Snow Blind - Lori G. Armstrong [110]
Why would she ask that?”
“Because she was worried about you, Britt.”
“That’s exactly what she said. So I think you put her up to it.”
“No, I didn’t. But even if I did, did you tell her the truth?”
Sullen silence.
“I’ve got plenty of stuff to do besides listen to you sulk on the phone.”
Sniff. Sniff.
“Are you crying?”
“No.”
391
Count to ten. “Look. I didn’t rat you out, okay?
Your mom came to me and all I told her was that she should ask you about it.” I paused to let that sink in.
“Really?”
“Really. So why the tears?”
She wailed, “Because right after that my mom and dad had a huge fight. They never fight. Mom was yelling and Dad wouldn’t even talk to her and then he took his stuff and slept in the barn.”
“Take a deep breath. Parents fight. It’s not the end of the world.”
“I think they were fighting about you.”
I frowned.
“Are you trying to break them up? Because you’ve been spending time with my mom and if you’re telling her the same kinda stories about Dad beating you up that you told me, and then they get a divorce, it’ll be your fault.”
Why the fuck did I let her—and Dad and Trish—
blame me for everything that went wrong in their oh-so-perfect lives? “Again, fighting doesn’t mean they’re going to get a divorce. The best thing you can do is to stay out of it.”
“Really?”
The outer office door slammed. “Really. Anything else I can do for you?”
“Yeah.” More snuffling. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”
More guilt. Big goddamn surprise.
392
My office door opened. Silver crutches caught the fluorescent light when Martinez paused in the doorway. Be still, my heart. My blood pulsed, more prominently in some spots than others. Tony shut the door. And locked it. He stalked me with that look. The look that made me forget my own damn name.
“Julie? You still there?”
“Ah, Britt. I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I shut the phone off and closed the distance between us in two steps. “I missed you. Really missed you. Going crazy kind of missing you, Martinez.”
“I heard.”
“How’s your leg?”
“What leg?”
“I’m serious.”
“Serious enough to take off my pants and judge for yourself?”
I lunged for him at the same time he lunged for me. The crutches crashed to the floor. We followed in a tangle of tongues, arms, and legs.
When we were both mostly naked, I broke free from a toe-curling kiss to drown in his eyes, losing myself in the look that was mine alone. “You sure—”
“Yes. And I’m tired of you being on top.”
He flipped us, then he was on me, in me, and I didn’t care about anything else.
393
Usually after an intense bout of sex, Martinez and I rolled around in bed. Rolling on the cold office floor wasn’t an option. We dressed, but he kept me close, kept touching me as if we were still naked.
“How much longer do you have to be on crutches?”
“Been wearing a knee brace the last two days. I left it off after the last PT appointment I just finished.”
“Why?”
“Because I knew I was coming here and I didn’t want to mess with taking it off and putting it back on again.”
“Knew you were gonna get lucky, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“I should be insulted.”
“You’re not. You’re wishing we could go at it again.”
“True.” His backside rested against the front of my desk and I stood between his outstretched legs. I ran my fingers through his hair as he kissed my neck.
“You can’t stay, can you?”
“No.”
“Did you ditch your security team again?”
“I’d like to pretend I did, but they’re probably sitting in the hallway waiting for me.”
“Do they have a tracking device on you or something?”
394
Tony’s warm mouth brushed my collarbone until his lips reached the necklace. I felt him smile against my throat. “You’re wearing it.”
“I always wear it.”
“I noticed. I’m glad.” He kissed the skin beneath the pendant. “I didn’t know if you’d like it since you don’t wear jewelry. Not even . . .”
The necklace I’d taken back after I’d killed the person who’d killed my brother. Happy as I was to have Ben’s prized possession, I had never put it on and I never