Page 104 of Nuclear Option (Owens Protective Services)

Finally, after twenty minutes, Cash came back over to me and took my elbow, guiding me out of the room. We headed upstairs to the end of the hall where he opened a door. The room was small with only a double bed and dresser inside.

“I know it’s not much, but we don’t have a lot of room right now.”

“It’s fine. How long will we be staying here?” I asked, hopeful it wouldn’t be too long.

“I talked with my contact at the FBI. I have to meet up with him and hand over the evidence. After that…I have no idea how long it will take for an indictment to come down for the governor. It could be weeks or even months.”

“Months? But we have all the evidence,” I said incredulously.

“Yes, and they’ll probably need to interview you. They need to ensure they have an airtight case before they make a move.”

I blew out a breath, understanding but hating it all at the same time. “So, this is home for a while.”

“You won’t be alone.”

I huffed out a laugh, shooting him a sardonic smile. “It feels like I haven’t been alone in years.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“It’s…strange. What am I supposed to do while I’m here? I can’t just sit around all day.”

“Well, there’s physical therapy for your shoulder. And then there’s training, if you’re interested.”

I could hear the hope in his voice. He wanted me to say yes, like that would somehow convince me to stay with him. The truth was, I wanted to learn to fight. Whatever happened after this, I wanted to be able to protect myself. For too long, I’d fought on my own, not even knowing how. And then my world was flipped upside down when Cash came into my life. It showed me how woefully unprepared I was for any potential danger.

“Eva,” he said, bringing me out of my thoughts. “I know this has been hard on you, and I know you’re desperate to move on with your life…”

I turned to face him, waiting for him to say more, but it seemed he changed his mind. Whatever he was going to say disappeared. His eyes shuttered and the coldness seeped back into his features that I so rarely saw. He was shutting down on me, and I knew that was my fault. My uncertainty was making our relationship more complicated than it had to be.

I smiled brightly at him, desperate to lighten the suddenly dark mood. “So, who’s cooking around here? I’m sure I can help with that at least.”

“Yeah, I think everyone’s been eating MREs.”

“What are those?” I asked, wrinkling my nose at just the sound of it.

“Prepackaged dog food basically. It’s edible…sort of.”

“Then I guess I have a job to do.” I shuffled past him, only to be grabbed and dragged back into his arms. He laid a searing kiss on me that sent shivers through my body and left me craving more when he pulled back. Winking at me, he walked out of the room.

I followed him downstairs, wishing now I had locked the door behind us and kept him upstairs with me. Instead, he methodically walked around the kitchen, showing me where everything was. I bit back my retort that I was pretty sure I could find my way around the kitchen. After all, he was trying to distract me.

“So, that’s pretty much everything.”

“Yeah,” I nodded, humor lacing my smile. “I would have never figured it out on my own.”

“Smart ass,” he muttered, backing me up against the counter.

I gasped as he pressed his body against mine, his large frame blocking me in. My hands rested against his chest, reminding me just how strong he was. At times like this, I forgot about my reservations about staying with him when this was over. I just wanted to be alone with him, but I knew that wouldn’t really happen. He had a company to run, and I would be just a small part of his daily life.

“Cash, your employees are going to see.”

“Let them watch,” he muttered, skimming his lips over my neck. “Do you think I give a fuck?”

“I do,” I pushed against his chest. It was a weak attempt at best, and clearly not enough to deter him.

His hand brushed over my neck before cupping the back of my head. I was lost in his touch, in the feel of his lips moving over my skin. My head warred with my heart. Every second I spent with him, I could see myself staying by his side and having no regrets. But there was always this nagging feeling in my mind, telling me I had to make this decision for me. If I didn’t, I would only end up hurting us both.

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