Page 140 of Summer Heat
She stared at the mocha-colored wall, feeling Cash stroke her hair. “That was both of our faults. But it isn’t a problem. Right? So we move on.”
“I should’ve—”
“Stop.” She turned to him. “We’re not that couple on a first date. We’re not playing by the normal rule book.”
He smiled. “Very logical, Nic.”
She gave him an I’m-super-clever grin and laughed. “Nope. Just observant. I observe. I conclude. I react. You might say it’s my specialty.”
They laughed together, and she turned back to the wall, snuggling into his hold once again. He kissed the back of her shoulder. “Smartass.”
“I thought it was sweet girl.” She looked over her shoulder with a smile and wrinkle of her nose.
He kissed her softly. “Smartass. Sweet girl. Perfect woman. Whatever works—”
Knock, knock, knock.
Go away, Jared.
“Nicola, don’t make me ask if Cash is in there.” The muffled voice bled through the door.
Nope, not Jared.
Go away, Roman.
Cash kissed her again. “I think that’s my cue. I’m sorry, Nic.”
She shrugged a naked shoulder. “It’s part of the job. I’ll see you tomorrow sometime. Morning meeting, I guess?”
He shook his head. “My morning would be a hell of a lot better if I woke up next to you.”
Bam. Bam. Bam.
Go away!
“But I gotta run. Go to sleep. Soon as I’m done, I’m crawling back into this bed.”
“I sleep with a gun under my pillow. That might be a bad idea.”
“So look before you shoot.”
“All right.” She laughed, snuggling down in the covers. “I’ll look first.”
He snagged his shirt and shorts off the ground, threw them on, and loomed over her in bed. “Night, Nicola Garrison. Sweet dreams.”
***
Cash and Roman hustled down the back staircase. Neither had said a word since Cash appeared, and other than Roman giving him a stink eye for taking too long to come out of Nicola’s room, the issue of Nicola had not been addressed. Nor had anything else, which meant that the subject needed discussing.
They reached Cash’s truck and climbed in. He turned the engine over and fed it some gas. “You going to be an asshole about this?”
“You going to hurt my baby sister?” Roman threw back.
Cash twisted his head and glared. “What the fuck, man?”
He shrugged. “She’s my sister.”
“She’s Nic.”
