faced the steering wheel, but slid his hands to the nine and two positions, and hung on like he was strangling Cupid. “I’m forcing my hands to stay put. Physically willing them away from you. One move, one too-sweet word, Nicola, and I’m done for.”
“I don’t understand.” I thought I was the one holding back .
He peered up from his steering wheel pillow. “What’s not to understand?”
“You’re mad at me.”
“Angrier than I’ve been in my entire life.” His eyes held her in place, riveting her to him.
“You said you might hate me.” God, it hurt to say that out loud.
“Yeah, I might.”
“So what else is there?” she asked, scared and hoping at the same time.
“If that isn’t the question, I don’t know what is.”
“You mean…”
“I mean, I’m confused.” He sat upright, straightening his broad shoulders. “I mean, I don’t do this whole soap opera, back from the dead thing. And it’s been so long. But…”
“But?” Her head circled, lungs went on strike, blood pounded in her ears.
Her phone rang. Loud. Killing any confession that may have fallen from his lips. Words she’d die to hear. If she could’ve thrown the damn thing out the window and begged him to continue, she would have. But she couldn’t and checked the caller ID. “Jared.”
Cash shook his head. “Jared?”
She glanced at him and accepted the call. Cash hardened, seemingly not thrilled that Jared had called her. Jared grumbled in her ear. Something about making sure she made it to his Titan get together. She nodded as if he could see it. Bad habit. “Yeah. Almost there. See you.”
Nicola clicked off the phone, then dropped it into her purse.
“Why’s Jared calling you?” Cash looked pissed.
Fucking Jared. He hadn’t talked to Cash yet. “You know why I’m coming out here for your boys’ retreat?”
“Dunno. You’re going to fill us in on Smooth Enterprises? Have more to tell us after we debriefed?”
“Fucking Jared,” she repeated, but aloud this time, then finished another slew of curses in her head. She didn’t want to act crass in front of Cash.
“What?” No, now Cash looked pissed. Whatever that look before was, it was clearly a warm-up to this face. “Talk. Now.”
“Someone needs to read you in.”
“Nicola, you have two seconds. Then I get pissed.”
Hmm, not pissed yet? Could have fooled me. “Me and Jared.”
“You and Jared?” He stared hard. “You and Jared, what, Nicola?”
“We’re working together on this one.” She shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t. Why was he acting like this? See, this was the problem that scared her, that kept her from wanting to get too close to Cash.
“The hell you are.”
“I already told the CIA and Jared I’d do it. We’re going after the butler.”
“No,” he growled.
“Yes.”
“Fucking Jared.” That’s what she said. Wasn’t he listening? He slapped the steering wheel, then threw the truck into gear.
“Cash, calm down. Why are you mad? This is my job! This is my assignment.”
“Nic, you can’t do this shit. You can’t go running around with guns and spies and infiltrate fucking arm dealing networks. You cannot. End of discussion.”
And there it was. He didn’t trust her to work for no other reason that he didn’t think she should be in the field. She knew it. Tears stung behind her eyes. Her throat was raw, and she tried like hell to swallow the boulder, but couldn’t. “Why?”
It came out as a whisper. He hated her. He didn’t trust her. Now, he wouldn’t respect her on the job. Her mind and her body hurt from the rejection. Her biggest fear and the truest love slammed together. Pain overwhelmed her thoughts.
If he was speaking, she didn’t hear it. She only noticed that they’d started toward the bonfire again. Cash parked, jumped out, and left her alone in the truck with all of her insecurities.
***
This is what it would be like to hang out at a superhero convention?
“I don’t understand.” I thought I was the one holding back .
He peered up from his steering wheel pillow. “What’s not to understand?”
“You’re mad at me.”
“Angrier than I’ve been in my entire life.” His eyes held her in place, riveting her to him.
“You said you might hate me.” God, it hurt to say that out loud.
“Yeah, I might.”
“So what else is there?” she asked, scared and hoping at the same time.
“If that isn’t the question, I don’t know what is.”
“You mean…”
“I mean, I’m confused.” He sat upright, straightening his broad shoulders. “I mean, I don’t do this whole soap opera, back from the dead thing. And it’s been so long. But…”
“But?” Her head circled, lungs went on strike, blood pounded in her ears.
Her phone rang. Loud. Killing any confession that may have fallen from his lips. Words she’d die to hear. If she could’ve thrown the damn thing out the window and begged him to continue, she would have. But she couldn’t and checked the caller ID. “Jared.”
Cash shook his head. “Jared?”
She glanced at him and accepted the call. Cash hardened, seemingly not thrilled that Jared had called her. Jared grumbled in her ear. Something about making sure she made it to his Titan get together. She nodded as if he could see it. Bad habit. “Yeah. Almost there. See you.”
Nicola clicked off the phone, then dropped it into her purse.
“Why’s Jared calling you?” Cash looked pissed.
Fucking Jared. He hadn’t talked to Cash yet. “You know why I’m coming out here for your boys’ retreat?”
“Dunno. You’re going to fill us in on Smooth Enterprises? Have more to tell us after we debriefed?”
“Fucking Jared,” she repeated, but aloud this time, then finished another slew of curses in her head. She didn’t want to act crass in front of Cash.
“What?” No, now Cash looked pissed. Whatever that look before was, it was clearly a warm-up to this face. “Talk. Now.”
“Someone needs to read you in.”
“Nicola, you have two seconds. Then I get pissed.”
Hmm, not pissed yet? Could have fooled me. “Me and Jared.”
“You and Jared?” He stared hard. “You and Jared, what, Nicola?”
“We’re working together on this one.” She shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t. Why was he acting like this? See, this was the problem that scared her, that kept her from wanting to get too close to Cash.
“The hell you are.”
“I already told the CIA and Jared I’d do it. We’re going after the butler.”
“No,” he growled.
“Yes.”
“Fucking Jared.” That’s what she said. Wasn’t he listening? He slapped the steering wheel, then threw the truck into gear.
“Cash, calm down. Why are you mad? This is my job! This is my assignment.”
“Nic, you can’t do this shit. You can’t go running around with guns and spies and infiltrate fucking arm dealing networks. You cannot. End of discussion.”
And there it was. He didn’t trust her to work for no other reason that he didn’t think she should be in the field. She knew it. Tears stung behind her eyes. Her throat was raw, and she tried like hell to swallow the boulder, but couldn’t. “Why?”
It came out as a whisper. He hated her. He didn’t trust her. Now, he wouldn’t respect her on the job. Her mind and her body hurt from the rejection. Her biggest fear and the truest love slammed together. Pain overwhelmed her thoughts.
If he was speaking, she didn’t hear it. She only noticed that they’d started toward the bonfire again. Cash parked, jumped out, and left her alone in the truck with all of her insecurities.
***
This is what it would be like to hang out at a superhero convention?
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