Page 16 of Omega's Refuge

“It’s only money.” He impatiently waved off a fly that was circling his head.

“Only money? Since when aren’t you worried about money?”

“That’s what credit cards are for.” His gaze was pinned on Rex now.

I frowned. “It’s just a week. Can’t you stick it out? Why would you want to waste money by leaving?”

“Because, I just do.” He flicked his irritable gaze to me, back to Rex, and then to me again. “Why was he hanging around you anyway?”

My face warmed. “We were just talking about work and stuff.”

“Maybe I should complain to Mrs. Rodwell about him.” Steve chewed his lip distractedly.

“For what? Talking to a guest?” I grated. “He hasn’t done anything wrong. He didn’t do anything that Tony didn’t do with you. You’re fixating on Rex because you’re in a bad mood.”

“Yeah, Iamin a bad mood.” He scowled. “I’m trying to tell you I’d rather go home, and you’re dismissing me.”

I sighed. “I’m not dismissing you. I’m trying to reason with you. We literally just got here. This is the first vacation I’ve had in years, and I don’t want to go home yet.”

“Oh, really?”

I held his frustrated gaze. “Yeah. I need this break.”

“T, you have all the time in the world right now. You got laid off, remember? I’ll book us a cruise or something. You wanted to go to Hawaii, so let’s go there instead.”

“Just like that?”

“Sure.”

“I don’t understand you. You booked this vacation, not me. You could have taken me to Hawaii, but you wanted to come here. We’re here now, and I think it’s silly and a waste of money to just leave.”

“You weren’t exactly happy about this idea in the beginning.” He gave me a surly look.

“I agree, but so far this place is better than I expected.”

“Yeah, I have a feeling I know why too,” he mumbled, once more glaring at Rex who was up ahead of us.

“Knock it off, Steve. You’re projecting.”

“I wasn’t born yesterday. Cowboy Rex is into you, and you’re not playing as hard to get as I’d like,” he growled.

I leaned toward him. “We were justtalking, same as you and Tony. You need to chill, and try and enjoy yourself.”

“Not going to happen.”

I pushed my hat down firmly on my head. “Well, I don’t want to leave yet.”

He studied me, his jaw hard. “You really want to stay, even though I’m not having any fun?”

“It’s just a damn week, Steve. If you’d stop being so paranoid about Rex, I think you could enjoy yourself.”

“I doubt it. I’d still be stuck here where it stinks and I hate it.”

“So what should we do? Are you going to sulk the whole time if I insist we stay longer?”

He pressed his lips tight, eyes glittering with frustration. “You’reactuallyenjoying this trip?”

“Yes.”

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