Vortex (SAI Book 1) by Lea Hart

slowly, Joel saw Vivi sitting on the couch near the window with a pile of papers around her. “I wanted to give you an update on the intel that I just received.”
    Picking up the papers, she scooted over and made room for him. “I guess you better sit down and tell me how bad it is.”
    When her shoulders moved carelessly, something shifted in his chest, something that hadn’t moved in years. Rubbing his hand across his T-shirt, he wondered if maybe Vivi was right and he was suffering from some sort of heart condition. “We have to set up some new rules so that I can keep you safe.” Sitting down next to her, he was instantly enveloped in her scent. Camellias. Maybe it was her lotion or shampoo. He stared at her and breathed deeply as he tried to figure it out. When her hand waved in front of his face, he realized that he had zoned out.
    “I hope the list of rules you’ve got for me is a short one. I don’t much like them, and I have a tendency not to follow them.”
    “I want to keep you alive, so you’re going to have to follow them whether you like them or not.”
    “The last time I was told that I was being kept safe, my husband was gunned down in front of me. So you’re going to have to do better than that,” Vivi responded.
    Taking her hand, he held it between his own. “I’m sorry, Vivi, I had no idea that it happened in front of you.”
    Shifting away from him, she slipped her hand out of his and placed it between her knees. “The NGO that we were working with had private security contractors traveling with us, and when they made a change, the new group never showed up. The team decided to travel that day anyway because we were going to provide immunizations for a whole village, and we thought it was important. The rebel soldiers must have seen us traveling unprotected, and that’s why they decided to attack that day. Or it was just lousy timing and bad luck. Four people from the Team were killed that day, along with countless people from the village.”
    “I know what it’s like to lose people from your team, and I know what it feels like to lose the love of your life.” He watched her gaze meet his, and for the first time since he’d met her, it was unguarded. It was like seeing into her soul, and all the sadness that lay there was finally revealed. How could he have ever thought that she was just another rich, spoiled doctor? When he screwed up, he did it spectacularly.
    “I guess you would.” Tilting her head, she smiled sadly at him. “Maybe we’re more alike than we realize.”
    Taking a chance, he grabbed her hand again and held it. “I lost two men from my Team as well as the man we were trying to rescue. We landed in a remote region of one of the most volatile countries on the planet and raided a village to rescue an American photojournalist. We ended up in a life-or-death firefight. We were heavily armed, operating with intelligence from satellites, drones, and high-tech eavesdropping equipment. We had night-vision goggles and were backed up by elite Yemeni troops. There was no way that we were going to fail.
    “We went toe to toe with six militants from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. When it was over, two men from my Team were seriously injured and the photojournalist was dead. We took care of the militants, but the cost was too damn high. I was the commander, and it was my responsibility to bring everyone home. I failed that night, because two brothers didn’t make it off the chopper alive.” 
    Rubbing his fingers over her hand, he noticed how delicate her skin was. “I need you to follow the rules, because I can’t lose another person.” He watched as one of her hands covered his, and he raised his gaze to hers and noticed that she studied him with kindness.
    “I’ll follow your rules…for now.”
    “Thanks, Viv. I promise to keep you safe.”
    Patting his hand, she studied him. “You know, I think it may actually be possible.”
    “What?”
    “You and I could