sleeveless shirt tucked into red shorts. He wanted to slide next to her and give her a big hug. Or maybe just hold her close. Sandy looked as if she needed a little holding. But he didn't move. For one thing, she would probably get all huffy and push him away. For another, he was assuming an awful lot.
Maybe she didn't want to be comforted by him. After all, she'd been the one so set on keeping them "just friends." Kyle grimaced. How many times had he said that exact line to a woman he was dumping? They must have hated it as much. He swore he was never going to say it to anyone again.
"I'm not surprised you're feeling overwhelmed," he said. "This is a lot of responsibility for one person."
"Because I'm a woman, right?"
He turned until he was facing Sandy . His back pressed against the railing. He bent one leg at the knee and put that foot on the porch. His other foot rested on the bottom step. "You have a real problem with this woman thing, don't you? Have I ever said anything about your being a woman? Have I ever hinted that you couldn't do something because you're a woman?" He raised his eyebrows and waited.
She cleared her throat. "Well, not in so many words."
"Ah-ha! So you're assuming that's what I'm thinking. Why?"
"I know men like you, Kyle."
"Men like me?" He had a feeling he knew what she was getting at, but he wanted to hear the words. And he wanted to see her squirm, just a little, for being so quick to judge him.
"Men who have an easy time with, you know, women." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Stop looking at me like that… You want me to say it, don't you?"
He grinned. "Oh, yes. More than anything."
"Good-looking men. Okay? Are you happy? Most good-looking men assume all women are stupid. I guess because women have been doing stupid things to get their attention. Maybe I should stop jumping to conclusions about you, but it's difficult."
He wanted to strut around the yard like a rooster. Sandy thought he was good-looking. It didn't make a damn bit of difference, but he was pleased as hell. It meant she'd been thinking about him, and not just as her neighbor. At least he hoped it did.
"I'll accept that you think I'm handsome and incredibly charming—"
"I didn't say anything about being charming," she interrupted.
He ignored her. "And incredibly charming, if you'll accept the fact that I don't assume you're incapable of doing things simply because you're female. I have great respect for women."
She snorted. "I'll just bet you do. You must respect them all the way through that revolving door in your bedroom."
"Is that what you think?" he asked, his voice low and controlled. His smile faded along with his good humor. "Is that why you were upset when I took the kids? Do you think I was meeting with some woman and dragging them along?" His flash of anger surprised him. "I would never do anything like that. Despite my reputation, I don't have a revolving door in my bedroom, I don't bring women to my house and I sure as hell wouldn't act inappropriately in front of your children."
He started to stand up. Sandy leaned toward him and placed her hand on his forearm. Her gaze met his. "I'm sorry," she said. "Really. I didn't really think that about you, and I shouldn't have implied it. You were teasing me, and I couldn't think of anything funny to say, so I just lashed back. It was wrong of me. I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted," he said. He settled back down.
She squeezed his arm briefly, then withdrew her hand to her lap. "Getting back to your original statement, yes, this has been a lot of responsibility for just one person. Even for a woman." She gave him a slight smile. He returned it. The tension between them eased.
But his anger continued to lurk below the surface. Later, when he was alone, he decided, he would think about what she'd said and what it meant. He was annoyed that she'd heard enough about him to think he was irresponsible where women were concerned. Of course, she might
Maybe she didn't want to be comforted by him. After all, she'd been the one so set on keeping them "just friends." Kyle grimaced. How many times had he said that exact line to a woman he was dumping? They must have hated it as much. He swore he was never going to say it to anyone again.
"I'm not surprised you're feeling overwhelmed," he said. "This is a lot of responsibility for one person."
"Because I'm a woman, right?"
He turned until he was facing Sandy . His back pressed against the railing. He bent one leg at the knee and put that foot on the porch. His other foot rested on the bottom step. "You have a real problem with this woman thing, don't you? Have I ever said anything about your being a woman? Have I ever hinted that you couldn't do something because you're a woman?" He raised his eyebrows and waited.
She cleared her throat. "Well, not in so many words."
"Ah-ha! So you're assuming that's what I'm thinking. Why?"
"I know men like you, Kyle."
"Men like me?" He had a feeling he knew what she was getting at, but he wanted to hear the words. And he wanted to see her squirm, just a little, for being so quick to judge him.
"Men who have an easy time with, you know, women." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Stop looking at me like that… You want me to say it, don't you?"
He grinned. "Oh, yes. More than anything."
"Good-looking men. Okay? Are you happy? Most good-looking men assume all women are stupid. I guess because women have been doing stupid things to get their attention. Maybe I should stop jumping to conclusions about you, but it's difficult."
He wanted to strut around the yard like a rooster. Sandy thought he was good-looking. It didn't make a damn bit of difference, but he was pleased as hell. It meant she'd been thinking about him, and not just as her neighbor. At least he hoped it did.
"I'll accept that you think I'm handsome and incredibly charming—"
"I didn't say anything about being charming," she interrupted.
He ignored her. "And incredibly charming, if you'll accept the fact that I don't assume you're incapable of doing things simply because you're female. I have great respect for women."
She snorted. "I'll just bet you do. You must respect them all the way through that revolving door in your bedroom."
"Is that what you think?" he asked, his voice low and controlled. His smile faded along with his good humor. "Is that why you were upset when I took the kids? Do you think I was meeting with some woman and dragging them along?" His flash of anger surprised him. "I would never do anything like that. Despite my reputation, I don't have a revolving door in my bedroom, I don't bring women to my house and I sure as hell wouldn't act inappropriately in front of your children."
He started to stand up. Sandy leaned toward him and placed her hand on his forearm. Her gaze met his. "I'm sorry," she said. "Really. I didn't really think that about you, and I shouldn't have implied it. You were teasing me, and I couldn't think of anything funny to say, so I just lashed back. It was wrong of me. I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted," he said. He settled back down.
She squeezed his arm briefly, then withdrew her hand to her lap. "Getting back to your original statement, yes, this has been a lot of responsibility for just one person. Even for a woman." She gave him a slight smile. He returned it. The tension between them eased.
But his anger continued to lurk below the surface. Later, when he was alone, he decided, he would think about what she'd said and what it meant. He was annoyed that she'd heard enough about him to think he was irresponsible where women were concerned. Of course, she might
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