it was no big deal.
Nicola smiled. Maybe she was making too much out of it. Maybe she needed more girls’ nights. “We need to get out more.”
“We need to do this more.”
“Deal.” She took another swig. “I have no idea what I’m going to wear.”
“Bring something lacy. You never know.”
Hiccup. This retreat had the potential for serious mistakes.
CHAPTER TEN
Nicola had sleepover anxiety. Spending another night under the same roof as Cash would be hazardous to the uninterested, uber-professional charade she was trying to pull off. But here she was, next to a chilled out Cash in the too-tight confines of his heavy duty pickup truck, on the way to the cookout-turned-retreat.
“We’re here,” Cash mumbled to himself, barely audible.
They rumbled off the paved driveway, veering away from a large, up-lit white house, and rolled onto a beaten path in the grass. In the distance, a raging bonfire danced in the night. Several trucks and SUVs were backed toward the fire on one side. Nic assumed the black abyss was the lakeshore that Cash mentioned. Laughter and good times drifted through his pickup’s cracked windows.
Her overnight bag shifted as the truck bounced down the road, reminding her again that she’d be caged with him around her new co-workers. Please don’t let them see me as just another girl he’s bagged.
Cash’s cowboy hat was pulled low over his shaggy blonde hair, hiding his eyes from her. Nicola glanced in his direction any time he looked off the road, but mostly, she sat in silence, not trusting her voice to not give away the spark that flared each time he gave a not-so-innocent smile or whoops-I-meant-to-do-that touch. He made her dizzy. She placed a hand on the oh-shit bar.
“I’m not driving that bad, Nic.”
If he wanted to believe holding herself in place had to do with his off-road driving, fine by her. Whatever kept him from knowing too much.
She tried for another deep breath. Every time Cash looked at her, it sucked the wind out of her lungs, and whoosh, the words out of her brain. How was this going to go down in front of the Titan boys? Um, bad. Very bad.
I need a beer.
Cash turned down the radio, shushing George Strait and his song du jour about lost love. “You’ve been awfully quiet. You lost in that pretty head of yours, daydreaming about something?”
Um, yeah. You. Maybe I need two beers. “Just thinking.”
“Right.” He eased up on the gas, and they crawled toward the massive bonfire. “Yeah, me too. Just a thinkin’.”
“About?”
He stretched. His shirt might well have been painted on. “Just thinking that I’m down for a few drinks and some barbeque. But I’m worried that, put a little booze in us, and we’re going to face off again. Our little bout with Roman probably had more to do with the Jack Daniel’s than it did with us wanting to clue our boy in about us.”
“Then you should air your grievances with me now.” She smoothed her wrinkle-free shorts for the fifth time in as many minutes.
“Actually, not sure my issue is a grievance.” He stared at her, big blue eyes locking onto her before looking ahead.
“Oh.” Oh?
“You’re breathtaking, you know that?”
Nicola felt her cheeks heat, and she looked out the window. Cash pulled the truck off the worn path, and they drifted to a stop. Panic started in her stomach and climbed into her throat. “What are you doing, Cash?” Shit. Did she sound panicked?
“No idea.” Putting the truck into park, he raked a gaze over her.
She’d never heard him sound anything but Rocky Mountain strong. “Cash—”
“I’ve missed hearing you say my name.” His arms draped over the steering wheel, his head pressed to its twelve o’clock. “Nic, I’m having a problem keeping my head around you, so why don’t you shut your pretty mouth and give me a minute?”
What? There was no way he had the same issues she did. He hated her. Hadn’t forgiven her. “Wha… why?”
He still
Nicola smiled. Maybe she was making too much out of it. Maybe she needed more girls’ nights. “We need to get out more.”
“We need to do this more.”
“Deal.” She took another swig. “I have no idea what I’m going to wear.”
“Bring something lacy. You never know.”
Hiccup. This retreat had the potential for serious mistakes.
CHAPTER TEN
Nicola had sleepover anxiety. Spending another night under the same roof as Cash would be hazardous to the uninterested, uber-professional charade she was trying to pull off. But here she was, next to a chilled out Cash in the too-tight confines of his heavy duty pickup truck, on the way to the cookout-turned-retreat.
“We’re here,” Cash mumbled to himself, barely audible.
They rumbled off the paved driveway, veering away from a large, up-lit white house, and rolled onto a beaten path in the grass. In the distance, a raging bonfire danced in the night. Several trucks and SUVs were backed toward the fire on one side. Nic assumed the black abyss was the lakeshore that Cash mentioned. Laughter and good times drifted through his pickup’s cracked windows.
Her overnight bag shifted as the truck bounced down the road, reminding her again that she’d be caged with him around her new co-workers. Please don’t let them see me as just another girl he’s bagged.
Cash’s cowboy hat was pulled low over his shaggy blonde hair, hiding his eyes from her. Nicola glanced in his direction any time he looked off the road, but mostly, she sat in silence, not trusting her voice to not give away the spark that flared each time he gave a not-so-innocent smile or whoops-I-meant-to-do-that touch. He made her dizzy. She placed a hand on the oh-shit bar.
“I’m not driving that bad, Nic.”
If he wanted to believe holding herself in place had to do with his off-road driving, fine by her. Whatever kept him from knowing too much.
She tried for another deep breath. Every time Cash looked at her, it sucked the wind out of her lungs, and whoosh, the words out of her brain. How was this going to go down in front of the Titan boys? Um, bad. Very bad.
I need a beer.
Cash turned down the radio, shushing George Strait and his song du jour about lost love. “You’ve been awfully quiet. You lost in that pretty head of yours, daydreaming about something?”
Um, yeah. You. Maybe I need two beers. “Just thinking.”
“Right.” He eased up on the gas, and they crawled toward the massive bonfire. “Yeah, me too. Just a thinkin’.”
“About?”
He stretched. His shirt might well have been painted on. “Just thinking that I’m down for a few drinks and some barbeque. But I’m worried that, put a little booze in us, and we’re going to face off again. Our little bout with Roman probably had more to do with the Jack Daniel’s than it did with us wanting to clue our boy in about us.”
“Then you should air your grievances with me now.” She smoothed her wrinkle-free shorts for the fifth time in as many minutes.
“Actually, not sure my issue is a grievance.” He stared at her, big blue eyes locking onto her before looking ahead.
“Oh.” Oh?
“You’re breathtaking, you know that?”
Nicola felt her cheeks heat, and she looked out the window. Cash pulled the truck off the worn path, and they drifted to a stop. Panic started in her stomach and climbed into her throat. “What are you doing, Cash?” Shit. Did she sound panicked?
“No idea.” Putting the truck into park, he raked a gaze over her.
She’d never heard him sound anything but Rocky Mountain strong. “Cash—”
“I’ve missed hearing you say my name.” His arms draped over the steering wheel, his head pressed to its twelve o’clock. “Nic, I’m having a problem keeping my head around you, so why don’t you shut your pretty mouth and give me a minute?”
What? There was no way he had the same issues she did. He hated her. Hadn’t forgiven her. “Wha… why?”
He still
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