Page 59 of Love Me Carefully
Fortunately they were only a few steps from his room. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her the rest of the way. “Come on,” he grumbled.
“Wait a minute,” she argued futilely. “Terrell?”
Closing the door soundly behind them, he released her arm and took a deep breath. “Why are you here?”
Okay, so she could rule out jumping for joy as his reaction to her surprise appearance but this manhandling was a bit much. “This is still a free country. And I wasn’t left under lock and key.” She found the closest chair and dropped down into it, slipping her strappy sandals off to rub her tired feet. “Now, I’ve answered you. You can explain why you’re traveling by sea.”
In a minute he was going to kick himself for being so harsh with her, but her presence here was ridiculous. He took a seat in the chair across from her.
“Jeff—Agent Tobias—thought it would be best to take the same route Donald did to the island. And you didn’t answer my question.”
Leah sat back, let her feet fall to the floor. “I decided you need me.”
That was an understatement, he thought. “You decided?”
“Mmm-hmm. Since you tricked me into that stakeout, I figure we’re a team now. So I’m here to help you save your mother.”
He couldn’t be angry with her, even though he wanted to. However, this was a dangerous situation. He didn’t want to have to worry about her and his mother at the same time. He’d been comfortable with the fact that she was safe in Baltimore. “This isn’t a game, Leah.” His voice was a little louder than he’d intended.
“Good, because if it was, I’d have to say it sucks.”
“You could get hurt,” he roared.
Leah was quickly growing tired of his attitude. Here she’d put her life on hold to help him and he was acting like a gigantic ass. “Look, Terrell, you’re the one who coerced me into that stakeout.” She sat up in the chair. “And you’re the one who had me standing in an alley witnessing a murder.”
Terrell shook his head. “I told you to stay in the car. You never listen.”
“And if you’d agreed to go to the police that night I wouldn’t have been drugged and locked in a basement,” she argued.
“You’re right,” he said quietly.
But Leah didn’t hear him. She stood, hands on her hips, in front of him. “I tried to tell you to let the police handle it, but oh, no, you wouldn’t listen. You’ve got to go off playing Shaft all by yourself. But I won’t let you, Terrell.” She was yelling now, her head rocking from side to side. “Not when I’ve changed my whole course of thinking because of you.”
Her hands shook, a slight movement he noticed only because she was standing over him. Her voice caught on those last words. He mentally added another kick to himself for upsetting her like this.
Terrell stood, caught her trembling hands in his.
“I mean it, Terrell—”
“Shhh.”
“—you are not a cop. You don’t know the first thing about …tracking…criminals.”
“Shhh. Leah, baby, listen to me.”
“And if you think I’m just going to sit back—”
To shut her up and because he couldn’t resist any longer, he kissed her, trapping her lips beneath his until she relaxed and opened her mouth. He wanted to wrap all his emotions around her so tightly and so securely he wouldn’t have to wonder about her safety.
Breaking for air, he rested his forehead on hers. “I just don’t want you hurt, baby.”
Leah sighed. “I don’t want you hurt either, you big idiot. That’s why I’m here.” She hiccupped.
He was an idiot. He should’ve realized how upset she was, should’ve anticipated she’d worry about him, the same way he was worried about her. “I know, sweetie. I’m sorry. Sit down.”
He eased her back onto the small couch, sat beside her, lifted her feet into his lap and began to rub them. “You’re here now. I can’t very well throw you overboard, now can I?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Not if you want to live yourself.”
