“Not a chance.”
Damn.She was still keeping him out.
“Yup.” She nodded. “Look, why don’t you just let all that anger out? It’s not good for you to bottle it up like that.”
Okay, she asked for it. “That was the most stupid, dangerous, harebrained plan you have ever come up with. I told you back in Scotland, but would you listen? You not only put yourself at risk, but Josie, too. Not to mention every one of us who had to go in and rescue you.”
“Maybe, but we assessed the risks and decided they were worth it. We needed information. And it was a good plan. Howwere we to know they would go to such elaborate lengths to set a trap for us?”
He counted to ten in his head and exhaled. “Those people—whoever they are—could have just taken what they wanted from your head and then killed you both.” He turned away and ran his hands through his hair.
“Do you feel better now?” she asked.
“No, I don’t fucking feel better. How could I have fallen in love with a fucking kid with a death wish?”
For a moment, her eyes widened again. Shit. Had he really just told her that he loved her? It wasn’t how he’d ever envisaged making a declaration of love. Actually, he’d never expected to love anyone. But there was no point in keeping it to himself. She was in his head. She knew how he felt, even if she didn’t like it. Hell, he was guessing everyone knew how he felt.
Then her expression hardened. “I’m not a fucking kid. I haven’t been a fucking kid for a long, long time. In case you hadn’t noticed.”
“Oh, I noticed.” He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, she was standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at him. He allowed his gaze to drop down over her body, taking in her full breasts under the black sweater, her slim waist, rounded hips and long, long legs. Christ, she was no child. She was all woman. His body tightened in an instinctive reaction.
“Good,” she said.
“Good?” What the hell did she mean by that? He felt totally off balance, as though the world was tilting beneath him.
She pursed her lips. “Don’t take this as an undying declaration of love or anything, but I decided that if you want me, you can have me.”
He went completely still.
Was she joking?
She didn’t look like she was joking.
Christ, he wished he could get in her head, see what she was thinking. “And when did you have this startling change of mind? I remember you telling me it would be a cold day in hell before you let me touch you.”
She gave a nonchalant shrug. “You kissed me.”
“And I think you told me it would never happen again.”
She licked her lips, and heat shot straight to his groin. A small glint of amusement flared in her eyes. She knew exactly what she was doing to him. “I liked it,” she said. “I’ve kissed a lot of men, and most of the time, I didn’t think much of it. And sex was always sort of disappointing.”
Probably because most of the time, she’d done it purely to get back at him. She’d always made sure he knew about her conquests.
“Maybe. A little.” At least she was being honest. “But I did want to experience life, and truthfully, at that point, I would never, and I meanreallynever, have considered anything happening between us.”
“What changed?”
“I had a near-death revelation. I realized, when I thought I might be going to die, that I was sorry we’d never had sex. I made a vow that if I got out of there, I would...” She frowned, then shrugged. “Let you know I was available. I don’t always like you. But in a weird way, I trust you. And...” She hesitated as though she wasn’t sure she wanted to say the next bit, but then she took a deep breath. “You came back for me. You put me before the mission and came to save me. I honestly never thought that would ever happen.”
“The time machine isn’t going anywhere.”
“Unless those agents get there first and steal it.”
He didn’t think that was likely. The place was well guarded. But talking about stealing the time machine brought somethingelse to his thoughts. Something powerful and intrusive enough to shift his mind from his hardening dick.
She’d been planning on stealing his goddamn time machine. She was crazy.
Her eyes widened again, and he knew she’d picked up the thought.
