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eyes at him. "Yeah, too bad I don't have a gun to shoot you in the butt with."
    Tanner leaned closer, tsking at her. "Now, now." He reached out to gently tug on her ponytail.
    A loud ding sounded from inside. Oakley looked up at him with a saucy grin. "My apple crisp is done."
    He licked his lips. "Gonna share?"
    She stood, taking a moment to consider, while she cradled the laptop in the crook of her left arm. "Maybe, if you drop the Annie business." Not waiting for an answer, she marched into the kitchen, Hercules fast on her heels.
    A deep chuckle followed.

Chapter 5

    Tanner watched her go, eyes raking over her firm backside as her hips shifted with each fluid step. Man, oh man. The way her eyes lit up, sparkling with passion as they teased and sparred. He wondered if they would do the same as she lay naked under him, writhing and pleading for him to take her. Her arms would pull him close, lithe legs opening to reveal her innermost secrets.
    What was he thinking? You don't date neighbors. Things go bad and you're stuck with them. But, she would be a joy to bring to fulfillment. All that untapped feminine potential. Just the thought made his stomach flip. Other parts stood up and took notice as well. Down, Marine. Cold showers sucked and night didn't arrive for several more hours to get the bar scene hopping once more.
    The vibration of his cell phone caught his attention. Recognizing the number on caller ID, he immediately flipped the top open. "Owens."
    "You didn't call me back." Spoon's voice carried through the small device.
    Tanner had forgotten until just then. "Sorry, bro. I got busy."
    "Uh-huh. Distracted by that cute little filly next door?"
    He snorted, not ready to delve into a conversation about Oakley. Spoon had a talent for weaseling out all kinds of information. Great asset for the Wind Warriors on assignments, but a bad habit when it came to the personal life he wanted to keep to himself.
    "Gotta admit those strawberry bran muffins hit the spot. Who knew health food could taste good?" Spoon rambled on.
    "I wouldn't know. You and the dog ate mine." Tanner strode off the porch, leisurely walking toward the park while talking. It wouldn't do for Oakley to overhear their conversation. She didn't need more ammunition.
    Laughter cackled through the phone line.
    Taking the opportunity, he changed the subject. "So, what's up?" On their downtime, the guys occasionally got together to shoot the breeze, but most of the time they headed separate ways.
    Cale, another of the team, scurried off to Cooperstown any chance he got to see his steady girlfriend, Lily. Tanner met her once, as the team intercepted a handful of nest vipers closing in on Lily's house, where Cale and his injured brother, Dillon, holed up. A sweet woman and easy on the eyes. He could see why Cale returned to her time and again.
    Dillon was partially retired after the gunshot wound forced him to lay low with Lily for a few days. He already had a girl, Della. Last Tanner heard they were engaged and planning a wedding sometime this coming year. Talk about enamored. All any of them heard about for the past six months was Della. He worshiped her and loved her to pieces. None of them blamed him for wanting to leave the group to spend more time with his girl and start on the family they longed for.
    Truth be told, most of the guys envied Cale and Dillon. Girlfriends and wives were a rare luxury in their line of work. Not just because the job took them away so much, but because of the dangers everyone faced. Families could be found and threatened, even worse, if confidences were broken or the wrong person overheard or hacked into accounts. Secrecy and security extremes kept them safe. It wasn't an easy life for the men, but it wore doubly hard on the women, never knowing when or if their loved one would make it home. For the most part, it shadowed the lives of sweethearts and wives of military members with the exception that Wind Warriors' jobs were