of the matter.
“Yes, I was, as a matter of fact. I had work to catch up on. I can’t drop everything just because you tell me to.”
“What were you working on?”
She didn’t trust the calculating look in his eyes. “E-mails mostly. Why?”
He brushed past her and headed for the stairs. She watched him go and wondered what he was doing. Instead of following him, she stood at the bottom of the staircase and waited for him to return. When he did, he had the laptop tucked under his arm.
“What in the hell are you doing?” She raced up the stairs and tried to tug the laptop out of his grip. “I need that.”
“I know. That’s why I’m taking it and you to the beach house. You can do all the e-mailing you want there.”
She tugged again, but he held tight. “Are you crazy? You can’t barge in here and order me about.”
“I just did.” Micah put a hand on her elbow and steered her down the stairs toward the door. “Let’s go.”
She jerked her arm away, knowing if he touched her she’d turn into a puddle of mushy female compliance. “You don’t get to make the rules. You’re in my house, in case you didn’t realize.”
“I wouldn’t be here if you’d done what I asked.”
She stepped toe to toe with him and bared her teeth. “You didn’t ask. You demanded. Huge difference.”
“Seriously, you want to go there?” Micah quirked an eyebrow. “I shanghaied Drake’s private jet to come check on you, and you cite irrelevances?”
“Damned straight,” she snapped back. “Thank you for your concern, but as you can see, I’m safe and sound. There was no need to abandon the tour.”
His gaze softened. “There was every reason.”
She sucked in a lungful of air. How could he go from domineering to sweet in a matter of seconds? Her anger dissolved in an instant, but she refused to let him off the hook. “I’ll pay for your flight. You didn’t have to come.”
“I don’t need your damned money.” The words came out in a rush. He drew an audible breath and touched her arm. “I just need to know you’re safe.”
She allowed the gentle caress of his palm. His fingers brushed the soft skin of her upper arm and moved higher, going beneath the embroidered hem of the short sleeve. The simple touch set off a shock wave of desire. “As you can see, I’m fine.”
“Yes,” he murmured. His gaze was no longer on her face. The heat of his regard traveled from her arm to her shoulder before moving lower. The robe exposed a large V of flesh, and it didn’t take a genius to know the bare skin captured his attention.
Her traitorous nipples puckered and pressed against the thin cotton. She wanted his hands on her, wanted him to pinch her nipples and then soothe the ache with his mouth. “Micah…”
He turned and deposited the laptop on the table next to her phone. When he turned back to her, his face was a study in unwarranted lust. Need was stamped onto the sharp angles of his face, and heat blazed from his eyes hot enough to rival the sun.
He parted her robe and exposed the stark bruise he’d made on her skin. “It looks darker.”
She glanced down and watched him trace the edges of the bite mark. “Hmmm. Maybe. It won’t disappear for a few weeks.”
He glanced up and captured her gaze. “Long enough to serve its purpose.”
“Yes.” She wanted to plead with him to stay with her.
“We should go.” He dipped his head, and the whispered words floated across her lips.
Damn it. He wouldn’t seduce her into giving in. “I’m not leaving.”
“I can make you,” he pointed out.
Her competitive nature surfaced. “You could try.”
“Don’t play games with me, Celeste. You can’t win.”
She lifted her chin and took a confident step backward. Her robe slipped down, exposing the curve of one breast and shoulder, and she spoke without hesitation. “I trust you can see yourself out.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Micah stood in the foyer and watched Celeste retreat
“Yes, I was, as a matter of fact. I had work to catch up on. I can’t drop everything just because you tell me to.”
“What were you working on?”
She didn’t trust the calculating look in his eyes. “E-mails mostly. Why?”
He brushed past her and headed for the stairs. She watched him go and wondered what he was doing. Instead of following him, she stood at the bottom of the staircase and waited for him to return. When he did, he had the laptop tucked under his arm.
“What in the hell are you doing?” She raced up the stairs and tried to tug the laptop out of his grip. “I need that.”
“I know. That’s why I’m taking it and you to the beach house. You can do all the e-mailing you want there.”
She tugged again, but he held tight. “Are you crazy? You can’t barge in here and order me about.”
“I just did.” Micah put a hand on her elbow and steered her down the stairs toward the door. “Let’s go.”
She jerked her arm away, knowing if he touched her she’d turn into a puddle of mushy female compliance. “You don’t get to make the rules. You’re in my house, in case you didn’t realize.”
“I wouldn’t be here if you’d done what I asked.”
She stepped toe to toe with him and bared her teeth. “You didn’t ask. You demanded. Huge difference.”
“Seriously, you want to go there?” Micah quirked an eyebrow. “I shanghaied Drake’s private jet to come check on you, and you cite irrelevances?”
“Damned straight,” she snapped back. “Thank you for your concern, but as you can see, I’m safe and sound. There was no need to abandon the tour.”
His gaze softened. “There was every reason.”
She sucked in a lungful of air. How could he go from domineering to sweet in a matter of seconds? Her anger dissolved in an instant, but she refused to let him off the hook. “I’ll pay for your flight. You didn’t have to come.”
“I don’t need your damned money.” The words came out in a rush. He drew an audible breath and touched her arm. “I just need to know you’re safe.”
She allowed the gentle caress of his palm. His fingers brushed the soft skin of her upper arm and moved higher, going beneath the embroidered hem of the short sleeve. The simple touch set off a shock wave of desire. “As you can see, I’m fine.”
“Yes,” he murmured. His gaze was no longer on her face. The heat of his regard traveled from her arm to her shoulder before moving lower. The robe exposed a large V of flesh, and it didn’t take a genius to know the bare skin captured his attention.
Her traitorous nipples puckered and pressed against the thin cotton. She wanted his hands on her, wanted him to pinch her nipples and then soothe the ache with his mouth. “Micah…”
He turned and deposited the laptop on the table next to her phone. When he turned back to her, his face was a study in unwarranted lust. Need was stamped onto the sharp angles of his face, and heat blazed from his eyes hot enough to rival the sun.
He parted her robe and exposed the stark bruise he’d made on her skin. “It looks darker.”
She glanced down and watched him trace the edges of the bite mark. “Hmmm. Maybe. It won’t disappear for a few weeks.”
He glanced up and captured her gaze. “Long enough to serve its purpose.”
“Yes.” She wanted to plead with him to stay with her.
“We should go.” He dipped his head, and the whispered words floated across her lips.
Damn it. He wouldn’t seduce her into giving in. “I’m not leaving.”
“I can make you,” he pointed out.
Her competitive nature surfaced. “You could try.”
“Don’t play games with me, Celeste. You can’t win.”
She lifted her chin and took a confident step backward. Her robe slipped down, exposing the curve of one breast and shoulder, and she spoke without hesitation. “I trust you can see yourself out.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Micah stood in the foyer and watched Celeste retreat
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