Thad drove us to a chain grocery store that sat right across the water to the mainland. He let the tension grow between us, seemingly unbothered. Even when we walked into the store and started shopping, him alert as ever, he remained quiet.
Finally, between the cheese and the milk, I broke the silence. “Do you think this is authentic parmesan?”
He took the bag of shredded cheese and studied it. With a serious look, he turned it over and then met my eyes. “I’d say it’s authentic…plastic.”
A laugh surprised me and I ended up snorting. A woman walking by met my eyes and grinned at the sound.
Groaning, I tossed it in the cart and shrugged. “Plastic, it is.”
We walked around the store, throwing stuff in the cart that we needed for the house, and then I pushed our cart towards the clothing. I had to get clothes that didn’t make me want to yank my hair out.
Thad had the good sense to put his back to me and look around the store while I picked out underwear and jogging pants. I got a few more essentials and then turned to find Thad touching a cheetah print thong.
“I’ll never understand animal print.”
I laughed and fought a blush at seeing the larger than life man touching something so…small. “I’m finished up here. Do you need anything else?”
He shook his head and walked at my side towards the front of the store. “Nope.”
“How do you not need anything? I think you’re a robot. Do you sleep? When do you shower or change your clothes?”
He grinned. “You’re mighty curious about me, Rain.”
That snapped my mouth shut. “I’m not.”
Thad stood guard at my back, his big body warming mine from behind, while I loaded everything onto the belt. The cashier started ringing up stuff, only looking up at Thad every few seconds.
I couldn’t blame her. Thad was a force in himself. He was not only huge, he was alarmingly handsome and interesting to look at. His eyes alone were stare-worthy. Not that I felt the same wide-eyed awe as the young cashier.
After checking out, we loaded the groceries into the truck and Thad turned his back while I climbed into the truck. Headed back towards the house, I found myself sad to be going back to Kevin.
Thad glanced over at me. “You keep sighing like that and I’ll think that you don’t want to see your boyfriend.”
I made a face of distaste at him and shrugged. “I’m just tired. It’s fine.”
He adjusted the air vent to blow more on him when he saw me shiver. “Say the word and I’ll get rid of him.”
“I said it’s fine, Thad. I should be glad that he’s coming to see me. I mean, I am glad. He’s a great guy and a good catch.” Ugh. Even as I said it, I could hear my old therapist gripping her pen tighter, getting ready to scratch down notes. “Not that I think I’m lucky that a great guy wants to see me. That’s not what I meant.”
Thad remained quiet, letting me trudge along.
“I just meant that he’s nice and I’m happy with him. So, you don’t have to worry about kicking him out.”
He slowed as he approached the ferry to Faint Island. “If we were in another truck, going someplace else, I’d tell you that you’re a stunning woman with enough draw to land any man and never consider yourself lucky to be able to get him. As we’re in this truck, headed back to Faint Island, where your boyfriend, who isn’t exactly a charmer, is waiting on us, I’ll just repeat myself. If you say the word, I’ll get rid of him. Happily.”
My face burned and I was left to stew in his words as he parked on the ferry and got out. I couldn’t even begin to decipher my feelings after his words rattled through me, so I didn’t try. I pushed it out of my head and climbed out of the truck.
I liked to watch the trip over to the island at the front of the boat. Seeing the island coming closer relaxed me, knowing that I was almost home and what I’d always thought was a little bit safer. As I leaned against the railing, I had to admit to myself that it wasn’t necessarily true. I wasn’t safer.
As if he could read my mind, Thad moved next to me and looked down at me. “I set up a camera on the ferry before I met you at the clinic. Anyone coming onto the island will be seen, this way. There’s someone at Crimson Security running a facial recognition program on the feed constantly. If Sallisaw or any of his known associates come through, we’ll know right away.”
“That sounds expensive.”
“Costs less than your life. I guess Cash feels responsible. He’s covering everything himself. Not that he said that. He’s been out of communication with all of us for days now. He sends his wishes through his secretary and none of us are stupid enough to argue with Mrs. Hubberfield.”
I shook my head. “He’s not responsible. What happened to me was my fault.”
Thad moved closer and frowned. “You blame yourself, instead of Sallisaw?”
Flustered, I gestured with my hands at nothing. “Of course I know he’s to blame. I just mean…I shouldn’t have been able to be caught.”
“Some of the best cops get caught, Rain.” He shook his head. “I know SEALs who’ve been captured.”
