Kate had worked her ass off all night. Colt and his friends had tipped well—above what was automatically included in their bill, making the extra shift well worth her time and effort.

“Thanks for coming in tonight,” Trip said when Kate was gathering her purse and jacket from the back office.

“You’re welcome. They were a fun group.”

“I saw that.”

She turned to Trip. He was smirking at her.

She had to have blushed. “I’m sorry about before.”

“Don’t apologize to me. As long as I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you involved with a guy.”

“Yeah, but I was working, and it was inappropriate.”

“Kate, I said it was fine. Is it serious?”

She waved a hand. “Pfft. No. I just met him.”

“Well, he seems to like you. His friends left more than thirty minutes ago, and yet he’s sitting in the bar having a soda.”

“He is?” A flutter of excitement erupted in her stomach, followed quickly by a feeling of dread—dread for the inevitable. She’d have to send him away. If not tonight, then tomorrow. But why delay? “Thanks, Trip.”

“Have a good night.”

* * *

Kate entered the bar. It was nearing two a.m., and the crowd had dwindled.

Colt must have sensed her in the doorway, because he turned just as she took the first step toward him. Smiling, he slid off the bar stool and greeted her by kissing her cheek. “Can I get you a drink?”

“No, thank you,” she said softly. She sat on the stool beside him.

When he sat, he let his legs knock against hers, sandwiching one of hers between his.

“I thought about sending you a note today,” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

He turned to her. “What stopped you?” he asked carefully.

She shrugged. “A chain of events that made me realize that I wasn’t thinking straight.”

Colt played with the straw in his glass. “Ever think maybe you’re thinking too much?”

“No.” She kept her eyes on his. She needed him to hear her—to understand what she said next. “I’m not just protecting my heart—that’s not what this is about. I can’t get involved with you. Or anyone else. Not for one day. Not for a month. Not for ten years.”

Colt reached out a hand and scooped hers up in it. “What happened to you?” Colt asked.

“Nothing. I just need you to understand that I realize it’s strange that we ran into each other a second night in a row—”

“Ice said it was fate.”

She smiled. “I don’t believe in fate.” She moved to slide off the stool, but Colt quickly shifted his legs and locked her in place, forcing her to stand between his legs at eye level with him. “This ends here, Colt. I’m sorry, but I just can’t let this go any further.”

“Bullshit,” he said. “Whatever it is that you’re dealing with, I can handle.”

She stared down into his warm, pleading eyes.

“Those guys in there,” he said before she could talk again. “Those guys are part of my unit. They’re my brothers. We’re Navy SEALs.”

She had suspected they were Navy based on the proximity to Norfolk, not to mention the lean, athletic builds, but she hadn’t gone as far as to think they were SEALs. “Navy SEALs can’t help me,” she said, and dammit if a lump didn’t form in her throat, followed by a crack in her voice.

She liked Colt. She had enjoyed the night before. But she had decided shortly after a dead rat appeared on her front porch—even if that had just been some stupid coincidence—that her life wasn’t hers to give freely. She had to consider her daughter. And she had to consider how much people had sacrificed to make her safe with a new identity.

And last night had been one night. Colt was nice and all, but he’d known her barely twenty-four hours. What would he say when he discovered she had a daughter? And even if she could tell him about her mountain of baggage, how would he possibly deal with that?

“Let me help you,” Colt said. “If nothing else, trust me enough to tell me what has you so scared.”

“Colt,” she laughed uncomfortably. “You’ve known me all of one day.”

“Yes.” He paused a couple of beats. “But I save people for a living.”

Kate’s jaw hardened. “I don’t need to be saved,” she said through gritted teeth. She pushed through Colt’s leg. But he grabbed her arm.

“Hey, pal,” Luke, the bartender behind the bar, said. “You’re gonna want to remove your hands from the lady.”

He did. His intention was not to hurt or scare Kate. “I’m sorry.” He nodded to the bartender, then looked to Kate and lowered his voice so that only she could hear. “I just don’t want you to walk out on me so fast. I don’t know what it is, but I am drawn to you in a way I just can’t explain. Unlike anything I’ve ever felt.”

Kate’s face softened. She looked at Luke. “It’s okay.” He went back to cleaning up the bar for closing. She reached a hand to Colt’s face, cupping his cheek. “You have no idea what you’re saying. I’m not someone you want to get involved with beyond a single night.”

“You can’t decide that for me.” He placed his hand over hers, leaning in to her warm touch against his skin. “Tell me right now that you haven’t wondered in the past eighteen hours what it would be like to spend more time together.”

She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “I told you I had. But to what end? You’re leaving the day after tomorrow.”

“So what? You think we’re the first couple to ever meet and decide to have a long-distance relationship? At least get to know me a little better before you decide to shove me away.”

“Listen to yourself. We’re not a couple. We shared one night together.”

“Yes, and I’m asking you to give me one more night before you decide to walk away forever.” He didn’t give her a chance to answer this time. He pulled her to him and pressed his lips to hers. Out of respect for her, and the fact that they were still standing inside the bar of the restaurant she worked in, he released her quickly. He pressed his forehead to hers. “One more night.”

She was breathing hard from the kiss, and her mind was swimming with the possibility that anything could exist between them beyond another night.

She reached down, intertwined her fingers in his, then looked up into his dark blue eyes and gave him a simple nod.