Brogan expected both commanders to give him the “hands off” speech where Kat was concerned. He knew the score. Always followed the code. No messing with family. So when Commander Crawford spouted the complete opposite, he nearly gave himself whiplash.

“Sir?” Brogan pulled his gaze from the sexy woman staring at him from across the room, and settled it back on the smiling man. Was his former CO beginning to succumb to the pressure he was under? “Say again, sir?”

Crawford’s chuckle echoed that of Commander Knight. “You heard me correctly.” He squeezed Brogan’s shoulder before releasing him. “Since you’re no longer active duty, I said you didn’t have to worry about the code. As far as I’m concerned, with you it’s null and void. I remember the way you used to look at her photo in my office. So, if you two happen to hit it off while you’re sequestered on the mountain, don’t let me get in the way.”

He blinked, totally at a loss. “I don’t understand. Why would you do that, sir?”

“Make no mistake, O’Neal, I wouldn’t give just anyone my blessing.” A frown removed the ‟humanity” from his face, turning the guy back into the ruthless commander Brogan recognized. “And if you hurt her, I’ll puree your nuts in a blender and feed them to you through a straw, because you won’t have any damn teeth left in your mouth.”

Now that was the threat he’d expected…only, it was supposed to follow the “hands off” speech, not the “go ahead” one.

What the hell? Was this some kind of test?

He bounced his gaze from Hank to his men, noting their expressions ranged from amused to confused. Damn—could he relate.

“Look, O’Neal. Don’t sweat it,” Crawford said. “I just wanted you to know where I stood should the occasion arise. If it doesn’t, that’s fine. No big deal. You’re one of the few men I feel is worthy of my niece. And…” the man paused and blew out a breath, but remained silent.

“And what, sir?” he prompted, his gut telling him he wasn’t going to like the answer.

“And I wanted you to know that in case I don’t return,” Crawford replied.

Shit. Yeah, he definitely didn’t want to hear that.

“So, do we have an understanding?” The commander’s gaze was direct and unyielding.

Yeah, he understood. Commander Crawford wanted to make sure his niece had someone to turn to, someone to have her back, someone to care about her in case he died during his pursuit of the extremist.

The first two were no brainers. Brogan had no problem with them. It was the third one he couldn’t promise. That would require opening his heart.

Last time he did that, he’d ended up married. Then divorced, with barely a shard of his shattered heart remaining. But he’d do his best to ease the commander’s fears.

“Yes, sir.”

It wasn’t a lie. If Crawford didn’t return, he would do his best to take care of the woman. But the man was too cantankerous to die, or fail. So, Brogan was already pretty much off the hook.

Besides, there was an even slimmer chance the woman would be interested in a former SEAL from Montana. She already admitted she liked the beach. He did, too, but he also loved the mountains. This was his home. His grandfather had pegged him right. Montana was in his blood. Since he’d promised not to rejoin the teams, he wasn’t leaving it for anyone.

Once upon a time, he’d curbed the things he wanted in life to please a woman. He’d foolishly catered to Marley’s every whim, because he felt guilty about dragging her from base to base, and leaving her on a moment’s notice, without divulging where he was going.

All it had gotten him was betrayed.

Never again.

“Good.” The commander nodded. “With that said, I’m counting on your survival skills and knowledge of the land to keep her safe and out of enemy hands, should they manage to track her down.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And do not, under any circumstances, underestimate her abilities,” Crawford warned. “Naval Intelligence hated to lose her, but she resigned to take care of my mother when round-the-clock supervision was required. Kat refused to let a stranger do it. She was a damn good NIO. Never forget, she is an asset, not a liability. If you come under fire, let her help. Her sniper skills rival the best.”

Brogan raised a brow.

“Yes,” Commander Knight spoke up. “Even yours.”

Damn, he’d have to see that to believe it.

“Hopefully, you won’t have a reason to find out for yourself,” Crawford said, as if reading his thoughts. “Knight and his agency will help me rid the world of this monster, then Kat will be free to leave.”

“Yes, sir.” With both those men on the trail, there would be no other outcome.

“We need to push off.” Crawford shook his hand one last time. “I’ll be in touch.”

Brogan didn’t bother to ask how. Crawford was a man of many means, and twice as many surprises. He hid a smile as he watched the guy shake hands with the other men.

