“That’s what I’m scared of,” she muttered.
He chuckled and turned earnest green eyes on her. “In all honesty, you should have some. You saw a lot of gore tonight. Things most people never have to see. And someone tried to kill you. Twice.” He filled both the cups and walked toward her with one held out. “A drink will help soothe your nerves. Trust me.”
As she took the glass, her gaze never left his. He held his wine up, and she clinked hers to his, ignoring the fact they were plastic.
“To new beginnings,” he whispered.
She scrunched up her nose. “And to not forgetting past wrongs.” She raised a salute to him and chugged the contents. When she finished, she met his stare and flushed. “What? I’m following your advice.”
“By all means, continue to do so. Here, have another.” Giving her his still-full cup, he rushed across the room to grab the bottle. Returning, Joseph poured her another full glass.
She looked at both the cups in her hands. “What? You have nerves of steel and don’t need help?”
“I’m on duty. Remember?”
She stuffed a cup back in his hands and marched away. “Oh. Right. I forgot. You’re babysitting me.” She plopped on the bed and leaned back on one arm, sipping her beverage. The alcohol already made her brain a little fuzzy. She didn’t often drink wine, and when she did, she sipped it with dinner. Giggling at his confused expression, she swallowed the rest of her drink, held out the empty glass, and smiled. “This is good.”
“Maybe you should cool it a bit,” he suggested but nevertheless approached with the bottle. “It would suck to be hanging over the toilet all night.”
“Nah. I’ll be fine,” she assured him. He poured her more wine, but stopped when it hit the halfway mark. “Don’t think I’m too tipsy to notice you only gave me half.”
She played with a lock of her hair and scooted until she leaned back against the pillows. His gaze followed her movements, his eyes darkening to an emerald green when he sat on the edge of the bed.
“I wouldn’t dream of underestimating your abilities.” He put the bottle on the floor and took a sip of wine. “Tell me what you’ve been up to the past month or so. Your father said he asked you to go home to America, but you refused.”
She shrugged. “My kids at the school need me. Most of their parents are too busy struggling to survive to raise them, so I’m all they’ve got. Who knows how long it would take to find a replacement for me?”
“Your father plans on leaving town next week when his mission is finished. I’m sure he plans on you accompanying him.”
“He can plan all he wants. I’m not going anywhere.” She couldn’t leave her kids and her apartment, the place she and Joseph had shared. She couldn’t leave her friends, her co-workers, and the life she’d built. She couldn’t leave….
Him.
The realization hit her like a ton of bricks, but she had to acknowledge the truth behind the thought. She’d been able to ignore her lingering attraction for him because he had been gone. But now that she’d seen him again, touched him, she had a feeling he wouldn’t disappear from her mind. He’d more than likely be in her head non-stop.
“Why won’t you leave here? I’m sure there are some kids in America who need you as well.” His voice washed over her, low and soothing. He set his glass on the floor—still half full—and shifted closer. “There are ways to help which won’t endanger your life.”
“Says the ATF agent,” she drawled.
He smiled. “I’m different. I’m not you.”
“Again with the double standards.” She shook her head and finished her wine, slamming the empty cup on the side table.
She scooted a bit farther from him, and he took in her movements but didn’t show disappointment or even anger. He looked amused, if anything. Time to wipe the smirk off his face.
“Anyway, besides working, I’ve been having fun with my friends. Going out at night. Picking up a few hot men to bring home. You know. The usual.”
He growled and grabbed her ankle to drag her over to him. She ended up flat on her back with him braced over her. The wine made her head spin before she could focus on his face. She giggled.
“You think it’s funny to torture me, to taunt me with the men you’ve screwed?” His breathing grew heavier, his anger increasing. “I spent the last few weeks trying to straighten things out between us, and you jumped on top of the next available dick. It’s disgusting.”
She pushed his shoulders, but he captured her hands and pinned them to the mattress.
“Disgusting? I’m disgusting? Excuse me, but you’re the one who betrayed me. And then you come here and insult me, insinuate I’ve done something to wrong you? You’re ridiculous in your arrogance!” She struggled against his hold, but he didn’t budge. “Get off of me!”
“No. You won’t listen to what happened, but now you have to, because you’re stuck.”
“No, let me go! I don’t want to know your reasons. It doesn’t matter.”
“The hell it doesn’t! You’ll listen to me, and you’ll listen well. I’m not going to repeat it again. Everything started when I found out my friend from the war died. The same one who saved my life in Iraq. So I, stupidly, went out to get a drink with my—”
“I didn’t bring any men home,” she blurted.
He sucked in a breath. “What?”
Confusion shot through her, followed by anger. She didn’t know why she’d interrupted him. All she knew was she sure as heck didn’t want to hear his stupid excuses.
“I’m trying to talk to you here, and you just interrupt me with a random statement?” He choked on his words, eyes widening. “Wait, you mean you didn’t move on? Didn’t sleep with anyone else?”
“No one else seemed good enough to replace you,” she whispered. His eyes widened, and his penis hardened against her belly. “No one will ever be better than you.”
He groaned and leaned down to plunder her mouth, his tongue sweeping inside without any resistance. His hands still pressed hers to the mattress, and she fought to pull them free, eager to touch him. But he tightened his grip and ripped his mouth from hers. “No. I’m in charge tonight, pumpkin. You’re mine.”
She couldn’t help but feel his statement held two meanings, yet she chose to ignore the innuendo for the moment. She instead focused on the hot trail his mouth traced down her neck, knowing she should fight his embrace, knowing there must be at least a dozen reasons why she should stop kissing him back. But suddenly, she couldn’t remember them.