe because in his mind
he’d already decided she was his forever girl. His gaze sunk into her dark eyes,
and kept falling into the endless depth of them.
    In that moment he knew, if she went with Lapierre to Hawaii, he’d end
up on a mission and he would come home in a box. His concentration would be
shot, and his reason for coming home would be gone. Snapping back to the
present, he said. “I have to go, Kayla. That was Manchester. He might have
something we can fete out.” He leaned forward, and brushed a slow kiss on her
mouth. With the simple touch of her soft lips, his mind lost focus, his libido
shot through the roof, and he wanted to take her here in front of the other man
who loved her. It was a primal, possessive instinct. He leaned his forehead
against hers, and let out a deep breath. “If you buy a ticket to Hawaii, you
might as well buy two, I’m calling