“Let me guess. You’re the man to do that?”
“I’ve never wanted to be. That kind of training takes longer than I’ve wanted to invest before, but…” I trail off, studying her face. She’s beautiful. I can see something flare in her eyes at my sentence. I’m not sure what it is, but I’d like to pretend it’s hope.
“But?”
“But I think, with you, I’d like to play a lot longer than my usual timespan.”
“Timespan?” she asks, taking a drink of her soda. “Do tell, what is your usual timespan?”
“Few days. Couple weeks at most. You’re different, Katie. I think I could take my time with you and not grow bored. At least, for a month or two,” I admit. I’m being totally sincere, which is fucking hard for me, to be honest. I don’t know what it is about Katie, but I do know I want more time with her.
“Be still my beating heart. Do you even listen to yourself when you talk?”
“What? You can’t tell me you ever envisioned being with the same person for more than a couple of months.”
“Maybe I have. Maybe I want the white picket fence, babies, and a minivan. The whole damn thing. What makes you say that I don’t?”
“Because you’re too much like me.”
This time, it’s her who leans in closer, and those gray eyes get that stormy look again that I’m coming to crave. Usually that look means she’s horny. This time, it’s something else: a deep emotion that she doesn’t mean to let me see. But I do.
“Maybe the reason I appear not to want the normal things any girl does is because it’s not in the cards for me.”
“Tell me another one. Any man you smile at would want to give that to you.”
“Says the man who’s intent on taking me to someone who wants me dead.”
“Skull isn’t planning to do that. He won’t let anything happen to you.” I won’t let anything happen to you, I add silently.
“Your faith in Skull would warm me, if I didn’t know what a miserable fucker he is. I need to use the restroom.”
I want to growl, but I let it go. It is what it is, and there’s not much I can do to change the path we’re on. I throw some money down for the food, plus a tip for the waitress. “Let’s go.”
We walk towards the back of the diner where the bathrooms are located. When we pass the trucker’s table on the opposite side of the aisle, it might be my imagination, but I can totally admit I’m fucking jealous, which is upsetting enough. But when we walk by, it seems like Katie’s steps slow down, extending the time she comes in contact with the other man.
“Hey there, little lady,” the guy says as we pass. I already have Katie by the hand, but I move my hold up to her shoulder so there’s no mistaking my message.
“The little lady has a man,” I growl, and it’s fucking true. At least for now, damn it. He needs to know, that son of a bitch, as long as Katie doesn’t undermine my fucking claim.
“Hi,” she whispers with a giggle. A fucking giggle!
I practically pull her away from the damned table. She’s been walking better today, but she stumbles twice as I pull her. I don’t give a fuck. I want her to do her business and then get her the fuck away from that asshole. Then, if I don’t change my mind, I’m going to spank her ass so red that she won’t be able to sit down for a fucking month without crying out. Damned cock tease. It was bad enough when it was me she did that shit to, but I will not have her trying to get another man’s attention. Fuck no!
I open the door to the one-stalled bathroom and practically shove her inside. “Get done. You have five minutes tops, then I’ll come in after you. If I have to do that, Katie, you won’t like it,” I threaten, slamming the door shut.
I wait against it. I wait longer than five minutes, which makes me a liar. But, motherfucker, I need to get a hold of myself. She’s been in there a good ten minutes when I hear her gasp, followed by a loud noise I can’t really describe. I start banging on the door. “Katie, you need to get your ass out of there or I’ll break the motherfucking door down. We need to get going.”
“I don’t like the way you’re talking to that girl,” the trucker from earlier says.
He’s standing in front of me, apparently taking it on his own to follow us back here and check on Katie. Well, hell, it looks like I’m going to have to beat the asshole down. I’m not worried. I’m pretty sure I can take him… until two of his butt-buddies join him. The three of them look at me like I’m next on their list of things to fuck up.
If I survive this shit, I’m going to strangle Katie.
I think I’m losing my touch. I gave that trucker enough of an invitation that he really should’ve walked over. He didn’t. That’s Torch’s fault too, since he looks pretty damn formidable. Well, if you discard his damn t-shirts.