Mia laughed again, this time, into his chest. She was still very much pressed into his embrace. “My walls are nothing. I became a psychologist to figure out how to fix me. Helping everyone else is just a bonus.”

“We’re the sum of our parts. One thing doesn’t define us.”

“For you, okay. But I don’t know about me.”

How could she think such a thing? He pulled her from his chest, holding her in outstretched arms. “No, Mia. That’s where you’re wrong. That’s where all your schooling and studying left you hanging. You are perfect. You are strong.”

“I’m not—”

“Everything about you is all shock and awe. You know what that means? Overwhelming power and spectacular displays of force. Tell me how you made it out of your childhood home to a military base? Tell me how you’ve made it through the last days with me, enemy crosshairs searching for your gorgeous smile?”

“But—”

“You wouldn’t have made it if you didn’t house a hell of a fight deep within your gut. And to top it off, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever set eyes on. Ever.”

Tears slid down the perfect slope of her cheeks. Her lips trembled, and she grew prettier with each passing second.

“I wasn’t asking for a pep talk.”

“That wasn’t one. It was the God’s honest truth.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“We don’t have to.” Where did he go from there? “Forget it all, and tell me anything you want to. Tell me a joke, or your favorite food, or if you have a pet.”

“A reporter asked a sniper what he felt after he took a kill shot.”

“What are you talking about?”

A slip of a smile crossed her face. “Well, it’s not a joke. But it’ll get a reaction. A reporter asked a sniper what he felt after he took a kill shot. The sniper looked at the reporter and said?”

“I don’t know. He said… I don’t know.”

“Recoil. He felt recoil.” She laughed.

Thank God. She was laughing. “My, my, Mia. A little gun humor. I like it.”

“Blueberries. Watermelon. Sushi.”

“What?”

“Is it your turn to lose your mind? You asked what my favorite foods are. Blueberries. Watermelon. Sushi. Spicy tuna rolls. Extra spicy, cucumber, and avocado. And I want a dog. After this hair-raising experience, I think I’ll get one. I earned it.”

“Indeed you have. What else you got?”

“After Judith took Clara for the afternoon, I was dying for you to come home and kiss me.”

“Dying? That’s a bit dramatic. How about mildly interested? Possibly aroused?”

She laughed. The sound danced in his ears. “You’re awful.”

“You like it,” he whispered into her ear before he kissed her. Mia pushed up on her tiptoes to nuzzle against him.

“Yeah, I do. Right now, I want more than a kiss.”

Her heat pulsed through him as she murmured against his skin. “If that’s the case, I’m about five seconds away from dragging you into my bedroom.”