Hold On (Delos Series Book 5) Read Online Free PDF Page B

either,” Beau agreed quietly.
    There was no doubt in her mind that he was telling the truth. And that was even more alarming as she found herself fantasizing what it would be like to . . .
    “Then what do you want?” she asked, needing to hear the words.
    “I’m not sure, because you’re different. You call to me, to . . . well, to my heart.” He gave her a sheepish look. “Normally, my heart isn’t in the mix. Oh, there’s certainly physical appreciation for a woman who interests me, but for whatever reason you grabbed my heart from the moment I saw you dance. That hasn’t changed. It’s just gotten stronger. The more I get to know you, the more I like what I see. What do I want from you? I’d like you to trust me enough to see what draws us to one another. I don’t know where it’s going, gal, but I’d sure like to find out. Wouldn’t you?”
    Okay, the ball was in her court. Callie gave him a speculative look. “You’re either the smoothest operator I’ve ever run into, or you really are who you say you are. I know that you black ops guys are good at getting what you go after. You can turn into what we want you to be, so you know how to approach us women. Black ops guys are known to read a human being better than ninety-nine percent of the rest of us on God’s green earth.”
    “I don’t disagree with your analysis of us, Callie. When we’re undercover, we do use those skills. But I’m not using them on you right now. And I hear you loud and clear that you don’t trust me,” he acknowledged, folding his hands.
    Feeling guilty, Callie knew she’d hurt him. “Look, Beau, I’m sorry to be so defensive, but I’ve been used in the past, more than once, and I never want to go through that again. That’s all,” she added, feeling unsure of how he would respond to her fragility. Most men would just get up and walk away, she knew, or ignore her words and scheme to get her into bed anyway.
    Nodding, he said, “I got that, gal. I saw the pain and the nervousness in your eyes when we met. All I can be is honest about who I am and what I need when we’re together. Just like you are with me now,” he said with a brief smile.
    “Well,” she mumbled, leaning on the table with her elbows, “I’ll give you this: I don’t think any other guy would try to impress me by changing a baby’s diaper or cleaning out a diaper bucket.”
    Chuckling, Beau met her rueful smile. “Well, to tell you the truth, I love kids and babies and grew up helping my ma earn pin money by babysitting the tykes on Black Mountain. Believe me, I had my hands in more baby poo as a kid than you could ever imagine.”
    Callie’s heart began to slowly open as he made his shy admission. Could there really be one man on this testosterone-laden base who would be honest with her? She’d been lied to, manipulated, and disappointed so many times before that her heart couldn’t stand any more.
    But there was something so honest, so clean and refreshing about Beau Gardner that she felt all her walls, all her defensiveness, begin to melt away. Between his country-boy drawl and his sincere gray eyes, he made her feel special.
    Later, Beau walked Callie up to the porch of her B-hut. The weather was rainy and chilly, and she hunkered down in her hooded black wool coat. He kept his hand cupped beneath her elbow as he walked her down the sidewalk. Once they were protected by the overhang of the roof, Callie pulled her hood off and began to dig in her purse for the key. A part of her wanted to turn, push up on her toes, and kiss this man, but another part resisted.
    She was waiting to see what he was going to do, and she found herself wary again. She just wasn’t sure what her reaction would be if Beau tried to kiss her.
    “Found it,” she muttered, pulling the keys out.
    “Good enough. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the van, okay? You go ahead and get inside, and then I’ll leave.”
    “You don’t have to do that,” Callie