Hot Extraction
best for your father so they sent the Navy,” he say seriously, then grins. “Of course, the Army and Air Force would say the same thing if they were here, but they would be mistaken.”
     
    Ronnie grins back. Ryker is very charming when not fending off killers. “I can see that. They would have to go some lengths to do better than you did today. I have never been so scared in my life, but you were you were so cool I nearly had frostbite. Weren’t you scared? Even a little?”
     
    Hell yes he had been frightened, but he has a reputation to uphold and grins lopsidedly. “No, not really. Situations like that are when training takes over. I didn’t have time to be scared.” It’s close to the truth. Yes, he had been frightened... frightened both for Ronnie and himself. But his training allows him to control the fear and not let it control him.
     
    Ronnie stares at him a moment. Even though she has a steady man back home in Berkeley, he is nothing like Ryker. Ryker is not only stunningly good looking, but he has a quiet confidence without being a braggart or a blowhard. While he doesn’t have a Ph.D. like Kenneth, there is no doubting his intelligence. She spends a spare moment fantasizing about Ryker’s touch, then quickly dismisses the thought. It’s just a natural reaction to him protecting her in a dangerous situation and not to be taken seriously.
     
    “Well, whatever the reason, if we were to meet in a dark alley I would want you on my side,” she says.
     
    Ryker grins. “Let’s hope there aren’t any more dark alley or parking garage meets like the one we just had.”
     
    Ronnie hoists her glass. “From your lips to God’s ear,” she says before taking a pull at the glass.
     
    “Allow me,” he says, taking her near empty glass as she pulls it from her lips. As Ryker walks away she watches him, admiring his graceful, fluid, movement. He is obviously immensely strong, his shirt and pants fitting him just snug enough to hit at the power he contains, but at the same time he moves with poise and grace of a dancer. Maybe she should eat like he does. And he obviously does some form of workout. Whatever he is doing is certainly working for him.
     
    “What?” Ryker asks when he returns with her freshly filled glass.
     
    “I was just thinking how out of breath I was from running this afternoon and how I need to get into shape,” Ronnie says, trying to cover her embarrassment at being caught staring.
     
    “You didn’t do too bad. You were able to keep up so that I didn’t have to carry you,” Ryker teases.
     
    “Yeah, but you were hardly breathing hard.”
     
    “I’m used to it. That’s the only difference.”
     
    “Which is my point. I’m a little embarrassed that I’m so out of shape.”
     
    Ryker grins. As far as he is concerned, Dr. Baker’s shape is just fine. “You just need a little exercise, that’s all. You will be surprised how fast hitting a gym will whip you into shape if you keep at it.”
     
    Ronnie snickers. “Or maybe I could just keep running from guys with guns.”
     
    “There is a gym in the building, you know. I much prefer that to running from gunmen for my exercise.”
     
    “Yeah. But I was really motivated to exercise today,” she laughs.
     
    He snickers. “I’m hitting the gym again in the morning. Why don’t you join me if you want to? I’ll try to find the proper… uhhh… motivation for you. And it gives me something to look at besides the walls.”
     
    She gets a thrill at his comment about having something to look at. She has to be at least five years older than him. Could he possibly find her attractive? “Thanks, Ryker, but I don’t think I can keep up.”
     
    “Nothing to keep up with. You do what you can while I do the same.”
     
    Ronnie gives that some thought. “Thanks. I think I would like that. I’ve been considering joining a gym anyway. It’s getting harder and harder to keep the weight off. But you have to promise to not

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