Exhaustion pressing down on her, she struggled to appreciate Alex, the man who was not only protecting her but also watching out for her. She’d showered and changed into comfy sweats, grateful that Alex had brought her duffel from his cabin. She appreciated that he’d arranged for her to stay at this ranch—like he said, he had more resources than she could have imagined. Here at the ranch, she hoped to stay out of reach of the ghosts from her past, present, and maybe even future.

And that kiss . . . her desperate emotional need for physical connection. But she knew it was so much more than that—when it came to Alex Knight. She’d liked him, really liked him, that very first day she spent with him. So throw them both together into a crucible and let the pressure build and heat up, and yeah . . . that kiss was bound to happen. Or was she making excuses for her own weakness?

Whatever the reason it happened, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. She didn’t want to associate a man’s death with the first kiss she shared with Alex.

She pressed her palms over her eyes. Listen to me, I’m thinking about first kisses as though there will be more. She let out a soft groan.

While sitting here, she certainly wasn’t making progress on hunting for a cybercriminal, but on the other hand, she couldn’t make progress until she found a way into the real target at Hanstech.

Alex shut the door. He’d been on the porch talking to Terra, who’d brought them barbecue, and he was supposed to explain to Terra that Mackenzie didn’t feel up to hanging out with a bunch of strangers at the main house. Of course, Alex would word it better. She definitely didn’t feel up to handling questions about what happened today. Or smiling. Or tolerating the gentle treatment. She couldn’t be around people.

But if she was staying at the ranch where Alex’s friends and their significant others frequently congregated, she would have to show up once in a while. Still, she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze from the soothing green forest or the sound of rain dripping from the needles and leaves. She’d opened the window to listen to the rain, and when that stopped, the dripping slowed just enough to ease the tension in her neck and shoulders.

She glanced up to find Alex setting a plate with a barbecued chicken quarter, corn, and potatoes on the coffee table.

“You need to eat.”

She recalled her first “date” with Alex. They’d eaten delicious grilled elk burgers at the ranch house. “It looks good. Your friends have all kinds of culinary talent.”

“It’s takeout. Erin picked it up in town.” Alex came around to sit on the edge of the sofa.

“You need to eat too,” she said.