Which meant, she thought grimly, now that this man had stepped back into her life—no matter for what reason or how briefly—she was obligated to dance with him. Or face the consequences.
And moon madness—a condition of insanity that afflicted wolves who ignored the moon and promises made, and one that was generally responsible for most of the attacks on humans—was not something she cared to risk.
She grimaced. The truth was her reaction—attraction—to Cade was as strong as it ever had been, so dancing with him wasn't going to be a hardship.
But it would dredge up memories and emotions she'd much rather forget, and that would be a problem.
"What are we going to do?” she said, as the stoplight ahead changed to red and she braked.
He glanced at her, something she felt rather than saw. “As I said, we need to talk. Is there somewhere decent to eat?"
"Yeah.” Several places, including her old man's diner. But there wasn't a snowflake's chance in hell she was taking him there. Not only because Ari would be all over him like a wolf in heat, but because Neva would be hitting her with all sorts of telepathic questions. Right now, she wasn't feeling up to confronting either woman. “But in case you've forgotten, small towns have big ears, and what is being forced between us is not something I want the world to know."
"Ashamed of me?” he asked dryly.
"No. Ashamed of the fact that the stupidity of my past is coming back to slam me. I may have to dance with you, Cade, but I don't have to like it.” She met his gaze squarely. “Or you."
His lips, whose touch she could still feel, twisted bitterly. “I'm no happier about the turn of events than you, believe me."
"So why did you push the kiss?"
He stared at her for a moment longer, his expression giving little away. “Because,” he said eventually, as he looked away, “I had no choice."
"Bullshit. The moon heat isn't that strong.” Not yet, anyway.
He grimaced. “Not everything I say is a lie."
She resisted the urge to bite back with another bitchy comment and swung the truck into the ranger's station parking lot. The building was dark—Kel and Ronan were long gone, and it was Bodee's week to handle any night calls. “We can get takeout,” she said, as she stopped the truck, “and talk without fear of anyone overhearing."
"Or suspecting,” he said, bitterness and anger entwined in his rich voice, “that the head ranger and the head of the IIS investigating team have a little moon madness going."
She climbed out of the truck and locked the door. “Precisely."
He followed her to the main doors, the heat of his body pressing into her spine even though several feet separated them. She unlocked the doors and switched on the lights. Then she walked across to the phone and dialed the nearby burger joint. “What do you want?"
He shrugged, and walked over to the bulletin board, the tension riding his shoulders giving lie to the air of casualness he was attempting to project. “A couple of burgers and some fries."
She ordered the same for herself and asked Joe to have one of his boys to bring them over. “They'll be ten minutes,” she said, after she'd hung up. “The conference room is the second door down on the right. You want to head there while I make coffee and wait for the food?"
"Feel the need for breathing room?"
"Yes,” she said bluntly. “It's not every day I have the thrill of my worst nightmare stepping back into my life."
Amusement gleamed briefly in his eyes, and his mouth curved into a bittersweet smile that flicked longing through her veins. But he didn't say anything, just shoved his hands into his pockets and sauntered down the hall.
She blew out a breath and got down to the business of making decent coffee. By the time she'd finished, the delivery kid had arrived. She paid him, adding a good tip, and locked the door behind him. No sense taking a chance of someone walking in—especially since she had no idea what would happen between her and Cade over the next few hours.
She collected the steaming coffee mugs and carefully made her way into the conference room. Cade was studying the mug shots of everyone who worked at the station and the brief histories underneath.
"This is an unusual idea,” he said, without turning around.
She didn't answer immediately, letting her gaze linger on the tight fit of his shirt across his shoulders and the way his muscles rippled under the soft material. Then she gave herself a mental kick and said, “Yeah, but it's a good way of introducing everyone."
"So every time a new boy comes in, he or she hits the wall?"
"Yes.” She placed his burgers, fries and coffee in front of the chair nearest him, and then she retreated to the safety of the far end of the table.
"There hasn't been much of a staff turnover since you took over."