He thought about the missions. He thought about the targets he had taken out. The lives he had taken. The men who relied on him to lead. He had been given three years of his life to the effort in Bhazni, but standing next to Aly he felt there might be something for him outside of the darkness. Whenever he was around her, he felt a calm wash over him that he didn't think he had ever experienced before. He had never trusted another woman like he trusted her. He knew she was worthy of his whole heart. He just hoped he was worthy of hers.

“Where are you taking me?” he asked.

“You sound worried.” She walked past him, brushing her shoulder against his arm.

“Not worried. I just like to know what the plan is.”

She stepped over a log, and Wyatt fought the urge to plant his hands on her hips and ease her feet to the ground on the other side.

“Part of your Army training?” She slowed as they entered a clearing.

“You could say that.” His eyes followed the lines of her generous bottom. He couldn’t stop staring at each of her curves as she moved over the path. Every time she took a step it was if she was trying to drive him crazy.

“You don’t like to talk much about your job do you?” She turned abruptly and Wyatt had to jerk back to avoid slamming into her.

“There’s not much to tell.” His eyes landed on her chest. Holy hell, her breasts heaved with heavy breaths from their walk. He clamped his hands next to his side.

She twisted her lips together. “Why? Were you a trained assassin or something?” She laughed, but the lightness in her voice quickly faded.

Wyatt looked at her sharply.

“No,” he lied.

The last thing he wanted was for her to be afraid of him. “I was trained to do a lot of things. For the Army,” he added. “But I’m not doing that anymore.”

He wasn’t sure he had completely erased the look of suspicion from her face. “You’re not?”

“No.” He shook his head. “I’m done. Not going back.”

“Oh.” Her breathing returned to normal. “Why not?”

“It was time to leave. Three years in that country had started to do things to me I wasn’t sure I could undo.”

Aly’s eyes softened. There were depths in her chestnut eyes that were so warm he wanted to get lost in her. In every part of her. He felt his insides stir.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“For what?” His voice was just as low. He could hear every sound in the forest around them.

“For whatever you went through. For whatever keeps you from telling people you were in the military. For whatever or whoever hurt you.”

Her eyes spoke to him with soft waves of warmth, she was mesmerizing. Their eyes searched each other but the moment was lost when he felt his stomach growl.

“What was that?” The warmth and light in her eyes was replaced with slight concern.

Wyatt took a step back. Damn it. “I’m hungry. Sorry.”

“Oh. Well, I do have some lunch. Come on.”

After he had asked her to give him a tour of St. Claire, Aly had packed a bag for them and driven them a few miles from the inn.

He followed her into the clearing, blaming his need to eat for ruining the moment. They settled on a patch of grass under a statuesque pine tree. She started to unpack their lunch.

“Turkey sandwiches, ok?” She asked. She pulled out a bag of chips and two bottles of water.

“Perfect. He took one of the sandwiches and started eating. It felt so natural to be sitting here with her. He felt at peace.

They sat and took in the scenery around them.

“This is one of the town hot spots?”

“Very hot.” She smiled. “Hot springs, actually.”

“Really?” He stood and walked closer to the creek running next to the low brush. He crouched to the ground then dipped his hand in the water. “It’s warm.”

“See?” She stooped next to him. “Natural hot springs. By the time the creek runs into town the water isn’t hot anymore, but it is here.”

He watched the warm water rush over his palm. Aly pushed her hand below the surface next to him. “When I was a little girl my mom told me it was magic.”

“Magic?” He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

“She said it was the magic that made St. Claire special and it started out here in the woods.”

“And do you still believe in the magic?” His hand floated toward hers, grazing her skin under the warmth of the creek.

He heard the sharp intake of air as their skin touched. He looked at her, his eyes boring into hers.

She nodded. “I do,” she whispered.