Seduction’s Canvas (Crimson Romance) by K.M. Jackson Page B

somewhere you gotta be?” As soon as the question was out, he instantly wanted to kick himself. Who was he to ask her what she had to do with her time? But thankfully she must have been distracted and let the comment sweep by.
    She looked down at his coffee cup and back up at him. “I see you’re an evening drinker too.”
    He frowned, not knowing where she was going.
    She continued. “No use both of us drinking alone. I was just about to make myself a pot. Why not join me?”
    “Really, a whole pot? It’s getting a little late for that, isn’t it?”
    She grinned and did that sweep down and back up with her lashes thing that she did so well. Damn. Wasn’t he just thinking of how pissed he was? Funny, how she seemed to fade all that out. Turning it to white noise in the background.
    “Oh come on. You should know from your few run-ins with me that I don’t do watered down anything. Now would you like to join me?”
    His eyes narrowed as his groin tightened. This was a mistake. He knew it, so why was he moving forward, leaning into it.
    Mark stared into her challenging eyes and could see despite her casual dress and easygoing appearance, for some reason Samara Leighton was out for trouble — and suddenly all he wanted was to be the one to give it to her.
    “So?”
    He took a step toward her. Crowding her a bit, testing the water. She didn’t back off, but then again he didn’t really expect her to. Why would a shark show fear? No, she just stood there and angled up her chin. Going all in. Brown eyes turning to flame.
    Damn it. He had to know. “Why would you want to have coffee with me? I’d think you’d have had your fill this morning.” As soon as the words left him, he knew he didn’t want the answer and took a step back, away from her, starting off toward the building. But damn her and her long legs. She found it no problem easily staying in step with him.
    She shrugged by his side and out of the corner of his eye he saw her lick her pink tongue lightly over her top lip. “Oh, you don’t know me well enough yet to pretend to know what fills me.”
    And with that he blinked.
    And she laughed.
    Shit.
    “You are too cute. A little easy but cute.”
    Mark tried to be mad at her teasing but couldn’t. He let out a low snort, bordering on a laugh. “Okay, you got me on that one.”
    “Now come on. I owe you.”
    He shook his head. “It was just a little morning coffee, Miss Leighton.”
    “So we’re still there? In the formal Miss and Mister stages? Despite being friendly last night?”
    He studied her profile as best he could and still couldn’t figure her out. What did she want from him? Didn’t the brunch with Moss go to plan? “I thought you made it clear last night and this morning that this was exactly where we stood.”
    She looked thoughtful for a moment, like she was trying to find the most tactful way to find her words. Finally, she spoke. “You’re perfectly right, of course, Mr. Thorn. But that guy at the club … ” Her voice faltered a bit. “You were trying to be helpful and I was rude.”
    “No, not really. You just made it clear that you wanted your space and that you didn’t need … saving.”
    She stopped and he turned to look at her. “Well, I do and I don’t.” Her eyes were full on flame with that comment. He stared at her long and hard. What was with this woman? One minute pushing him away, the next kissing him for all she was worth. He swallowed the lump in his throat at the memory of her long ago innocent smile.
    “No, Miss Leighton, I don’t think you do.” Then his raised his hand. “And as you can see I have my coffee.”
    She snatched the cup from him quicker than he could react and he was usually pretty quick. He watched open mouthed as she stalked over to the corner trash and dumped it in. Turning back to him with a self-satisfied look, she cocked her head. “Well, now you don’t. So you’ll have to join me.”
    “What the hell? I just paid for