Page 39 of Healing Conviction
Heat flashed in her wicked green eyes, but she lifted her shoulder and gave him a cheeky grin. “I don’t know. Why’re you stallin’ like a limp dick? Show me some stamina, Malfoy.”
“God, you’re a nuisance.”
“Absolutely, and youloveme for it.”
He paused his exercise again and gave her a deadpan look. “How’d you know?”
Her breath hitched. He could tell she was desperately trying to search for a hidden meaning, or hoped he’d turn it into a joke, but he wasn’t going to give her an out this time. She closed her eyes and swallowed. After a moment, she seemed to mentally shake herself before breaking out into a wide smile and shrugging.
“Of course you’d love me for it, silly. Most people do.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to agree with her again, but she twirled away and out of sight, leaving him in the small, private alcove they’d found on the beach. It was nestled underneath the pier with the jetty rocks stacked around and behind them, making it the perfect spot to gather their wits about them.
“I’m glad we took another nap back at the hotel after talking with Shanna. We were both pretty exhausted.” Nora twirled back into his vision, looping around the damp pillars in front of him.
“I was exhausted.Youwere pretending to sleep and tapping away at your phone. At least you were the first few minutes I was able to stay awake.” He stepped up again and swallowed down the burning sensation radiating out from his quads.
“I ended up sleeping too. I got tired of waiting around for either Shanna or Snake to call. I know we’re waiting for him to tell us if we’ve got any leads on Jasmine, Calianne, and the mysterious ‘H. Smith’ before we decide when to go back home. But I’m glad we came here after resting. I needed the fresh air after that disastrous chat.” She stopped, inhaled deeply, and exhaled before nodding once. “And something good. I needed something good.”
“It’s not your fault, you know. That Shanna shut down on us. You did well with her.”
She nodded and leaned against the pillar directly in front of him, apparently not caring that she was getting the back of her light-colored cardigan damp and dirty as she settled her gaze on the ocean. “Yeah, I know. She gave us more than I thought she would, honestly. It’s just, seeing women—or anyone—like that, someone who life kicked the shit out of, it’s always…”
“Disheartening?” Her trailing off had prompted him to fill in the blank, but she shook her head.
“Devastating.” Glassy green eyes met his, and the pain there made his heart ache. The urge to sweep her up into his arms was strong.
She gave herself a quick hug before he could act on his need to comfort her and adopted that stupid fake smile as she began her twirling around the pillar again like a maypole dancer. Her hand dragged against the wood, reminding him again of the way she’d tried to play Joey by grazing her fingers up his arm.
“How’d you learn to play people like that?”
“Whatcha mean, jelly bean?”
“Your chameleon act.”
He gave up his exercise to snatch her hand mid-twirl. The move made him trip backward, landing his ass on a large rock as he tugged her to him. She yelped and caught herself with her hands on his shoulders. Almost as if she realized how close they were, she stilled like an actress who’d been caught in the spotlight after a curtain had been drawn up too early.
“You did it with Tabitha, Joey, Shanna, and I even saw it with Matt. It was like you tried to morph yourself into his ideal portrait of you. You’re still in there, but you hid yourself under the painting he wanted to see. Why is that?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Drake.”
“And when we talk to people, you analyze them and become the character they feel comfortable with. Is that why you do it? To make other people feel more comfortable?”
She shrugged. “I mean, it doesn’t hurt to set people at ease—”
“Or is it to hide how uncomfortable you are with sharing yourself?” Her eyes widened and locked onto him as he tucked a faded dark lock behind her ear, tracing the shell before dropping his hand. “You used to be purple. But you dull yourself by painting with everyone else’s palette.”
“Wow… dick.” Something like a mix of hurt and anger flashed across her face. “Tell me how you really feel, why dontcha?”
She tried to push away from him, but he used one hand to grip the back of her bare thigh under the hem of her dress, and the other spanned her lower back, locking her in place.
“Ialways do, Pix. I want to know more aboutyou. But every time we’re about to be real or personal together, you’re busy pretending to be this flat, cheery version of someone else. It’s gotta be habit by this point, because it sure as fuck isn’t for my benefit.”
He trailed his fingertips down her soft thigh, making her shiver before he stood up. Her palms slid down his chest, and her eyes seemed to be in a trance as they followed the movement before landing on his pecs. He cupped her cheek and tipped her to force her to meet his eyes.
“Where’d you learn to hide like that, little pixie?”
“Um… I guess…” She swallowed and her hands flexed against his upper torso, like she was afraid to get any closer. When she finally spoke, her voice was small, and his biceps tingled to tug her flush to him.