Page 245 of Power Play

Charm laughed, but I didn’t. She noticed quickly, and her smile slowly disappeared.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Ryan.”

I kept my attention on the road. “Don’t start that shit.”

“What shit?”

“The thing where you say nothing like your jaw isn’t trying to break itself.”

“I’m driving.”

“You can drive and be annoyed simultaneously. You’re very talented.”

Normally, that would have gotten me. Tonight, it didn’t.

Charm shifted in the passenger seat. “Are you mad at me?”

“No.”

“That sounded like yes.”

“I’m not mad that you asked me to pick you up.”

“Then what are you mad about?”

I looked at her briefly. “We’ll talk when we get home.”

Her entire posture changed. The tiny tightening through her shoulders gave away the automatic preparation for somebody to be unhappy with her.

I hated seeing it. I hated knowing that this time, I was about to be the reason for it.

Reaching across the console, I put my hand on her thigh. “Stop.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re already trying to figure out what answer I want before I’ve asked the question.”

Her face turned toward the window. “Maybe I’m tired.”

“Maybe you lie badly.”

That brought her eyes back to me. “I do not.”

“You do to me.”

Rain beat hard against the windshield while the wipers fought to keep up. Charm went quiet, and I let the silence last approximately thirty seconds before asking the question that had been waiting since I picked her up.

“What happened at the dinner?”

Her head snapped toward me. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“We already talked about it.”