Page 13 of Going Rogue
The murmured words shocked her back to reality.
What am I doing?
Even if he’d only meant to spare her physical pain because of a busted lip, herbrain raced toward the future and the possibility he could rip her heart out.
Because Crane had the ability to make her fall—hard.
Fear of the eventuality had her slamming the poor, neglected organ back into its cage as she untangled herself from him. “We should get moving, anyway.”
Without waiting for a response, she hopped out of the Humvee into the complete blackness of the night. At that moment, she thought it felt as cold and bleak as her life.
???
Crane
Crane blinked and stared down at his hands, somehow surprised they weren’t still holding Rogue.
What the fuck just happened?
The passenger-side door slammed, and his body jerked against the finality of the noise. It proved as effective as a slap. Wincing at the situation, he climbed from the Humvee and leaned against it.
How could she be sounaffected when she’d altered his life with one kiss?
In silence, he stared at the sky and begged the stars for an answer. With no light pollution, they cluttered the dark expanse above his head. If he were anything other than practical, he’d have made a wish.
But Crane knew wishes only came true if you made them.
Though right now, he wished he could read Rogue’s thoughts. His own still scrambled to make sense of their connection. Grumbling about it, he crossed his arms over his chest. It had been a long time since he’d had feelings for a woman, but even the love he’d shared with his high school sweetheart hadn’t felt like this.
Like he would burn the world down if it meant she’d be safe.
A ripple of shock had him sinking further onto the Humvee. He’d had relationships since high school, but he’d always been able to set them aside when it was time to go to work.
Not with Rogue, she never left his thoughts.
After she’d been taken, it had all come toa head for him. A part of him had known, even if he hadn’t been ready to acknowledge it.
He was a goner.
One kiss from Rogue and his world had spun off its axis; the ground felt unsteady under his feet, and he didn’t trust his balance. Yet she’d turned it off as easy as flipping a switch.
Did I imagine the way she responded?
Her sudden coldness had him questioning everything. His mind replayed the noises she’d been making and the way she’d kissed him back . . .No way.That shit had been real.
Confused more than angry, he pushed off the Humvee and called her name, “Rogue?”
“Over here.”
He flicked on his flashlight and followed the sound of her voice. Finding her bent over with her ass in the air, he almost wept. His dick had gone soft but now stood to attention again. Shifting uncomfortably, he growled, “What are you doing?”
“Trying to look at the fuel tank, but I can’t see a damn thing.” Pulling her head fromunder the vehicle, she demanded, “Give me your light.”
He frowned down at her but handed it over. As soon as it landed in her palm, she ducked back under the Humvee. He had to turn away from the temptation to grab her curves, but he heard ominous muttering emitting from her lips before she sighed loudly and stood up.
“The tank is completely empty.” Handing him back the flashlight, she added, “I found a hole. Could’ve been there awhile or could’ve been from a ricochet.”
Crane only nodded, unsure why she seemed so interested in figuring this out. The fact remained. They had no choice but to continue on foot . . . across the damn desert.
