Fitz eyed her, and she had a feeling he could see her weakening resolve.
“What about this?” he suggested and slapped a hand over his heart. “I do solemnly swear to only perform depraved sex acts under threat of death.”
The giggle escaped from her clenched lips without her permission. “That’s the pledge of allegiance stance. Solemn oaths are said with your hand raised.”
“Not in my world. I pledge allegiance to the flag every day of my life, with my life, and you can trust that as the most solemn oath I could possibly take.”
Dang it. With all of that sincerity oozing from him, how could she keep pretending he was dangerous? Yeah, he made her heart palpitate, but so did everything else.
She nodded. “Okay.”
Idiot. Maybe she should have protested harder. But really. The money alone made it worth it. If they won—and frankly, she couldn’t see any way she’d lose with Captain America on her team—she could definitely use an infusion of cash.
And maybe, just maybe, Fitz could be the answer to her rut problem if she’d just step out of her comfort zone. Do the race, take some pictures. Let him taste her. This was her chance to shake things up, and she truly feared she wouldn’t get another opportunity as good as this one.
The real danger here lay not in the man but in the huge crush she’d developed on him. The way he made her feel scared her, and fear had long affected her trigger finger. And her boring life. For once, she was going to run with those scissors.
Shutting the door of the cab with Jack and Thora inside physically hurt—no SEAL could easily walk away from a fallen teammate, regardless of the mate or the team. Fitz turned from the car with a string of curses. God, what a crappy situation. He should be in the cab, watching Jack’s back as he took care of his girl. The man was all kinds of distracted, and Fitz should have taken point on surveillance.
But Lilah needed this adventure. He could feel it, deep down where it counted. That woman was due for an awakening that had nothing to do with scavenger hunts.
And he needed to be the one to give it to her if for no other reason than to prove to himself that his instincts were still solid. Also? He had the impression Jack would appreciate some alone time with Thora. That had probably been the gut check that tipped it.
Okay. That and the fact that only someone with impaired mental capacity wouldn’t see the benefits of shepherding Lilah through the gorgeous scenery of the Caribbean on a little tiny boat, just the two of them. He wasn’t stupid. Or a saint. Or the one who had been jabbering about sex and cameras.
“Let’s get on it,” he suggested. “Jack’s going to text me in an hour to give me the lowdown. Thora’s in good hands.”
“I should have gone with her.” Lilah’s huge dark eyes latched onto something inside him and wouldn’t let go.
“Yeah. I’ve got a guilt complex raking a hole through my stomach too,” he admitted, mostly to honor her concerns. “But if the situation were reversed, wouldn’t you want them to go on?”
“Of course,” she said instantly. “I’d hate it if I was in the hospital and knew Jack and Thora were hanging out in the waiting room, just sitting for hours as the race went on without them.”
He grinned because he couldn’t help himself and flipped his hands up. “What? No love for me as I sacrifice my prize money to sit by your side?”
There came that blush, and he was not going to apologize for enjoying the fact that he could get her to. If he played his cards right, that pretty pink stain might make a few more appearances. To hell with any worries about what might happen after the race when he had to go back to Coronado and she had to go back to being afraid of her own shadow.
After all, he’d feel terrible if he didn’t help her out with the lack of passion in her life. It was his civic duty really.
“Thank you, Fitz, for being there for me in my time of need. You’re the best,” she intoned like a class-A smart-ass, and he loved that too.
“That’s more like it. Now. Clue. Let’s show these people how it’s done. We’ve got some ground to make up after that little side foray into a medical emergency.”
Lilah sat down on the same wooden bench Thora had just vacated and pulled the clue from her bag to read it aloud. “Wash your hair 112 times at the shore. I think this refers to a beauty salon maybe? Can we check to see if there’s one called The Shore on the island?”
The ocean breeze had gotten ahold of her hair and tangled around her face. He had the worst urge to comb his fingers through it, but it was just an excuse to touch her because come on. The little T-shirt she’d pulled on this morning hugged her curves nicely, what few there were, which was killing him. Overblown figures had never done it for him, but hers? Was perfect. Slim, straight in all the right places, nipping in and out in better places.