“You’ve come back different from the girl who left here two years ago.”
Crap.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m exactly the same.”
“No. You’re not confident now, you don’t laugh constantly. There is no teasing or groping—”
“I don’t grope!”
His smile was slow. “I enjoyed the groping.”
“I do not grope people!”
“No. You were sweet, sexy as hell, and only touched the guys who were your friends, and purely in a non-sexual fun way. FYI, I loved your hands on me.”
She absolutely did not feel a flush of heat from those words.
“Well, maybe I’ve just grown up. It’s not like I didn’t need to.” Yes, that could work. She’d say she’d been making personal changes since she left. “I’ve been discovering myself, as I didn’t much like who I was. I needed to change, grow up. I did that while I was in London.”
“Like a self-discovery journey?”
“Exactly.”
“Bullshit.”
“Whatever, and I don’t have time for this.” Maggs lifted the cuffs of her jacket and sweater to check her watch.
“What the hell is that?” He grabbed her hand and forced the sleeve up, further exposing the long scar.
“Nothing.”
“That,” he ran a finger along the angry red line, “is not nothing.”
“Look, Fin. I need you to drop me somewhere. Can you do that or not?”
“I can. But I want the truth before I do. What happened to make you panic, and how long have you had that on your arm, because I know you didn’t have it before leaving Ryker.”
Crap.
“Spill, Maggs, or I’ll tell the others what happened, today and in the bank when you begged me to save you from being shot.” His hand held her before him.
She tried to think of something to explain what happened. Should she just tell him? But then he would tell the others, and they’d be upset. If Bailey and Pip found out, there would be hell to pay because she’d kept something so big from them.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Try again.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything.”
“Is it to do with what happened in that restaurant? The shooting?”
Her body twitched. Just the mention of that day had the breath whooshing from her.
“I don’t want to talk about that. It’s over and done with, and I left it behind in London. I need you to respect that, Fin.” Maggs held her breath as he studied her. She knew those blue eyes were focused and intent behind those lenses.
“No, I can’t.”
“What? Why not? You have no right to pry into my life.” She felt the wonderful heat of anger.
