“Because I care about you!” he shouted in frustration. “Can’t you see that? I don’t want you to come with me because I don’t want to put you in danger! And if you come out here and something happens, my life will be ruined. Not because I screwed up, but because you got hurt because of me. And that’s not something I want to deal with. I’m sorry to tell you that I have feelings for you like this, but frankly, there’s no other way.”
He was heaving by the time he was done with his tirade. Grinning at Claire and Kate, I cleared my throat.
“Well, alright. No need to get all touchy-feely. How do I get out there?”
29
ROB
“That was really smooth,”Sinner laughed, not for the first time today.
“Shut it.”
“I mean, not only did you practically confess your undying love to her, but you were begging.”
Rolling my eyes, I hunched against the cold wind. “I was not begging.”
“Oh, please. I’ve never seen such a desperate man in all my life.”
Slowly turning to him, I did something I never thought I would. “Like when you told Cara your dick was useless and begged her to take you back?”
The smile dropped from his face. “What?”
“Oh, did you think I didn’t see that? See, funny thing, when you went off to California, Cap had me install equipment at her house so we could keep an eye on her for you. Yeah, he never told you because he didn’t want to admit he was wrong. Well, that and after you announced to her that your dick had been electrocuted and didn’t work, he thought you might not want that information out there.”
Smirking to myself, I faced the tarmac again.
“You…you saw that?”
“Oh, there’s not much I haven’t seen. But that was definitely my favorite moment. I especially loved how she made you stand there and announce it in front of Drew and Sarah.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his jaw clench in irritation. “It wasn’t what it looked like.”
That made me laugh. “So, you weren’t begging the woman you loved to take you back after you’d been a complete ass and thrown her out of your life?”
“For a good reason! She was in danger.”
“You’re still telling yourself that? Even after you married the woman and fathered all her children?”
“Fathered her children? Who says shit like that?”
“Smart people, and don’t change the subject. The point is, we all do and say things when shit is on the line. You would have gotten down on your knees if it meant getting Cara back, and while I’m not quite that infatuated with Krista right now, I know I’m at great risk of getting there fast.”
“You married her in Vegas,” he said incredulously. “You barely know her!”
“And yet, there’s something about her,” I said thoughtfully, trying to pinpoint it. “She’s feisty, which I definitely like. She took down several attackers all on her own.”
“Okay, so she’s a hellhound. That’s really what you want?”
“And she’s vulnerable,” I said thoughtfully. “Not in the way Cara was, but…she’s not as confident as she appears. But she hides it well.”
“So, you want a woman who doubts herself,” Sinner surmised.
Turning to him, I smiled. “I want a woman who’s confident, but is also willing to admit to herself that things aren’t always as they appear. There has to be some level of apprehension in life.You can’t go through your days not worrying about what might happen. Confidence can be just as dangerous as uncertainty.”
“Nicely put, oh, wise one.”
The plane pulled down the runway, the nose turning toward us as it rolled to a stop. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see Krista. As much as I wanted to keep her safe, I also needed eyes on her to see for myself that she was fine.