I blew up my cheeks with air and slowly let them deflate. “I don’t want to talk about that.”
He sighed and leaned into me even more. “Fine. But, you’re being too hard on yourself. And too easy on the jackass waiting for you back at the house.”
I met his eyes and held my breath. He was standing closer to me than he ever had and the smell of nature and warm cloves gently filled my senses. I shook my head to clear it and the end of my ponytail brushed over his chest. “I’m not.”
He caught my hair and let it slip through his fingers, his eyes moving from mine to watch the act. “If he keeps it up with the insults, I won’t wait for you to say the word to kick him out. My grandma would slap my ears if she knew I was letting a man talk to a woman like that.”
My body was tight, every muscle tense as I waited to see what Thad would do next. I didn’t know what was happening, but I felt like things were going in a direction that they weren’t supposed to be going in. I bit my lip and dug my fingers into my hips.
Thad glanced up as another man walked closer to us and then stepped farther away from me. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the railing like he didn’t have a care in the world. I could see the tension in his jaw, though.
“Beautiful day we’re having.” The man said with a smile and a wave to us. “I never get tired of the sun down here.”
I forced a smile and nodded at him, while keeping my eyes out at Faint Island, slowly getting closer and closer.
“Are you two from here?”
Thad stared over at the man with danger written all over his face and shook his head. “Sorry, we’re actually in the middle of a fight. My girlfriend is a little angry at me.”
I turned to him, shocked, and found him moving in on me. I squeaked as his arms circled my waist and he easily lifted me over his shoulder. His hand settled over my ass right away, keeping my dress down, and then he carted me away from the man.
“Put me down!”
He stroked his hand down the back of my leg and chuckled. “She’s a real hellcat. You know how it is.”
I struggled against him until he opened the door of his truck and dropped me inside. I went to smack him, but he was already gone, slamming the door shut and locking me in with a key fob before pulling out his phone and stalking back towards the front of the ferry.
Angrily, I jerked at the door handle to find it locked from the inside, as well. He’d just trapped me inside.
I fumed about how he’d thrown me over his shoulder and basically grabbed my ass while trying to get my heart rate to slow down. While I expected anxiety, what I found myself revved up over was even more alarming. My body was reacting to Thad in ways that it’d never reacted to Kevin.
Flushed, I deflated into my seat and waited for him to come back. I didn’t know what I wanted more: for him to come and release me or for him to stay gone.
After close to ten minutes, he strode back towards the truck and let himself in. The ferry was docking and we were parked where we’d be able to leave first.
“What the hell was that?”
He glanced over at me and all he gave me was a shrug before pulling off the ferry and heading towards the house.
“Thad. Answer me.”
“You probably should’ve told me you weren’t wearing panties before I picked you up like that.”
Heat scorched my face. “You’re fired.”
“You can’t fire me.”
“Then you can sleep outside.”
“You don’t know where I sleep, you said. For all you know, I do sleep outside.”
I hesitated. “Do you sleep outside?”
He grinned. “Nope.”
“I’m not finding you amusing right now.”
“Honestly? I didn’t trust that guy. Who just shows up and talks to strangers about the weather?”
I opened my mouth to argue, but realized that I normally would’ve been wary, too. I’d just been distracted by the idiot sitting next to me. “And did you have reason to not trust him?”
He glanced at me slowly and nodded. “Works for a middle man who works for another middle man under Sallisaw. Said he was coming over to get a read of the results of Sallisaw’s latest game.”
I froze. “What?”
“I took care of him. He’s hanging off the side of the ferry, waiting on a special pick-up. He’ll be with the Feds in just a little while.”
I blinked and stared at the man in front of me with my mouth hanging open. “You were gone for less than ten minutes.”
“Yeah, he was stubborn.”
I snapped my mouth closed and stroked my hands down my thighs, trying to comfort myself. Not only had someone working for Sallisaw been coming to check on me, but I hadn’t noticed a thing out of place about him. I sucked. And I was sitting next to the freaking Terminator, apparently.
“Want to stop and get a slice of pie from the diner?”
I nodded absently.
Thad pulled over and came around to open the door for me. I didn’t even complain. I think I was in a state of shock at how awful my awareness had been.
He pulled me into the diner and pushed me into a booth before going to the counter to order for us. I watched him as he moved and found that awful reaction was still happening. My body was coming alive watching Thad’s.
I muttered a curse that earned me a dirty look from the mom sitting at the booth next to ours. Well, hell.