Page 55 of Tactical Lies

“I think I'm going to go to bed,” Becca said, shoving off the couch and scurrying over to the stairs.

He ached to call her back, to explore what she’d been willing to offer tonight, but he didn't. Instead, he let her go. Because he’d seen the look in her eyes before she bolted.

Relief.

She was glad no other woman had touched him.

And he’d just taken one step closer to regaining her trust.

August 22nd

10:07 A.M.

“Are you sure about this?” Becca asked doubtfully.

“Course. What could possibly go wrong?” Connor asked, looking over his shoulder with a mischievous grin.

“Uh … I can think of plenty of things,” she replied, glancing around the river. “Starting with I've never been in a canoe before and don’t know how to row.”

“The worst that can happen is we capsize.” Connor shrugged, making the canoe wobble wildly, and Becca clung to the sides of the barely water-worthy little boat.

Despite her reservations about Connor’s let’s go canoeing plan, she was glad he had dragged her out of her room this morning. Okay, so he hadn't really had to drag her out. She’d skipped dinner last night since she’d run upstairs after Connor’s revelation, so sooner or later, her stomach would have led her down to the kitchen, but Connor had come for her before she’d had a chance.

When he’d asked her to spend the day with him, she’d said yes without hesitation.

It wasn't just that they were alone out there, and what else were they going to do if they didn't spend the day together, it was because she actually wanted to.

Somewhere along the way, the anger that had burned so brightly inside her these last twelve years had been snuffed out. Maybe it was when he’d issued one of his many apologies, maybe it was when he killed people to save her life, maybe it was when he’d offered her comfort without asking for anything in return, maybe it was when he told her he hadn't touched a woman since they broke up.

Or maybe it was just because she was ready.

Because she was ready.

Ready to move forward, stop living in the past, and break the final chain that connected her to Dylan Sanders.

Did that mean she was ready to jump right into a relationship with Connor?

No.

Not yet.

There was still trust to be rebuilt even if the anger was gone. After all, he had walked out on her when she needed him despite her begging and pleading with him to stay and talk it out with her. So, it was going to take time before she was ready to see Connor as anything other than a friend.

But she was ready to see him as her friend again, and that felt nice.

Better than nice it felt … right.

“All you have to do is follow my lead,” Connor told her as he pushed the canoe away from the small wooden dock that came out into the river behind Cade’s cabin.

“Follow your lead,” she echoed. That sounded easier said than done. She wasn't the most coordinated of people. She’d been okay at sports when she was in school, but she was never going to be great. While she loved the water and loved swimming, she’d never been in a boat this tiny, and she was pretty sure she was never going to be able to get her oars moving through the water as smoothly as Connor was making his move.

“Easy-peasy, even for you,” Connor teased.

“Hey!” Flicking the oar in her hand, she sent a spray of water all over Connor then gave the back of his head a smug smile.

“You little monster.” Connor dropped his oars into the bottom of the canoe and turned, holding up his hands and wriggling his fingers. “You know what my favorite monster has always been?”

“You wouldn't dare,” she said, a warning in her tone even though she knew he was more than likely going to do it anyway.

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