Edge of Reason (EDGE Security Series Book 2) (16 page)

He shrugged. “A few. That doesn’t make it any less true.”

She lifted her chin, a dangerous sparkle in her blue eyes enticing him closer. “Okay,” she said. “But you have to answer some of my questions.”

He smiled and started to speak, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand. “And you’ll give me serious, truthful responses. Deal?” She stared at him, a small smile on her lips, obviously confident he wouldn’t take her deal.

“Deal,” he said, and almost laughed at the look of consternation on her face before she smoothed it away. “Lead on, oh fearless leader.”

The humor drained from her face. “Don’t call me that.”

“Why not?”

“I think I proved on the mission that I’m neither fearless nor a real leader.”
 

“Are you serious?” He shook his head. “What would—no, what
could
you have done differently? We had a mission to complete. You completed it with no loss of life.”

Her voice was low and bitter when she spoke. “So you think it was a success?”

He sighed and started walking. After a moment she caught up to him. “To our superiors it was a success, Cat. You know we can’t save everyone.”

“Dammit, Rhys. I know that.” She strode ahead, setting a fast pace. It was at least a minute before she spoke. “This was different, though.”

“I know,” Rhys said. And he did.

They walked in silence, each lost in their thoughts. Rhys wanted to lift the darkness from Cat’s eyes. Being in command weighed heavy on a person, and he could see how this last mission affected her.
 

He needed to distract her, and he had a few ideas about how to do that. Unfortunately, she’d already vetoed the way he’d have chosen. So they’d have to talk.

“Are you going to ask your questions?” he finally said.

She startled slightly and then looked at him, not slowing her pace. “Fine. Why did your grandmother raise you?”

“Whoa, pulling out the big guns right away,” he said. He hated talking about his past, but if that’s what it took to get her out of her own head, then he’d lay his miserable life story before her.
 

“I’m okay to walk by myself if you don’t feel like answering,” she said.

So that’s how she wanted to play it: she was trying to drive him away. Well, he always liked a challenge. So let’s see how little Miss Perfect Family dealt with this.

“My mother was a crack whore,” he said. He ignored Cat’s quick gasp and plowed on with his story. “She didn’t know who my father was. My grand-mère raised me from the time I was a baby. My mother would only come around when she needed something. Usually money.”

“Damn,” she whispered. “Is she still alive?”

He shrugged, knowing it looked callous but unable to dig much deeper into that scarred area of his soul. “I tried to find her after grand-mère died, but I couldn’t.”

“Why did you end up on the street?”
 

Her steps had slowed and he matched them, but he didn’t look at her. He didn’t want or need her pity. “The foster system couldn’t find me a family and wanted to ship me off to some dinky town. So I left.”

“That must have been hard.”

“The hardest part?” he said staring at the cement sidewalk. “Was watching another family move into my home.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” he said. “You wanted the truth.”

“Yes, but I didn’t mean to drag you down into my depression.”

“Don’t worry about me. Besides, I have family now.” When she raised her eyebrows in question he continued. “The military is my family. Has been since I joined when I was seventeen.”

Her brows drew together in a slight frown, as if this wasn’t a good answer for her. But what did she expect? Besides, the guys on his team were his brothers—she’d said it herself. Why did he need anyone else?

They kept walking, but the silence was no longer comfortable, more like a heavy weight to be endured. It bowed their shoulders and kept their eyes down.
 

Hell, she felt sorry for him now. That hadn’t been his intention. He never should have opened up to her and dragged her into his issues. He was supposed to be cheering her up. He stretched his legs, lengthening his pace, forcing her to keep up. This wasn’t how he’d seen the night going.

Cat stopped. He debated for a half second whether to just keep walking. Maybe he should go back to the Chien Noir and find Tania. He could lose himself in mindless sex for a night.

He stopped and looked back at the woman who plagued his thoughts. He could still see the blue of her eyes in the streetlights, which glinted off her white-blonde hair. There was no way Tania could compare to her. He was fooling himself—and not very well.

