“Just go with it. Your fellow teammates are headed into a house and there’s a guy with a bomb inside. Do you stand off to the side and say ‘sorry?’ Of course you don’t. You warn them of the danger, tell them there’s a problem.”
“You’re not one of the guys.”
“What would you say if I were?”
“That I have to be careful where women are concerned. I had a fucked-up childhood that I’m still working through, and I can sometimes develop unhealthy attachments.”
“Was that so hard?”
“Yes! That was really fucking hard. Try admitting to someone you like, I mean really like, that you aren’t the healthiest person in the world when it comes to relationships.”
“You really like me?”
“That wasn’t really the point.”
Calliope took both his hands in hers and shifted on the step. “I’m not the healthiest person in the world when it comes to relationships either. It’s okay Miller.”
“I’ve had relationships in the past that didn’t end well.” Shut up. Stop talking now.
“Nobody leaves a relationship without a few scratches and dents,” She soothed.
“I total the car.”
“Then let’s just drive the speed limit and use our signals.” Calliope pointed back and forth between them. Tox got the message. Take it slow. Communicate. Why did she have to make it sound so easy?
“Thanks.” Tox ran a big hand over his stubbled head.
“So, what happened inside?”
“Um, yeah. I felt the same as you. I guess.”
“You guess?”
“I felt like when a round from a Kalashnikov AK hits body armor. I felt like I was standing too close to a flashbang.”
“I don’t know what any of those words mean, but I get the idea,” she said, resting her head against his shoulder.
“I didn’t want to freak you out.”
“Then you should have kept your pants on.”
They both laughed at that.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked.
“Only in the best possible way.”
“I’ll try to exercise some restraint.”
“Don’t you dare. The first time you kissed me, I sensed you holding back. I prefer the untamed version.”
He looked at her. “No holds barred?”
“Remember, I’m a yogi. I bend, but I won’t break. Imagine the possibilities.” Calliope cocked a brow in challenge. She thought she heard that low rumbling growl deep in his chest before he spoke.
“Hey, remember when you told me about that guru?”
“Hmmm?” Calliope was momentarily distracted by his growing arousal.
“The guy in jail? He said after emotional exertion you should do physical exertion?”
Calliope just nodded, wide-eyed.
In one elegant movement, Tox rose to his feet, grabbed her around the waist, and hefted her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Laughing out her surprise, Calliope grabbed onto his back belt loops as he carried her into the house, kicking the door closed behind them.