Brody had
given her, this light peck scorched her skin. She did everything she could not to flinch away.
Thankfully, she succeeded.
“How was your date?” There was an edge to his voice that confused her.
She frowned. “What is your problem with Brody?”
“I don’t like him.”
“You don’t— Jeez, Tommy, you don’t even know him. How can you not like him?”
He took another step forward, crowding her personal space. As his body came within inches,
where just a slight lean forward and their chests would touch, her throat tightened. The scent of
his musky cologne enveloped her, and she inhaled, ensnared by the spell of Tommy Sparks—the
spell she’d been under since she was ten.
He brought his face closer. “I know enough that I don’t like him with you, and I want you to
stay the hell away from him.”
A thrill shot through her. Before she could stop herself, she said, “Why? Are you jealous?”
Something flashed in his eyes as a muscle jumped in his jaw. “I don’t do jealousy, Julie. You’re
my best friend. It’s my job to look out for you, and that man has ulterior motives. You need to stay
away from him.”
She jerked back, stung by the insult. “Did you seriously just say the only way Brody would be
interested in me is because he has a secret agenda? What the hell, Tommy?”
“Don’t make it sound worse than I meant it. That man is up to something, and I don’t trust
him. I especially don’t trust him with you.”
Anger buzzed inside her. She was no longer the crying ten-year-old maiden he’d swept in and
saved with his wooden sword. She was a grown woman who could take care of herself, and it was
about damn time he saw it. “You don’t get to make demands on me. If I want to see Brody
Minton, I’m going to see Brody Minton.” She poked him hard in the chest. “I’m done with your big
brother shit. So drop it already.”
As she whirled to leave, a feral growl erupted from behind her. Strong fingers latched onto her
wrist and spun her back around. His other hand snaked around the back of her head, and then his
mouth was on hers. His fury was evident in the biting crush of his lips against hers, and all she
could do was stand there, absolutely stunned. He kissed her hard, the taste of him searing through
her senses as his tongue sliced between her lips to sweep hotly through her mouth. Once. Then he
froze. And it was over.
He stumbled back, staring at her with wide eyes.
“Fuck!” He shoved a hand through his hair, then stormed off toward the house, muttering
curses the entire way.
Pressing her fingers against her punished lips, she stared after him, just as horrified as he was
about the kiss. Because that hadn’t been a kiss from a man who’d wanted to kiss her. That had
been a branding of ownership.
And Julie Rogers was owned by no man.
…
What the hell had he just done?
Tommy slammed the back door behind him as he stalked into the kitchen. Fucking hell. Julie’d
said the word “brother” again, and he’d simply lost it.
Next thing he knew he was grinding his mouth against hers. He never kissed like that. Out of
outright jealousy…out of an anger-induced bitterness. That kiss had been the equivalent of his
performance the night he defended his title—mind-numbingly pathetic.
Jealousy was not something he’d ever dealt with, and if it made him do stupid shit like this,
then he’d rather do without.
Julie slammed into the house behind him. “What the hell was that, Tommy?”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “A mistake.”
“No freaking joke.”
Yeah, she was pissed. She had every right to be, too. For more than two decades he’d done
nothing but tell the woman she was his sister, and just when she started getting close to some
guy, he pulls a chest-pounding me-Tarzan-you-Jane stunt like that. And for what?
Nothing. There wasn’t anything he could offer her instead.
Except, maybe, a damn good time in bed. But as much as
given her, this light peck scorched her skin. She did everything she could not to flinch away.
Thankfully, she succeeded.
“How was your date?” There was an edge to his voice that confused her.
She frowned. “What is your problem with Brody?”
“I don’t like him.”
“You don’t— Jeez, Tommy, you don’t even know him. How can you not like him?”
He took another step forward, crowding her personal space. As his body came within inches,
where just a slight lean forward and their chests would touch, her throat tightened. The scent of
his musky cologne enveloped her, and she inhaled, ensnared by the spell of Tommy Sparks—the
spell she’d been under since she was ten.
He brought his face closer. “I know enough that I don’t like him with you, and I want you to
stay the hell away from him.”
A thrill shot through her. Before she could stop herself, she said, “Why? Are you jealous?”
Something flashed in his eyes as a muscle jumped in his jaw. “I don’t do jealousy, Julie. You’re
my best friend. It’s my job to look out for you, and that man has ulterior motives. You need to stay
away from him.”
She jerked back, stung by the insult. “Did you seriously just say the only way Brody would be
interested in me is because he has a secret agenda? What the hell, Tommy?”
“Don’t make it sound worse than I meant it. That man is up to something, and I don’t trust
him. I especially don’t trust him with you.”
Anger buzzed inside her. She was no longer the crying ten-year-old maiden he’d swept in and
saved with his wooden sword. She was a grown woman who could take care of herself, and it was
about damn time he saw it. “You don’t get to make demands on me. If I want to see Brody
Minton, I’m going to see Brody Minton.” She poked him hard in the chest. “I’m done with your big
brother shit. So drop it already.”
As she whirled to leave, a feral growl erupted from behind her. Strong fingers latched onto her
wrist and spun her back around. His other hand snaked around the back of her head, and then his
mouth was on hers. His fury was evident in the biting crush of his lips against hers, and all she
could do was stand there, absolutely stunned. He kissed her hard, the taste of him searing through
her senses as his tongue sliced between her lips to sweep hotly through her mouth. Once. Then he
froze. And it was over.
He stumbled back, staring at her with wide eyes.
“Fuck!” He shoved a hand through his hair, then stormed off toward the house, muttering
curses the entire way.
Pressing her fingers against her punished lips, she stared after him, just as horrified as he was
about the kiss. Because that hadn’t been a kiss from a man who’d wanted to kiss her. That had
been a branding of ownership.
And Julie Rogers was owned by no man.
…
What the hell had he just done?
Tommy slammed the back door behind him as he stalked into the kitchen. Fucking hell. Julie’d
said the word “brother” again, and he’d simply lost it.
Next thing he knew he was grinding his mouth against hers. He never kissed like that. Out of
outright jealousy…out of an anger-induced bitterness. That kiss had been the equivalent of his
performance the night he defended his title—mind-numbingly pathetic.
Jealousy was not something he’d ever dealt with, and if it made him do stupid shit like this,
then he’d rather do without.
Julie slammed into the house behind him. “What the hell was that, Tommy?”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “A mistake.”
“No freaking joke.”
Yeah, she was pissed. She had every right to be, too. For more than two decades he’d done
nothing but tell the woman she was his sister, and just when she started getting close to some
guy, he pulls a chest-pounding me-Tarzan-you-Jane stunt like that. And for what?
Nothing. There wasn’t anything he could offer her instead.
Except, maybe, a damn good time in bed. But as much as
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