Cat pursed her lips. “Well, we’re gloomy tonight,” she said.
 

He sighed. “Maybe I should head home.” He didn’t want to, but he’d respect her wishes.

She gave a little shake of her head. “That would probably be the smart thing to do,” she muttered. Had he heard her right? He stepped closer.
 

“Time to live a little,” she said softly, and this time he definitely heard her. She looked up at him and smiled. His heart skipped a beat at the reckless look in her eye.

“I’ve got something that will cheer us up,” she said. “You up for it?”

Rhys’s pulse jacked up a notch. Visions of her naked immediately dispelled his black mood. “They call me Lucky, remember? I’m up for anything.”

Cat sucked in a breath. Rhys’s eyes glowed golden with heat as he watched her. She’d better nip that in the bud before the heat grew as wild as Rhys himself. That brought thoughts of their one night together, and the explosive kiss they’d shared in Niger. Her heart sped up.

Calm down, Cat.

She held up her hands as if to hold Rhys back. “Get a grip on those thoughts, Lucky,” she said, deliberately using his nickname to put some emotional distance between them.
 

“What thoughts?” he said in a low voice, even as he stepped closer to her.

She wanted to close the distance between them. She knew how good it would feel to lose herself in his strength for just one night, but she couldn’t. He was like a drug for her—the more she had him, the more she seemed to want him.
 

But we can be friends.
 

She had the discipline to make it through special operations training. She sure as hell could deal with a hands-off policy with Rhys Lafayette. Failure wasn’t an option.
 

She stepped back and smiled like a friend would. A friend who didn’t want to strip him naked and lick her way down his body.

Stop that, Cat.

“We need to laugh,” she said. “And I have the perfect thing to help us.”

His face scrunched up like he’d found a Brussels sprout in his beer. “Laugh?”

Her grin widened. “Yes. You’re coming to my apartment.”

“Now you’re talking,” he said quietly.
 

“As my
friend
.”

“I’m really beginning to hate that word.”

Cat laughed and he smiled at her, his hand reaching up to brush a piece of her hair behind her ear. “It’s good to hear you laugh,” he said.

Emotion welled in her with his simple statement, but she refused to name it, let alone give in to it. “Come on,” she said. “We’re almost there.”

“I know,” he said, still in the low voice that set the butterflies in her stomach whirling.
 

Three words described her apartment. Basic, cozy, and colorful. A one bedroom that took ten steps to cross, it had a galley kitchen, an alcove for a dining room, and a tiny living room with an overstuffed couch, a TV, and a small, blue painted desk with her personal laptop. The personality came from the electric blue couch and the purple and green pillows on it. Her brother always said it looked like someone had stuffed a peacock and turned it into a couch, but she liked it. The rest of the place followed the theme. Colorful art, pillows, and a plush throw rug. Heaven. Her bedroom was done in oranges, pinks, and reds.
 

The elevator let them off at her floor. As she put her key in the lock, memories of the first time Rhys had come to her place raced through her mind. He’d called her apartment fun and exotic. Her lips twisted as she realized Rhys was the only man she’d brought home to her apartment in the last six months.

Now that was just sad. True, she’d been insanely busy with missions, but to be celibate for half a year? Maybe her mom was right—maybe she really did need to meet a man.

She glanced at Rhys.
 

Some other man
. And she wasn’t going to sleep with Rhys just to satisfy some itch.

Her inner voice protested that it wasn’t just an itch, but she ignored it.
 

“So what are you going to show me?” Rhys said, startling her from her thoughts.

She grabbed the distraction with both hands. “A movie,” she said brightly. “We need to laugh and relax. What better way than to watch a funny movie?”

“Please tell me you’re not going to make me watch some romantic comedy.”

“Not tonight,” she said. “Though I know you secretly wish you could.”

He snorted.
 

“Beer’s in the fridge. I’ll set up a selection of movies I have and you can pick.”

She went to her laptop and brought up her movie file. “Okay,
Hot Fuzz
,
Shaun of the Dead
,
Tropic Thunder
,
Galaxy Quest,
or
Bridesmaids
.”

