Under Pressure (Body Armor #1)(35)

She couldn’t blunt her own smile, but it faded as she asked, “Was it Tesh following you?”

“It’s possible,” Sahara started to say.

But Justice interrupted. “I didn’t see any damn tail! I swear, I think she made it up just so she could play speed racer.”

Leese laughed outright.

“The important thing,” Sahara insisted, “is that we’re both fine. I also heard from everyone else and it appears we all escaped unscathed. So, Catalina, rest easy.”

That news buoyed her. Maybe she could blame stress as the reason she’d accosted Leese? Never before had she been sexually aggressive. But one minute she’d wanted to clout him, and in the next she’d badly wanted to crawl all over his very fine body.

“Catalina?”

She cleared her throat. “I’m here, Sahara. Thank you. I’m relieved that everyone is okay.”

Leese asked his boss, “Are you returning to the offices?”

“Maybe later,” she said. “Since I’m already out and about and I have a hunky escort—”

“Me?” Justice asked.

“Of course, you. I figured I’d do some shopping—”

Justice groaned.

“—and I can use that time to see how aware you are of your surroundings, plus we’ll have a chance to talk about your upcoming client.”

His groaning stopped. “The movie star?”

“Yes.”

Justice quickly agreed and they said their farewells.

As silence fell, Cat couldn’t quite meet Leese’s gaze. “You weren’t worried about her using your cell?”

He shook his head. “Not just yet. The phone is supplied by the company, not registered to me. Her phone is secure, so we’re good.”

She didn’t entirely understand that, but only nodded. Now that they were post-make out session, she felt pretty awkward. “Justice is a funny guy.”

“He has his moments.” As Leese slid the phone back into his pocket, his concerned gaze held hers. “Listen, Cat...”

“I’m glad Sahara won’t be alone,” she said quickly, hoping to divert the conversation.

Leese ignored her efforts. “I should apologize.”

“You already did.” And she didn’t want to talk about it. “No worries.” Trying for a strategic retreat, she turned to leave the kitchen, but Leese stopped her by catching her hand.

“I’m sorry,” he stressed, “that we got interrupted.”

She turned fast to face him. “Oh.” Did that mean he intended to pick up where they’d left off? That’d work for her.

Already the burn ignited deep inside her.

“Damn, honey, don’t look at me like that.” Stepping back, he ran a hand over his neck. “We both know it shouldn’t have happened.”

“Speak for yourself.” She and her body both thought a whole lot more should have happened. In fact, she was hoping it still might. “I enjoyed it, you...the diversion.” Hoping he’d understand, she admitted, “You make me feel things.”

He popped his neck. “Yeah, I know what you felt.”

The way he said it, she understood just what he meant. “Gratitude?” she choked, because damn him, she did feel gratitude. But so much more.

“Yes. And you shouldn’t confuse that with anything else, okay?”

Simmering anger crawled into her bloodstream. “You had your tongue in my mouth.”

“Cat...”

“And your hands on my butt.” She thrust her chest forward, adding, “And a boob. I’m not at all confused about that.”

His gaze skipped over her body, but shot back to her face and resolutely stayed there. “I got carried away.”

Thumb to her sternum, she said, “And I liked it.”

A tortured expression crossed his features. “It shouldn’t happen again.”

She snapped back, “I’m hoping it does.”

“Because you’re—”

“What? Confused?” She almost dared him to say it again. “You can’t imagine, can’t know, what it’s like to be only around strangers for so long, feeling only worry, or sometimes fear. Six weeks has seemed more like six months. Sometimes like six years. So many times I wondered how others live with it, the uncertainty of not knowing what will happen the next day, maybe even the next hour, if I’d have any money or any food.”

His shoulders tightened. “You shouldn’t have gone through that.”

“People do, all the time. They don’t have a safety net, they’re alone without family or friends to turn to. I met some of those people in a shelter. I liked them, but I couldn’t stay long because I knew, eventually, someone would look for me there.”

Leese said nothing, but listened as if he truly wanted to learn more about her. Normally that would have been her cue to shut down. She didn’t—couldn’t—trust anyone who was too interested in her situation. Until now.

“Before all this happened, I’d never experienced that. Even as weird as I am—”

“You’re not weird. Not at all.”

“Compared to my family I am. I stick out like a sore thumb, and I’m okay with that. It’s one reason why no one in my family protested too much when I quit hanging around for their social functions and instead did only the occasional private visit. They were as tired of the awkwardness as I was. But even then, being aware of how they felt, I knew I had them, that they were there.” Her heart seemed to skip a beat, and she whispered, “Right up until they weren’t.”