“He left out one very important point.” Command Knight stepped close, purposely eating up his personal space.

“What’s that, sir?” he asked.

“Katharina is nothing like Marley.”

Not only did that not matter, it didn’t warrant a comment. And although he wanted to step back with every fiber of his being, Brogan remained rigid and completely still.

“You’ll do well to remember that,” Knight said, his gaze direct, and damned uncomfortable, and Brogan nearly let out a sigh of relief when the man moved back and held out his hand. “I’ve no reason to repeat any of Crawford’s orders. You’ve got this. But I do think his advice to Kat about treating this like a vacation was on point. A very cautious, heavily armed one. But, Kat likes the outdoors. Keep her busy. Don’t just let her paint. Show her why a Navy SEAL would make Montana his home.”

“Will do, sir.”

Five minutes later, he stood by the large living room window with the others, watching the chopper lift off and disappear out of sight.

“I’m sure everything will be all right,” Sadie said to Kat. “Why don’t you come upstairs with me and I’ll pack you a suitcase.”

Kat frowned. “Suitcase?”

“I’m guessing you can’t have more than a change or two of clothes in the backpack you dropped by the door.” Sadie cocked her head. “At least, I’m assuming it’s yours.”

“Yeah.” Kat nodded. “It’s mine. And you’re right. There’s…not many clothes in it. My godfather wisely neglected to tell me I was going to be staying in Montana for an undisclosed amount of time, twiddling my thumbs while they hunted bad guys.”

Sadie chuckled. “You never would’ve gotten on the chopper.”

“Damn straight,” she said, her brown eyes flashing fire. Brogan could feel the heat clear across the room. “I need protection about as much as Hank’s men.”

Hank grinned. “Rest assured, we’d all feel the same way. But we’d also have the good sense, as you did, to allow your uncle the ability to do his job with a clear head and no distractions.”

“Exactly why I’m still here,” she said. “With a bunch of art supplies, a shit-ton of worry, and little else.”

“Well, I can take care of that.” Sadie set a hand on Kat’s back and led her toward the stairs. “Let’s go shopping in my closet.”

Swede sidled up to him after the women disappeared upstairs. “So…your first assignment with Brotherhood is with Crawford’s niece.”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “So?”

“The one we watched grow up on his credenza.”

“Still don’t see where this is going.”

“The niece we were never to give a passing glance or he threatened to sling us up the flagpole by our dicks.”

Hank chuckled. “Crawford sure could get colorful.”

“Yeah, but the commander was serious. And now, poor Sonic is not only going to glance at her, he’s going to shack up with her, alone, at his secluded cabin.” Swede scratched his jaw.

“I’m just going to watch over her,” he said, not liking where this was going.

Swede nodded. “Yeah.”

“Not touch her.” His annoyance level was fast reaching it’s peak.

Swede just stared at him while the others nodded.

He muttered a curse. “I’m not.”

“Of course not.” The bastard was pushing it.

He clenched his fists. “I mean it.”

“I know.”

“Then why the hell are you all grinning?”

“Because the rest of us are in solid relationships,” Swede replied.

“That’s great. Good for you,” he said. “What the hell does that have to do with me and this assignment?”

Swede folded his arms across his chest. “It’s your first one with BP.”

“Yeah. So?” He shrugged.

A smirk crossed the blond hulk’s face. “So, we know something you don’t.”

“And that is?”

Swede leaned closer. “Each of us fell for the woman we protected on our first assignments.”

“Wait…we did?” Bear frowned, glancing at each man before a big grin curved his mouth. “I’ll be damned. You’re right, Swede!” A large hand cupped Brogan’s shoulder. “Enjoy what’s left of your bachelorhood, frogman.”

He shook the idiot off. “My bachelorhood is just fine.”

“But not for long,” his DF buddy spoke up.

“Ah, Taz, not you, too?”

“Sorry, Sonic.” Taz shrugged. “Statistics aren’t in your favor. BP is seven for seven.”

“Then I guess I’ll be breaking that streak,” he said, walking to the corner to start loading the art supplies into his truck.

“Whatever you say, Sonic. But we all witnessed what happened when the two of you shook hands. Hell, the temperature in the room shot up ten degrees.”

Hank grabbed the easel and followed him outside. “He’s right, Brogan. I was standing next to you and saw the whole thing.”

