you upside the head.”
“Right.” Russell stopped outside another set of French doors and tested the handle. When it turned, he smiled for the first time tonight. Finally, something was going his way. “In here.”
“Where are we?”
Russell felt along the wall until he felt a light switch to flip. It only took a few seconds before he found and turned it on, bathing the room in a soft, ambient light. The leather furniture and massive desk could only mean one thing. “The study.”
“Great. There should be something in here I can hit you with.”
“If anyone gets hit tonight, sweetheart, I assure you, it won’t be me.” Russell locked the door behind him and released her, satisfied that she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. There were only two doors into the room, one was at his back, and the other was across the room. Either way, Tamara had to go through him.
“You’re a bully.”
“And you’re a brat.” One he wanted to throw over his shoulder and take to bed at this very moment.
“If you don’t like me, if you think I’m a brat, why the hell are you going out of your way to talk to me?”
“Because you infuriate me.”
She furrowed her brow. “That makes absolutely no sense.”
“It doesn’t have to.” He wasn’t like those guys on television who wanted to talk about their feelings. In fact, he didn’t want to even admit he had feelings, let alone analyze them.
“You’re such a…guy.”
What the fuck was that supposed to mean ? “Is that supposed to be an insult?”
“No, what’s insulting is you telling me about your date three seconds after you get out of my bed.”
“It’s not a date.”
“Sure looks like one from where I’m standing.”
“Then take a few steps to the left and rub your eyes, sweetheart, because you’re seeing things.”
“Whatever. It doesn’t matter.” She made a move to grab the handle, but he pushed her hand away, much to her obvious annoyance. “Damn it, move.” Tamara spun around and shoved her hands against his chest, pushing him back a few steps.
“If it doesn’t matter, then why are you so upset?” He wasn’t going to let this go. He was going to push and push until he got an answer that held even the slightest hint of truth.
“I’m upset with myself for sleeping with you, if you must know!” she yelled.
Her answer set him back a second. It didn’t make any sense, but he could tell she was being real with him. “Why?”
“Because it was a stupid thing to do. You’d think by now that I’d know better than to jump in bed with a man just because I like his looks.”
“That’s not the only reason you slept with me.” Russell didn’t like that she was comparing him to other men she’d bedded. He was nothing like them.
“Really? Because I can’t think of another.” She placed a hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side. “Let’s not kid each other, Russell. The two of us have nothing in common.”
“Except for the mad chemistry we feel for one another.”
“Chemistry is just chemistry.” Her voice was filled with exasperation. She shook her head slowly as if he was dim and dropped her arm back to her side. “Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Why are you here?”
Tamara gave him a pointed look. “Because you dragged me in here.” He could hear the word “Duh,” even though it wasn’t said.
She was missing his point on purpose. Of that he was sure. “No. This party. Why are you here?”
“Because I was invited.”
Russell took a step forward. “Not good enough.” The air around them vibrated with tension. They were both strong-willed people, and Russell knew that on this, neither would back down. Instead of irritating him, it intrigued him. What was it about this woman that made him want to spank and kiss her equally? “Why, Tamara?”
“What did I just say?”
“It doesn’t make sense.”
“It doesn’t have to.”
He took another step closer. “For me, it
“Right.” Russell stopped outside another set of French doors and tested the handle. When it turned, he smiled for the first time tonight. Finally, something was going his way. “In here.”
“Where are we?”
Russell felt along the wall until he felt a light switch to flip. It only took a few seconds before he found and turned it on, bathing the room in a soft, ambient light. The leather furniture and massive desk could only mean one thing. “The study.”
“Great. There should be something in here I can hit you with.”
“If anyone gets hit tonight, sweetheart, I assure you, it won’t be me.” Russell locked the door behind him and released her, satisfied that she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. There were only two doors into the room, one was at his back, and the other was across the room. Either way, Tamara had to go through him.
“You’re a bully.”
“And you’re a brat.” One he wanted to throw over his shoulder and take to bed at this very moment.
“If you don’t like me, if you think I’m a brat, why the hell are you going out of your way to talk to me?”
“Because you infuriate me.”
She furrowed her brow. “That makes absolutely no sense.”
“It doesn’t have to.” He wasn’t like those guys on television who wanted to talk about their feelings. In fact, he didn’t want to even admit he had feelings, let alone analyze them.
“You’re such a…guy.”
What the fuck was that supposed to mean ? “Is that supposed to be an insult?”
“No, what’s insulting is you telling me about your date three seconds after you get out of my bed.”
“It’s not a date.”
“Sure looks like one from where I’m standing.”
“Then take a few steps to the left and rub your eyes, sweetheart, because you’re seeing things.”
“Whatever. It doesn’t matter.” She made a move to grab the handle, but he pushed her hand away, much to her obvious annoyance. “Damn it, move.” Tamara spun around and shoved her hands against his chest, pushing him back a few steps.
“If it doesn’t matter, then why are you so upset?” He wasn’t going to let this go. He was going to push and push until he got an answer that held even the slightest hint of truth.
“I’m upset with myself for sleeping with you, if you must know!” she yelled.
Her answer set him back a second. It didn’t make any sense, but he could tell she was being real with him. “Why?”
“Because it was a stupid thing to do. You’d think by now that I’d know better than to jump in bed with a man just because I like his looks.”
“That’s not the only reason you slept with me.” Russell didn’t like that she was comparing him to other men she’d bedded. He was nothing like them.
“Really? Because I can’t think of another.” She placed a hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side. “Let’s not kid each other, Russell. The two of us have nothing in common.”
“Except for the mad chemistry we feel for one another.”
“Chemistry is just chemistry.” Her voice was filled with exasperation. She shook her head slowly as if he was dim and dropped her arm back to her side. “Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Why are you here?”
Tamara gave him a pointed look. “Because you dragged me in here.” He could hear the word “Duh,” even though it wasn’t said.
She was missing his point on purpose. Of that he was sure. “No. This party. Why are you here?”
“Because I was invited.”
Russell took a step forward. “Not good enough.” The air around them vibrated with tension. They were both strong-willed people, and Russell knew that on this, neither would back down. Instead of irritating him, it intrigued him. What was it about this woman that made him want to spank and kiss her equally? “Why, Tamara?”
“What did I just say?”
“It doesn’t make sense.”
“It doesn’t have to.”
He took another step closer. “For me, it
Similar Books
