defensive? Did he think she’d find his hobby amusing? She put the belt back on the table and picked up one of the craft knives. ‘I can see why you cut yourself. These things are sharp.’
‘No sharper than a scalpel, and I don’t see you walking around wearing Band Aids.’
‘I learnt to take care, just like you will.’ She held his gaze, saw the defensiveness in his. ‘It’s no big deal.’
He took the blade from her hand and placed it carefully on the table. ‘I did some leather work in the rehab place the sports medicine team sent me to.’
‘The Beeches, right? They have an excellent reputation.’ She stroked the leather belt, reluctant to leave it. ‘You obviously have a gift for it.’
‘Yeah, right. What kind of man makes his living fooling around with bits of leather?’
‘A talented one?’
He turned away from her and walked back into the kitchen. She followed more slowly, watching the rigid set of his shoulders and the way he flung open the refrigerator door. He took out two beers and slammed them onto the granite countertop.
‘What else do you make?’
‘Cowboy boots.’
He opened the beers, handed her one, and brought the other to his mouth. His throat worked as he swallowed, reminding her of his mouth on her sex. She clenched her fists. The stubborn set of his jaw made her want to punch him real hard.
‘And why are you telling me this if it makes you so angry?’
He paused and lowered the bottle to glare at her. ‘You asked how I cut my hand.’
‘Fine.’ She gave him back the beer, marched back over to the couch and grabbed her purse.
Jay watched her, a frown in his eyes. ‘Where are you going?’
‘Home.’
He put the beers down and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. ‘I thought you were going to stay the night.’
‘Well, you thought wrong, didn’t you?’
He took a step toward her. ‘I don’t want you to go.’
‘But I’m going anyway.’
‘Helen, it’s late. It’s dangerous out there. Stay here.’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘No thanks. I got what I came for.’
‘And what was that?’
‘Sex and an explanation as to how you cut your hand.’
He folded his arms across his chest. ‘That’s it?’
‘That’s all I’ve been offered. It’s been fun. Call me when you get over whatever it is that’s making you so mad and maybe we can have a real discussion like a couple of adults.’
‘Helen . . .’
She headed for the door, aware that she wanted to cry but totally unwilling to let Jay know he’d affected her so badly. The door closed behind her and she let out her breath. She’d forgotten their deal was all about sex and didn’t include getting close to him. Dammit, the man was as uptight as he claimed she was. How could he move so fast from white-hot passion to completely shutting her out?
The elevator arrived and she stepped in. In the mirrored surfaces she looked emotionally wrecked, her eyes over-bright, her mouth still swollen from Jay’s kisses. She smoothed down her hair and straightened her clothes. It wasn’t that late and she’d valet parked. Jay believed she was a fragile flower but she was quite capable of getting around the city without putting herself into danger.
As she exited the elevator, she blew her reflection a kiss. Now she was out of his sight, she could function like a normal person again. She shouldn’t have let her sexual attraction for him delude her into thinking he wanted any kind of relationship with her. And if Jay wanted to behave like a sulky kid, that was his choice. She didn’t have to put up with it, whatever their bargain.
Chapter Ten
‘Fuck!’
Jay barely restrained himself from hurling the phone to the polished kitchen floor. He’d tried to call Helen at least ten times and she either wasn’t picking up or she didn’t want to talk to him. Somehow he guessed it was the latter. He left another terse message and hung up.
He couldn’t say he was surprised. He’d managed to turn the
‘No sharper than a scalpel, and I don’t see you walking around wearing Band Aids.’
‘I learnt to take care, just like you will.’ She held his gaze, saw the defensiveness in his. ‘It’s no big deal.’
He took the blade from her hand and placed it carefully on the table. ‘I did some leather work in the rehab place the sports medicine team sent me to.’
‘The Beeches, right? They have an excellent reputation.’ She stroked the leather belt, reluctant to leave it. ‘You obviously have a gift for it.’
‘Yeah, right. What kind of man makes his living fooling around with bits of leather?’
‘A talented one?’
He turned away from her and walked back into the kitchen. She followed more slowly, watching the rigid set of his shoulders and the way he flung open the refrigerator door. He took out two beers and slammed them onto the granite countertop.
‘What else do you make?’
‘Cowboy boots.’
He opened the beers, handed her one, and brought the other to his mouth. His throat worked as he swallowed, reminding her of his mouth on her sex. She clenched her fists. The stubborn set of his jaw made her want to punch him real hard.
‘And why are you telling me this if it makes you so angry?’
He paused and lowered the bottle to glare at her. ‘You asked how I cut my hand.’
‘Fine.’ She gave him back the beer, marched back over to the couch and grabbed her purse.
Jay watched her, a frown in his eyes. ‘Where are you going?’
‘Home.’
He put the beers down and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. ‘I thought you were going to stay the night.’
‘Well, you thought wrong, didn’t you?’
He took a step toward her. ‘I don’t want you to go.’
‘But I’m going anyway.’
‘Helen, it’s late. It’s dangerous out there. Stay here.’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘No thanks. I got what I came for.’
‘And what was that?’
‘Sex and an explanation as to how you cut your hand.’
He folded his arms across his chest. ‘That’s it?’
‘That’s all I’ve been offered. It’s been fun. Call me when you get over whatever it is that’s making you so mad and maybe we can have a real discussion like a couple of adults.’
‘Helen . . .’
She headed for the door, aware that she wanted to cry but totally unwilling to let Jay know he’d affected her so badly. The door closed behind her and she let out her breath. She’d forgotten their deal was all about sex and didn’t include getting close to him. Dammit, the man was as uptight as he claimed she was. How could he move so fast from white-hot passion to completely shutting her out?
The elevator arrived and she stepped in. In the mirrored surfaces she looked emotionally wrecked, her eyes over-bright, her mouth still swollen from Jay’s kisses. She smoothed down her hair and straightened her clothes. It wasn’t that late and she’d valet parked. Jay believed she was a fragile flower but she was quite capable of getting around the city without putting herself into danger.
As she exited the elevator, she blew her reflection a kiss. Now she was out of his sight, she could function like a normal person again. She shouldn’t have let her sexual attraction for him delude her into thinking he wanted any kind of relationship with her. And if Jay wanted to behave like a sulky kid, that was his choice. She didn’t have to put up with it, whatever their bargain.
Chapter Ten
‘Fuck!’
Jay barely restrained himself from hurling the phone to the polished kitchen floor. He’d tried to call Helen at least ten times and she either wasn’t picking up or she didn’t want to talk to him. Somehow he guessed it was the latter. He left another terse message and hung up.
He couldn’t say he was surprised. He’d managed to turn the
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