“You’re perfect for me, you know that, don’t you?” She blushed and picked up her fork.
“I’m serious. When we get done with this shit, I want to take you to Colorado to meet my family.”
She took a slow bite of her food and swallowed. “Tell me about them. Your family I mean.”
“It’s pretty normal. Mom, Dad, my sister Jenny and my brother Robert. They all still live in Denver.”
He watched as she started to push food around on her plate.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” God, he hated that answer.
“Lydia, please talk to me.”
“Normal sounds so good. You’re lucky.” She set down her fork and took her plate to the sink. Dammit, she had barely eaten. She started cleaning up the kitchen while he finished the rest of his meal. She looked so sad. How had they gone from her joking with him, to this?
He went into the kitchen with his dishes and put them in the dishwasher. She avoided looking at him. He couldn’t stand it a second longer. He trapped her against the edge of the counter.
“Clint, what are you doing?”
“Trying to determine what made you sad.”
“Nothing.” That damn word again.
He put his hand on her forehead.
“No fever.”
She knocked his hand away. “You’re being silly.”
“You’re not being honest with me.” She looked up at him with confused brown eyes.
“I’m not trying to be dishonest.” He saw only truth.
“Baby, tell me what you’re feeling. I hate when you shut me out.” He did. He hated it a lot.
“Normal. You called your family normal.” She almost spit out the word. Now he was wearing a confused expression.
“The Hidalgos are never going to be normal again. You need to run away from me Clint. I’m trouble.” He pressed her against the cupboards.
“There isn’t a chance in hell I’m going to run. And, there is no way I’m going to let you run. I have no idea where this is leading, but we are going to find out.” She twisted, trying to get away from him, but he was more than happy to use his strength to keep her in his arms.
“Are you listening to me?”
“Are you listening to me, Clint? We’re on the run from one of the most notorious drug cartels in the world. My father worked for that drug cartel. We will all have to go into the Witness Protection Program. We left normal three Twilight Zone episodes ago.” She shoved at his shoulders. “Let me go.”
“No.”
“Are you threatening me?” If he had seen the slightest bit of fear on her beloved features he would have let her go, but he saw only anger and frustration.
“I’m not threatening you, I’m telling you that you don’t get to leave this discussion until you bring up some sort of rational argument.”
“You are a horse’s ass! You need to get the hell away from me. You have a normal happy family. You are one of your country’s heroes. The last thing you need is someone like me in your life.”
“That’s it. You’ve officially gone off the rails.” His hands tenderly framed her face, and he used his thumb to rescue her bottom lip from her teeth. She grasped his biceps and her lower body softened, providing him a cradle to lean into.
Her breath caressed his lips as he dipped in to taste. He could feel her conflict, and he wasn’t going to allow it. He thrust his tongue deep and she gasped, arching into him. He moved, one arm tilting her up, the other lifting her up, so she was seated on the granite countertop. She pushed him away with one arm, and pulled him closer with the other. This was not going to be how they would spend their time together.
He pulled her right leg around his waist, so even through their layers of clothes they could feel each other’s heat. She relaxed and stopped trying to push him away.
Clint drifted kisses down the side of her neck, loving how she always smelled of honeysuckle.
“This won’t change anything. We’re still wrong for one another.” Her fingers dug deeply into his scalp. He loved it.
“Nobody else will put up with Nerd King.” She gripped his hair and pulled him away. Tears were swimming in her big brown eyes.
“I’m serious.”
“So am I. I’m the furthest thing away from normal you could imagine. I need you. Please just keep yourself open to the possibility.” She gave him a look so filled with hope and fear he had to trace her lips with kisses.
“And another thing.” He tipped up her chin so she was looking him in the eye.
“What?”
“When I ask you what’s wrong, I’m begging you. I’ll get down on my knees if I have to. Please don’t say ‘nothing’. That answer just scares the piss out of me.”