“I’m done with this ignoring me bullshit, Teagan.”
“Isyourphone broken?”
I sighed, running my thumb over the inside of her elbow.
She yanked her arm from my touch.
“Baby, will you just talk to me?” I bit out.
“Oh, hell, no. You do not get to ignore me for a week and then drop the ‘baby’ card.”
“I haven’t been ignoring you. I’ve just been busy.”
“Bullshit.” She crossed her arms again. “What did Hatch say?”
“When?”
“Don’t be obtuse. You know exactly when.”
I pressed my palms to my eye sockets and sighed. “It’s not important.”
“Got it.”
She pulled open the door, but I was faster and pushed it shut again.
Teagan let out a frustrated grunt and shoved her fist into my side. I saw it coming and braced before grabbing her wrist and shoving her arm gently behind her back. “You wanna fight?”
“You’re a fucking asshole, Cash.”
“That’s never been in question,” I said, leaning down to run my nose over her neck. I breathed in deep, her citrus scent driving me crazy.
“You need to quit,” she hissed, but arched into me with a quiet mew as I kissed her pulse.
“Quit what?” I challenged, running my tongue across her bottom lip.
“Stop,” she begged, and I immediately stepped away. I had always made her a promise that if she ever said the word, ‘stop,’ I would stop. Always. It didn’t matter what I was doing, sex, dishes, kissing her, whatever. It was our ‘safe’ word.
I shook my head as I took a few calming breaths.
“You are a dick, Cash Warren Carver,” she bit out, her eyes filling with tears.
“Yeah, we’ve established that.”
“Good talk.” She moved to walk out again, but I blocked the door. “Move.”
“Baby, just give me five minutes.”
“To do what, Cash? Lie to me? Gaslight me?”
“I’ve never done either of those things.”
“No, you choose your words very carefully, you’re right. You give me no information at all, which isworse.”
She was right. I did exactly that. But it was for her own good.
She cocked her head. “What did Hatch say?”
I stared at her.
