Page 147 of Summer Heat
She turned toward Roman. His brow furrowed. “Don’t even think about asking. I’m not getting into it with either of you.”
Shit. It’s not like a taxi was going to pick her up in where-ever-the-hell-Virginia. “Damn it, Cash.”
He smiled, knowing he was her only option, and she hated it. “I’ll drive ya. Where we going, Nic?”
If he would hand over the damn keys, everything would go easier. Maybe she could find them in his room. “We aren’t going anywhere.”
“Yeah, guess that’s true. I stay. You stay. We all get to stay.” He flopped on the couch next to Rocco, who was watching the latest installment of their drama. “If you change your mind, I’ll be here.” He turned to Roman. “Hey, man. Throw me another biscuit.”
Roman chucked the biscuit across the room, and out of nowhere, Winters’s dog nabbed it mid-flight. Roman tried again, successfully.
How did anyone put up with these men? Her foot tapped, and her mind ran the gamut of getaway vehicles, but she turned up nothing. Damn Cash.
“All right. Let’s go.”
“While I drive, I’ll explain Sugar, and you’ll listen.” He didn’t look at her. His voice was even and bored. Rocco, on the other hand, wasn’t bored, and Cash didn’t look at the man’s head slinging back and forth between them. “Those are my terms. Take it or leave it. But I don’t think you’ll find someone willing to risk their life and give you a ride.”
Risk their life? Come on, Cash!
She dropped her head back and huffed. Mark today down as the most unprofessional day of her life. “Fine.”
“Fine.”
Rocco laughed. “You two are great. When are you coming back?”
“Shut it, Roc.” Roman didn’t like the theatrics at all. Nic didn’t either. Maybe it was a family thing.
***
When Nicola turned around and Rocco returned to minding his own business, Cash took a ten-count to pray. Hell, if he’d known Sugar would waltz her smart ass in to Winters’s house, maybe Cash would have elaborated in the bathroom last night with Nicola about how he hadn’t been a saint while she was gone. The moment hadn’t been right. It wouldn’t have been a fuck of a lot better than just now though.
He rolled his shoulders and pushed off the couch as if he hadn’t a care in the world, which was first-class bullshit. Sugar was awesome, and Nicola was amazing. He had to work with both in very different capacities, but there was only one he wanted to dive back under the covers with.
That one, for all the sass and CIA-seriousness that she hid behind, had just had her feelings hurt over something he never would’ve done if he’d known she was alive.
Every action had a consequence, just like every shot he took either hit target or had a reason he was off mark. Right now, he was in the process of basically re-evaluating and re-calibrating his entire world view to see if what looked like a new target was worth pursuing.
As Nicola swayed her sweet ass out of the room, there was no question at the moment. Cash hopped off the couch, tossed his keys, waved good bye, and headed toward his truck to hash out the drama.
***
Trapped again in his truck with Nicola proved to be much different from the night before. There wasn’t that would-they-wouldn’t-they vibe.
Nope.
Now it was nothing but hold-your-breath-and-hang-on kind of tension, and it still made him want to beat his head against the steering wheel.
“Where to, Nic?”
“Tyson’s Corner.”
“Got it.” He rolled out of Winters’s driveway. “Sugar. Let’s just get that over with.”
“I don’t care.” She shrugged and tugged at her hair.
“Pretty sure you do.” A pissed-off Nicola was cute. The madder, the cuter. Bet she’d get furious if he told her as much. “There’s nothing to be jealous—”
“Are you kidding me? Jealous? Hardly.” She scooted farther away and leaned against her door. “That’s ridiculous. You’re ridiculous. Sugar, for that matter, is ten shades past ridiculous.”
