Free Solid Muscle (Unseen Enemy Book 5) by Marysol James
Authors: Marysol James
explain.
But he didn’t do it. He didn’t want her to want him that way, he didn’t want her to think he was a guy worth wanting. A woman like Cordelia didn’t do friends with benefits, he was certain, and he didn’t do more than that. OK, so maybe they had a mutual attraction, but so the hell what? Acting on it was a no-go and that was it.
Or was that it? As Sully got closer to the SUV, he found himself wishing for that easy, teasing relationship that they’d had in Foxburg Falls. He’d loved spending time with her, loved picking that razor-sharp brain for ideas, loved protecting her. She was the whole damn thing: smart and beautiful and compassionate. What the hell was he doing , actively making this woman dislike him? Jesus.
So. Maybe they couldn’t do the whole committed relationship thing but that didn’t mean that he had to be so cold and removed. There was no reason why they couldn’t be friendly, right? But even that much wouldn’t happen until he showed her some basic decency.
Come on, man. Time to launch Phase One of ‘Making Up For Being Such A Dick’.
He opened the door and she didn’t even glance up.
“Hey, hon,” Sully said.
Her head jerked up now and those amazing eyes stared at him, confused.
He handed her the cup carefully. “Here’s your coffee. Hot and spicy, just like you.”
She took the coffee, still puzzled. “Ummm… what?”
He climbed in, slammed the door, started the engine. “Ready, baby?”
She blinked. “Wait. Are you – are you Garrett?”
He grinned. “Of course I am.” He buckled up, pulled out of the parking spot. “Your loving husband of twelve years.”
“Oh.” He saw her shake herself, force herself to slip in to her professional role. “And what great years they’ve been.” She choked out the next word. “Babe.”
“Come on, now,” he chided her. “They’ve been awesome years, huh? Remember our ten-year anniversary trip to Bali?”
She grinned at him now, relaxing in to the game, settling in to the rapport. “Yeah. Those fruity drinks on the beach damn near killed us.”
“Uh-huh,” he said, delighted that she was playing along now. “But they also led to some hot and heavy fun down in the sand.”
“I remember,” she said. “Too bad we got sunburned in such sensitive places.”
He laughed. “We survived.”
“Yeah.”
Sully stopped at the stop sign, waited for some traffic to clear. As he did, he looked over at her and met her dark gaze. Their eyes locked, hard, and the air between them sparked and crackled. Neither one of them looked away, though. They held on, studying each other’s faces, trying to see if the thaw between them was beginning. Sully longed to ask her if it was going to be OK after all, even after his thoughtlessness and pushing her away.
“It’s OK, Hunter,” she said softly, as if he’d asked the question aloud.
“You sure?” He didn’t bother to ask her what she meant: he knew she’d seen it on his face. She saw everything and that was the biggest reason that he had to fight so hard to be cold and distant around her.
“I’m sure. I know you’re sorry. I’ve known it for a while.”
“You have no idea, Cordelia.” Relief smashed through him at finally being able to talk about this. “I’ve wanted to take those stupid words back a thousand times.”
She smiled. “Once is fine.”
“I’d take them back if I could. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted.”
“Alright then.” He breathed out, pulled on to the highway. “So, Millie. Let’s go and break up a goddamn kidnapping ring.”
“Sounds good, Garrett.” She took a sip of her coffee and warmth spread through her chest as she tasted the shot of cinnamon. “Let’s go and do that.”
Chapter Seven
Olivia Jameson poured four cups of coffee and handed them over to her friends one by one, watched them prepare their coffees in their own unique ways.
Beth drank hers black with three scoops of sugar, so it was a weird
But he didn’t do it. He didn’t want her to want him that way, he didn’t want her to think he was a guy worth wanting. A woman like Cordelia didn’t do friends with benefits, he was certain, and he didn’t do more than that. OK, so maybe they had a mutual attraction, but so the hell what? Acting on it was a no-go and that was it.
Or was that it? As Sully got closer to the SUV, he found himself wishing for that easy, teasing relationship that they’d had in Foxburg Falls. He’d loved spending time with her, loved picking that razor-sharp brain for ideas, loved protecting her. She was the whole damn thing: smart and beautiful and compassionate. What the hell was he doing , actively making this woman dislike him? Jesus.
So. Maybe they couldn’t do the whole committed relationship thing but that didn’t mean that he had to be so cold and removed. There was no reason why they couldn’t be friendly, right? But even that much wouldn’t happen until he showed her some basic decency.
Come on, man. Time to launch Phase One of ‘Making Up For Being Such A Dick’.
He opened the door and she didn’t even glance up.
“Hey, hon,” Sully said.
Her head jerked up now and those amazing eyes stared at him, confused.
He handed her the cup carefully. “Here’s your coffee. Hot and spicy, just like you.”
She took the coffee, still puzzled. “Ummm… what?”
He climbed in, slammed the door, started the engine. “Ready, baby?”
She blinked. “Wait. Are you – are you Garrett?”
He grinned. “Of course I am.” He buckled up, pulled out of the parking spot. “Your loving husband of twelve years.”
“Oh.” He saw her shake herself, force herself to slip in to her professional role. “And what great years they’ve been.” She choked out the next word. “Babe.”
“Come on, now,” he chided her. “They’ve been awesome years, huh? Remember our ten-year anniversary trip to Bali?”
She grinned at him now, relaxing in to the game, settling in to the rapport. “Yeah. Those fruity drinks on the beach damn near killed us.”
“Uh-huh,” he said, delighted that she was playing along now. “But they also led to some hot and heavy fun down in the sand.”
“I remember,” she said. “Too bad we got sunburned in such sensitive places.”
He laughed. “We survived.”
“Yeah.”
Sully stopped at the stop sign, waited for some traffic to clear. As he did, he looked over at her and met her dark gaze. Their eyes locked, hard, and the air between them sparked and crackled. Neither one of them looked away, though. They held on, studying each other’s faces, trying to see if the thaw between them was beginning. Sully longed to ask her if it was going to be OK after all, even after his thoughtlessness and pushing her away.
“It’s OK, Hunter,” she said softly, as if he’d asked the question aloud.
“You sure?” He didn’t bother to ask her what she meant: he knew she’d seen it on his face. She saw everything and that was the biggest reason that he had to fight so hard to be cold and distant around her.
“I’m sure. I know you’re sorry. I’ve known it for a while.”
“You have no idea, Cordelia.” Relief smashed through him at finally being able to talk about this. “I’ve wanted to take those stupid words back a thousand times.”
She smiled. “Once is fine.”
“I’d take them back if I could. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted.”
“Alright then.” He breathed out, pulled on to the highway. “So, Millie. Let’s go and break up a goddamn kidnapping ring.”
“Sounds good, Garrett.” She took a sip of her coffee and warmth spread through her chest as she tasted the shot of cinnamon. “Let’s go and do that.”
Chapter Seven
Olivia Jameson poured four cups of coffee and handed them over to her friends one by one, watched them prepare their coffees in their own unique ways.
Beth drank hers black with three scoops of sugar, so it was a weird