Page 30 of Cajuns. Love. Curves.

“You’re one to talk. You think I don’t know the hours SEALs put in? You guys are legendary for going days without sleep and justifying it with ‘tactical napping’.”

I open my mouth to protest, but she doesn’t give me the chance.

“And don’t pull that you’re-too-tired-to-drive bullshit, because I know for a fact that some of the machinery you operate under those circumstances is way more dangerous than a car. Especially since my car has all that fancy driver assistance stuff. And I’m pretty sure the bombs you defuse on less sleep than this don’t have an auto defuse option that kicks in if you fall asleep on the job.”

“I’m pretty sure no one falls asleep while defusing a bomb. And that’s not my area of—”

“Did you really follow me out here to talk about your work? Because if I have questions about being a SEAL, I know where to go. So, unless you want something else?”

Do I want something else?

Did she honestly just ask me that?

Because right now, I could write a damn erotic novel about the things I want. But if this awkward and unexpectedly tense first meeting with her is any indication, she’s not ready for all the things I want.

That’s okay. I can wait. Now that Sir Reginald Douche Canoe is out of the picture, I’ve got time. And since Trevor has the mumps and won’t be going on that vacation to Belize with her, I have the means as well.

I take a step back and remove my hand from the door before crossing my arms over my chest. “Nope. I don’t need a damn thing. Thank you for that latest audiobook recommendation, though.”

Something in her shoulders relaxes a little, proof I was absolutely right about her not being ready for what I want.

Though, I’m guessing on some level, she knows exactly what I want. She’s not ready to admit it, but she knows what I want, otherwise she wouldn’t have been holding that tension in her shoulders while she waited for me to answer.

And yeah, I have to admit, maybe she held that tension in her shoulders because she knows what I want and she doesn’t want it in return. If that’s the case, I’ll back off as soon as she says the word. In the meantime, I’m not gonna worry too much about pressuring her. She grew up with Remy and Wade. She knows how to handle herself. If she doesn’t want me touching her, I doubt I’ll get the chance. And I probably won’t have the ability to walk afterwards either.

“You liked the book?” She grins up at me, clearly excited to talk books.

“Yeah. It was brilliant.” A month ago, for my birthday, she gifted me all three books in the Illuminae series on audio.

“You have listened to all three of them yet, or just first?”

“Yes. They were all great. But I have to admit, I like the second one best. But maybe I’m just a sucker for a girl who has her shit together and then falls for the tattooed bad boy.”

She glances down at my bicep where my frogman tat is peeking out from under my sleeve.

I laugh and she rolls her eyes, but doesn’t take the bait.

“Like I said,” — she climbs into her car — “I’m gonna hit the road.”

Before she can shut the door, I lean down to ask, “You want me to come with you? Share the driving?”

“Nope. I’m good.”

“Okay then, I’ll see you on Monday.”

I gently close her door before she can tell me not to come. I’m already walking away when she rolls down the window and says, “You’re not actually invited.”

I turn and wave, walking backwards for several steps. “Let me know how that works out for you.”

chapterfourteen

Emails exchangedbetween Nick and Cassie over the last 12 months…

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From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

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