Page 49 of Broken Love

“Why?”

“Because they probably have a file on you right now… and that’s my fault.”

Caleb sits back in her seat and gazes out the window at the pitch-black sky. She shows no expression to tell me whether she agrees with that last part, but I didn’t say it to gain sympathy. If something happens to anyone out here because of those files, then I’m going to feel responsible for it — gun to my head or not.

“What are we doing out here?” she finally asks.

“I wanted to tell you about this.”

“Right.” She crosses her arms. “We could have done that anywhere. What are we doing in this jeep?”

I smile and close the laptop. “Because I didn’t just want to tell you about this.”

She glares at me. “Uh-huh.”

“If we happen to make-out, too, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”

Her eyes roll back and she reaches for the door handle.

“I’m kidding!” I grab her arm, but she shoots a hard look at me and I fall back. “I would, however, like to talk about the other night—”

“No.”

“Caleb, come on. Contrary to my behavior sometimes, I am not fourteen,” I joke, drawing a fraction of a smile on her mouth. “We’re adults and I would like to talk about the other night like adults. Please?”

She releases the handle and settles back against the door, arms crossed like a pair of thick armor. “Okay.”

I take a deep breath and look into her eyes, instantly stunned into silence. Fuck, she’s perfect. Beautiful, strong. Inside and out. Mysterious, charismatic. I can’t get her out of my head nor can I get the taste of her off my lips — not that I’m complaining or anything.

“Well?” she asks.

“I don’t know,” I choke. “That’s as far as I got.”

Caleb sighs. “You can start with an apology.”

“An apology?”

She nods. “Yeah, an apology.”

“I’m not going to apologize for kissing you,” I say. “I’m not sorry.”

“It was highly inappropriate,” she says, her brow creasing with intensity.

I twist in the seat to face her. “I gave you a little peck, Caleb. You’re the one who turned it into a full-blown, tongue-on-tongue—”

“I did not!”

“Oh, so you tripped and fell?” I ask, throwing all my sarcasm into it. “Is that how we’re playing this?”

“I’m not playing anything—” She pauses and exhales a heavy sigh. “This is ridiculous. I’m leaving.”

“No—!”

I latch onto her arm again and pull her away from the door.

“Let go of me,” she says.

“Not until you admit that you kissed me back.”

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