“…it’s important you get it straight that no matter what, say we’re copacetic, but something tweaks you or worries you and you’re not sure it’s a big deal so you don’t want to bother me with it, or we’re in a fight and you think I’m mad at you, or you’re mad at me, it doesn’t matter. I’m your first fuckin’ call. You hear me?”

“Um…” I repeated.

“Baby, all you said is important, and I appreciate you givin’ that to me. I don’t have the words to express how happy I am you showed at my door at nearly three in the morning to work shit out between us. Finally. I also know how tough that was on you, so when I say I appreciate it, I seriously mean that. And eventually, when it’s not three in the morning, we’ll get into a lot of that or just decide to put it behind us. But this is important too. Really important. So confirm you heard me.”

I nodded.

And I did because I got how important it was, absolutely, seeing as he had to have my undivided attention by being full-out on top of me to share it with me.

So, yup.

I totally got it.

“I get why you called Cisco,” he went on. “And he sat down with Hawk today and we’re all on it. Just don’t do that again. Right?”

I nodded again.

He studied my face, must have sensed I was telling the truth, because a change came over him, and since he was on me, it came over me too.

I liked this change, it also terrified the crap out of me, then his gaze dropped to my mouth, and I experienced the supremely bizarre feeling of the terror receding and expanding at the same time.

“Uh, Axl,” I called unsteadily.

His eyes came to mine.

“You guys are on it?” I asked.

“I’ll brief you tomorrow, though we just got started and we got other shit happening, so we don’t have anything. Yet. But yes, we’re on it.”

“Thanks,” I whispered.

His lips tipped up, his eyes grew heated, and they fell to my mouth again.

“Uh, Axl?” I repeated.

He looked to me again.

“I get you’re a commando and all, but just so I know for future reference, do commandos need to pin women to their couches in order to share things they think are important?”

He out-and-out smiled before he answered, “Yeah.”

“All righty then,” I mumbled.

“You got a problem with that?” he asked.

He felt good. His body was warm and heavy. His skin under my hands was sleek, the muscle under that hard. And bottom line, I’d been wanting this in all versions of it that it might come since the first time I clapped eyes on him.

So, no.