"Didn't know if you expected to be carried."

"I understand the concept of the festivals," she told him, checking to make sure the door was locked then joining him on the walkway. "I've been to several. I bid on ca.s.seroles at the Great Ca.s.serole Cook-off in February."

"Did you win?"

She tilted her head. "Seriously? You have to ask?"

"Apparently not. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. I had a couple of crackers and sparkling water. I'm better." Her mouth twisted. "Is this the awkward part of the conversation where I point out I brushed my teeth when I got home?" She looked away. "I can't believe I threw up. Or fell. Or any of it."

"You thought you were going to crash into the floor. You reacted. We've all done it."

"Fall off a fake mountainside? I don't think so."

"It's not the mistake," he told her, reaching for her hand. "It's what you do once you realize you've screwed up. You got back on the horse. Or in this case, the mountain."

She started to pull her hand away, then paused and looked at him. He sensed she was about to make a decision. He wanted her to choose him. After what felt like a lifetime, she relaxed and laced her fingers with his.

"I feel like a prize idiot."

"That's the best kind of idiot to be."

They reached the sidewalk and he turned them toward town.

"The first time I met Marie, she was pulled off at the side of the road and changing a flat tire." He paused, remembering the moment and smiling. "I take that back. Two guys had stopped to help or maybe try to pick her up. Either way, they were talking to her and she wasn't looking too happy about it."

"Compet.i.tion," Taryn murmured. "Let me guess. You ignored them and changed the tire while they attempted to charm her."

"You got it," he said, surprised she had guessed. Although he shouldn't be. Taryn saw things others didn't. "When I was done, Marie told the other two to get lost. She was only interested in a man who took care of things, not ones who just talked about it."

He stopped, startled at the turn of conversation. He never talked about Marie and certainly wouldn't with a woman. Yet here he was, spilling his emotional guts.

Way to get laid, he grumbled silently. Because talking about his late wife was sure to get Taryn hot.

But he'd already plunged into this particular ocean. He was going to have to swim for sh.o.r.e.

"She was tough," he continued. "Confident, but with a soft side. You remind me a lot of her."

She glanced at him. "Thank you. I know how you felt about her, so it's a compliment."

He nodded, pleased that she understood where he was coming from.

They reached the center of town. The parade was over but there were booths set up all over.

"This was my first festival," he told her. "When I got here last year. Shocked the h.e.l.l out of me."

"I'll bet. And now look at you. An FWM Grove Keeper."

"Yeah, I still haven't figured out how that happened."

"You volunteered."

Taryn smiled at a couple of people she knew and called out a greeting to a third. She felt ridiculously exposed, walking around with Angel, holding his hand. She wanted to pull away, to put distance between them. But she didn't-mostly because in a weird, twisted way, it felt good to be just like everyone else. Even if it was only for an afternoon.

They stopped by a booth with a display of dried and silk flowers. "You could get a bouquet for your dining room table," he told her.

She rolled her eyes. "Really?"

He grinned. "No. You're not the flower type. You're more edgy. Maybe just the stems in a statement on modern minimalism."

"I'm surprised you know what minimalism is, modern or otherwise."

He flashed her a smile. "I don't. I was faking it."

They walked by the park. Angel bought her some fudge that was delicious enough to be worth the extra time she would have to spend on the elliptical. They browsed the latest bestsellers in Morgan's Books, then headed for Brew-haha.

But before they reached the coffee shop, Angel pulled her across the street toward the park. He circled around kids playing and families sitting on blankets in the late-afternoon sun.

She thought about asking where they were going but decided she didn't care. Not really. Something had happened to her today. She supposed it was the fact that she'd pretty much been at her worst and he hadn't blinked. She wasn't ready to say she would trust him with her life, but she knew things had shifted between them. He knew it, too. Telling her more about Marie proved that.

She wasn't completely surprised when he pulled her to a stop by a large tree that offered privacy from everyone around them. She stepped into his embrace easily, wanting to feel his arms around her. Wanting his mouth on hers and his body providing warmth and support.

He didn't disappoint. The second they were sheltered from staring eyes, he pressed his lips to hers. But this wasn't like the previous kiss. There was no gentleness, no polite introduction. He kissed hard and hot, claiming her with his mouth. She parted and he swept his tongue inside. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, wanting to feel his hard body against hers.

He was all muscle-nothing about him yielded. She accepted that just as she accepted the deep, pa.s.sionate strokes as he kissed her. She accepted and then moved in tandem, needing him to feel what she felt.

Wanting began in her belly and spiraled out in all directions. It heated and melted and made her want to climb inside him. What would he be like in bed? She was tired of polite men who asked too many questions. She didn't want to have to say what she would like this time or rate how good something felt. She wasn't looking to be dominated; she just wanted to be...taken.

