Rand threads his fingers through mine and wraps his other arm around my waist, pulling me close. “If it were just me, I would. But I’m not putting you in the line of fire.”
I wrench myself free. “I think you forget one important fact, Mr. Science.”
He impatiently folds his arms. “And that is?”
“I’ll say this in a way you can understand,” I wink. “Researchers believe the body completely replaces itself with a new set of cells every seven to ten years, right? Even with the conservative estimate, ten years, that means in the last thirty years, I’ve become a new woman - at least three times.”
“That’s not what that means, Carolina.”
I stomp my foot. “That’s exactly what it means. I’m not the scared kid I was three decades ago. The helpless girl Dash drugged and dragged out of a party to attack. I can defend myself. I’m certified to do so for the U.S. government!”
“Carolina…”
“No!” I slap his shoulder. Damn, his muscles are like iron. I shake my hand out. “We’re doing this together. I’ve let this asshole control my life through my thoughts for too long. And heaven knows if we’ll get the chance to be this close to him again.”
Rand’s not smiling. I don’t like Not-Smiling Rand. Not-Smiling Rand is too serious for me. Not-Smiling Rand is coming up with ways to keep me out of this investigation and capture the #1 person on my Shit List.
I squint at him. “Don’t even think about it, Rambling Man.”
“What?”
“Do not even think about cutting me out, or I’ll,” I look around the room. What can I threaten him with?
He bites his lips to keep from smiling. “You’ll do what?”
Oh, that smug bastard. Fine. Let’s play hardball.
“I’ll tell my brother we had sex.”
Rand sucks air through his teeth. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I would,” I nod. “And not only that, Randolina, I’d sic Wysdom and Celia on you, too!”
“Judas!” Rand steps away from me.
I fold my arms over my chest. “Call me whatever you want. I’m not running from this fight.”
Rand stands there in all his muscly goodness. His blond hair sticks up in all directions. His green eyes dart around the room as he considers plans A through Z. When his gaze reconnects with mine, he knows there’s no way I’m leaving.
With a resigned sigh, he looks at the ceiling. “I cannot say no to you.”
Now it’s my turn to bite back a smile. And I’m rewarded with a peek at his dimple. Mary, Mother of Mercy, I was in trouble with him.
But I think I’ll allow that as well.
Chapter 34
“There are no secrets between friends - especially ones who can hack into your phone.”
-Rand
Carolina and I finish a late breakfast when there’s a knock on the door, followed by a clattering in the hallway.
“Highfalutin’ elevators,” someone swears on the other side of the door.
I chuckle and whisk open the door to find a pint-sized hacker on my penthouse doorstep. “Tatiana! You made great time!”
The woman is red in the face as she shoves a black case at me, then motions to another case on the floor beside the door. “I’m about to fly off the handle with all this shit. Help a sister out, would you?”
