chemistry between us, we acted on it—whether it was the right thing to do or not. But it was no big deal.”
It was amazing how she could make herself sound so calm and blasé about it. When it had literally occupied almost her every thought since it had happened.
“It wasn’t?” He took a step toward her. “Are you quite sure? Because, to be honest, I think it was.”
The proximity of him made her senses swim. She struggled to keep her breathing even. “You do?”
“Aye. I enjoyed sex with you, Hailey. Quite a bit more than I’m comfortable with.”
She grimaced and shook her head. “Wow. I’m not really sure that’s a compliment.”
“It’s probably not,” he agreed. “Though I’m sure you’ve had similar feelings? Was it as intense for you?”
“Yes. It was.” She bit her lip, not bothering to lie, and wishing he’d step away again because it was hard to think. “I haven’t… Look I don’t sleep around. I haven’t been with all that many guys, and not to give you a gigantic freaking head or anything, but, yeah, the sex I had with you was probably the best I’ve had.”
His chest swelled and the flash of heat in his eyes had her swallowing hard and stepping away from him. He stepped forward, as if this were a choreographed dance.
She lifted her hands, trying to ward him off. “And it really kind of pisses me off, McLaughlin, because I don’t like you all that much as a person.”
“What if I said likewise?”
“Well, I’d think you were kind of a judgmental asshole who holds grudges, but, hey, what do I know?”
“Not about the not-liking-you bit, but what if I said likewise about you being the best sex I’ve ever had?” He stepped closer, so they were nearly chest to chest now. “And what if I said you were the first woman I’d been with in over a year?”
She didn’t resist a short laugh. “I’d say you’re lying out your—”
“I’m not lying, Hailey.” He caught the back of her neck with his hand, effectively stopping her retreat, and then trailed his fingers up and down her nape in a way that made her tremble. “Maybe it was so good for me, personally, because it had been so long.” He moved his thumbs forward to stroke her jaw. “And yet, I don’t think that’s it.”
Oh, the things he was doing with that light touch. “You don’t?”
“No.” His gaze softened as it lingered on her mouth. “I want you, just as you said. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone.”
Her pulse skipped and she swallowed hard. “And you’re not happy about it.”
He didn’t answer. She wasn’t even sure he’d heard her because he was staring at her mouth as if he was struggling not to devour it.
She couldn’t let this go. “So basically I’m the cliché. The wrong-side-of-town girl that you shouldn’t be involved with and whom you can’t stay away from.”
“Aye, something like that.”
His absently spoken reply was almost like little darts to her heart.
Only I’m not her, and I haven’t been her for years. She bit back the protest. She’d learned a long time ago that trying to convince some people that she was separate from her family was just a waste of breath. And Colin was one of those people.
Despite every inch of her wanting to stand on tiptoes and kiss him, she maneuvered out of his grip and stepped away.
“Look, I still think we need to call what happened a one-time deal.” She averted her gaze as she slipped past him and walked to the kitchen. “I’m not in the market for sleeping with a guy who hates me.”
The footsteps in the hall behind her signaled he was following her.
“I don’t hate you. And I’m sorry if I ever said as much or did anything to give you that impression.”
Seriously? She cast him a skeptical glance over her shoulder and then went to check on her dinner that was nearly done in the oven.
“I truly don’t,” he insisted. “Look, I’ll admit it, I don’t trust you, but—” He broke off and went
It was amazing how she could make herself sound so calm and blasé about it. When it had literally occupied almost her every thought since it had happened.
“It wasn’t?” He took a step toward her. “Are you quite sure? Because, to be honest, I think it was.”
The proximity of him made her senses swim. She struggled to keep her breathing even. “You do?”
“Aye. I enjoyed sex with you, Hailey. Quite a bit more than I’m comfortable with.”
She grimaced and shook her head. “Wow. I’m not really sure that’s a compliment.”
“It’s probably not,” he agreed. “Though I’m sure you’ve had similar feelings? Was it as intense for you?”
“Yes. It was.” She bit her lip, not bothering to lie, and wishing he’d step away again because it was hard to think. “I haven’t… Look I don’t sleep around. I haven’t been with all that many guys, and not to give you a gigantic freaking head or anything, but, yeah, the sex I had with you was probably the best I’ve had.”
His chest swelled and the flash of heat in his eyes had her swallowing hard and stepping away from him. He stepped forward, as if this were a choreographed dance.
She lifted her hands, trying to ward him off. “And it really kind of pisses me off, McLaughlin, because I don’t like you all that much as a person.”
“What if I said likewise?”
“Well, I’d think you were kind of a judgmental asshole who holds grudges, but, hey, what do I know?”
“Not about the not-liking-you bit, but what if I said likewise about you being the best sex I’ve ever had?” He stepped closer, so they were nearly chest to chest now. “And what if I said you were the first woman I’d been with in over a year?”
She didn’t resist a short laugh. “I’d say you’re lying out your—”
“I’m not lying, Hailey.” He caught the back of her neck with his hand, effectively stopping her retreat, and then trailed his fingers up and down her nape in a way that made her tremble. “Maybe it was so good for me, personally, because it had been so long.” He moved his thumbs forward to stroke her jaw. “And yet, I don’t think that’s it.”
Oh, the things he was doing with that light touch. “You don’t?”
“No.” His gaze softened as it lingered on her mouth. “I want you, just as you said. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone.”
Her pulse skipped and she swallowed hard. “And you’re not happy about it.”
He didn’t answer. She wasn’t even sure he’d heard her because he was staring at her mouth as if he was struggling not to devour it.
She couldn’t let this go. “So basically I’m the cliché. The wrong-side-of-town girl that you shouldn’t be involved with and whom you can’t stay away from.”
“Aye, something like that.”
His absently spoken reply was almost like little darts to her heart.
Only I’m not her, and I haven’t been her for years. She bit back the protest. She’d learned a long time ago that trying to convince some people that she was separate from her family was just a waste of breath. And Colin was one of those people.
Despite every inch of her wanting to stand on tiptoes and kiss him, she maneuvered out of his grip and stepped away.
“Look, I still think we need to call what happened a one-time deal.” She averted her gaze as she slipped past him and walked to the kitchen. “I’m not in the market for sleeping with a guy who hates me.”
The footsteps in the hall behind her signaled he was following her.
“I don’t hate you. And I’m sorry if I ever said as much or did anything to give you that impression.”
Seriously? She cast him a skeptical glance over her shoulder and then went to check on her dinner that was nearly done in the oven.
“I truly don’t,” he insisted. “Look, I’ll admit it, I don’t trust you, but—” He broke off and went
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