Page 124 of Summer Heat
Cash inched back, his gaze sliding sideways before coming back to her. “I promised Roman. None of you. I’m Nicola free.”
“Why?”
“Who the hell knows.”
“Man up, Cash. Why?”
“You first.”
“I haven’t taken any Cash-free pledges. I have nothing to explain.”
He leaned closer. “You’d be okay if we ended up together? Pressed against a tree, or against my truck? Like old times.”
Her face went hot, thinking about college, about when he’d pushed her limits and she’d loved every second of it.
Cash shifted in his seat. “We wouldn’t stop there. I couldn’t.”
“Why would I want us to?”
“You, me. One of us will get hurt. I lost you once, and I don’t want to do it again. We gotta go down the platonic river.”
“You’re talking about friends?”
“We were friends once. For a long time.”
“Guys can’t be friends with girls.”
“We were.”
“No. We played the longest game of will-they, won’t-they in the history of hook ups.”
“Shit, Nicola. I’m trying to respect your brother’s wishes. I’m trying to do right by you. Shit, I’m trying.”
“Nope. You’re scared.” Why was she pushing him? What did she even want?
“You are too.”
Called out with the truth. He could always see through her see-sawing arguments when it came to him. The hot, the cold, and eventually, she had fallen into his arms. But what they could and should do now? She had no idea.
He laughed quietly. “It’s that simple, huh? You fall, literally fall, ass first into my line of sight, and I’m just supposed to pick up where we left off.”
“I never said that, Cash.” Again, her phone rang, 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.”
