“No.” A sharp tug freed her arm from his hold. She ignored his scowl and raised her chin another notch.
“Tell you what, you’re going to follow me inside your apartment, or I’m going to kiss you again and not stop until you forget why you hate me. Do you understand?”
She could have argued, stood her ground, but she feared he would do what he promised.
Unfortunately, she wanted him to.
***
While Eva unlocked the deadbolt to her apartment, Joseph drew his gun. They entered the foyer, and he quietly shut the door. Turning, he grabbed her hand and jerked her behind him.
“Wait here until I make sure it’s safe,” he commanded over his shoulder.
He strode into the living room, ensuring it was clear of Cartel assassins before moving on through each room until he reached the bedroom. Once satisfied of the apartment’s safety, he returned to the living room, holstered his gun, and motioned Eva inside. She glared and marched past him, tossing her purse on the table. He moved to lock the door and leaned against it. The smell of gardenias met his nose, transporting him back in time to when he’d basked in her love. When he had been the luckiest guy in the world.
Until the night his life got f**ked up beyond belief. Hell, he didn’t even remember most of what happened the night he’d lost her. It was all a blur—always would be. He gritted his teeth. He’d give anything to do it all over again and stay home instead of going out. He wouldn’t have gotten drunk and reckless.
But he couldn’t. And instead, he got to watch the woman he loved flop herself down on the couch and cross her arms while scowling him. What he would give to have her twined around his body, the two of them naked and rolling around on the bed, wrapped in the blanket of her long hair….
Seeing Eva again had shaken Joseph more than he’d expected. Sure, he’d known it would be tough. Being near her always managed to leave him unsettled. Pure Mexican fire ran through her veins—along with that temper—but her mother’s American genes gave Eva’s skin a translucent hue. She’d managed to inherit her mother’s blue eyes and her father’s dark hair. The combination never failed to make his blood boil.
“Well, why are you here?”
Her voice ripped him from his reverie, and he shook his head to clear it. “Your father is working on a mission, and he managed to piss off his target. Imagine that?”
Arrogance ran thick through Hugo, which both angered Joseph and brought a reluctant admiration from him. Long ago, they’d even been friends—until Joseph had the gall to break his little girl’s heart.
“They discovered he had a daughter and threatened you to ensure his cooperation.”
She sucked in a deep breath, and her blue eyes darkened. “Who is it?”
The seriousness of the situation seemed to have broken through her thick skull. About damn time.
“The Cartel.”
She held a hand to her forehead, massaging her brow. “The Cartel wants me dead? What about my father, is he in danger?”
Joseph approached the couch and shook his head at her utter lack of concern for her own welfare. “He’s fine. It’s his job to be safe. You’re the one we need to worry about.” He sat next to her and patted her knee.
She tensed and scooted her butt a few inches away from him. “Don’t touch me. Why did he have to pick you, of all people? Why not some other agent?”
“Because I’m the best.” He leaned back, laced his fingers behind his head and propped his feet on the coffee table. Every time he touched Eva, he couldn’t think straight. Hell, even when he didn’t touch her, he had issues. No way did he have a prayer of escaping this encounter unscathed. “And only the best will do for his precious Eva.”
She scoffed. “I’m sure there are others who can do just as well as you, if not better.”
“If there were, I wouldn’t be sitting here, now would I? Your father hates me.”
“Gee, I wonder why?”
He ground his teeth, guilt heating his cheeks at her sarcasm. “Look, you need to hear the truth about that night. I’m sorry you had to see it. I’m even sorrier I have to be here now, in your house, when you despise me.”
“Oh, shut up already. I don’t want to hear your lame excuses. Just leave me alone.”
“I’m not leaving. Not until the job is complete and you’re safe. Until then, how about we try to exist on a business level?”
She turned to him frowning. “I’m not sure I can be polite to you. Every time I see your bright green eyes looking at me, I want to gouge them out.”
He pulled his sunglasses off his head and perched them on his nose. “There, problem solved.” He motioned at his face, smirking. “Now you don’t have to see them, and I get to keep my vision. Win-win.”
She laughed and then covered her mouth. The sound ended far too quickly and a scowl replaced her smile. He couldn’t believe he’d managed to get her to drop her anger, even if it had lasted a mere second.
“Nope, now I just want to punch your nose.” She ripped his sunglasses off and threw them on the table. Angling toward him, she cocked her head to the side. “Why do you even care about any of this? We broke up six weeks ago. I’d think you wouldn’t feel obligated to protect me anymore.”
“I’m not obligated. I’m doing it because…because I am. It’s enough.” He wouldn’t be stupid and confess he still loved her. He also wouldn’t tell her he would do anything to hold her again, to be given one last chance. It would be pathetic of him to beg, and he wasn’t pitiful.
“Not me. I want someone else,” she insisted, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “This won’t do. I’m calling Dad and telling him to find someone else. Anyone else.”
When she reached for her purse, he grabbed her and threw her back against the cushions. He leaned toward her face, stopping an inch from her lips.
Eyes narrowed, she cried, “Stop throwing me around!”
“I’m not leaving. I’m the best, and I won’t allow you to be killed because you’re too childish to be around me again.”
“But—”
“No buts. You listen to me, now. I won’t take advantage of you. I promise to try to behave myself and to stay out of your way as much as possible. But I’m not leaving your side until you’re safe.” He didn’t know if he could resist touching her if she gave even the slightest hint of interest, but he would do his damndest. He couldn’t be held at fault if his trying fell short of expectations, now could he?