He drew back and looked into her eyes. "I want you," he breathed. "Naked, wet and screaming my name."

Taryn's throat went dry. "That would be nice."

One eyebrow rose. "But not yet."

"What?" she gasped before she could stop herself. Obviously they wouldn't do it in the park, but...what?

He winked. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d actually winked. "I told you I was good at waiting."

Then it occurred to her that she had gotten exactly what she'd asked for. A man willing to play by her rules, d.a.m.n him. Not knowing what else to do, she started to laugh. Angel chuckled with her, and then they walked back to the festival.

"I need a drink," she told him.

"Me, too, dollface. Me, too."

TARYN LEANED BACK in her chair and sipped her coffee. The partner meeting had been scheduled to start right at nine, only Kenny hadn't shown up yet. He'd also missed the basketball game that morning-or so Sam had told her.

Jack glanced at his watch. "Want to go on without him or reschedule?"

Before Taryn could answer, Kenny walked in. He looked rumpled and red-eyed. There was a tension to his shoulders, as if every part of him hurt. And not in an "I used to play football" kind of way.

Sam took one look at him and grinned. Jack slapped him on the back, then loudly said, "Looks like you have a hangover."

Kenny poured himself some coffee and moved toward the table.

"I said-" Jack began, the volume even higher.

Kenny glared at him. "I heard you the first time."

"You should have said something."

"Later, I'll kill you. Just so we're clear."

Sam chuckled. "A blonde or the bottle?"

"Both and I'm never going to let it happen again."

Taryn faked a yawn. "If I had a nickel," she told him. "You look horrible."

"I feel horrible."

"You're too old to party," Jack told him. "The price is too high."

"You think?" Kenny asked as he sank into his seat and closed his eyes. "Why are we having a meeting?"

"We're updating Sam and Taryn on the Living Life at a Run account."

Kenny opened one eye and looked at her. "It's going great," he mumbled, then closed the eye.

"I feel better now," she said. She opened the folder in front of her. All of this could wait, she thought. At least until Kenny rejoined the land of the living. He didn't go for broke often, but when it happened, it wasn't pretty.

She turned to Sam. "What's the update on the party?" she asked.

Sam stiffened. "I'm handling it."

"Does that mean you've done anything? Because I'm not hearing any details. Not to put too fine a point on it, but tick, tick, tick."

"Get off me."

She looked at Jack, who shrugged. "What aren't you telling me?" she asked Sam.

"Nothing about the party."

She studied him as he spoke and noted that he wasn't looking at her. Great, Kenny was a mess and Sam was keeping secrets.

"I swear," she muttered as she got to her feet. "I would get more cooperation from baboons." She pointed at Kenny. "Go home. Hydrate and sleep. I'll send Larissa by later to check on you."

Kenny managed to open his eyes. "Thanks." He staggered to his feet and fled.

She turned to Sam. "I'm going to find out what's going on. You know that, right?"

Sam collected his papers and left without saying anything.

Only Jack was left. "You have something you want to say?" she asked.

He smiled. "Sure. Justice Garrett called. He wants to talk to us about a campaign for CDS."

"The bodyguard school?"

"That's them. Nothing fancy. Not advertising. Just a tweaking of their promotional materials. I thought it would be a fun change for us. We're in a small town now. We need local business."

She waited for him to make a crack about Angel, but he didn't. "Fine. We'll get it on the calendar."

"I made an appointment for you already. It's in an hour."

She sighed heavily. "Of course it is."

CHAPTER NINE.

TARYN SPENT THE next hour frantically preparing for her meeting with Justice. Her knowledge of what really happened at CDS-otherwise known as the bodyguard school-was limited to the gossip she'd picked up from her friends and what Angel had told her. She knew the other partners were also former military and that the customers fell into two categories-professional bodyguards and corporate retreats. There were also a few cla.s.ses offered to the community, but those seemed to be more about building goodwill and not about an actual serious income stream.

By the time her a.s.sistant stepped into her office to tell her that Justice was waiting, Taryn had what she hoped was a working knowledge of the industry in general and CDS in particular.

Jack pa.s.sed her in the hall on her way to the meeting room. "Want me to sit in?" he asked.

"I think you've done enough damage already today," she said.

He grinned, obviously unrepentant.

Taryn walked into the conference room and smiled at Justice. "Nice to see you," she said, shaking his hand.

"I appreciate you taking the meeting."

He was about six feet, with dark blond hair and deep blue eyes. Handsome, she thought absently, but too refined for her taste. It seemed that these days she was attracted to men who were more overtly dangerous.

Not that Justice was available. He was happily married to Patience, the owner of Brew-haha and Taryn's friend. But it was nice that Taryn could look at him and internally yawn.

They both sat down and Taryn waited while Justice explained what he was looking for.