She sighed. “Don’t act all distant and weird because we burned up the sheets last night.”
He didn’t glance her way, but his lips twitched. “You do have a way with words, and I’m not acting distant and weird. Well, maybe weird, but that’s normal for me.”
“You said you didn’t regret it, and I don’t regret it, so knock it off.” She was starting to feel like a dork, and she’d had enough of this. “You’re lucky, in fact.” It wasn’t as if she went around sleeping with guys. Who had the time?
“I know. Very lucky.” His smile flashed straight white teeth.
She watched the traffic go by outside the truck. It seemed like the guy had the world on his mind. “Are you worried we just complicated everything?”
“Oh, we definitely just complicated everything.” He edged around a semi carting fruit. “Drink your latte. It’s getting cold.” He jerked his head toward the melting whipped cream.
She took the coffee and sipped gingerly, letting the syrup slam into her system. Why didn’t somebody tell Wolfe to take it easy on the sugar? He seemed to get so much enjoyment from providing the sweets that even she couldn’t say anything, although she was feeling a mite prickly with him right now—and not just because she’d gained five pounds since starting to hang out with him. “I appreciate your concern. I am capable, you know.”
“Very much so.” He turned off the interstate and wound down the quiet road toward the ’70s-style office building. “No matter how capable you are, I would want to protect you if you were mine.”
Whoa. “I’m mine,” she retorted. “Even if we had decided to take all of this to the next level, which we did not, I would not beyours.” The warmth spreading through her limbs was irritation, not desire. Yep. Definitely.
“Sure, you would be.” He pulled into a spot between two faded yellow lines and cut the engine.
“Wolfe,” she protested, waiting until he partially turned to face her. “It’s not the nineteen hundreds.”
One of his dark eyebrows rose. “Dana, I’m the muscle for the Deep Ops Unit because I’m good at it. It’s my job to protect and defend and diffuse. You’re nuts if you think I wouldn’t protect my woman with everything I have, especially my life.”
His woman. She shook her head, even though her heart rate seemed to be perking up considerably, and not from irritation. “I think you’re behind the times here.”
“Maybe,” he allowed. “But it’s a dangerous world, and you and I know that better than most. In this world, we give ourselves to the people we care about, and with that comes responsibilities. I’m all for independence, equal pay, and all of that, but a man’s job is to protect women and children, and that reality transcends any time.” Kat took that moment to jump from the back seat and land on Wolfe’s shoulder. “Animals and the elderly should be protected, too,” Wolfe added, opening his door and somehow jumping out without dislodging the kitten.
“How does somebody argue with that?” she muttered as she exited the truck without waiting for him to open her door.
He shrugged. “Why would you argue? However, if you someday end up with a guy who doesn’t agree with that sentiment, you’ve ended up with the wrong guy.”
“Like you care who I end up with,” she said, stepping lightly over a puddle.
“Well, I’d hate to have to kill him for not protecting you.” Wolfe patted the kitten, slowing his stride to match Dana’s.
It was sometimes difficult to tell if Wolfe was joking or not. “Discussions like these throw me off kilter,” she said.
“Why?”
That was a good question. Maybe because part of her wanted to behis, even though she didn’t like the terminology. Or a part of her wanted to know why he was so sure his next mission would be his last and he wouldn’t be around afterward. Or maybe because if his mission was dangerous, she wanted to help and make it sure that itwasn’this last one. “I want to help you take Rock down without dying yourself.”
His jaw tightened, making the scar stand out. “No.”
Her hackles rose. There was no way he was working alone on this, and the idea that he wouldn’t let her in kind of hurt. “I’m sure you have Brigid trying to track him with bank or military records.”
“No, I don’t.” He opened the door and waited for her to walk inside the dusty hallway.
She stumbled and quickly righted herself. “Why not?” Brigid was the best.
“He can’t be found,” Wolfe said, pushing the elevator button. “There’s no trace of him for Bridge to follow. The game isn’t played that way.”
A chill slithered down her spine. “Game?”
“Oh, yeah. Rock is all about the game.” The elevator door opened, and Wolfe gestured her inside. “He knows I’m looking for him, and now that he’s engaged, he’ll come to me.”
She leaned against the worn paneled siding, her mind spinning. “Wait a minute. You’ve sent out some crazy guy challenge?”
“Yep. I have a little time, but I’m gonna need to start making a trail that leads away from the team.” He pushed the button, and the elevator rocked twice before descending, creaking loudly with a protest that hurt her ears.
