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“Really?” She straightened and gaped at him. “What’s playing in my head is, Jessica, did you force a guy to have sex with you last night? Because that’s what it sounds like. I’m going to be sick.”
“No! What? No, Jess. No.”
He took a step toward her and she threw her hand up. “I need you to be really fucking clear because this awkward morning after has me really close to completely losing my shit.”
“I thought you might have regrets… I thought you were the one who was mad at me.”
“What gave you that idea?”
“You weren’t saying anything…”
“It was four in the fucking morning when we got up. I’m not exactly chatty after a few hours of sleep. For fucks sake, Samuel.” She pressed a hand to her stomach and glanced around. It was not a good idea to be out in the middle of nowhere as a Black man and a white woman. One passerby getting the wrong idea, and they’d have a whole other issue on their hands.
“I’m sorry.”
She threw up her hands. “I’m sorry, too.”
A higher power needed to give her some mental fortitude to not strangle this man, because right about now she wanted to. As if they didn’t have enough problems.
“I want to drive,” she announced and stalked around the Jeep.
Samuel didn’t protest and wordlessly got in the passenger seat.
She checked the mirrors and adjusted the seat. There was a good eight inches of height difference between them. Once that was set, she eased them back onto the highway in a break in traffic.
“I swear to God, I want to throw something at you,” she muttered. “Maybe next time you ask how I’m doing before you spin me up like that? Shit.”
“You were quiet, I just…”
“Just? Samuel, we had an entire conversation about birth control, don’t you think I was engaging my brain and making a decision then?”
“Yes.”
She blew out a breath, gripped the wheel with both hands, and leaned back. “I think I kind of get what you were trying to say, but if I may offer some constructive criticism? A suggestion?”
“Please.”
She turned her head and looked at him. “Ask how I’m doing before you assume shit. Ask! Engage in some fucking conversation. I didn’t need you to explain how we had sex and give me a complex about being too forward.”
He nodded.
Jessica needed to separate herself from her emotions. This had to be handled right now, so she did what she always did when a case became disturbing. She wrapped a mental hand around her marbles and pushed them away, distancing herself from the intense feelings coursing through her right now.
“Did you or did you not want to have sex?” she asked.
Samuel shifted in his seat, a clear sign he was not at all comfortable.
Well, too fucking bad.
“Jess—”
“Yes or no, Samuel. Just yes or no.”
He sucked in a breath while she held hers.
“Yes,” he said in an unwavering voice.
With one word he lanced the toxic knot of emotions right out of her, but the one word didn’t soothe the sting.