‘Yeah.’ I pull the drain and watch the suds swirl away. ‘I mean, we hope it never happens, but we train for it.’
‘I can’t believe men like you actually exist,’ she mutters.
The opportunity’s there, so I take it. ‘Why’s that?’
She doesn’t fall for my question. ‘Haven’t seen many examples of it.’ She shakes her head and her voice hardens. ‘You’ll show your true colours at some point.’
‘Cynical much?’
‘Just realistic.’
I point a soapy fork at her. ‘I finally get it. You’re pissed at me because you don’t think there can be any decent guys out there and I’ve proved you wrong.’
Her laughter is brittle. ‘Wow, your ego’s impressive.’
‘No, I’m right. You’re pissed off that I haven’t lived up to your all men are assholes theory.’ I grin at her. ‘That’s a bitch.’
‘I’m not pissed off about that—’
‘So you do have a theory about men?’ I can’t help it. I throw my head back and laugh, imagining all the poor bastards she’s verbally eviscerated because they started to prove that they might be decent human beings. ‘Well, Maya, I hate to tell you, but I’ll never prove you right.’
‘You sound awfully sure of yourself.’
‘That’s because I think I can manage to prove I’m not a douche.’
‘Just because you’re not obvious about it doesn’t mean you’re Mr Perfect.’
‘I never claimed to be. Try your best honey, but you’re never going to win this one.’
The tip of her tongue darts out and she licks her lower lip. Dammit, instant hard-on. I shift uncomfortably, trying to find a subtle way to adjust so I’m not stabbing the counter.
‘So you don’t mind if I ask you a few questions, right?’
I shake my head. ‘Ask away.’
‘You don’t have a death wish?’
Weird question. ‘No.’ I rinse out the sink once more and hold out my hand for her towel. ‘I wouldn’t do that to Cat.’
‘A hero without a death wish. I wonder how you could play that on stage,’ she muses as she hands it over.
I hate the label. ‘I’m not a hero.’
?
?Catherine thinks you are.’
I stiffen mid-drying and eye her. ‘What the hell does that mean?’
She turns and leans against the counter, holding my gaze. ‘You seriously don’t know? Since your parents died, you became Captain Control. Jake Jacobs, the tragic firefighter with a heart of gold, taking care of his sister so her life doesn’t come to a standstill. You’ve sacrificed everything for her. She loves you like crazy for doing that.’
My stomach’s churning and it’s not from Travis’s cooking. ‘I hear a but coming on.’
‘But,’ she says, eyebrow arching, ‘I don’t buy the act.’
Heat creeps up my neck. Embarrassment or rage, I’m not sure yet. ‘What act?’ I bite out.
Her finger pokes my chest. ‘You’re not perfect, Jake Jacobs. No matter what you try to convince other people.’