How Beauty Saved the Beast (Tales of the Underlight) Read Free Page B

“You are not responsible for yourself if you can’t find a stupid fucking ditch three feet away from where you landed.” He stabbed a finger to their right. “Or a man-sized pile of rubble right there. Or a group of trees right fucking there.”
    She shrugged obstinately. “Newbie mistake.”
    “Cherries get their heads blown off for newbie mistakes.” And the world would not be the same if her head were not happily attached to her body.
    “Well,” she huffed, “I thank you for your help, but I promise to find the fucking ditch or the fucking rubble or the fucking trees next time, so your self-sacrificial assistance won’t be fucking necessary.” Her voice rose with each word until she was yelling right back at him. Her eyes sparked with emotion, her breaths came in heaving puffs and her hands, which had been shoving, had somehow switched to tugging at his jacket.
    That was it. He was shutting her mouth up with his own. He plowed his fingers into her hair, the way he’d wanted to every damn day for two months, and wrapped his hand around the back of her head. Her fists on his lapels pulled tighter in response, as if urging him on. It was the only signal he needed to lean in and—
    “Ahem, Hauk? Jolie?” Brayden’s normally pleasant but currently nails-on-chalkboard-awful voice grated. “I hate to interrupt, but it’s colder than a snowman’s ass out here, and Travis and I would like to get home. You two can fight in the car, provided neither of you are driving.”
    Hauk shot him a death look, but Brayden the timid blew a white puff of unconcerned breath into air that didn’t feel the least bit cold. Jolie wriggled, trying to get free, and reluctantly he rolled off of her, landing his ass owning hison chains that had blasted right next to them.
    Dead fucking next to them. Two feet to the right, and one of them would’ve died.
    “I’m driving my car,” she said, completely oblivious as she hopped to her feet. “I’m the driver . That’s my job.” She shot Hauk a narrow-lidded glare as if he’d tried to stomp on her puppy then jogged off toward the car.
    Hauk scrubbed a hand across his face—his scarred face—and growled, “Brayden…”
    Brayden had the nerve to laugh. “You were about to kiss her in front of a burned-out abattoir with me and Travis watching. You’ll thank me later when you’ve calmed down. You’ll get a better chance, I promise.” He turned and followed Jolie.
    Hauk lay on his back and breathed, trying to get his raging emotions back under control. Brayden was wrong. He wouldn’t get a better opportunity. He was fucking ugly, and Jolie was glorious. The fact that she let him touch her at all—in the training room as they practiced fighting, which was about as impersonal as touching got—was a miracle in and of itself. Getting her to contemplate a kiss under other-than-momentous circumstances was not a long shot. It was an impossibility. Which meant he was probably a rat bastard for taking advantage of momentous circumstances.
    Tonight was a fail all around.
    With that cheery thought, he pushed his ass back up to standing and contemplated an hour-long car ride back to Austin with Jolie driving. The night just got better and better. He jogged to the car and slid into the front seat. From the backseat, Brayden and Travis watched them with undisguised fascination. Great .
    Jolie stared ahead as he slammed the door, but her hands trembled on the steering wheel. She was royally pissed. Was he supposed to apologize? What for? If he knew, he’d probably do it. Girl drove him fucking crazy that way.
    She turned to him, eyes fiery, jaw held carefully still, and said, “Thank you for protecting me. I appreciate it.”
    His mouth was already open for a retort. He closed it. Opened it again and said, “Thank you for breaking us out of the freezer. I appreciate it.” Seeing as he and Brayden would be dead right now if she hadn’t.
    Her eyes widened in surprise and her jaw