display you just engaged in.”
Laughter loosened me up, coaxing my shoulders to go slack, all the tension I’d felt in Slime Bag’s presence slipping away. “That I just engaged in? I’m pretty sure it was your boy there that rolled out the red carpet for that one.”
She wrenched her arm from my grasp and pushed on the door latch, stepping out into the night. “You’re unbelievable. Here for two minutes and already throwing your weight around like a caveman.”
“Kate, stop darting off. What are you talking about? He was the one—” I stopped just outside the door listening to the crunch of her heels as she moved over the back gravel driveway toward the road. “Wait a minute, what do you mean you hope he gets to his apartment before you have to face him?”
“He lives in my building, Ryan.”
I jolted back into action, picking up into a brisk walk behind her. “He what?”
“You heard me.”
“He’s your neighbor? You see him every day?”
Kate’s arms flew up around her face and then fell back to her sides as she stormed forward, trekking down the narrow street. “Yes, he lives at Hummingbird Place, just like all of the other temp teachers. Just drop it. I want to go inside, take a hot bath, and go to bed.”
“So he was serious about stopping over to borrow milk and sugar? This is a joke, right?”
“Look, I know what things with Jamie….what they did to you. I’m not trying to be insensitive here, really I’m not, but I’m not discussing this with you, Ryan. You’re acting completely ridiculous.”
We followed a curve in the road and Kate paused to rip her heels from her feet, gathering them in one hand as she continued to lead the way across the street into the tiny apartment complex she now called home. She’d checked out of the Ladera Resort and moved in just days after Carter, Dean, and I had flown home to Seattle.
I jogged up to her side and stepped in front of her as she fumbled around in her clutch for her key. “So you won’t answer me.”
She unlocked the door and glared at me, waiting for me to move out of her way. I stepped back with a smartass bow, and she quickly stomped past me into the dim apartment. She chucked her bag on the hallway table and yanked her jewelry off, forcefully tossing it onto the hall table without a word, the clunk sound echoing throughout the room.
I was right behind her, throwing my jacket on top of her jewelry. “Oh, what, am I getting the silent treatment now?”
“You’re not getting anything.”
Oooohhh, damn. I saw where this was going. “You sure about that?” I took her by the elbow and spun her toward me, then moved forward and pressed her back against the hallway wall, my hands on either side of her head. “You know what you do to me when you’re angry,” I breathed harshly, my mouth hovering near her lips. “And you know damn well you wanna give me something.”
She moistened her lips, glaring up at me like she wanted to smack me. Hell, I wanted her to. I loved her when she was like this. “You’re completely overreacting, and I’m not putting up with your bullshit.”
“I’m overreacting?”
“You’re overreacting.”
“Did you like it? Did you like him touching you like that?”
“What are you talking about, you infuriating man?!”
“His hand on your back at the bar. Why didn’t you push him away?”
“See? Overreacting!” One of her hands gestured wildly and then landed in a smack at her side.
I pressed harder against her, taking her jaw in my hand. “How do you expect me to react when I show up to meet you for dinner to find some asshole with his hands on you?”
She squirmed against me, her nostrils flaring in frustration, but I could tell she was losing the battle. She wanted me, and I could feel it in the way her hardened nipples brushed against my chest and the way her cheeks warmed. Even in the dim light, I could see the red blush I loved, tingeing her cheekbones. She loved the fight just as
Laughter loosened me up, coaxing my shoulders to go slack, all the tension I’d felt in Slime Bag’s presence slipping away. “That I just engaged in? I’m pretty sure it was your boy there that rolled out the red carpet for that one.”
She wrenched her arm from my grasp and pushed on the door latch, stepping out into the night. “You’re unbelievable. Here for two minutes and already throwing your weight around like a caveman.”
“Kate, stop darting off. What are you talking about? He was the one—” I stopped just outside the door listening to the crunch of her heels as she moved over the back gravel driveway toward the road. “Wait a minute, what do you mean you hope he gets to his apartment before you have to face him?”
“He lives in my building, Ryan.”
I jolted back into action, picking up into a brisk walk behind her. “He what?”
“You heard me.”
“He’s your neighbor? You see him every day?”
Kate’s arms flew up around her face and then fell back to her sides as she stormed forward, trekking down the narrow street. “Yes, he lives at Hummingbird Place, just like all of the other temp teachers. Just drop it. I want to go inside, take a hot bath, and go to bed.”
“So he was serious about stopping over to borrow milk and sugar? This is a joke, right?”
“Look, I know what things with Jamie….what they did to you. I’m not trying to be insensitive here, really I’m not, but I’m not discussing this with you, Ryan. You’re acting completely ridiculous.”
We followed a curve in the road and Kate paused to rip her heels from her feet, gathering them in one hand as she continued to lead the way across the street into the tiny apartment complex she now called home. She’d checked out of the Ladera Resort and moved in just days after Carter, Dean, and I had flown home to Seattle.
I jogged up to her side and stepped in front of her as she fumbled around in her clutch for her key. “So you won’t answer me.”
She unlocked the door and glared at me, waiting for me to move out of her way. I stepped back with a smartass bow, and she quickly stomped past me into the dim apartment. She chucked her bag on the hallway table and yanked her jewelry off, forcefully tossing it onto the hall table without a word, the clunk sound echoing throughout the room.
I was right behind her, throwing my jacket on top of her jewelry. “Oh, what, am I getting the silent treatment now?”
“You’re not getting anything.”
Oooohhh, damn. I saw where this was going. “You sure about that?” I took her by the elbow and spun her toward me, then moved forward and pressed her back against the hallway wall, my hands on either side of her head. “You know what you do to me when you’re angry,” I breathed harshly, my mouth hovering near her lips. “And you know damn well you wanna give me something.”
She moistened her lips, glaring up at me like she wanted to smack me. Hell, I wanted her to. I loved her when she was like this. “You’re completely overreacting, and I’m not putting up with your bullshit.”
“I’m overreacting?”
“You’re overreacting.”
“Did you like it? Did you like him touching you like that?”
“What are you talking about, you infuriating man?!”
“His hand on your back at the bar. Why didn’t you push him away?”
“See? Overreacting!” One of her hands gestured wildly and then landed in a smack at her side.
I pressed harder against her, taking her jaw in my hand. “How do you expect me to react when I show up to meet you for dinner to find some asshole with his hands on you?”
She squirmed against me, her nostrils flaring in frustration, but I could tell she was losing the battle. She wanted me, and I could feel it in the way her hardened nipples brushed against my chest and the way her cheeks warmed. Even in the dim light, I could see the red blush I loved, tingeing her cheekbones. She loved the fight just as
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