“Too bad. We’re too valuable to risk as a unit. We need to keep ourselves spread around.”
Yanking her arm free, Vashti spun and shoved at him. She cursed when he didn’t budge an inch. “You’re being an ass**le.”
“So you said. Lucky for you, you’re not going to have to be around me anymore.”
Her eyes widened when he opened the door, as if she real y couldn’t believe he was throwing her out on her ass. “What the hel do you want from me?”
“Respect. Honesty. Trust. A little consideration for the feelings you just spat on.” With an exaggerated sweep of his arm, he urged her to leave.
“Out.”
“Fuckin’ A.” She held her ground stubbornly. “How are we going to work this out if you give up? I’m trying to have a conversation with you and you don’t want to deal with it.”
“No, I don’t want to deal with bul shit.” He leaned into the edge of the door. “Did you rehearse what you were going to say? Were you thinking about it al day? Trying to come up with ways to justify and spin your way through this discussion so you’re on the high ground and I’m wrong in every way?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Look who’s talking. You’re crazy about me, Vashti. You don’t know why…It doesn’t make sense…But you can’t stop thinking about me. Can’t stop wanting me. Can’t stop wishing you were with me when you’re not. Right now, as pissed off as you are and as righteous as you’ve convinced yourself you have a right to be, you’re hot and wet and aching for me. The last thing you want to do is leave, because you’ve been busting your ass al day to get to me.”
“Oh my god.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Conceited much?”
“But, of course, you’re not going to admit it. You’re not going to really clear the air and confess that you were putting me with Raze because I’m getting too close to you and you think you need space. You think you want it. That it’l be safer for you when you have it because then I won’t be able to get to you the way I do.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “I don’t have time for this. And I damn sure don’t have time to work with someone I can’t trust to be honest with herself, let alone be honest with me. So you can either walk out of here on your own two feet or I can pick you up and toss you out. How do you want it?”
Her throat worked on a hard swal ow. The yearning in her eyes almost broke him, but he held his ground. He wasn’t going to be satisfied with her the way things were. Last night had shown him that he was moving beyond the sexual attraction phase into something deeper. He wasn’t going to wade into those waters alone. Too many people were depending on him. He couldn’t afford to get al twisted up over a woman who didn’t feel the same pul he did. Or at least wouldn’t admit to it. Accept it.
Vashti moved toward the door slowly, al the anger she’d hit him with seeming to have drained away. It no longer stiffened her spine or propel ed her steps. She paused on the threshold and looked over her shoulder at him. “Elijah…don’t be like this. It was a tactical decision that was best for the mission. Let’s talk it through.”
“No need. Raze and I get along fine, things are moving forward, and I’l get to Huntington before the end of next week. Al ’s right in your world, Vashti. Leave it be.”
She stepped outside.
“For what it’s worth,” he said as he swung the door closed, “I was crazy about you, too.”
Vash stared at Elijah’s closed door and didn’t know what to do with the vibrating anxiety that rattled through her. Everything inside her rebel ed at the realization that she was on the outside and he was locked away from her. Closed off in every possible way.
Christ, she’d come al this way with the thought that she would be with him tonight. She’d been pushing toward that al day and now she had nothing at al … She’d never seen him so furious. He was livid. And his anger was more terrifying for its quiet strength. If he’d yel ed or hit the wal … anything…the passion of his response would’ve given her something to hang on to. But his chil y fury had been emotionless. His parting comment had been made without any inflection at al . And spoken in the past tense.
Cursing, she ran both of her hands through her hair.
“Fucked it up, didn’t you?”
She glanced at Raze, who sauntered toward her, flush with the healthy glow of a vampire who’d just fed.
His gaze darted over her face and he sighed. Pity shadowed his eyes. “Ah, Vashti. Maybe it’s for the best.”
She nodded violently.
“You got a room?” he asked.
“I should head back.”
“Nah.” He tossed an arm around her shoulder. “We’ve got a big day tomorrow and we can use you. Wanna stay with me? I have two beds.”
“What about the waitress?”
One thickly muscled shoulder lifted in an insolent shrug. “What about her?”
Vash leaned her head in to him. “Stil hung up on that med tech in Chicago?”