Andy refused to let that go. “If you really think that, you’re not as smart as everyone says you are.”

“You want to go at it?” Rick stepped back, showing off his two-inch height advantage and muscles honed by years of intense training. “Right now. We can have this out.”

Fighting wouldn’t move this argument one inch, so Andy didn’t even try. He held his hands up in the air. “You’ve got the wrong brother.”

“I will make this right with Gabe.”

Andy let his hands fall until his palms smacked against the table. “You know what you need to do to make that happen, and you won’t do it.”

“You can’t ask me to potentially walk away from the truth.”

The truth that would drive them all to the brink of emotional destruction. Andy couldn’t sit there. He shoved his chair back, letting it spin from the force of his push as he stood up. “You know what, Rick? I’m not asking you to do anything. Neither is Gabe. If someone needs to go out there and find him and report back, I’ll do it. You can pretty up your report and—”

“No.”

Andy exhaled, not holding back one bit of the frustration he held for the older brother he once idolized. “Oh, I see. You want Gabe to know you’re watching over him and be the one to rescue him.”

It made sense. Truth was, Rick could have turned down this job from the CIA and insisted someone else be sent out to check on Natalie. He acted now as if having his men lead on this protected her because his guys being out there might prevent a team of assassins from being sent. All true, but digging down to the core, Andy suspected this was really about Rick needing to ride in and be Gabe’s savior. As if that would somehow balance the books.

“He needs to know he’s not as safe as he thinks he is,” Rick said.

Oh, he got it. They all did. “You’ve already taught him that lesson.”

The red heat of fury stained Rick’s cheeks again. “Fuck you.”

“Good luck finding him. You’re on your own.” With that, Andy sat down and did what he’d been doing for months . . . pretended his oldest brother wasn’t there.

•   •   •

Natalie stood by the woodstove but her attention kept wandering back to Gabe. To last night. To his mouth. The scratch of his beard against her inner thighs had driven her wild until energy burst through her and she could not get close enough.

She’d suspected he could back up his sensual promises with real action, but she had underestimated the man. The combination of his big hands and that tongue had turned her insides to mush. She could only imagine what other skills he kept hidden behind his spare-talking façade.

At first she thought it was probably a good thing he ran from the bed as soon as her eyes opened again. Now she wasn’t so sure. The night had come and gone. So had most of today. If the man chopped any more wood, their location would be spotted because the stacks would be high enough to be seen from space.

As far as she could tell, while there were things in the cabin to keep their attention, they were running out of ways to stay away from each other. Not that she even wanted to anymore. Truth was she knew she could handle any attacker that came her way. With Gabe’s help, she’d be able to take down wave after wave of gunmen sent to her door. She didn’t need him for protection, but after weeks of him sniffing around and her following his every move she did need him for other things.

She glanced over to the sink and watched him play with the lid to an ancient stovetop coffeepot. Then her gaze traveled over those faded jeans and the way they highlighted his impressive ass.

Yeah, enough waiting.

“Did you actually bring condoms with you?” she asked into the quiet room.

“Shit.” The metal pot bounced as he juggled it from hand to hand and caught it right before it crashed to the floor.

Seemed those hands were good at everything. “Smooth.”

He stared at her a bit more wide-eyed than usual as he placed the pot on the small counter with a thud without ever breaking eye contact. “You certainly know how to open a conversation.”

Then the job he’d been concentrating on so hard hit her. “Why are you making coffee like that?”

“I can’t exactly go for a drive and get it.” He frowned as he reached down and scooped the dropped lid off the floor and slammed it on the counter.

“There’s an automatic coffeemaker in the bathroom.” An odd place to put it, but she saw it every time she stepped into the claustrophobic room, so she knew.

“That’s part of the homemade hot water heater.” His eyebrow lifted when she didn’t say anything. “It’s attached.”

She ignored the way he slowed down his words as if talking to a child. “Are you serious?”

“Almost always.” He held up a hand. “But go back to the condom question.”

Now she had his attention. Almost made her sorry the sexiest thing he’d packed for her was a thin white T-shirt and sturdy white cotton panties. She didn’t know who shopped for this trip, but clearly it was someone who wanted her to stay clothed. “It’s inevitable.”

His frown grew deeper and deeper. “And the ‘it’ is . . . ?”

Looked like he wanted her to say it. Fine with her. She was a big girl and she knew what she wanted—him all over her. “Sex.”

“We’re supposed to be riding out danger.” His words might sound tough but that look said he was turning over the infinite possibilities in his head. A small smile replaced his frown, and he took a step toward her.

“Maybe I’d rather ride you.”

He visibly exhaled. “Natalie . . . ”

“I’m a big girl, Gabe.”

His gaze swept over her. “No argument there.”

She could almost see his resistance crumble. “And I know what I want.”

“I’m listening.”

“Are you worried about anyone sneaking up on us or on the cabin?”

“No.” He stopped in front of her, and his hands went to her hips.

The warmth from his palms seeped through her shirt and sweater straight to her skin. “I know from your lecture—”

“I don’t lecture.”

“—you have traps and alarms all around this place.”

“Of course.”

Just as she expected from his training. He had contingency plans, and plans for whatever came next if those failed. She was half surprised he hadn’t figured out a way to throw a net on the whole area and hide them under it.

“I’m guessing, absent a drone flying over, we’d have warning.” Her hands went to the wide expanse of his chest. Played with the black buttons on his plaid shirt. She’d never cared for the whole mountain-man, lumberjack style . . . until now.

“Even then I’d try to shoot it down,” he said, in a tone so serious she almost laughed.

She forced her gaze away from his shoulders to his face. “With what?”

That small smile slipped into a full grin. “Do you really have to ask?”

“Right.” He probably would have a rocket launcher stored around here somewhere. The man was prepared for anything. At least she hoped that was true, which brought her back to the original question. “Well, my point is that we’re as safe here as we would be anywhere, so do you actually have condoms or was that some sort of guy smack talk?”

“Once you have one kid you didn’t exactly plan for, you’re really careful about this type of thing.”

Interesting. Another tiny window into the real man behind the carefully crafted image in her file on him. She’d take a bigger peek later. Right now she had other things on her mind. “I’m hoping that means yes.”

“I always bring condoms on a job.” His hands slid down and over her ass. With a hand over each cheek, he squeezed as he pulled her tighter against him.

Her breath hitched in her chest, but she fought to keep her voice steady. “Even though you said you never have sex when you’re working?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting answer. You see why I’m confused, right?” She actually didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. Not when his hands massaged her like that.