Power (Special Tactical Units Division 1)

“Do what?” he said with all the innocence he could manage.

“You know what,” she said sharply. “Treat me as if I’m just along for the ride. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m in this mess too. Deeper in it, maybe, because I’m the fool responsible for it.”

“You’re not a fool. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, that’s all.”

“Yes, but it was poor judgment, being out of my tent when I should have been in it.”

“That too,” Tanner said, brushing off his hands and reaching for the pot of water.

“That too? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.”

“Madre di Dio! You said something. I want to know what you meant.”

He shrugged, set the pot in the fire, then dug two MREs from the backpack.

“Never mind. It’s too late for it to matter.”

“Too late for what to matter? Mannaggia, but you piss me off!”

He had no idea what mannaggia meant, but he doubted it was any more polite than her saying he pissed her off.

Such angry words from such a soft-looking mouth were what pissed him off. Plus, there was the indisputable and infuriating fact that he was attracted to a woman who exemplified everything he disliked.

He turned away and tore open the MREs with more force than such an easy job required.

“Just drop it, okay?”

“I am not going to drop it! I’m tired of this game. One minute, you’re Mr. Nice Guy. The next, you’re—you’re Mr. Nasty.”

He almost laughed. “Mr. Nasty?”

“You can’t seem to make up your mind how to deal with me and I want to know why. Is it because I took you away from your weekend? Did you have other plans? Is some big-eyed, big-boobed, small-brained bottle blonde pining for you?”

This time, he did laugh. Big mistake. Her eyes flashed and she stepped closer and slapped the MREs out of his hand.

“I’ll let you in on a secret, Lieutenant. I’d rather be someplace else, too. I’d rather be anyplace instead of here, trying to be polite to a man who doesn’t know the meaning of the word!”

Enough. Tanner moved forward. She had to tilt her head back to look at him, and for some crazy reason, that suited him just fine.

“Trust me, lady,” he growled. “If I wanted to be impolite, you’d know it.”

“You mean, this is you at your polite best?”

“This is me. Take it or leave it.”

“I don’t really get a choice, do I? It’s either you or Stubby and Skinny.”

She was trembling with anger. Well, fuck. He was angry too. He’d signed on to rescue a hostage, not to make nice-nice to a spoiled brat.

What’s spoiled about her, Akecheta? a voice inside him whispered, and it made him even angrier that he really didn’t have an answer.

“That’s pretty much it.” Tanner bent down and snatched up the two MREs. “It’s the price you’re paying for being stupid enough to come to a place like San Escobal.”

“Really,” she said coldly. The word was clearly not a question.

“Really,” he said, just as coldly. “But then, your type never considers the consequences of your actions.”