"I like that," he murmurs, kissing me softly at first.
The kiss deepens and deepens until I'm utter mush in his strong arms. Barely able to stand by the time his tongue gives my lips a final lick, I shudder at how he owns me completely.
38
~~~
Troy
Neither Option
Darla takes a Valium and rests on the couch. She stares blankly for twenty minutes before her eyes close. I walk to her side and skim my fingers over her soft hair. She looks peaceful curled up under the blanket. I wonder if she'll dream of Locke or me. Preferably, she'll dream of me killing Locke.
In the extra bedroom, Minka sits with her long legs up on the table. She's digging into what smells like a meatball sub. Based on the splat of red sauce on her Go-Go's tee, she's eating the second half of the sandwich.
"Is your little angel sleeping?" Minka says with her mouth full.
Sitting across from her, I smirk, "Don't be a jealous hag."
Minka gives me a weird look and sets down her sandwich. I watch her wipe her mouth and take a drink. Through it all, she's still giving me the strange look. With anyone else, I might pull my gun, but this is Minka.
"You're not totally wrong," she says in a quiet tone.
"About what?"
"I am jealous of Darla."
"Why is that exactly?"
Minka runs her hands awkwardly through her nearly black hair. "I want you back."
"Fuck off," I say, rolling my eyes.
"I'm not playing. I think I made a mistake by ending things."
Studying her, I try to spot the lie in her dark eyes. She's a master deceiver, though. If Minka's messing with me, I can't see it.
"Oh, really," I say, planning to test her. "What do you miss the most?"
"The tenderness."
I frown darkly. "The what?"
"The way we sat quietly together sometimes. I remember how you'd brush away hair from my face."
"What about how you never loved me and being friends who fuck wasn't enough for you?"
Minka sighs, leaning back in her chair. "I thought we weren't in love, but I get jealous when I see you with Darla. I've never been jealous in my life. I think I fucked up ending what we had."
I still can't tell if Minka is conning me. She's that damn good. Either way, I know my answer.
"I didn't love you. Not romantically. I didn't love you then, and I don't now."
"Maybe we didn't really try."
"I didn't have to try with Darla."
When Minka's expression shifts, I think she might puke. "You're in love with her?" she balks.
"I don't know. Maybe. This thing with Darla isn't like anything I've felt before."
"You're falling in love?" she spits out, frowning darkly.
"I'm sorry to break your tender heart, but life is all about the disappointments."
Minka flips me off. "I can't believe you're in love."
"I can't believe you thought that lame move would work."
"I could want you back."
"Of course, you could. I'm me."
Narrowing her eyes, Minka reaches for her sandwich. "I was faking."
"Whatever you have to tell yourself, princess. Just don't go Glenn Close on me. I'd hate to drown and then shoot you."
"Like you could."
Smiling, I shrug at her certainty. "I'll let you think you could win. It's the least I can do after rejecting your sexy proposal."
"I was faking."
"Why would you do that again?"
"To test you. I wanted to see if this Darla thing is for real."
"Why would you care either way?"
"Uh, you're my best friend, you fucking turd."
"I'm overwhelmed by the friendship. It's hitting me in waves."
"That's the Thai I ate last night."
We both laugh before falling into silence while she finishes her sandwich. I check the cameras stationed around the building, spotting no one suspicious. In my gut, I sense trouble brewing. Almost as if I feel someone's eyes on us.
"I need to kill Locke," I mutter.
"You will. We're tracking down all his residences, friends, and associates. We have his business info, and Rafael has someone working on hacking into the main office's computers. Locke can't hide for long."
Scratching at the scar on my neck, I can't settle down. "At this point, he's frustrated his guys end up dead. He'll hit the building soon."
"I would."
"Nothing happens to Darla," I say in a hard voice.
"Settle down, big guy. We're pros. When Locke's fuckers come, we'll deal with them. If you let your heart rule your head, you'll fuck up. Stop being a love sick puppy and think like a damn contractor."
"Stop taking out your heartbreak on me. Although you have a point about me staying frosty. I just hate being locked down in an apartment. It's making me slow and stale."
"Always the same. We get a job with recon, and you go all squirrelly while we wait."
"And you pig out on carbs."
"I still look good," she says, wiping crumbs from her shirt.
"You've looked better."
We glare at each other before shrugging off the crankiness. Minka leans closer to the monitor, having spotted something. We both look at the people and cars passing by outside the building. Whatever Minka saw, she decides isn't a threat.
"You've considered how badly this Darla thing can end, right?"