Tired of the stupid conversation, he clamped his jaw and descended the steps. No reason to answer. It’d only feed the fire. He opened his truck and dropped the canvases on the back seat while Hank opened the passenger door and finagled the easel inside.

“She felt it too, you know.” His buddy’s gaze met his across the cab. “Whatever passed between you, she felt it too.”

Why the hell that made his pulse race, Brogan refused to dissect. And he sure as hell wasn’t about to comment on it. Pivoting around, he intended to head inside to fetch the rest of Kat’s stuff when Taz exited the house with the remaining supplies, followed by Swede, lugging a large suitcase, then Sadie, laughing at something Kat said to…the baby she cradled in her arms?

If Swede had danced on his toes down the steps wearing nothing but a pink tutu, Brogan couldn’t have been more shocked. Which was damn stupid. Lots of women held babies. It was not big deal. Kat holding Emily should not have that effect on him.

So why did it feel as if all the air suddenly was sucked from his lungs and shot into the atmosphere?

***

The more distance her elite protector put between them and the Pattersons, the better Kat felt. If the person, or people, making threats showed up in Eagle Rock, she wanted them on her trail, not anyone else’s.

Especially baby Emily’s.

“You okay?” Brogan glanced sideways at her.

She nodded. “Yeah. Why?”

He held her gaze another second before returning his attention to the road. “Hank can take care of his own, if need be.”

So, he was hot and a mind reader.

A mind bender, too.

She couldn’t think straight when he was near. Being cooped in the cab of his truck upped her internal temperature to molten, and sent her pulse to Mach speed.

She cleared her dry throat. “I just don’t want there to be a need be. It’s bad enough I’ve been dropped in your lap, and am about to disrupt your…life.” She nearly included “love” in that sentence. Lord, what was her problem? She felt strange, and was acting out of character. Perhaps it was the mountain air. That had to be it. The altitude. Must be, because his personal life was none of her business. “I’ll apologize now if I cause trouble between you and your girlfriend.”

Dammit.

She was highly trained. Lethal in hand-to-hand, and firearms. Possessed a high IQ. A master at burying emotions. So why the hell was she so freakin’ pathetic around this man?

That’s all he was. A man. She met his mesmerizing gaze, again. Okay. He wasn’t just any man. He was the sexy man she’d crushed on for years.

This could be a good thing, she silently reasoned. It would give her chance to get to know the real guy, and not the one who lived in her fantasies. For all she knew, he was a pompous jerk, with bad hygiene, and no respect for animals.

Any one of those bad traits would kill her unwanted desire for the guy.

“No girlfriend,” he finally replied.

Finding it suddenly easier to breathe, Kat attributed the relief washing through her body as a by-product of putting her situation into perspective. By staying with Brogan, as her uncle had asked, she’d put her obsession for the sexy SEAL to bed.

She swallowed a groan over her bad word choice.

“How about you?” He turned onto a road that headed uphill. “Is there a significant other I should worry about?”

For the past year, her grandmother had been her significant other. “No.” Gripping the seat as the climb grew steeper, she willed the man to keep his gaze on the road.

“Hard to believe.”

Unsure if she’d heard the words or imagined them, she glanced at him. He had both hands on the wheel, gaze trained straight ahead. It was official. She was imagining things. As the road leveled off, so did her pulse, and she eased her grip on the seat.

“Why’d you leave DEVGRU?” she asked, then shook her head. “I’m sorry. That was probably too personal.”

“It’s okay,” he replied, turning onto yet another road. “I’m your bodyguard. You have a right to know my history.”

For some reason, those words warmed her from within. So did the fact it was becoming clear he wasn’t a pompous jerk at all.

“I left when my grandfather was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. And just before he passed, he made me promise not to go back.”

The opposite of a pompous jerk.

Without thinking, she set her hand on his arm. “That had to be tough. I’m sorry.”

He turned to her and blinked as if he’d never heard the words before. This induced a sudden burning in her throat.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

Knowing tears were the last thing a man like him would want, she fought them back, and released his arm, opting to nod instead of reply. Besides, every time she opened her mouth around the guy, she said something stupid.

Silence enveloped the cab for the remainder of the drive. She had more questions for him, but since they were going to be cooped up together for a while, she figured she had time and a better shot at sounding normal if she cleared the fog from her brain by putting space between them.

