Page 52 of Hidden Resolution

“No, I have to seal the deal before Eva gets back. She’ll push me into something flashy like a Porsche, Corvette, or maybe that all-electric Audi everyone’s talking about. Really, I don’t needthe headache. When she doesn’t get her way, she makes my life a living hell.”

He blinked. “The Audi etron?GT?”

She lifted her arms in a meh-who-knows-or-cares shrug.

Again, he stared. Their conversation was the weirdest to date, and he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Shonda.”

She didn’t bother to look up from the price sticker she’d been studying.

“Not to sound indelicate or anything, but do you have the finances for any of those?”

The amused sparkle in her eye and lip bite assured him she did. And why did he find her careless humor crazy attractive?

He shook his head. “If you’re serious, why the hell aren’t you going for one of those?”

“They aren’t practical for everyday life,” she said simply, pausing by a deep blue pearl model Nissan.

“How is a top-tier, hybrid hypercar not practical for everyday life? It’s not like you have kids or carpools.”

A quicksilver scowl came and went, and she firmed her lips.

Ten seconds ago, they were enjoying themselves. Which was odd, because he really hated vehicle shopping, too. But the speed with which her attitude cooled made his head spin.

“What did I say?”

“Nothing. This one is fine. I’ll take it.”

No, he’d definitely put his foot in his mouth. Her dullness didn’t lie.

Christ, why couldn’t they go twenty-four hours without an argument? He dropped his chin to his chest and exhaled a sigh.

“I’m sorry.”

He had no clue what he was sorry for, but if they could go back to her happily kicking tires, he’d repeat it fifty times.

“Mason, you have nothing to be sorry for.”

No hint of guile could be found when he stepped closer and tipped her chin up. Those beautiful moss-green eyes were clear and honest, but somehow not okay.

“Then what upset you? And before you tell me you weren’t, I’ll remind you I don’t like liars.”

A wry smile curled her lips. “I haven’t lied to you… yet.”

He crowded her against the car she’d chosen and traced the line of her jaw with his fingertips. “Yeah, I’m going to have to call bullshit.”

Her sharp gasp labeled her offended.

“When did I lie?” she demanded, indignant and adorable.

His hands slipped beneath her coat, burrowing under her sweater. Her stomach contracted from his freezing touch. “This morning, when you said we weren’t sleeping together anymore,” he murmured next to her ear, capturing the lobe lightly between his teeth.

Her choked laughter made him feel ten feet tall. The sound brought lightness to his soul and could anchor a man if he let it. Another sobering thought, but one he shoved away as fast as humanly possible, not wanting to mar a future memory for himself.

“Do you actually like blue?” he asked, trailing lovebites along her graceful neck.

“Hmm?”