She pulled away from him and he immediately missed her warmth.

He reached down and dragged up his pant leg, removed his backup weapon, a Glock 27 Subcompact.

He’d seen her shooting at the academy after she returned from Indonesia. She was better than most agents he knew. He handed it over. “I want you to take this with you up to your room.”

Her eyes widened as she took the small but powerful handgun from him.

“I don’t think you’re in danger,” he reassured her, “but I want to know you have a weapon if you need to defend yourself.”

Her hands quivered slightly as she examined the automatic pistol, then she carefully laid it on the coffee table. She hooked her hair behind her ear. “You aren’t scared I might use it on you?”

That’s why those moss-green eyes looked suspiciously bright.

He interlaced his fingers with hers. “No. But please don’t shoot me by accident in the dark.” He leaned forward to press what was intended to be a chaste kiss to her cheek but she turned at the same moment and his lips fell on hers. They both froze and then relaxed. Her lips softened against his and he forced himself to pull away.

This was not why he was here. It was not what she needed from him right now.

“Sorry.” He gave her an unhappy smile.

“I’m not.” She touched her lips with a bemused look on her face. “That felt almost as good as last time.”

He inhaled a deep breath because walking away last time had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. He made himself stand and step away from the temptation of this woman.

“I’m going to check the perimeter and should be back in twenty minutes. I’ll lock the door and take the key.” He pulled on his boots and jacket. “Keep the gun close, as a precaution. I’m taking my cell with me. You know the number if you need me.”

She nodded mutely, watching as he made his escape.

He let himself out into the wintery silence and raised his face to the frigid night sky. Of course, she knew the number. They’d spent countless hours talking on the telephone.

All this time he’d hidden from the depth of his feelings behind a shield of their professional association and the not inconsiderable distance of more than four thousand miles that separated them. But right now, he couldn’t give a damn about being part of the team who’d helped rescue her off that rock, and the physical distance had temporarily evaporated.

He had to decide if it was worth risking their friendship to pursue a chance of a relationship with this woman. Hurting Darby was the exact last thing he wanted to do, and the thought of losing her friendship ate at him, especially when she needed him more than ever.

A branch cracked somewhere in the woods and he stared out into the hostile night. He trudged up the driveway and cut into the trees. Circling around another Alaskan house in the darkness. Thankfully, he was better dressed for the conditions this time and the snow wasn’t too deep.