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“Don’t change the subject!” she snapped. “Why do I always get the feeling that you’re punishing me for something that I didn’t do?”
He shook his head. “That’s way too deep for me.”
“Bullshit.” Her voice held an edge. “There’re no video cameras in here, Nick. No bad guys watching to see if you’re evil enough to suit them. You could ease off. Just, you know, a suggestion.”
He plunked his ass down on the carpet amidst all the pillows to yank on his clammy, disgusting socks. “It’s all real,” he said. “What you see is what you get.”
She pondered that as she knelt there on the bed. In her fury, she’d forgotten all about cringing and hiding. Her chin was up, her color high, eyes shining. She was crazy gorgeous. Power shining out of her.
“Well, then,” she said. “I guess I see something you don’t.”
“You see what you want to see,” he said. “Most girls do.”
He could feel her hurt in the thick silence that followed. She persisted a minute later, tough as nails. “I don’t believe it,” she said.
“Believe what?” He yanked a boot on, tried lacing it. The damn thing was waterlogged, the leather laces swollen and stubborn.
“Your mean and horrible act,” she said. “I just don’t buy it. You did an amazing thing for me last night, and I just can’t believe—”
“No.” He struggled with the fucking bootlace until it snapped in his hand. “What I did last night wasfail.Get it through your head.”
She dragged in a hurt breath. “It was not your fault that I came over to that house. And rescuing me from death does not equal failure!”
“That’s not what I meant,” he growled. “It was my job to come up with a solution to that problem that didn’t involve fucking my cover. I failed to do that. Years of my life, down the drain.” He shrugged, and rose to his feet, letting the unlaced boots flap. “This is salvage, babe. I’m trying to look on the bright side. Insofar as I can. At least I got some spectacular sex out of it. You burned me alive. I will never forget it.”
She swung her legs around and perched on the other side of the bed, her back to him. “OK,” she said. “I give in. You are mean and horrible and awful, Nick. You can stop trying to convince me. It must take a whole lot of your energy, and I know you must be tired. Just go.”
Her words made his stomach sink to unplumbed depths he’d never imagined. “It’s better you know that right off,” he said heavily. “That’s better than being disillusioned later. Trust me.”
She made a sharp gesture with her hand. “I tried to trust you,” she snapped. “You keep throwing it back in my face. Just leave, OK? I’ve had enough.”
Those were the words he needed to break the spell, get him moving. He reached out to touch the glossy hair waving down her back, and gathered it all into his palm. It felt warm. Slick and vibrant and alive. It made him sorry to do what he was about to do, but hey.
“You’re a sweet girl, Becca,” he said.
She shook with bitter laughter. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing? With you, I don’t dare guess.” She jerked her head, trying to shake off his hand.
He tightened his grip, slid it further down the length of hair. “It’s an observation, not a compliment,” he said.
“Let go of my hair. And thanks so much for the distinction. God forbid I should think you capable of doing or saying anything nice.”
“God forbid,” he agreed. “A girl like you should stay away from assholes like me.”
“Thanks for the tip.” Her head jerked round as she heard thesnickof his knife, but he was too quick. Two back-and-forth slashes with the razor-sharp blade, and a thick hank dangled from his hand.
She shrieked with outrage, launching herself at him. “My hair! What the hell? Howdareyou?Why did you do that?”
He tossed the shorn hair onto the bed, where it swirled around itself. It looked much reduced, separated from her.
Becca’s remaining hair dangled between her ears and her shoulders, a raggedy, irregular inch shorter on one side than the other.
“You weren’t taking me seriously,” he said. “I didn’t want to have to wonder whether or not you’d do as I say. This way, I know.”
“You overbearing, controlling son of abitch!” She punctuated every word with a violent shove.
“I see you’re finally getting a clue.”
“Get out!” she yelled at him. “Just get out of my place, you…youasshole!Get out!”
