Kady’s mouth dropped open. She shut the water off, grabbed a towel, and opened the curtain all the way. Her gaze dragged over his nakedness, and it said something about how important his invitation was to him that he didn’t immediately focus in on her feminine interest. She squeezed the water out of her hair with the towel. “But…but…but we’d kill each other within three days. We always pick on each other. And if I land this contract, I’ll get a promotion.”
“I’m offering you a promotion,” he said. “A big one. To partner. That’s not something you’re going to get at Resnick, no matter how many contracts you land. I need a partner, Kady, and you’re the best there is. And we won’t kill each other. We’ve always clicked around the work, and you know it.”
Dried off now, Kady wrapped the towel around her body and stepped out onto the bath mat so that they were almost toe-to-toe. “It’s an amazing offer, Colton. Really. But what happens if I quit my current job and took this one, and then you and I…”
Colton didn’t like any of the ways he thought she might’ve intended to conclude that question. But he couldn’t say it was an unfair concern. “My gut’s telling me that’s not a problem, Kady, because we fucking click. But even if things didn’t work out, this offer is in no way contingent on us having a relationship. In fact, I’d first thought about this yesterday before anything happened between us. You’re too good for Resnick, and you’re sure as shit too good to have to deal with Bob Chase. We’d be professionals, and your job would be safe no matter what. But if things didn’t work out and you wanted to move on, I’d make sure there was a generous severance package in your contract, just like you’d get anywhere.” He stood in front of her and swiped a droplet of water running down her temple with his thumb. “All these things we can work out, but first you just have to agree.”
Kady’s eyes went glassy. “This is…I’m overwhelmed, Colton. Honestly. I respect you so much, and the thought that you’d want me to work at the company you’ve built over the last two years is such a wonderful compliment. But I just…I can’t….I need time to think about all this.”
The one thing they didn’t have—at least not today. But Colton nodded and slid his fingers around the back of her neck. He massaged her there, loving the way she went soft and pliant under his touch. “Of course.” He kissed her, needing to taste, needing to claim, needing her on his skin and in his mouth and in his life. And needing to remind her how good they were together. “But remember where I started this conversation—I want a chance for us to be something.”
She smiled. “I want that, too.”
He kissed her cheek. “I better jump in real quick,” he said, and then he turned on the water.
They’d talked just long enough that everything after that was a mad dash to get ready. Understandably, Kady didn’t want to look like she’d just rolled out of bed when she saw Beckstein. Given the little weasel’s comments at breakfast this morning, Colton didn’t blame her.
When they were ready to go, Kady reached for the door.
Colton blocked it with his hand. He eased her around until her back settled against the cold metal. God, she was gorgeous, and he wanted her even though his gut did a free fall when he thought about what it would be like if he got her to agree. “Promise me you’ll think about what I said.”
A quick nod as she met his gaze. Instinct told him he wasn’t imagining the warm affection pouring from her eyes for him. “Of course I will. It’s all I can think about right now.”
“Good.” He gave her a quick kiss on the lips, but not anything that would disturb the lipstick she’d just applied. “Because I’m going to be a fucking crazy man until you give me your answer.”
Her grin was immediate. She tapped a finger to her lips. “Hmm…torturing Colton…that sounds like incentive to drag things out,” she said, eyes full of mischief.
Oh, how he’d love to make her pay for that. And he would. He just had to have faith that she’d find her way to the same conclusion he had—they were something special together. “Troublemaker. Out with you already,” he said, opening and holding the door for her.
Chapter Eight
Longest. Van ride. Ever.
As they finally pulled into the small airport, Kady couldn’t decide which part of the trip had been more torturous. Spending a hundred minutes locked in a small space with Albert Beckstein, who took a half dozen calls on which he acted like a prick and talked way too freaking loud?
Or maybe getting bounced over ruts in the terrible roads made harder to navigate by the huge puddles that congregated everywhere along their trip? There were only two places where they had to slow almost all the way down to cross a deeper pool of standing water, but even the smaller puddles were hell because they hid potholes in the road.
Or possibly, sitting in a small space with Colton Brooks while not being able to touch him or tell him how much his offer and his words meant to her? Worse, she’d had to shut him down when he’d tried to whisper something about his offer to her early on in their trip. No way she was chancing Beckstein knowing something had happened between them in the past twenty-four hours.
Bad enough guys in the industry made cracks about her exchanging sexual favors to get the things she got in her career; she didn’t need Beckstein being armed with any actual proof.
