Page 38 of Kept By The Agents

"How could you? It's fine."

Nibbling my lower lip, I wished I could take that last question back. Up until now he'd been pretty open, answering questions, even smiling and laughing. One reckless question had him closing back up like a clam shell. All the work I'd put in to pry him open disappeared with a few words. He was a difficult man to figure out. Good thing I loved puzzles.

"Do you-"

"I need to concentrate." His sentence was stone cold and he refused to look up at me. He was done talking.

Nodding, I stood and went up the stairs. It didn't take me long to find my book of crosswords and head back down. If he thought he could get rid of me that easily he was sorely mistaken. But I knew how to honor a request for silence—even if meant being left to my boredom. I didn't want to push him past the point of no return, or he may never open up to me again. The thought of that happening hurt my heart. I wasn't sure why since I barely knew the guy, but I wanted to. And that was the point.

So, I zipped my lips and settled in with my puzzles to keep me entertained while he typed away on his machine.

The sky was dark by the time I set the book down and started making some dinner. There wasn't much food in the house, but there was enough to make spaghetti, sans meatballs. It was just some noodles and sauce, nothing fancy, but I added a can of corn as a side.

"Should we wait for the others?" I asked.

"Naw, there's no telling how long they'll be." He shoved aside his computer when I put a plate in front of him. "Thanks." He blinked down at it, then frowned. "You eat corn with spaghetti?"

"Yeah, it's sweet corn," I offered. He still looked confused. "Just try it. Next I'll have you try sour cream on your steak."

His lip curled in disgust. "Why would you do that?"

"Um…because it's delicious," I said as though he'd lost his mind.

"Sounds gross," he replied, twirling a bite onto a fork. He left the corn to the side of the plate.

"You have to mix it up."

"Excuse me?"

I couldn't help but laugh at the affronted look on his face. Mixing my corn in with the noodles and sauce, I showed him what I meant, then took a bite. "Mmmm."

His eyes were on my lips as I licked them. I hadn't been trying to tease him, but now that I was aware of him watching me, I sort of wanted to. I really needed to sort myself out. I was acting like a horny teenager. Even when I'd been a teen I hadn't acted this way.

"What happened with you and Suave?"

The question was so abrupt, I nearly choked on the bite I'd just taken. It turned to ash in my mouth as I remembered the single most embarrassing, heart breaking day of my life.

"What did he tell you?"

"Not much. We only learned of you once your name popped up in connection with what was happening over here."

"It did?" I asked, eyes widening.

His grin was easy and carefree. "How did you think we found you?"

"Bad luck? Bad timing? Bad juju?"

His brows rose up toward his hairline. "I'd say good fortune for you considering what you'd been about to walk into."

"True," I conceded. "He walked out on our wedding day."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. Didn't even have the decency to tell me. My mom came back to let me know he never made it to the church."

"Doesn't sound like Suave."

"It doesn't?" I asked, awe coloring the words. "I can't count on both hands how many 'I told you so's' I heard after that."

---