against mine. “Your friend cares about you. She’ll come around.”
“The last twenty-four hours feel like some kind of alternate universe.” I close my eyes to silence the noise in my head. I’m so tired of fighting with Em, my feelings, my conscience. “If you’re so into me, why did you avoid my calls? I’ve been freaking out over the FBI. I needed you, and you ignored me.”
“I change cell numbers every thirty days, and I didn’t give you the number. It was an oversight. I’ll text you the new number, I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.” He rests his forehead against mine.
“Where did you go?”
“I had to make an emergency trip to Chicago, and things got complicated.”
“Everything about you is complicated.”
“Can’t deny that.” The corners of his eyes crinkle. “But the good news is that the time away gave me a chance to think about you and to realize that my interest in you goes beyond business.”
I open my eyes and draw back to decipher his sincerity. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
“I know you don’t trust me, but you will.” His strong arms wrap around me. Their strength feels so good. I’ve missed the touch of a man.
“You were such a dick to me before.”
“People can change, baby girl.” He kisses my hair. “You’ve only seen one side of me. I’m not a monster. At least not to the people I care about. Give me a chance to show you who I really am.” His phone buzzes with a text. “That’s Gage. He’s here to pick me up.”
“You’re leaving the car here? I thought we settled that.”
A cocky grin illuminates his face. “Drive it. Park it. Sell it. Do whatever you want with it. It’s yours.”
“You’re exasperating.” I shake my head. “I’m not going to win this argument, am I?”
“Nope.” The buttonless edges of his shirt gape open, exposing his washboard stomach. “But I appreciate your tenacity.”
“Fine. I’ll let it go for now, but only because I like the car.” Secretly, I’m thrilled. The rules of the game we’re playing are shifting in my favor. While he replies to Gage’s text, I grab a suitcase from the closet and start throwing in clothes.
“Taking a trip?” He tucks his phone back into his pocket and lifts an eyebrow.
“Em and I need some time apart. Mr. Mercer lives above the store. His place is empty while he’s at the nursing home. I’m sure he won’t care if I stay there a few days.” My eyes blur with tears at the thought of leaving Em. This is our first true disagreement. I can’t bear to make Em move out of her home.
“Hey, hey. No tears.” Cash draws me into another hug. I rest my nose in the notch of his collarbone. His touch drives away the anxiety. “You can stay with me. As long as you’d like.”
“Won’t that be awkward?” Although the idea is tempting, I’m reluctant to rush into more than a sexual relationship. “We aren’t even dating. This is happening a little too fast for me.”
“I’m not proposing marriage, just offering you a place to stay for a few nights.” His laughter rings through the room. “That house has eight bedrooms. You can have your pick. We won’t even run into each other—unless you want to.”
Seven
Jagger
At lunch, I park a few blocks away from an outdoor café and walk to meet Loretta. On the way, I catch a glimpse of a guy in a rusty pickup truck. For just a minute, I’m reminded of Kyle. The thought sends a shiver up my back. I pause at the next intersection and glance over my shoulder, but the truck is gone. Maybe it wasn’t him. I haven’t heard from him since the night at Cash’s bar and decide it was a figment of my imagination.
The incident is forgotten when Loretta arrives at the café a few minutes after me. Her dress hangs on her usually curvy figure. Dark shadows are smudged beneath her eyes. I don’t know why, but I’m nervous. If she doesn’t want to participate in this next job, life with Cash will be difficult.
“Hey,” she says as she slides into her chair.
“I’m so glad you decided to come.” Persuading her to meet had been much easier than I expected.
“Well, your call came at a really good time.” Her shoulders slump. “My ex-husband took everything. The furniture, the dishes, even the toilet paper in the bathrooms. And to make matters worse, he charged up all our credit cards.