Page 49 of Mr. Dangerous

"There's lots of good reasons," Rob said. "You've never been. It's beautiful. The food is amazing. You work too hard, you could use sometimeaway..."

"Rob. You're my work. Going away with you to get away from work? That's not actually avacation."

"I'm not work," Rob said. "Maybe myhouse,but--"

"You're work." I shut him down, suddenly furious. Not at him, but at the way I wanted him. Even as Rob settled his big frame back in his seat, his irritation evident before he relaxed, staring out the window, I felt pulled towards him. God. He was so sexy. And soexhausting.

I couldn't stand having him mad at me any more than I could stand it when he flirtedwithme.

"Sorry," I said. "I'm just tired. You're right. It was aroughtrip."

"I'm sorry too,"hesaid.

I didn't ask him why. The memory of that apology on his lips, the way he had murmuredsorryinto my hair as our bodies slid together, still made myheartrace.

If he were really sorry about what had happened in the past, could the future lookdifferent?

At the house in Rhode Island, two hours later, Rob slipped from the passenger side as soon as I put the Suburban into park. It was evening, the sky turning pink above the ocean, and I needed to go home. Alice had been taking care of my cats, but they didn't like anyone as much as they liked me. They would meow demandingly as soon as they heard my key inthelock.

Rob made a dash back across the circular driveway towards me, holding up a brown Amazon box from the doorway like a prize abovehishead.

I swung down from the car. "I need to go home," I told him, the words coming out a bit flatter, a bit more curt, than I meant. "It's been a long day. You need anything? BeforeIgo?"

His handsome face fell, just slightly. "Not tonight. You getsomerest."

I hesitated, now that he'd tucked the box back under hisbicep.

"What's inthebox?"

"My cast cover," he said. "Icanswim."

"Rob," I said. "Tell me you aren't planning to go for a swimtonight."

His face took on a mischievous innocence. "I'm not planning to go for a swimtonight?"

"You're hurt. You can't go on an ocean swim, alone, at night. It's notsmart."

"I thought we covered, in excruciating detail, how I'm not the smart one in ourpairing."

"Not a pair,"Isaid.

"Joe says we're justalike."

"I'm sure," I retorted, wondering when he and Joe had this conversation about our future. "Rob.Promiseme."

"No promises.” He shrugged. "You go home, you don't know what'll happen – will I be here in the morning, will I be washed outtosea..."

"Oh, I know. You'll be here, waiting for me to makeyoureggs."

"Andbacon."

I sighed again, exasperated. Part of me didn't want to leave. Rob was exhausting, he was work, but he was also exciting. It was fun to be around him. But I needed time to recover. I couldn't get a grip when I had to look at him, all that gorgeousness and hard-muscledmasculinity,

"I could die," Rob deadpanned. "Imagine how that would ruin high school reunions.I could have saved Rob Delaney's life, but I really wanted to re-readGirlAdrift."

"Oh my god," I said. "And you ask me why you're somuchwork."

Rob grinned devilishly back, knowing hehadwon.

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