Page 83 of Trust

“Says the guy who lurked in the shadows last night.”

“Touché,” I chuckle, leaning against the counter. “You know, I always thought I was the disciplined one.”

He barks out a laugh. “Oh, is that what we’re measuring now?”

I shrug. “You didn’t just let her walk away, you sent her away. I wouldn’t have.”

“You think that was easy? She was in my lap, hands all over me. She wanted—” He cuts himself off, and rubs the back of his neck. “If I don’t get a job involving a significant amount of pain and bloodshed soon, I’m going to combust.”

“Wanna train with us today?” I ask innocently.

Cash blinks. “Really? And make it all worse? Pass.”

We both fall quiet at the sound of her steps on the stairs.

Her sleeves are bunched in her hands, her hair tousled with sleep. She hesitates for a second in the doorway, appearing unsure how to exist in the same room with us today.

“Hey, sweetie,” Cash greets her.

“Come on,” I murmur. “Let’s make breakfast.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this.” She shakes her head, a dazed smile tugging at her lips.

The kitchen fills with familiar motion and we throw together a simple meal of eggs and toast. While I prep the food, Sara and Cash set the table. Their eyes catch and cling ever so briefly as if they exist in their own little bubble.

As we gather at the table, all sound vanishes at once. The mood shifts, the playfulness drains away, turning somber. It’s the opening I’ve been waiting for. “Are you looking forward to returning home?”

Cash shoots me a wide-eyed glare.

Sara’s leg starts to jitter under the table, her coffee trembling in its mug. She avoids looking at either of us.

He squeezes her leg. “It’s okay. You don’t have to answer.”

That earns him a glare from me, but I let it go. Her reaction tells me all I need to know.

◆◆◆

Cash will be out for the day, vague about where he’s going, which is usually a sign it’s dangerous or reckless, or both. His errand must be important if he’s willing to spend a whole day away from Sara. I don’t ask, he doesn’t say.

Before he leaves, he leans in, about to whisper to Sara, but then kisses her instead. It’s more than a quick brush of the lips. It’s deep and a little rough, and right in front of me.

She stiffens briefly, then melts into it.

I grin, although I’d much rather join in and kiss her neck from behind, letting my hands slide up and down her arms while Cash holds her face and keeps her mouth occupied.

Bastard. He knows exactly what thoughts are going through my head right now. He’s doing this on purpose.

When he finally pulls back, she’s breathless and pink cheeked, her lips slightly parted.

He looks at me and I’m torn out of my imagination. “Don’t break her,” he mutters and has the audacity to wink. Then he’s out the door, leaving her breathless and me lit up.

She glances at me with a glimmer that tells me we’re thinking the same thing.

“Training,” I say finally, before the air between us tilts any further.

The weather is good enough to train outside. We stand in the clearing in front of the cabin and start stretching. She doesn’t need instructions anymore to warm up. It comes naturally. After a round of jumping jacks, she strides forward. One foot strikes the ground, her hips sink low, both knees bending into clean, ninety-degree angles. The trailing knee hovers an inch above the earth. There’s almost no muscle trembling. She’s gotten so much stronger in the last couple of weeks, not only physically. As if held by threads, she straightens her torso then rotates her shoulders over the lead leg, all while holding her balance perfectly. A few seconds later, she pushes off her front heel and rises with a surge of power to meet the next stride.

“Are you okay with practicing holds?”