“No? You hate me for it.”
“I don’t hate you. I’m angry at you, and I’m disappointed in you. It’s very different.”
“I don’t see how.”
Katie cursed under her breath. “I swear, Carson, for a smart man, you can be incredibly obtuse.”
That was pretty much the last thing Carson expected to hear from Katie. “Huh?” he asked, realizing his rather unsophisticated question supported her description.
“Look, in the Navy, didn’t you ever have a squad mate or whatever you call it who was a good soldier but made a stupid mistake, one that maybe put you in danger?”
Carson thought for a moment. “Well, it’s a sailor, not a soldier. And it was rare but, once in a while, especially before I was a SEAL, yeah.”
“What did you do to the guy?”
“Usually, we bitched him out – you know, peer pressure. Sometimes he got a reprimand from the squad leader, and in rare instances he would get extra duty for a week.”
“And if he was a good guy and admitted his mistake?”
“He served his punishment – “
Katie cut him off. “– and then you went and had a beer with him, right?”
“Yeah,” Carson nodded. “What the hell does this have to do with anything?”
“Don’t you get it? You’re that guy right now. You made mistakes. You screwed up. But you’re doing everything you can to fix the screw up. That’s what you just described to me.”
She just doesn’t get it. Doing that in the service was important to keep the squad functioning as a well-oiled unit. This was different. He’d known what he was doing, knew how wrong it was, and did it anyway. Guys in the service had a split-second – maybe less – to make a call, and sometimes they made the wrong ones. He’d had time to think and still made the wrong choice. “Katie, that might be true, but I’m – “
“Goddammit Carson, I’m saying I want to have that beer with you! I want us to remember this, to learn from it, and to move on – together.” Her anger disappeared and was replaced by fear and… compassion? “I just met you, and so far I’ve only found one part of you I don’t really like. If you’re done with it and this life, I don’t want you to say goodbye.”
Carson raised his eyebrows. It was really nice of her to say such things, but he couldn’t take it realistically. She was under duress and not thinking clearly. Either that, or she had picked up a quick case of Stockholm Syndrome. “Katie, you don’t have to do this. I’m going to help you no matter how you feel about me, so don’t think you have to tell me things so I won’t leave you here.” He felt a heavy weight come down upon him as he realized what his actions and words were doing to this poor woman, and he hoped he had reassured her.
Katie did not appear reassured. Azure fire blazed from her eyes, and she pursed her lips in aggravation. “Fine.” Carson didn’t know what was fine about anything today, but he didn’t react as she rose and, with the most determined steps a woman in ankle shackles could take, strode across the floor and planted a kiss right on his mouth.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss at all. Katie’s initiative pushed the much-stronger but stunned Carson back against the wall while she aggressively shoved her tongue into his mouth and took everything she wanted from him. She pressed her breasts into him while straddling his upper thigh and rubbing her crotch sensually against it. He did not react at first – he didn’t understand what was going on. In fact, his first coherent thought was that she was attacking him. It was only when she started grinding against him that he fully understood not only her actions, but her intentions. He put his arms around her and kissed her back, allowing her to continue as long as she wanted. Finally, she stepped away, and their eyes met.
“I don’t know what to say,” Carson replied, his voice tentative.
“If you thank me, I’m going to knee you in the nuts,” she told him so sincerely that he drew his legs together to hide that target.
“Have you really thought this through?”
“Yes, Carson, I have. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since last night. I believe you when you say you didn’t want to do this. I believe you when you say you’re sorry. And I believe you won’t ever do it again. Am I wrong on any of these?”
“No, not a bit.”
“Then I want to be with you. I want us to work it out, to start over. Do you want to be with me?”
Carson felt a rush of emotion. “More than anything in a long, long time.”
Katie moved closer to him once again until their noses were nearly touching. Her voice was nearly a growl. “Then I forgive you. Now take me, Carson. I want you.”
Carson felt his eyes go wide. “In this filthy place? With you in cuffs?”
She gave him her sexy, naughty smile, the one he was unable to resist. “The cot is clean and, since we can’t get the handcuffs off, we – or, more accurately, you – might as well take advantage of them.” She wagged her chest at him and bit her lower lip coyly. “Unless you don’t think you can handle a petite, helpless woman who wants your body.”
Carson’s loins surged at her loaded request disguised as a joke.
