prey.
Tamara, unlike him, hadn’t been paying attention to his every move, apparently, because she jumped when he lightly touched her arm and spun around. “Oh. It’s just you.”
Just ! Russell didn’t like the sound of that at all. “Having fun?”
Tamara rolled her eyes and turned so she was facing toward the open garden doors and away from him. “Oh yeah. Loads. Can’t you tell? I’m partying like it’s 1999, cowboy style.” Sarcasm dripped from every word.
Russell was not amused. “Is that supposed to be a good thing?”
“Yes,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. “That is if you take out the whole Y2K fear. That part was pretty much of a downer.”
“Can you look at me when you’re talking to me?” He didn’t know why it bugged him. He just knew that it did.
“I can; I just choose not to.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t like you right now.”
He was as far away from like as he could get, but still, he didn’t want to be ignored. Her little act of rebellion was just pissing him off more and more. And as bad as Tamara might think she was, she was no match for him. Not at all.
“The feeling is pretty mutual.”
That got her attention. Turning to him, Tamara crossed her arms over her bountiful breasts and raised a finely arched brow. “Then keep on stepping. No one asked you to come make nice with me.”
“I’m just checking up on you, like I promised Charlotte.” Okay, promised was a bit strong of a word, and he didn’t exactly say it to Charlotte as he said it himself as he watched Tamara slip into Christian’s car.
“Why would you promise her that?”
“It seemed like the gentlemanly thing to do since you were going off with a man you hardly know to a party filled with people you don’t know.”
“And what on earth would you know about being gentlemanly?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She sighed heavily and dropped her arms back to her side. “Nothing. Just move on and let me enjoy myself.”
“Right, because I can tell that’s what you’ve been doing since you got here.”
“Been watching me?”
Caught . Regrouping he reminded her, “I told you, I was keeping an eye on you for Charlotte.”
“I don’t need a babysitter. I’m on a date.”
“Date?” Russell felt a tic beginning to twitch on his face. “Is that what you call this?”
“No, what I call this is none of your business.” She narrowed her eyes and poked a finger in his chest. “Look, why don’t you do us both a favor and go away? I bet if you close your eyes and give me five seconds to hide, you won’t even notice I’m here. It’ll be just like Where’s Waldo . You can stay on your side of the room, and I’ll stay on mine.”
“What you do is my business.”
“Since when?”
“Since the night I fucked you.”
“Sorry.” She gave him a blank look. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t, do you?” His left eye began to twitch.
“Nope, sorry.”
“You’re going to be sorry all right.” Unable to help himself any longer, Russell took her upper arm in hand and pulled her out the garden doors. He had expected a bit of a fight, and although she definitely wasn’t going with him willingly, she didn’t cause a scene. She walked along with him, even smiling at the other party guests they passed. Once they were outside and away from witnesses, though, things swiftly changed.
“Let me go.”
“When I’m good and ready.”
“You’re good and ready now,” she said, tugging on her arm. Her movements were in vain, though, because as he told her several times previously, he was bigger and stronger than she was.
After a few unsuccessful tries on her part, she gave up, but not without letting out a long-suffering sigh beforehand, though. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere we can have privacy.”
“We don’t need privacy,” she muttered as she stomped alongside him. “The only thing we need is a two-by-four so I can smack
Tamara, unlike him, hadn’t been paying attention to his every move, apparently, because she jumped when he lightly touched her arm and spun around. “Oh. It’s just you.”
Just ! Russell didn’t like the sound of that at all. “Having fun?”
Tamara rolled her eyes and turned so she was facing toward the open garden doors and away from him. “Oh yeah. Loads. Can’t you tell? I’m partying like it’s 1999, cowboy style.” Sarcasm dripped from every word.
Russell was not amused. “Is that supposed to be a good thing?”
“Yes,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. “That is if you take out the whole Y2K fear. That part was pretty much of a downer.”
“Can you look at me when you’re talking to me?” He didn’t know why it bugged him. He just knew that it did.
“I can; I just choose not to.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t like you right now.”
He was as far away from like as he could get, but still, he didn’t want to be ignored. Her little act of rebellion was just pissing him off more and more. And as bad as Tamara might think she was, she was no match for him. Not at all.
“The feeling is pretty mutual.”
That got her attention. Turning to him, Tamara crossed her arms over her bountiful breasts and raised a finely arched brow. “Then keep on stepping. No one asked you to come make nice with me.”
“I’m just checking up on you, like I promised Charlotte.” Okay, promised was a bit strong of a word, and he didn’t exactly say it to Charlotte as he said it himself as he watched Tamara slip into Christian’s car.
“Why would you promise her that?”
“It seemed like the gentlemanly thing to do since you were going off with a man you hardly know to a party filled with people you don’t know.”
“And what on earth would you know about being gentlemanly?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She sighed heavily and dropped her arms back to her side. “Nothing. Just move on and let me enjoy myself.”
“Right, because I can tell that’s what you’ve been doing since you got here.”
“Been watching me?”
Caught . Regrouping he reminded her, “I told you, I was keeping an eye on you for Charlotte.”
“I don’t need a babysitter. I’m on a date.”
“Date?” Russell felt a tic beginning to twitch on his face. “Is that what you call this?”
“No, what I call this is none of your business.” She narrowed her eyes and poked a finger in his chest. “Look, why don’t you do us both a favor and go away? I bet if you close your eyes and give me five seconds to hide, you won’t even notice I’m here. It’ll be just like Where’s Waldo . You can stay on your side of the room, and I’ll stay on mine.”
“What you do is my business.”
“Since when?”
“Since the night I fucked you.”
“Sorry.” She gave him a blank look. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t, do you?” His left eye began to twitch.
“Nope, sorry.”
“You’re going to be sorry all right.” Unable to help himself any longer, Russell took her upper arm in hand and pulled her out the garden doors. He had expected a bit of a fight, and although she definitely wasn’t going with him willingly, she didn’t cause a scene. She walked along with him, even smiling at the other party guests they passed. Once they were outside and away from witnesses, though, things swiftly changed.
“Let me go.”
“When I’m good and ready.”
“You’re good and ready now,” she said, tugging on her arm. Her movements were in vain, though, because as he told her several times previously, he was bigger and stronger than she was.
After a few unsuccessful tries on her part, she gave up, but not without letting out a long-suffering sigh beforehand, though. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere we can have privacy.”
“We don’t need privacy,” she muttered as she stomped alongside him. “The only thing we need is a two-by-four so I can smack
Similar Books