So it was hands off as long as he was within earshot or sight. Which made Kady ache. Her hand itched to hold Colton’s. Her body yearned to feel his against her. Her lips longed for his kiss. She just wanted to curl up in the warm, strong shelter of Colton’s lap and stay there forever.
And it seemed like he’d given her a way to make that happen. Kady was still reeling from his offer. Professionally, it was an amazing opportunity. She could finally be her own boss and lead up her own projects. Brooks Computer Security Services wasn’t as large a firm as Resnick, but Colton’s military experience had given him a very lucrative niche and the contracts flowed his way one after the other.
Personally, taking Colton up on his offer would allow her to move back home and be closer to her family. Not spending as much time with them was something she regretted about living so far away. She was a little concerned about how her roommate might react to the idea of her moving, but no doubt she’d absolutely squee when she found out that Kady and Colton had hooked up after a lifetime of her wanting him and thinking he was outside her reach.
Finally—and most importantly—she’d get to explore this thing with Colton. Her gut said the same as his—that they were too well matched and had too much history for any relationship they might have to totally crash and burn. But if the worst did happen, it would be disastrous on so many levels. That wasn’t necessarily a reason not to give it a try, but she needed to think all of the possible fallout through before she could truly decide.
Plus, a part of her was balking at the idea of moving for someone she’d only just begun to date…or see…or whatever it was they were maybe possibly doing. Then again, she’d known Colton almost her whole life, had had feelings for him for at least half of it, and now knew he had feelings for her, and had for some time. Couldn’t that be enough of a foundation? Couldn’t that be enough off which to take a leap of faith? Wasn’t Colton worth the risk?
Damn, she had a lot of phone calls to make when she got home! Her girls were going to flip.
Those questions lingered in her mind as the van finally pulled into the small terminal. It was only a matter of moments before they unloaded and made their way inside. And just because Kady wasn’t in any hurry to part from Colton, they sailed right through check-in and security.
The only thing going their way was that Beckstein didn’t seem to want to hang around them any more than they wanted to be in his presence. He took off for his gate the moment he had his shoes back on.
“Well,” Kady said, sadness slinking into her gut. “I don’t know what to say. Everything that comes to mind seems inadequate or silly.”
Colton smiled, but she didn’t think she was imagin
ing the sadness in the set of his eyes and mouth, too. “Yeah. Know just what you mean. Have a bite to eat with me before you go?” he asked.
Regret weighted down her shoulders. “I don’t think I have time. My flight will be boarding in about ten minutes.”
“Oh, right. Of course. Then, when can we talk again?” he asked.
Kady’s heart squeezed at his questions, because they were all evidence that he was as unprepared to part with her as she was with him. “Um, tonight when we get home? Or, really, any night this week—”
“Tonight. Done.” He nailed her with a stare and arched a brow. “I’ll call you around nine your time?”
“Yeah, that’ll work,” she said, smiling.
The three feet separating them was excruciating to bear, especially as an awkwardness settled into the air between them. Kady wanted to throw herself at Colton, climb up his body, and kiss him silly. But this airport wasn’t that big, and she wasn’t sure exactly how close Beckstein’s gate might be. God, she wouldn’t put it past him to be hiding behind some potted plant with his camera phone at the ready.
“Okay, then. I’ll talk to you tonight, cupcake,” he said with a wink. And then he leaned down and gave her the quickest of pecks on the cheek.
Kady rested a hand on his chest before he pulled fully away. “I really want to kiss you,” she whispered. “But thank you for understanding why I can’t.”
“I’d do anything to protect you,” he said, patting her hand where it laid on him.
Her heart and stomach both ached with icy dread as the moment of separation approached.
And then Colton was saying good-bye and walking away across the concourse, other travelers interrupting her line of sight of his tall, broad back until she couldn’t see him anymore. Whether he’d meant to or not, he’d taken her heart with her. What else would explain the hollow, aching emptiness she felt inside her chest?
An incredible sensation of loss swamped her, but Kady forced her feet to move as she went in the opposite direction in search of her gate, which of course ended up being at the very end of the terminal. On the way to the airport, she’d been hungry, but now the restaurants she passed along the way held absolutely no interest for her. Because the only thing that would satisfy her right now was having Colton back in her arms.
Then just say yes.
She couldn’t decide this so quickly, though, could she? There were pros and cons to be argued, arrangements and logistics to be considered, and details to be hammered out.