Rushing the Goal (Assassins #8)(51)

“I don’t know what Angie has to do with us.”

“Um, no man wants a chick with a kid or a baby daddy to deal with.”

He snorted. “Your baby daddy is nothing to me.”

“He’s a dick. You don’t want to deal with that or my kid.”

“Again, he doesn’t matter. As a real man, I don’t care that you have a kid or a baby daddy. That baby daddy has no effect on me, and your child is an extension of you. Also, Angie is freaking awesome, just like you,” he said with a wink, but she didn’t look convinced.

“No one says that.”

“Or you haven’t met the right man,” he said, pointing at her.

Exasperated, she threw her hands up. “When did you become a smooth-talker? You’re supposed to be a huge dork.”

He grinned. “I am, with a side of sex god and smooth-talker.”

“Okay, just stop,” she said, holding her hand up and he laughed. “Jesus, Benji. I mean, yeah, last night was so good, but let’s be real,” she said, talking with her hands until she shivered and had to wrap her arms around herself. It was chilly out, and he was sure she had been more concerned with getting him out the door than getting a coat. At least she’d put on shoes. “It would just be a waste of our time. We are in two different places in our lives, and right now, things are not easy for me.”

He was listening, he was, but she was talking more for herself. Everything she said may be true, but Benji didn’t care. He wanted to try. It was crazy, but he had to do this. Something inside him was begging him to do it.

Shaking out of his coat, he reached around her and put it on her. His body was so close to hers, and even though it was cold, she made him burn from the top of his head to the tip of his toes.

She tried to stop him. “I’m fine—”

But he ignored her, closing the jacket, and then pulling away slowly. Tucking his hands in the pockets of his jeans, he met her gaze. “Maybe it hasn’t been easy because you don’t let it. You do this thing, finding every single reason possible not to be happy. Isn’t that exhausting?” When her eyes narrowed, he just grinned at her. “Aw, don’t get mad. I’m just making an observation.”

“An observation you can shove up your ass,” she mumbled, but she didn’t mean it. She was trying not to grin back at him.

“Always so snarky,” he said, tapping her nose, which made her eyes widen.

“What in the world?”

“What? You’re cute.”

She let out a frustrated breath. “Like I said, last night was awesome, I had a blast. But this, whatever you think it is, just isn’t a good idea.”

“I’m not asking for anything. Not yet, at least, and I don’t think us getting to know each other and spending time together would be a waste of anyone’s time, as long as we’re having a good time.”

She shook her head, sucking in a breath, and he smiled. “Benji…”

Taking ahold of her belt loop, he pulled her to him. He couldn’t handle the distance anymore. He had to touch her. Coming to a halt against him, she looked up at him, surprised, as his hands slid underneath his coat to her back. She shivered against his touch and then relaxed. But as soon as she relaxed, she tensed up again, glancing back at the house. But he moved a hand and took hold of her chin, bringing her face up to look at him. “No one can see us.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Hush, you,” he demanded, and she snapped her lips shut, her eyes narrowing.

“Your hands are cold,” she complained, moving closer to him.

“Someone has my coat,” he said, moving his nose along hers. “Now, tell me something. Did you have fun last night?” Her grin fell, her green gaze blazing as she sucked in a breath. “Don’t lie either,” he admonished, and when her lips fought to curve, Benji’s heart went wild. It was funny how life could change with just a flicker of a smile. Just a little bitty smile had Benji in knots.

Hell, this girl had had him in knots since the beginning.

“I did,” she admitted, her hands coming up to rest against his chest.

“Okay, so we both have fun together, right?”

She nodded slowly, not liking that he was right. “Right.”

“Okay, so let’s get to know each other. And, if at any time, it gets to where either of us feels we are wasting each other’s time, we’ll stop. Okay?”

He was pretty sure that would never happen, but obviously he had to say something to keep this woman from running the other way.

Like he knew she would be, she was hesitant as she bit into her lip. “I don’t know. I have so much baggage…and I just don’t know.”

She was preaching to the choir on that one, but it was time to no longer allow that baggage to hold him back from what he wanted. He wanted Lucy and she wanted him; he knew she did. So he just grinned, his hands coming behind her and reaching for her phone he had seen her tuck into her back pocket when they walked outside earlier. Her breath caught as he said, “Fine, let’s start with just your number. Give me that, and we can talk. If you get bored with me, just let me know and we’ll stop.”

“You think I don’t feel you taking my phone?” she asked as he dialed his number on it. “And that I don’t know you are dialing your number so I have no choice in the matter?”