same thing. Being with you is like waiting for the real Mark Cook to stand up.”
The smirk appeared. “What you see is what you get, baby.”
Frustration gripped her, a buzzing taking over her ears. He did not just call her baby , like she was one of his playmates. And she did not just get a tiny thrill from that single word. “Right. Tell it to someone who’ll believe that. Angel, maybe.”
She walked away, sending a sea of pigeons into flight. Why did she keep throwing that name up at him? She might as well wear a sign proclaiming her a jealous, insecure person. Aware he’d joined her, she shook her head. “You’ve turned avoidance into an art form, you know that? All those snappy one-liners, the devil-may-care attitude. Anything to keep from having a real conversation.”
“Me? What about you?”
She darted a quick look at him. “What about me?”
“You’ve been creating your own avoidance art. Tick’s a great excuse for you not to step into the big, bad world.” He chuckled, but the sound lacked any real humor. “Only problem is that he went and fell for Falconetti, made his own life, and suddenly he’s not running quite as much interference, is he?”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Anger simmered, her voice trembling with it.
“You think? You’re afraid of picking the wrong guy again. The last one was a doozy of a mistake, wasn’t he? Tick won’t let you forget that and you can’t let him down, so there’s your excuse not to pick one at all.”
All of her shook now, slight tremors running through her, and she clenched her fists to steady her hands. “At least I’m selective.”
His eyes narrowed to slits of molten silver. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means the only qualifications you look for in a woman are willing and available. What are you afraid of? Why are you hiding behind meaningless sex?”
He took one step closer. “I think you forgot whose turn it was to ask a question.”
The anger lent her bravery and loosened her tongue. “You never really answered mine, but ask away.”
“Why did you let me kiss you?”
“Because I wanted you to.” The bald honesty of her answer slammed into her and left him looking as stunned as she felt. Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths and aggravated nerves jumped under her skin.
Long moments stretched between them, their gazes locked. Finally, he stepped back, rubbing a hand over his nape. “It’s getting late. We should get back—”
“Don’t.” She swallowed, hating the note of pleading in her voice. “Don’t walk away from this yet.”
“I have to.”
Urgency filled her. She couldn’t let go, not now. The desperation with which she wanted this settled between them scared her. “Why?”
“Because there’s no point. I’d be the worst mistake you could ever make.”
“It would be my mistake to make.”
“Well, I’m saving you the trouble. You don’t want me anywhere near you, not really. Trust me.”
He believed it. The knowledge was in the tight line of his jaw, the blank desolation filling his gray gaze. Great. She finally got a handle on what she might want and he wanted to play hero. The urge to chew on her nails hit her and she crammed both hands in her back pockets. She’d given that up a year after the rape. She wasn’t going to start again now. She stared at him, her chin tilted.
She wasn’t on the same playing field as Angel or any of his other women. He had her on a plane above that and he really, honestly believed he didn’t belong there with her.
Lord, men were stupid sometimes.
He thought she was too good for a one-night stand. That was fine. She didn’t want to be. But she had to show him…so was he.
Fear sent a shudder over her. He deserved someone whole, someone who could come to him without fear and all of her hang-ups. Could she be that someone? Maybe. She wanted to be that someone.
That meant she had to start putting the pieces together again,
The smirk appeared. “What you see is what you get, baby.”
Frustration gripped her, a buzzing taking over her ears. He did not just call her baby , like she was one of his playmates. And she did not just get a tiny thrill from that single word. “Right. Tell it to someone who’ll believe that. Angel, maybe.”
She walked away, sending a sea of pigeons into flight. Why did she keep throwing that name up at him? She might as well wear a sign proclaiming her a jealous, insecure person. Aware he’d joined her, she shook her head. “You’ve turned avoidance into an art form, you know that? All those snappy one-liners, the devil-may-care attitude. Anything to keep from having a real conversation.”
“Me? What about you?”
She darted a quick look at him. “What about me?”
“You’ve been creating your own avoidance art. Tick’s a great excuse for you not to step into the big, bad world.” He chuckled, but the sound lacked any real humor. “Only problem is that he went and fell for Falconetti, made his own life, and suddenly he’s not running quite as much interference, is he?”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Anger simmered, her voice trembling with it.
“You think? You’re afraid of picking the wrong guy again. The last one was a doozy of a mistake, wasn’t he? Tick won’t let you forget that and you can’t let him down, so there’s your excuse not to pick one at all.”
All of her shook now, slight tremors running through her, and she clenched her fists to steady her hands. “At least I’m selective.”
His eyes narrowed to slits of molten silver. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means the only qualifications you look for in a woman are willing and available. What are you afraid of? Why are you hiding behind meaningless sex?”
He took one step closer. “I think you forgot whose turn it was to ask a question.”
The anger lent her bravery and loosened her tongue. “You never really answered mine, but ask away.”
“Why did you let me kiss you?”
“Because I wanted you to.” The bald honesty of her answer slammed into her and left him looking as stunned as she felt. Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths and aggravated nerves jumped under her skin.
Long moments stretched between them, their gazes locked. Finally, he stepped back, rubbing a hand over his nape. “It’s getting late. We should get back—”
“Don’t.” She swallowed, hating the note of pleading in her voice. “Don’t walk away from this yet.”
“I have to.”
Urgency filled her. She couldn’t let go, not now. The desperation with which she wanted this settled between them scared her. “Why?”
“Because there’s no point. I’d be the worst mistake you could ever make.”
“It would be my mistake to make.”
“Well, I’m saving you the trouble. You don’t want me anywhere near you, not really. Trust me.”
He believed it. The knowledge was in the tight line of his jaw, the blank desolation filling his gray gaze. Great. She finally got a handle on what she might want and he wanted to play hero. The urge to chew on her nails hit her and she crammed both hands in her back pockets. She’d given that up a year after the rape. She wasn’t going to start again now. She stared at him, her chin tilted.
She wasn’t on the same playing field as Angel or any of his other women. He had her on a plane above that and he really, honestly believed he didn’t belong there with her.
Lord, men were stupid sometimes.
He thought she was too good for a one-night stand. That was fine. She didn’t want to be. But she had to show him…so was he.
Fear sent a shudder over her. He deserved someone whole, someone who could come to him without fear and all of her hang-ups. Could she be that someone? Maybe. She wanted to be that someone.
That meant she had to start putting the pieces together again,
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