“That was why you threw your laptop into the wall?”
Nola nodded. “Yeah. I had to call tech support once and they took over my screen. Like somebody else was moving my mouse, and it was like that. But it never asked permission.”
“You think somebody hacked your laptop?”
“I have no idea. But who would be demented enough to bother doing something like that?”
We both knew the answer as soon as she put the question out there. Ally.
Ally goddamn Callaway.
I waited for the familiar burst of indignation and anger long-gone-rotten.
Except I found myself not caring. If that was the biggest punch Ally had to throw in the game of making my life miserable, then we’d proven we could take it. Even if it had provoked me into nearly fucking things up with Nola. I didn’t even care that she’d probably renew her legal efforts if she found out Nola and I were together again.
I took Nola by the hands and got her up from the couch. “Do you forgive me for being an ass?”
“Only on the condition that you forgive me for not being honest from the start. And the hole I put in your drywall when I fell in the hallway back there,” she added, rubbing her elbow.
“Forgiven. And besides, you weren’t the only one keeping secrets.”
She arched a nicely shaped eyebrow.
“I wasn’t exactly forthright about being crazy for you.”
Nola’s lips pursed. “Saying something sweet isn’t going to make me feel better about being a jerk.”
“Maybe I’m just trying to make you feel guilty enough that you let me take you in the shower and personally clean you off.”
Ben, who had been out of earshot while he cleaned his room up was back in the living room. He was standing right beside us, in fact. “You should ask him to give you a bath instead. Daddy pretends to be a pirate when you’re in the bath and it’s so funny. He’ll sink your boat and—”
I put my hand over Ben’s mouth, even though he was still trying to talk through it. “That’s enough, buddy. Can you go finish up in your room? I’ll get the stuff out here later.”
Ben scurried off, leaving us alone again.
Nola was smiling wide. “I think I’ll need to see this pirate impression, Jack. Tell me, are you going to come for my booty?”
I knew she was just joking around, but she still painted a very vivid image in my mind—one of her soapy ass bent over for me and her face turned to the side as she watched me position myself to take her.
I scooped her up like a bride and walked towards the bathroom. “Miss Nola and I are going to take a nap, bud. Knock really loud on the door if you need us.”
“Wait,” Nola said. “Which is it? You’re coming for me booty or we’re taking a nap?”
I closed the door to my room and spun her, pinning her to the wall so I could grab her ass with both hands. “I’m taking what’s mine.”
“Still kind of ambiguous,” she said with a half-smile.
“I’m going to soap you up, bend you over, and fuck you from behind so hard I’ll have to cover your mouth to stop you from letting the entire building know how much you like it.”
The playful fire in Nola’s eyes faded. “Okay. That’s a little more specific.”
I ran the shower, then turned to face Nola, who looked sexily bashful. I enjoyed that about her. She could be a flirtatious tease one minute, but as soon as things progressed to the point of seriousness, she was shy. She would hold her arms to herself like she was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy what I saw.
I ran my thumb down her jawline, brushing off some of the flour that was stuck to her with oil in the process. She tilted her chin toward my finger, big eyes rising to meet mine.
“You’re sure you forgive me?”
“The dangerous thing about you is what I would let you get away with. That’s the problem. You don’t make it a choice.”
“I can’t tell if that’s a good thing.”
“It’s not a good thing or a bad thing. It’s just what is.” I took her chin gently, lifting her face up to meet mine. “You make me fucking crazy.”
“Again. Still not sure if I should feel flattered or guilty for that.” She was smiling a little, some of her nervousness forgotten as she slipped back into her playful side.
“That depends. How would you feel if you knew I wasn’t planning on letting you go? If I told you that you were mine, and I would do just about anything to keep it that way?”
“A girl might feel flattered under those circumstances. Or creeped out if she wasn’t feeling the same way about the guy who said that.”
I watched her, loving the way her eyes were almost too big for her face. Too innocent for her fiery personality.