Chapter 46
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
I’m a nervous wreck for the next few hours. Shoe shopping didn’t even help. You know it’s bad when I can’t even slow my racing thoughts enough to appreciate the badass boots that Simona insisted on buying me.
Finally, on the way back to her house, I cave and ask what I’ve been dying to know. “Have you heard from Wolf?”
“No, but we could call now. I think they’ll be flying.”
“I don’t want to bother him.”
She makes a pfft sound. “You will not be bothering Wolf. I bet he’s dying to talk to you too.”
She voice-dials the phone and passes it to me. The instant Wolf answers in that deep, husky voice, a shiver races down my spine. “Hi,” I wheeze out, then I’m suddenly reduced to a speechless mess.
“Are you okay, luv?”
My heart immediately has a seizure. The attack is quickly followed by a flood of warmth all over my body. No. I’m not okay for so many reasons. “I think so. But I have been worried about you.” I quickly fumble to add, “Flying to Isla Rosa, and meeting my father and all that.”
My heart thuds painfully inside of my chest as I wait on a reply.
His voice is low and soft and far too sexy when he says, “Kate, if you’re not careful, I might start to mistakenly think you care about me.”
I can picture him smiling. It softens my cardiac arrest to a mere case of angina. “Darn, I’ll have to make sure I don’t send those mixed signals.”
He laughs softly. “I’m fine. We will be home in a few hours.”
Home. The word trips up my heart again. It’s not a word I’ve allowed into my mind in months. Home was always Isla Rosa, but over time, it became a bitter place to be.
Wolf interrupts the heavy feeling settling into my chest. “How was your meeting with the professor?”
“It was productive.”
Simona touches my hand. “You can speak freely. Both phones are secure.”
My words come tumbling out. “It’s from a meteorite. Just like I suspected. And things could get really bad on the island if anyone finds out. Did you speak to my father?”
For a beat, there’s silence, and my skin tightens all over again. “I did.”
Images of horrible things fill my mind. “You didn’t punch him, did you?”
Wolf’s laugh darkens. “No, but it did cross my mind a few dozen times. Is it okay for me to say I don’t like him?”
“Fair enough. And thank you for not…”
“Killing him?”
I swallow a choking sound. “Don’t even say that.”
He sighs heavily. “Sorry, I forget you’re a delicate flower.”
“Delicate flower, I don’t takt that as a compliment.”
His chuckle is warm and makes me remember that he’s equal parts cold-blooded killer and teasing lover.
Lightly, he says, “Okay, then how about sensible.” But my brain is stuck in a loop. I’m hung up on the fact that I thought of Wolf Black as a lover.
Lover. Wow.
I bite my knuckle so hard I nearly draw blood. Holy mother of messes! It’s got the be the stupid ring! Not only does it generate heat, it apparently causes idiocy.
Simona laughs loudly. “Honey, you got it bad.”
“I do not,” I hiss in her direction as I cover the phone.
Wolf’s voice drops low and gets that hard edge to it I’m beginning to recognize. “We have a lot to talk about when I get back, wife.”
Softly, I sigh. “I know.” And I know he’s probably found out the same shocking news that Nan told me.
Married with no option for divorce or annulment in the eyes of my country.
Talk about a giant disaster. Wolf doesn’t deserve to be tangled up in my messy life. There has to be a way out… a loophole.
“I’m worried.” I admit.
“Worry does nothing. Evaluation, planning, and action do.”
“Spoken like a true soldier.”
I hear a voice in the background of the call. It’s Sierra, saying something about coordinates. “Are you in the cockpit?”
“Co-piloting today.”
“Whoa. You know how to fly?”
His deep, rumbled laugh makes my cells stand up and pay attention.
That laugh. I know he’s going to say something to take me out at the knees when he laughs that way.
But nothing I do can prepare me for his casual comment.
“I know how to do a lot of things, Kate. But, apparently, not enough to stay away from messes like you.”
Ouch. That stings. But I respect his feelings. He did get the shaft out of this deal. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t fix problems. I need to get back to work here, Sierra’s depending on me to have an eye on things. I’ll see you in a few hours, Kate.”
He disconnects and I hang onto the door handle for dear life. “Dear god, what’s happening to me right now?”
Simona’s grinning.
I throw her a glare. “What are you so happy about?”
“You’re my sister-in-law, and there’s not a darn thing you or Wolf can do about it. This is going to be so fun to watch.”
I drop my head back on the seat. “Please don’t say that again.”
“What if I say, my brother’s got it bad for you too?”
“Shhhh. I’m busy dying over here.”