Page 36 of Dangerous Mission

Boring a hole in the side of my head with her inspection, she asks, “What did you say?”

Fuck.Did I say something out loud?

I shove a creme-filled cake in my mouth, choking on the dry ass thing.

It goes down like sawdust rolled in peanut butter.

I drive and swallow audibly. Praying I don’t need a medical intervention—which she might not be willing to provide—given the way I’ve treated her this morning.

My voice is a croak. “Where’s that bottle of water?”

“The one you threw on the floor when you tossed your hat in the truck?”

“Thatone.”

She hands me the bottle, and even twists the lid off for me.

Shit.

This girl.

“Thanks.”

A tiny gasp beside me makes me loose my concentration and look at her.

Eyes wide, she clutches her throat. “Oh my god. Did that hurt?”

I shove another cake into my mouth to block my grin.

Those big brown eyes aren’t tender now, they’re full of spitfire. “Seriously, did it hurt you to say thanks?”

“Does it hurt you to be quiet?” I mutter around a mouthful of food. This time, I chase it with half of the bottle of water.

With a huff, she crosses her arms. “God, they must have given you two when they handed out assholes.”

Water shoots out of my nose all over the steering wheel.

Chapter Eighteen

I’m suppressing a laugh and failing miserably at it when he turns to look at me. I give him a little shrug and head tilt. “Guess you got my point.”

“That was one hundred percent your fault. You could have caused me to wreck.”

When I start laughing, it’s hard to breathe. Or talk.

“It’s not my fault you’re a jerk. And based on what I heard, you probably don’t want to wreck another company truck. Beast is already punishing you by making you drive with me. Imagine what he’d do if you wrecked this one? He’d probably make us share a bedroom.”

We both go a little wide-eyed.

Then Scout growls. It’s a surly sound that makes the hairs on my nape stir. “I’d like to see him try. He might be big, but he’s not that fucking mean.”

He flashes an abrupt smile. Bright. Hot. And utterly destructive.

“Sorry if I upset yourwiddleears with my profanity. Let me try again. He’s not that foo-foo mean.”

I shake my head, making a rough sound in my throat. It’s not the ridiculous thing he says, it’s the smile.

God.This is just cruel.