Page 102 of Coff

I frown. “I didn’t say that.”

He shrugs. “Yeah, you kind of did at the airport. Anyway, what about her?”

Both men watch me, Lightning eagerly awaiting what I have to say. Thunder could be sleeping with his eyes open. He doesn’t have many expressions, so it’s hard to tell.

“That woman was Delaney, and she was who I was protecting on my last assignment.”

Lightning whistles. “Wow, I bet you were shocked when you first saw her.”

I shift in my seat. “Not exactly. I’d been watching her.”

Thunder cocks his head. “You were stalking your ex?”

I blow out a breath. “No, I wasn’tstalkingher. Why does everyone think that?”

“Cause that’s what it sounds like.”

Lightning puts his hand up. “We’ll get back to that. What happened?”

I lick my lips as I think back on what happened in the hotel room. God, I swear I can still taste her.

Lightning snaps his fingers. “Earth to Coff. Okay, so you’re still in love; that we can see.”

I lean my head back. “We kissed and more. Then I told her I wanted to try again. She refuses to come to New York and says she can’t leave California. But the thing is, shecanleave. She just won’t.”

“Huh,” Lighting says.

“What?”

“I get why she doesn’t want to drop everything and move here when you haven’t seen each other in what, ten years?”

“Twelve.”

Lightning nods. “That’s a big risk for her if she doesn’t know anyone else here. But why does it have to go from nothing to living together?”

Living together? I didn’t ask her to do that. I close my eyes. Why would she move all the way across the country if I wasn’t willing to do something for her? This is what she was trying to tell me. Why the hell does it take Lightning saying it for me to get it?

“Why don’t you two date first?” Thunder asks. “No, it’s not going to be convenient with the distance, but it sounds like you two need to get to know each other again.”

Lightning points at Thunder. “Exactly. What he said.”

Date. That’s what normal people do. So why the hell didn’t I think of that? Because deep down, I know I want everything with her. But just because I’m ready for it doesn’t mean she is. Damn, they’re right. I nod. “You’re right. All I was thinking about was getting back to what we’d had as if nothing had happened. But a lot has happened.”

Thunder stands up. “If you were protecting her, then I’m guessing a lot has happened in her life. Take it slow. Good luck, man.”

“Thanks.”

Lightning stands, too. “If you need any more advice, let us know. And sorry about the creamer. I didn’t realize you were going through something.”

I close my eyes and shake my head. “I knew it. What did you do?”

Lightning’s hands go to his hips. “How did you know it? Is that why you didn’t use it?”

I stand up and stretch. “Yes. Now, what did you do to it?”

He grins. “I poured out the creamer in there and replaced it with a mixture of sour cream and water. You know, so it would pour.”

Huh, it was the same container? Maybe he washed off my mark.

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