Rhys came over and handed her a cold beer, the top already twisted off, and started to peruse her files. “You’ve got quite an eclectic taste in films, Valkyrie.”

She shrugged, and unstrapped the holster that kept her backup Browning 9mm hidden at the small of her back, under her t-shirt. She placed it on her dining table and plopped onto her couch, leaving Rhys lots of space on the other side, and went through her takeout menus.
 

“I’ve heard
Bridesmaids
is hilarious,” he said.

“Let’s do it,” she said.

They decided on Thai food and ordered too much, chatting about their favorite movies until the food showed. With open boxes of noodles and various stir-frys set up on her coffee table, they started the movie.

The opening was an awkward five-minute-long sex scene where the woman was obviously not enjoying herself and trying very hard to. Rhys didn’t say a word. Cat looked over at him and his face had the same expression he’d had earlier on the street. The Brussels-sprout-in-his-beer look.

She started to giggle.
 

His gaze snapped to her, his eyes wide. Her giggles turned to outright laughter. And then he joined in, his laughter loose and loud. By the time the couple on the screen finished, Cat had tears running down her face from laughter.
 

“Okay,” Rhys said. “I needed that. This might have been a good idea.”

“When are you going to trust that I am full of good ideas?”

“Woman, I’ve trusted you since I met you on that mountaintop and you told me to get my ass on your bird,” Rhys said.

Cat smiled. “We work well together.”

Rhys nodded. Without saying another word, they enjoyed their beers and the food, and watched the movie.
 

When it was over, it was only ten o’clock. Too early to call it a night even though she was bone tired, because she knew she’d only toss and turn if she tried to sleep. She looked at Rhys and he seemed to be having the same thoughts.

“Another one?” she asked.

“It was definitely a two-movie mission,” he said.

She tried to smile, but couldn’t. “Definitely.” She stood up and stretched. “But I’ve forgotten the best part.”

Rhys’s eyebrows raised. “Really?” His eyes skimmed down her body, which heated under his gaze. “What would that be?”

“Stop that,” Cat said with a smile. “Friends, remember?”

“Fine,” he said, grumpily. “What’d you forget?”

“Popcorn. I’ll be back.” Cat threw a package of popcorn in the microwave and then changed out of her jeans and into a loose comfy t-shirt and yoga pants. Definitely not something she’d ever wear in front of a guy she wanted to sleep with, but totally okay to wear in front of a
friend.
Zach had seen her in this same outfit many times. So Rhys could, too.

She grabbed two blankets, as well. When she went back to the couch with the blankets and popcorn, Rhys had cleared their plates off the coffee table while she’d been gone, and now his feet rested on the table while his SIG Sauer P226 and holster lay on the floor near him. His eyes were closed.
 

She watched him for a minute. His breathing was deep and even. She knew he could wake in an instant and this was only combat sleep, but he obviously needed it.
 

And so did she, but dreams would come tonight and she didn’t want them. She needed more of a distraction before she’d find sleep.

She carefully put the bowl down and then shook out one of the blankets. She draped it over Rhys, knowing it would wake him, so she spoke softly at the same time. “It’s just Cat, Rhys,” she said. “I’m covering you with a blanket. You’re safe. Go back to sleep.”

He didn’t move, but his face relaxed and his breathing deepened. Good. She should probably kick him out, but she suspected he too wouldn’t be able to sleep on his own tonight.
 

It’s not like anything was going to happen between them.
 

She sat down on the couch, got cozy with her blanket and popcorn, and then took the remote. She glanced at Rhys.
 

Yup, still sleeping. But was it a deep enough sleep?
 

She decided it was and then started pressing the buttons on her remote that would bring up her guilty pleasure.

She’d missed at least four episodes of
The Bachelor
, but she had them recorded. She loved the first episodes the best, when all the women were together in the house. Seeing all of them gossiping and fighting over one man was like a car crash she couldn’t not watch. This was something not even Zach or her family knew she watched.