"I'm still mad at you about that," Alyssa commented mildly. She met his gaze and then moved hers past his shoulder, letting her thoughts go as she tried to get in touch with what she was really feeling.
Alyssa didn't 'do' emotional relationships. Every man in her life save one had been there for the sole purpose of having a good time, a mutually agreeable, no strings attacked, physically fullfilling experience. The second she thought that the man was beginning to develop feelings for her, she cut them loose.
Karl Whedon was her partner. He was a good man, a strong man, intelligent and determined. He wasn't intimidated by her brains or her looks or her culture. He didn't seem to care about her history. She could depend on him in a fight, look to him for things that she'd missed... and he came with the unfortunate side-effect of the ability to set her on fire with his kiss.
Could she ignore that? Yes. But -- but. She shifted her gaze to meet his eyes again, "I'd take the shot for you again, it was aimed right at your head. I should have been more careful in some parts of my undercover. There are some decisions you just have to make fast, and do the best you can... but from the moment you walked into that strip club after me, the mission was a mess, Karl. You compromised my cover, you left us without anyone to do surveillance for days when I had to draw you in..."
Alyssa trailed off and shook her head. "I can't just forget that."