“Sure,” he said. “We can do that.”
She blinked. Seriously? It was that easy? “So glad you?—”
“Ifyou can convince me that kiss didn’t make you feel anything.”
Lordy goodness, that kiss made her feel something. That kiss made her feeleverything.
And that was terrifying. “Anything good,I assume you mean? Because I’m gonna tell you right now, you’re not backing out of this deal when I tell you that—thatkiss, as you call it, made me feel bored.”
Those black holes in his eyes were using their gravitational force to suck away her defenses.
“It turned you on,” he murmured.
She swallowed. “You being turned on ain’t the same as me being turned on. That’s called projecting, and you slobbering all over me didn’t even register with my lady bits.”
She was such a liar.
But the alternative was admitting this man got to her. And she was in a no-men zone. She had to be. Her research, her job, getting to Germany all took priority. “Tara, let’s get out of here.”
“You talk a good talk, Pixie-lou,” he said, “but you felt something. Can’t deny it.”
“Can and did.” She faked a yawn. “Y’all enjoy your night.”
“You afraid to feel?” he asked. “Or are you afraid to feel with me?”
“Wow, how much did you have to drink tonight?” Tara gripped Kaci’s arm and tugged. “Hope one of your buddies is driving you home, Captain.”
Breaking eye contact physically hurt. Like plucking a suction cup off the inside of her elbow. But Kaci tore her gaze away anyway, then turned to follow Tara.
“Still expect payment on that bill,” Lance called.
Kaci kept her head high, but she couldn’t find theoomphto put a swing in her step too.
That man was downright terrifying.
Not because she felt violated by his kiss.
If Ol’ Grandpappy could’ve kissed her like that, they might still be married.
No, she felt violated by his insight into her psyche.
“He’s so dadgum full of himself,” she said to Tara. “I got me half a mind to make him pay for putting me in a spot like that.”
“For kissing you like that?” Tara said dryly. “Because I’m not surethatdeserves vengeance so much as it deserves an encore.At least, if it were me, I’d be going for the encore.”
“For teasing me,” she said. “And sending me that ridiculous bill.”
Tara slid her a sideways glance. “You want war?”
Kaci sagged against her Jeep. Did she want war? Or was she already at war? “What’re you proposing?”
“I know a guy who used to be in the 946th, and I also know where they keep their mascot. If you ask me, the captain’s good for a battle.”
“Tara Shivers, you are a terrible influence on me.” But, oh, did taking his mascot sound tempting. He wanted her to feel something? He wanted her to pay a big bill? She’d dang well get her money’s worth.
“You can thank me later,” Tara said.
Kaci grinned at her. “You bet your britches I will.”
