MacGyver’s laugh tickled her lips and brought her back to the harsh reality of her situation. They stared silently for a moment and…was it lust that clouded his eyes and put that cocky grin on his face? Why was it she felt safe with him? Almost as though she sensed his intrinsic honesty and integrity.
If those self-righteous people knew the sacrifices he’d made—and her as well—to keep their country safe, would they still be disgusted?Probably.Their audible whispers had succeeded in shattering the moment. How easily she’d pushed aside the important things. The phone call. Pop caught up in a mess of her making. A groan vibrated her throat as shame landed on her like a stack of bricks.
Kellie moved one leg to the floor, but MacGyver still wouldn’t let her go, cinching her waist with an unyielding grip. “Trust me. He won’t hurt your stepfather—at least not until he gets his hands on you. You’re the prize he wants, and he’s not about to throw away his leverage, even if everything doesn’t go the way he plans.”
She pushed away from his chest, and this time he let her go and got to his feet.Maybe he’s right.Kellie clung to his theory for a split second.But how many hostage-takers issued threats they weren’t prepared to make good on?
The flimsy structure of hope she’d built crashed down around her shoulders. Despair stole her ability to reason, and she drew back her hand. Guilt for her part in Pop’s current circumstances wrenched a war cry from her as she swung. The sharp crack of skin on skin stunned her. The palm of her hand stung as though she’d burned herself.
“It wasn’t your call to make.” She enunciated each word precisely, hoping to see some small amount of remorse in his expression. She should have known better.
MacGyver’s gaze never wavered. His left cheek bore a red insignia shaped like her hand, but minus that and the miniscule flicker of…what?Disappointment? Hurt?The flicker was gone so fast, Kellie might have imagined it—attributed feelings where none existed.
Damn it—should have used my fist.
Chapter Nine
If he lived to be an old man, MacGyver would never understand women. Not his sisters, not his ex-fiancée and sure as shit not the sexy-as-hell woman who pretended to sleep beside him in the backseat of their rented SUV. They were twenty miles from Coeur d’Alene and Kellie hadn’t yet uttered a word, so he still didn’t know which of his dumb moves had pissed her off so bad.
No way was he letting Kellie go to the cabin alone as the shit-for-brains on the phone had instructed. Perhaps MacGyver shouldn’t have ripped his phone from her fingers and added his two cents to the conversation, but even contemplating that scenario had made his teeth clench and his temperature shoot through the roof.No…not sorry for putting a stop to that crazy notion.
Hanging up on the prick hadn’t set well with Kellie—at all. And he could see her point, but the jackass on the phone needed to know who was calling the shots. Besides, any first year cop-in-training would know holding Kellie’s stepfather hostage was only a means to an end, and theendin this case was getting his hands on Kellie.She didn’t like that explanation one bit.
Scraping a hand across the back of his neck, MacGyver glanced at her. She’d slapped him upside the head, and he hadn’t even seen it coming. As much as he hated to admit it, pulling her onto his lap and locking lips with her had been a rookie mistake. What had he been thinking? The problem was he hadn’t been…at least not with the head on his shoulders. Hell no. The scent of her skin when he’d leaned close to hear the caller’s demands, her full lips and her astonishingly innocent, green eyes—God, he’d wanted to hold her and protect her. Taste her again. Feel her respond to his kiss as though she, too, sensed their connection. And he’d been right, because she’d willingly joined him in his wicked display of lust.
Knowing he wasn’t alone in whatever was happening between them made no difference. He’d disrespected her. His mother would have used a two-by-four on his hard head, instead of a flesh-and-blood hand. Yeah, he’d deserved Kellie’s slap and more—but she was still in danger, and deciding what happened next shouldn’t be based on how angry she was at him. Somehow he needed to fix that.
Casting a glance toward the front seat where Travis drove, while Blake snoozed, he discreetly worked his cell phone from his pocket. His friends had been no help, ragging on him from the minute they’d seen the evidence on his cheek. Their shit didn’t bother him, but he’d noticed how much their teasing was embarrassing Kellie. A few choice words in Travis’s ear had plunged the vehicle into the silence that still reigned.
MacGyver woke up his phone, scrolled sideways to the notes app and tapped the screen for a new page. One more tap to bring up the keyboard and he typed:Sorry. Truce?After making sure Travis was looking straight ahead, he slid the mobile over the leather seat until it nudged her leg.
Kellie turned her head and glared at him, then glanced at the phone, before returning her head to the same place it’d been, closing her eyes again.
Tough crowd.Persistent, if nothing else, MacGyver pulled the phone back and typed:Please? Let me make it up to you. Cook you dinner? Run you a bubble bath? You name it.
He slid it back, and this time her irritated expression couldn’t hide a flicker of curiosity. She picked it up, read his message and a microscopic grin lifted one corner of her mouth. She pecked out a slow answer and pushed the phone toward him.
Bubble bath sounds good! Too bad there are only showers at the cabin.
MacGyver laughed softly.Dinner it is then, if you’ll forgive me…and smile.
She frowned when she read his words but began typing right away.Not your fault. I wasn’t ready to listen, but you were right. I was WAY out of line. Forgive me too?A sad-faced emoticon followed the last word.
The weight of his self-reproach lightened marginally. Was it possible she was angry about the way he’d handled the phone call and not about the kiss? He grinned big and gave her a thumbs-up before he focused on the note page again.Still waiting for that smile.
Kellie peered toward the two in the front seat and grabbed for the device as soon as he shoved it toward her. Two keystrokes later a smiley face winked at him from the screen.
Ha! Very funny.
It’s a little funny!
A gorgeous, full-blown smile swept the worry from her face, but exhaustion remained in the dark circles beneath her eyes. She hadn’t eaten today, and considering her hangover had kept her from eating anything substantial yesterday, breakfast should have been first on the agenda. As he studied her, the smile slowly disappeared, and she fisted the phone with an air of determination.
What are we going to do?
He liked the sound of thatwe.Did Kellie realize what a concession it was for her to admit her concern and to acknowledge their need to work together? Probably another bad idea, but he couldn’t help giving her hand a light squeeze before he took his phone back. Instead of typing, he sat forward, dropping his arm heavily along the seatback, causing Blake to jerk to attention.
“I’ve been thinking, and all of us need to have a say in what happens next.” MacGyver pushed the brim of his ball cap up a notch as he gave Kellie an encouraging smile.