Page 64 of Unexpected Heroine

She draws my focus back when she massages her palms over my shoulders and down my arms, stopping when she gets to my wrists. She covers my hands with hers and repositions my grip, moving me toward her lower back. Then keeps going lower.

And lower still.

After raising herself an inch off my lap, she slips our hands under her ass, then pulses so I squeeze her cheeks. Leaving my hands essentially cupping her bottom, she returns hers to my shoulders.

Odd.

One side of her face rises with her partial smile, and her eyes flash with mischievousness. “Since I’ve got such a sassy mouth tonight, maybe you should teach it a lesson.”

Is she... flirting at a time like this?

My stomach coils when she inches one hand between us and makes a beeline for my dick. Not only is this not the time for sex, but it’s way too soon after what happened to her.

“Lettie, what the hell are you doing?”

“Sitting like this has me feeling... you know.” She pumps her brows. “And after everything that’s happened tonight, I need to feel close to you.”

“And this will help?” I gesture toward my crotch.

Her lips press together in a thin line of frustration, and her nostrils flare with a sharp inhale. “All I want is a few minutes to connect with you before we,” she pauses, her voice growing faint and gaze falling, “talk.”

No, no, no, no.

Fuck jumping to a conclusion. My mind sets a land speed record.

Things aren’t settled the way I thought they were. She must realize she doesn’t love me enough to overlook my deceit.

While I knew she wouldn’t forgive it forever, I thought she could... for now.

Heart full of dread, I gather the courage to ask, “What aren’t you saying, baby?”

My question is met with silence stretching far too long. Her eyes volley between my chest and the ceiling, occasionally glancing at my face. Yet she can’t look at me for long.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

No one will love you, boy.

“Talk to me,” I encourage her gently while straining to silence my father’s grating voice.

Her shoulders raise, and her throat bobs with her forced swallow. When she opens her eyes, a determined glint shimmers in her irises.

She’s gonna leave you exactly like your mother did, boy.

“I know I told you I want you to,” she swallows, “make them pay. And I do want that.” After a jerky inhale, she finishes her statement in a rush, with her Southern twang in full effect. “But ya ain’t leavin’ me tonight. Those men are killers. It’s too dang dangerous without backup. You need to follow procedures or whatever your boss and the giant guy were upset about. If there were protocols for raiding the hell house to save me, there’s gotta be some for whatever y’all want to do to these guys, right? So call your boss and get the other soldier guys to go with you. The blond chick too. But not by yourself. I ain’t havin’ that. No Siree Bob.”

Although she didn’t yet find me unworthy of her forgiveness, she is changing her stance on my plan for vengeance. One bullet dodged, leaving another in the chamber.

Regretfully, the urge to bolt out of here with a shovel, garbage bags, and my weapons strapped to my chest still ravages me.

“Lettie, please. I need to do this for you. If I wait?—”

Anger flashes behind her eyes, and she snaps. “For me or for you?”

My head rears back like her words slapped me in the face.

Shit.

When I don’t answer, she continues. “If this were about me, you’d be stayin’ right here, James.” She looks away, clenches her jaw, and shakes her head. A groan reverberates in her chest as if she’s in pain.

---