Page 141 of Summer Heat
“True,” Roman said. “If you two don’t kill each other, you might make a cute couple.”
“Cut the cute crap.” Cash pulled out of the driveway and accelerated down the backroad.
“Well, what the shit are you going to do about her then, if it’s not cute-couples crap?”
Cash drummed his thumbs on the steering wheel, almost scared to jinx everything he’d been feeling and thinking. “Like I said at the bonfire, I don’t know what the future holds. She was gone. Now she’s back. Am I feeling her?” He nodded. “What do I want?” Telling Roman the crazy ideas about the future he’d had once upon a time felt like sacrilege, and Cash didn’t want to share what his mind was working through now. “I don’t know. Nic’s Nic, though. No matter what, she’s back.” For good. As his.
Thank God for the dark, because Cash’s smile went ear to ear. It was like a night of firsts all over again. The kissing, the fight, the shower, and the making up. What an awesome night.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Nicola woke up to the scent of her shampoo and the heavy weight of solid muscle draped over her. Cash. A warm rush swirled in her stomach, and a blush heated her cheeks. He'd sneaked back into bed during the night without waking her. Then again, he was a sniper: an undetectable liquid shadow.
“Morning, Nic.” Arms that had caged her to the bed last night pulled her against his warm chest. This is a deep-sigh kind of nice.
“Morn—” The alarm clock read thirty-three minutes after it should have gone off. Had she set it? Shit. “Oh my God, I’m late. We’re late. We have to—”
“We don’t have to meet for another half hour or so.”
Nicola sprang up and out of bed, tearing through her overnight bag. “I have to get ready.”
“Throw on some clothes.”
“I can’t just throw on clothes. I have to get ready. It’s a chick thing.”
“It’s just a bunch of dudes. No one to impress.”
She smirked at him. Grabbing a brush, she combed her ragamuffin bed-head into a bun.
“Cash?”
He relaxed against the headboard, and his eyes twinkled as he enjoyed the show.
She moved around like a woman on speed, desperate for her missing makeup bag. “What are you looking at?”
She was still naked. Running around, naked and crazed. Clothes. Must find clothes.
His smile said it all. He didn’t have to open his mouth. “Just watching. Better than a cup of coffee.”
“Get up. Get dressed. We’re late.” She tugged on fresh panties and a matching bra. They were a little flashy. Maybe subconsciously, when she’d packed them, she’d hoped to wear them for him. Well, he saw her now and looked thrilled. “Cash! Come on.”
“All right, all right. I’m up.”
He stood up, just as naked as she’d been. And he was up. Oh, Lord. Her stomach dropped to the floor. Every womanly part of her body screamed for her to hold him. Whoa, that was a hell of a reaction.
“Nic, you’re staring. Not complaining, but you should know I’m down with going back to bed and earning a slap on the wrist for rolling in late.” He winked at her, and her stomach jumped, only to fall back down.
No. Concentrate. For all intents and purposes, this was her first day at a new job. Even though the CIA still owned her, she was on loan. New co-workers. New people to size up and make an impression on. Rolling in late, when everyone surely knew her history with Cash, would be catastrophic.
“Put your clothes on. I can’t be late.”
“You can be whatever you feel like, sweet girl.” Cash stretched, and every muscle in his body rippled.
“Well, I feel like holding on to my reputation.” Ouch, that was harsh. She knew his standing with ladies well enough. He didn’t flinch, though. “Sorry, that’s not what I meant. I’ve tried hard to make every man I work with see me as capable. Just one of the guys.”
“Nah. I get it. I’ll leave you to get dressed. You show up when you do, looking however
you do. Gorgeous, I’m sure. And I’m gonna mosey to the great room, meet up with everyone, and get some coffee.”
