I shook my head – Liz and Trish staring at me while I put on my jim-jams was really the least of my worries just then. “Seriously, Alex, it’s okay. I’ve got to make my own way with them, you know? It’s no good if my boyfriend the lead AK gets all involved every time someone looks at me funny.”

I could tell he understood, even if he didn’t like it much. “Yeah, all right,” he said finally. “But listen, I have to make sure that everything’s running smoothly with the team. So if it gets to the point where it might affect that, then I need to know, okay?”

“Deal,” I said in a soft voice. His eyes were so warm, so concerned. The rhythm of the cartridges slowed as I took in the familiar strong lines of his face, and the raw-looking bruise on his cheek where Sam had hit him. My gaze lingered on the bruise. I wanted to stroke it better, feather light kisses all over it. In fact, I just wanted to kiss him, period, so much that it hurt.

He grinned suddenly, and my heart turned over. “Oh man, don’t look at me like that, or we’re going to cause a scandal in the AK house.”

And for a minute I felt better, just standing near him and seeing his smile. “Look at you like what?” I said innocently, as I finished loading the magazine and put it down on the table.

“Yeah, you know exactly like what. Like you’re thinking about the broom closet, that’s what.” Unobtrusively, he put his hand over mine on the table, stroking my index finger lightly. We smiled at each other; then he glanced over his shoulder and the smile faded. His expression turned serious, intent. “I’d better get over there, see how they’re doing. Do you want to practise this for a while? I’ll be back soon to start teaching you how to shoot.”

He showed me how to empty the magazine, and then went over to the others. My gaze followed him without me meaning it to, drinking in the firm set of his shoulders under the T-shirt; his rumpled dark hair; the sense of confidence that shone through without him even being aware of it, just in the way he walked – so easy and relaxed.

And then I saw something that I really didn’t know what to think about.

Kara was looking at him in the same way.

As the days passed, things settled into a routine.