Page 36 of Kiss of Steel

Solutions.

Fight response activated. Muscles bulked. Senses sharpened. He heard the ticking of the hot stove in the other room, and his skin registered the precise pressure of the covers and the body temperature of the target wrapped around him. He turned his head. He could see every individual eyelash and pore on her traitorous face. “What did you say?”

“I said if not for the company I worked for—”

“You worked for Solutions, Inc.”

“I was the personal secretary to the chief operating officer.”

Rage and grief commingled. She was a part of the same organization that created him, enslaved him, and tried to destroy him. She might have even been the one to send out the orders targeting him for destruction.

His gaze zeroed in on the closet where his blaster rested atop the shelf. He flung off the covers and got out of bed.

“What’s wrong? Where are you going?”

He left the room before he did something that couldn’t be undone.

Chapter Fifteen

Two days later

“One for me, three for him.” Honoria handed her card to the mess hall cashier.

They collected their dinner—a mash of vegetables and meat with a cookie-cake thing for dessert. For the first time since arrival, they found an unoccupied table in a far corner, and Jason made a beeline for it.

For the first time, she would have preferred to sit with others.

She couldn’t bear the tension anymore. What was going on with him? For two days, he hadn’t spoken more than a half dozen words to her. He avoided her eyes. He hadn’t held her hand or kissed her.

Something had gone wrong since making love two nights ago. Did he regret it? He hadn’t appeared to, until he leaped out of bed and spent the rest of the night in the other room while she cried herself to sleep.

The next morning, they’d eaten a silent breakfast. Going to work had been a relief, but then she’d come home to a brooding stranger.

Is something bothering you? Are you all right? Is everything okay?Did I do something to upset you?Talk to me!When pleas had fallen on deaf ears, she’d stopped asking.

Yesterday evening, she’d resigned herself to a lonely night, but, after showering, he’d come to bed, turned to her, and kissed her. She took it as an apology, and relief washed over her. She hated to argue. No harsh words had been uttered, yet it was clear they’d had their first fight. But she had no idea why! She wanted to hash it out, find out what the heck had happened,fix things, but he continued to kiss her, so she surrendered to the passion, figuring they would talk afterward.

They didn’t. After making love to her almost desperately, he’d retreated to the other room to sleep, leaving her feeling used and abandoned.

Today—more silent treatment. Confusion and hurt were morphing into righteous anger. She didn’t deserve this. She had a right to know what the hell was going on! If he assumed he could come sneaking into bed tonight, get his jollies, and then treat her like she didn’t exist, he had another think coming.Coming won’t be what he has coming! Not tonight.She wouldn’t allow herself to be treated that way.

Jason stared at his plate, and she considered kicking him under the table.

“Something wrong with the meal tonight?” she asked with syrupy sweetness.

“No.” He picked up his fork and began to eat.

She pushed the food around on her plate, tension eroding her appetite.

“How was work? You get the store restocked?” he asked, and she almost choked.Now he wants to chitchat?

“Fine,” she replied tersely. Maybe she didn’t wish to talk to him!

Three wagon loads of goods had come in, and she and Maven had begun restocking shelves. She’d gotten permission to group common items together. She’d put all the warm winter clothes together, and the foodstuffs on one aisle.

“I set some winter shirts and socks aside for you but had to guess your size. It would behoove you to come to the mercantile and verify they will fit and maybe set aside a few more things,” she offered up reluctantly. After the way he’d been treating her, she didn’t feel very chatty.

He glanced at her before averting his eyes. The bleakness she saw deflated her anger. He looked like somebody had died.What is going on?He bent his head over his plate. “You’ve paid for too much for me already.”

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