Trying for calm, I took a swig of my beer, the cold liquid putting out the strange fire burning in my veins. ‘Nothing’s going on,’ I said. ‘It’s just been a hell of a night, what with Annie and—’
‘And watching your best friend get blown?’
‘Jesus, Smoke.’ This time I managed to look him in the eye. ‘How many times do you want to keep saying that?’
‘I don’t know. Until you stop acting weird?’
‘I’m not acting weird. Okay, it was disconcerting, but I’m a big girl. I know what you guys get up to in the clubrooms. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.’
But his narrow black stare didn’t budge. Like he was seeing things in me that I didn’t know were there. It was unsettling.
‘And what about you checking me out?’
‘I wasn’t checking you out! You’re my friend. You’re like my damn brother. Which means if I was looking at you like that, I’d be pretty damn sick. Don’t you think?’
He didn’t say a word. Just kept staring at me. And I could hear the echo of my voice bouncing off the walls, high and sharp and vehement. Too vehement.
I was incriminating myself with every word I spoke.
Man, could this night get any worse?
I turned away, running a hand through my hair. ‘You know what? I’m exhausted and I need to go to bed. So let’s talk about this later.’
For a second I didn’t think he was going to say anything, that he was going to keep standing there staring at me all night. But then he said, ‘Yeah, okay. You do look tired. But, Cat?’
I glanced at him. ‘What?’
Something glittered in his black eyes that made my heart race fast and hard. ‘We will talk about this later—get me?’
I swallowed and lifted a shoulder like I didn’t give a shit. ‘Sure.’
He sighed, his arms dropping to his sides, and pushed away from the doorframe. ‘I’ll handle that prick Justin, too, okay?’
‘Yeah...’ I let out a silent breath. ‘Thanks for getting Annie, Smoke. I mean... Just thanks.’
They were paltry words for what he’d done, but I didn’t have any other way to thank him. He’d know how much I meant them, though.
He smiled and, like always, it made me feel warm inside. Made me feel really good. Like the sun had come out to sit on my shoulder.
‘Anytime, kitten. Anytime.’