Under Pressure (Body Armor #1)(36)

Right up until it was all snatched away.

She didn’t want to think about that now. When she did, it brought her down and, currently, life was hard enough without dwelling on yet more things she couldn’t control.

“You’re not weird,” Leese reiterated one more time, as if it mattered to him what she thought of herself.

“I am.” She’d long ago accepted it. “But you know what? You should give me some credit, because I’ve learned a lot about myself, some of it good.”

“More than some.”

The compliment was nice, even though it changed nothing. “I’ve always been a woman of means. I had resources others never had. I grew up secure, without a worry, filled with the confidence that a pampered life had given me. If I didn’t have something, it was because I didn’t want it or I’d chosen to give it up, not because it was out of my reach.”

Hands in his pockets, Leese rested a shoulder against the wall. “Car? Education?”

“Everything like that. Nice clothes. Every new tech gadget. Spending money. But more important, I had family. I had backup.” She went quiet, then laughed with irony. “I thought I had backup. Turns out I was wrong.”

Sympathy brought him nearer. “Okay, so Webb isn’t who you thought he was. But what about your brothers?”

“I don’t know yet. I hope they believe in me, I hope they’ll know the truth when they hear it, but they’re close to Webb. Far closer than I ever was. They trust him, share with him.” It was so dumb, but seemed to represent so much. “They still love the parties.”

“I’m not a party person either.”

Cat drew a breath, appreciating his support. “The thing is, Leese, despite how awful this has been, I’m proud of myself for finding my survival instinct and being able to make it entirely on my own, from scratch, without any of the things I’d always taken for granted.” She put a fist to her heart. “I didn’t have anything, not even my name, but I’ve made it this far. With money and power used against me, with trained men hunting for me, I’ve dodged them for six weeks. That’s something of a miracle, don’t you think? And I did that.”

“You’re smart,” Leese said, “and you’re resilient. No one can deny that.”

Damn it, plenty of people denied it. If Webb had his way, they’d all think her insane. For that reason, Leese’s faith in her tightened her throat.

“I’m smart enough, and resilient enough, to know what I want.” She stared at him to ensure he didn’t misunderstand, and then as a parting shot, she added, “Next time, without an interruption.”

He stayed silent as she walked away, down the hall and into the guest bedroom. She hesitated, but when he didn’t follow she closed the door and collapsed facedown on the bed.

How was it her life just kept getting more and more complicated? Having a wealthy, entitled, corrupt lunatic or two after her was bad enough. Living on the street, surviving with nothing? Plenty difficult.

But now she had an ultrahunk in her life who, damn it, didn’t want what she’d repeatedly offered.

How often did men turn down willing women? In her world, apparently too often.

It seemed like she rested there forever, her thoughts churning as she tried to decide what to do next. Not that she had a lot of options. She wasn’t sleepy. Wasn’t yet hungry. Leese was too big for her to coerce, and apparently kissing her and groping her hadn’t sufficiently seduced him.

Maybe she should crash in front of the TV.

Or...she rolled to her side and stared toward the walk-in closet. She could take inventory on the clothes. See if anything would fit. If anything appealed to her.

It’d be nice to wear something other than the same pair of jeans for a change. Maybe she’d find something pretty, even sexy. What difference did it make if no one would see her? No one except Leese, and he’d just sworn off touching her, so he didn’t count.

When the tap sounded on the closed bedroom door, she almost hit the ceiling. Going to her back, heart pumping hard, she asked, “What?”

He peeked in, saw her there on the bed, balanced on her elbows, and his gaze heated. “You okay?”

No doubt she’d be better if he joined her. “Okay is a subjective term. All in all, for what my life has turned into, yeah, sure, I’m peachy.”

He stepped farther inside but stayed near the door, the chicken. Maybe she tempted him. That’d be a nice thought.

“Putting aside everything before this morning,” he said, “still fine?”

“Sure.” Pride had her sitting up and shrugging as if she hadn’t a care. “You’re not the first rejection I’ve gotten, so don’t sweat it.”

Almost against his will, he looked her over. “You’re not stupid, Cat, so don’t pretend to be.”

No, she wasn’t, but she asked anyway. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

His attention drifted back to her face. “You know I want you.”

Even while irked, hearing that sent a shiver down her back. Guess my radar isn’t as wonky as I thought. But whether he wanted her or not, he’d still rejected her, and she was still stung by that. “So you backing off is...what?” With a sneer, she asked, “Nobility?”

Her deliberate laugh intensified the heat in his gaze. “I’ve known you less than a day.”