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“Okay. Fine. We can use them as guinea pigs. Just don’t forget to make me a list and give it to me tomorrow.”
She opened the door only to have him stop her again with a hand pushing against the door so it wouldn’t fully open.
“Why don’t you stay? We can swap info over some take out and beer.”
She glanced over her shoulder, trying to ignore how close he stood behind her. His sweaty, musky scent should have repulsed her, but instead, she felt her knees weaken and her heart skitter against her chest.
“I appreciate you doing me a favor, but don’t take this to mean anything’s changed between us. We’re not friends. We’re coworkers and neighbors. Acquaintances, at best. We only have to pretend otherwise for three days, and then we go back to the way things are. I have no interest in seeing things change. I wanted to be clear about that.”
BB’s head dropped until his breath brushed against her cheek. “Oh, you’re crystal clear, but let me be clear about something. A lot can happen in three days.”
He dropped his hand and stepped back. “Goodnight, Gen. See you in the morning.”
Gennessey didn’t reply. She scooted out the door before he could stop her again, and she didn’t slow her pace until she was behind the door to her apartment with the locks firmly latched. She slid to the floor with her back to the door and dropped her head to her knees.
“I am screwed,” she murmured even as she realized her body still tingled from being close to him.
Chapter Five
The South Carolina heat had taken a toll on Grayson Cove, but BB wondered if the interior of his truck would still be ice cold if he switched off the AC and kept the windows up.
A small part of him foolishly expected Gennessey to be over her anger by the time they left KSI heading to his parents. He was wrong. She sat in cool silence with her arms crossed protectively across her chest. Her expression was hard as she stared out the window. He doubted there was anything with the passing scenery that angered her, so it stood to reason he was the source of her ire.
He wanted to strangle his entire team.
The morning had started out promising. On the way to work, he’d talked Gennessey into letting him buy breakfast again. They exchanged lists, and he silently patted himself on the back for preparing one. He already felt like they knew each other well. What she hadn’t told him, he figured out just by watching and listening. She’d accuse him of being a creeper if she realized how much he paid attention, but he couldn’t help himself. Even when she treated him like dirt, he was fascinated by her, proving he was a glutton for punishment.
After leaving her at her office, BB had met up with the Alpha Team for a workout. When they were between missions, the team followed a routine of regular workouts and training. Sometimes they used the equipment at Knight and Day Fitness Center, owned by Tristin’s twin brother Travis, but sometimes, like this morning, they used the equipment in what they called the steam room, which was basically a place for them to exercise and blow off steam.
As they sparred with each other, BB ended up sharing the details of Gennessey’s visit to his apartment. He’d considered himself clever by not only agreeing to be her plus-one, and therefore spending the entire weekend at her side, but also conning her into meeting his family, which meant she would see him in a personal setting that wasn’t work or the bar. His team’s reaction hadn’t been what he expected.
Cole started with a chuckle. Sam followed, and Wings joined in with a full belly laugh. When Zane started in, BB knew he wouldn’t be able to count on them for support. Then Wings opened his mouth and proved him right.
“No way in hell you’re going to be able to pull this off. Gen hates your guts.”
“She only needs me to charm her family. I can handle it,” he had protested.
Sam shook his head and shot him a look of sympathy. “Man, Gen doesn’t get along with her family. If they end up liking you, it’s only going to make her hate you even more.”
“How do you know she doesn’t get along with her family?” BB was surprised any of them knew about Gennessey’s personal life, including her relationship with her family. He guessed her tense relationship with her family was the typical by-product of having a large family knowing your business. But if Sam knew more about the story, he wanted to hear it.
“It’s the whole reason she needed a buffer for her cousin’s wedding. At least that’s what she told me when she asked if I could go with her,” Sam explained.
BB had opened his mouth to question him more, but he had noticed Gennessey in the doorway. The fury on her face was evident from across the room, and with the heat in her glare, he was surprised he wasn’t singed. She ran out of the steam room, and he’d mistakenly followed to find out why she was this angry. She volunteered the reason without him asking.
“Seriously? I told you not to play games. I told you not to ridicule or tease me. I told you not to make a big deal about this. And what do you do? You gossip about me to our friends! God, BB, when are you going to grow up?”
He hadn’t known what to say to her, so he let her walk away. He knew better than to expect her to be over it by the time they left KSI, but he had hoped her fury would have lessened.
“If we’re going to fool my family, you’re going to have to at least talk to me.”
He earned himself a side glare, and all his willpower was used to bite back a grin. Gennessey was pretty on a normal day, but Gennessey when she was angry was a crazy combination of cute and sexy. Her blue eyes, made brighter in contrast with her pale skin, darkened the angrier she got. Her cheeks flushed a becoming pink, and her lips pursed in a way which made him want to kiss her just to see how she’d react.
“Fine. We should review our lists anyway, so we’re prepared. You did read the list I gave you, didn’t you?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, I read it. Gen, come on. Can’t we talk about what happened this morning first?”
“What’s my favorite food?”
