Maybe she’d get too hot, and the clothes would
come off...maybe if he turned the air conditioner up a few degrees
higher...
“ You ready for
me?”
“ Excuse me? Oh. Here. Have
a seat.” He wasn’t embarrassed for his thoughts. They were
perfectly normal thoughts; when an attractive woman was near, a man
had thoughts of her naked. Usually. Thoughts of Carrie Sparks naked
would probably haunt him all night.
He could smell the vanilla
of her shampoo, mingling with the scent of her skin. A lock of the
red mass brushed his shoulder and he reached up before he thought.
His fingers touched the silk. It was as soft as it looked. He
released her hair, and closed his eyes for a brief moment. He
needed to get control of himself. Fast.
She’d had several
tumultuous hours since they’d gotten started that morning, she
didn’t need him pawing at her like an animal.
“ What? What did I do? I can
pull my hair back if it bothers you.” Her words were worried, and
had his eyes opening quickly.
“ No. It doesn’t bother me.”
It turned him on. Was she really that oblivious to how he felt
about her? Was he that good at hiding it? Somehow he didn’t think
so. Why else would Hellbrook and Reynolds have given him the so
obvious evil eye?
“ Than what does? I can go
stay in a hotel if you want.”
“ Carrie, stop. I’m not
upset with you...” She wouldn’t believe him, unless he told her the
truth. Would he always have to be so direct with her? He didn’t
know if he could handle that. At least...not at the moment. “I’m
upset with myself.”
She frowned then stared at
him a moment. It was clear in her whiskey eyes that she had no clue
why he was so tense around her. “Why?”
Honesty. The woman demanded
total honesty. “Because I am sitting here thinking about the smell
of your hair, and skin. And wondering what you taste like, if you
taste like vanilla, too. I’m sitting here thinking of those things
instead of what we are supposed to be doing. That’s what’s wrong
with me, Carrie.”
Her mouth dropped open. She
shut it, then opened it again. “Oh. Wow. I didn’t expect that.
Hellbrook said the kiss you gave me wasn’t a friendly kiss, at all.
I guess he was right.”
“ Hellbrook said that?
When? While he was cautioning you to stay away from me?” Hellbrook
again. Sebastian appreciated that the other man cared about Carrie,
but Hellbrook needed to back off a bit where Carrie’s personal life
was concerned. If need be, Sebastian would be happy to explain that
to the other team leader. “He always try to control what you do and
with whom?”
“ He cares about me, that’s
all.”
“ He coddles and smothers
you. Don’t you ever want to tell him to stop?” She had to know how
others saw her. What had he heard other agents call her?
Affirmative Action Agent and Hellbrook’s little pet. Those were
some of the kinder terms. He understood it was the Aspergers that
made her different, but Hellbrook went overboard in shielding
Carrie from the true aspects of their job, at times. And in
Sebastian’s opinion, Hellbrook shouldn’t. He wasn’t doing Carrie
any favors by setting her out as different.
“ He feels he has a right
to.”
“ Because you’ve let him do
it.” He wanted to bite back the words the instant they left his
mouth, but knew it was too late. “Carrie...I...”
“ I know.” She stood and
paced around his small living room. Her hands touched everything.
Nerves. Sebastian could have hit himself; why had he upset her so
much? What had he hoped to accomplish? “I know what they’ve said
about me.”
“ Who?”
“ Who? How about most of the
agents on the fourth floor? Most wonder why I am even with PAVAD.
Especially after Stephenson. You thought the same thing that day
Stephenson kidnapped Georgia. You wanted to know why I just didn’t
‘blurt it out’ that Stephenson was the one who attacked
me.”
“ And that’s when I learned
you have Aspergers.”
“ And that
come off...maybe if he turned the air conditioner up a few degrees
higher...
“ You ready for
me?”
“ Excuse me? Oh. Here. Have
a seat.” He wasn’t embarrassed for his thoughts. They were
perfectly normal thoughts; when an attractive woman was near, a man
had thoughts of her naked. Usually. Thoughts of Carrie Sparks naked
would probably haunt him all night.
He could smell the vanilla
of her shampoo, mingling with the scent of her skin. A lock of the
red mass brushed his shoulder and he reached up before he thought.
His fingers touched the silk. It was as soft as it looked. He
released her hair, and closed his eyes for a brief moment. He
needed to get control of himself. Fast.
She’d had several
tumultuous hours since they’d gotten started that morning, she
didn’t need him pawing at her like an animal.
“ What? What did I do? I can
pull my hair back if it bothers you.” Her words were worried, and
had his eyes opening quickly.
“ No. It doesn’t bother me.”
It turned him on. Was she really that oblivious to how he felt
about her? Was he that good at hiding it? Somehow he didn’t think
so. Why else would Hellbrook and Reynolds have given him the so
obvious evil eye?
“ Than what does? I can go
stay in a hotel if you want.”
“ Carrie, stop. I’m not
upset with you...” She wouldn’t believe him, unless he told her the
truth. Would he always have to be so direct with her? He didn’t
know if he could handle that. At least...not at the moment. “I’m
upset with myself.”
She frowned then stared at
him a moment. It was clear in her whiskey eyes that she had no clue
why he was so tense around her. “Why?”
Honesty. The woman demanded
total honesty. “Because I am sitting here thinking about the smell
of your hair, and skin. And wondering what you taste like, if you
taste like vanilla, too. I’m sitting here thinking of those things
instead of what we are supposed to be doing. That’s what’s wrong
with me, Carrie.”
Her mouth dropped open. She
shut it, then opened it again. “Oh. Wow. I didn’t expect that.
Hellbrook said the kiss you gave me wasn’t a friendly kiss, at all.
I guess he was right.”
“ Hellbrook said that?
When? While he was cautioning you to stay away from me?” Hellbrook
again. Sebastian appreciated that the other man cared about Carrie,
but Hellbrook needed to back off a bit where Carrie’s personal life
was concerned. If need be, Sebastian would be happy to explain that
to the other team leader. “He always try to control what you do and
with whom?”
“ He cares about me, that’s
all.”
“ He coddles and smothers
you. Don’t you ever want to tell him to stop?” She had to know how
others saw her. What had he heard other agents call her?
Affirmative Action Agent and Hellbrook’s little pet. Those were
some of the kinder terms. He understood it was the Aspergers that
made her different, but Hellbrook went overboard in shielding
Carrie from the true aspects of their job, at times. And in
Sebastian’s opinion, Hellbrook shouldn’t. He wasn’t doing Carrie
any favors by setting her out as different.
“ He feels he has a right
to.”
“ Because you’ve let him do
it.” He wanted to bite back the words the instant they left his
mouth, but knew it was too late. “Carrie...I...”
“ I know.” She stood and
paced around his small living room. Her hands touched everything.
Nerves. Sebastian could have hit himself; why had he upset her so
much? What had he hoped to accomplish? “I know what they’ve said
about me.”
“ Who?”
“ Who? How about most of the
agents on the fourth floor? Most wonder why I am even with PAVAD.
Especially after Stephenson. You thought the same thing that day
Stephenson kidnapped Georgia. You wanted to know why I just didn’t
‘blurt it out’ that Stephenson was the one who attacked
me.”
“ And that’s when I learned
you have Aspergers.”
“ And that
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