Right now, they were too confined. She could practically feel him breathing. But it was a good thing. It kept her focus on him and off her uncle and godfather and the dangers they were about to face.

Brogan turned onto a dirt drive, and soon the road opened into a clearing. It was like something out of a movie. He stopped in front of a beautiful log cabin with a small corral and barn on one side, and another barn on the other side. But what stole her breath was the massive mountain jutting up sharply in the background.

Her gasp echoed through the silent cab. “This is amazing.” Without waiting for his reply, Kat slipped from the truck and staggered a few feet, completely in awe of the majestic beauty surrounding her. The forest was thick and lush. Such a contrast to the rock mountain. “Truly incredible,” she repeated, her fingers itching to sketch and paint until they fell off.

Goose bumps covered her arms. “Who knew something so beautiful existed?” She rubbed them away and glanced at the man leaning against his truck, regarding her with an unreadable expression on his face.

No doubt, he thought she was stupid.

So what? He may be used to the view, but she wasn’t.

“Sorry,” she said, turning around in a circle. “I don’t know where to look first. It’s impossible to take it all in with just one glance.”

He nodded. “Take all the time you need. I’ll move your things into the house.”

“Thanks.” She smiled and turned back to stare at the mountain, marveling at the rock hues and how trees managed to grow on such a hard surface.

In the corral, two horses wandered over, so she met them at the fence and slowly lifted her hands for each to sniff. With their ears upright and posture welcoming, she stroked their withers and talked softly to them. After a few minutes of petting, she stepped back and blew in their noses as a form of greeting, delighted when they both blew back. She had two new friends.

She also had an observer.

Turning to where she felt someone watching, she found Brogan standing in the middle of the driveway, easel in one hand, suitcase in the other, and a stunned look directed at her.

“Is everything all right?” She moved toward him.

He blinked, then nodded. “Yeah. Didn’t expect you to know your way around horses.”

She smiled. “Grew up with them on my uncle’s ranch in Virginia.” A flash of guilt skittered through her. “I’m sorry. Let me help. I didn’t mean for you carry everything in.”

“I’m good,” he said, and continued toward the house.

Well, she wasn’t good with letting him do all the heavy lifting. She walked around the open truck door, and noted he’d carried in everything but her supply box, sketch pad, and backpack. He was either quick, or the horses had occupied her longer than she’d thought. She grasped the last of her belongings, shut the door, and hurried after him, immediately falling in love with the large front porch that ran the length of the home.

The wooden posts and railing were hand carved with grooves that mimicked the surrounding pines and matched the table and two chairs grouped in front of a large window.

“Let me take those.” Brogan appeared and tugged the things from her hands before she could protest.

Taking advantage of her free hands, she ran them over the rail. “This porch is amazing. The rails look homemade.”

“My grandfather made them. He built the whole house,” Brogan said, pride lighting his eyes. “He took his time with the porch.”

“It’s beautiful.” She turned to face him, then gasped when she caught sight of the opened door. “Wow…” Kat brushed past him to examine the wooden door full of intricate carvings of wildlife and the surrounding landscape. There was even a deck of cards with the ace and jack of spades showing. “Did he make this door, too? It’s incredible!”

Brogan walked into the house and set her things by the rest of her stuff on the couch. “I made it.”

She straightened and shot her gaze to him. “You made the door?”

“Yes,” he replied. “For my grandfather, before I joined the Navy.”

“Wow, Brogan. You’re gifted,” she stated. “This is truly a work of art.”

He shrugged. “My grandfather taught me to carve when I was a kid. It’s just something I enjoy doing.”

“It shows.” She turned back to study the door once more, smiling as she ran her fingertips over the playing cards. “I’ve got to ask. Why the cards?”

Awareness spread down her spine as he drew up behind her. “It was my grandfather’s favorite card game. And his nickname. Black Jack.”

For some reason, his explanation triggered a wave of emotion that formed a heated ball in her throat. “Perfect,” she replied, but it came out as a whisper. She tried swallowing. That didn’t help. Clearing it wasn’t much better.

“Agreed.” His warm breath tickled her exposed neck, sending goose bumps down her spine.

Unable to breathe, and barely able to think, she willed the man to move. He did.

Closer.