adorable.”
It was a woman thing, he realized, and took a cautious step back. “You’ve got a problem with Regan?”
“Who could have a problem with Regan? We just wouldn’t work well together. And besides, I don’t want my art in your office.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“Because I don’t. I had time to think about it, and I decided I’m not interested.” She aimed a cool, level look at him. “All the way not interested, Jared. So beat it.”
He moved fast. Lawyer suit notwithstanding, she should have expected him to move fast. He had her up from her stool, his hand clamped on her arm, before she could blink.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t speak.
“I’ve told you not to grab me unless I ask you to.”
“Yeah, you’ve told me. You’ve told me a lot of things.” For the hell of it, he took a firm hold on her other arm and watched her eyes flame. “Now why don’t you tell me what’s going on here?”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you. You think because I let you kiss me a couple of times, I owe you? I’ve let plenty of men kiss me, Ace. And I don’t owe anyone.”
She’d aimed the arrow well. He felt it hit home, stunned by just how sharp the point was. “You owe me the courtesy of an explanation.”
“Courtesy doesn’t interest me.”
“Fine.” Then he wouldn’t let it stop him. He yanked her close and crushed his mouth to hers in an angry, frustrated kiss.
She didn’t struggle. Instinct warned her it would be worse if she struggled. Instead, she kept herself stiff and turned her mind off. Cold rejection, she knew, was more effective than heated protest.
But both her body and her mind betrayed her, and she trembled.
It thrilled him—that quick, involuntary shiver, that low, helpless moan. But temper was still sparking through him when he jerked away.
Her face was flushed, her breath fast. He knew by the look in her eyes that she wanted as he wanted. At the moment, that fact only infuriated him.
“I owed you that,” he said tightly. “Now you can tell me again how much you’re not interested.”
She was interested. Interested in having a man look at her, just once, the way she had seen Rafe look at Regan. And, oh, it was demoralizing to realize she had that vulnerable need inside her.
“In a quick tumble, Jared?” In a deliberately insulting gesture, she brushed her fingers over his cheek. “Sure, baby, when I’ve got the time.”
“Damn it, Savannah.”
“You see.” She sighed, shook her head. “I knew you’d take it personally. You’re the type. And like I said, that’s not my type. You’re terrific to look at, and you’ve got a lot of heat. But—” she lifted a hand, tugged on his tie “—just too traditional and by-the-book. Now, Lawyer MacKade, you know all about the laws against trespassing, the sanctity of someone’s home. I’m going to ask you real nice, since you like things real nice, to leave. You wouldn’t want me to have to call your brother, the big bad sheriff, would you?”
“What the hell has gotten into you?”
“A dose of reality. Now go away, Jared, before I stop asking nice.”
He’d be damned if he’d beg. Damned if he’d let her see that she’d wounded him where he’d never expectedto be wounded. Iron pride chilled his eyes. He turned and left without a word.
When she heard his car start, and the sound of it going down her lane, she sank back onto her stool and shut her eyes.
She gave Bryan permission for his promised sleep-over and enjoyed the noise and bother of two active boys lasting late into the night. She was in the bleachers on Saturday, cheering on her son and his team. And if she looked around now and again, scanning for a tall man with dark hair and green eyes, no one else knew.
At Cassie’s insistence, she dropped both boys at Connor’s late Saturday afternoon. Home alone, she paced the house, fidgeted in the quiet, and finally went back to work.
The queen was finished, but she still had
It was a woman thing, he realized, and took a cautious step back. “You’ve got a problem with Regan?”
“Who could have a problem with Regan? We just wouldn’t work well together. And besides, I don’t want my art in your office.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“Because I don’t. I had time to think about it, and I decided I’m not interested.” She aimed a cool, level look at him. “All the way not interested, Jared. So beat it.”
He moved fast. Lawyer suit notwithstanding, she should have expected him to move fast. He had her up from her stool, his hand clamped on her arm, before she could blink.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t speak.
“I’ve told you not to grab me unless I ask you to.”
“Yeah, you’ve told me. You’ve told me a lot of things.” For the hell of it, he took a firm hold on her other arm and watched her eyes flame. “Now why don’t you tell me what’s going on here?”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you. You think because I let you kiss me a couple of times, I owe you? I’ve let plenty of men kiss me, Ace. And I don’t owe anyone.”
She’d aimed the arrow well. He felt it hit home, stunned by just how sharp the point was. “You owe me the courtesy of an explanation.”
“Courtesy doesn’t interest me.”
“Fine.” Then he wouldn’t let it stop him. He yanked her close and crushed his mouth to hers in an angry, frustrated kiss.
She didn’t struggle. Instinct warned her it would be worse if she struggled. Instead, she kept herself stiff and turned her mind off. Cold rejection, she knew, was more effective than heated protest.
But both her body and her mind betrayed her, and she trembled.
It thrilled him—that quick, involuntary shiver, that low, helpless moan. But temper was still sparking through him when he jerked away.
Her face was flushed, her breath fast. He knew by the look in her eyes that she wanted as he wanted. At the moment, that fact only infuriated him.
“I owed you that,” he said tightly. “Now you can tell me again how much you’re not interested.”
She was interested. Interested in having a man look at her, just once, the way she had seen Rafe look at Regan. And, oh, it was demoralizing to realize she had that vulnerable need inside her.
“In a quick tumble, Jared?” In a deliberately insulting gesture, she brushed her fingers over his cheek. “Sure, baby, when I’ve got the time.”
“Damn it, Savannah.”
“You see.” She sighed, shook her head. “I knew you’d take it personally. You’re the type. And like I said, that’s not my type. You’re terrific to look at, and you’ve got a lot of heat. But—” she lifted a hand, tugged on his tie “—just too traditional and by-the-book. Now, Lawyer MacKade, you know all about the laws against trespassing, the sanctity of someone’s home. I’m going to ask you real nice, since you like things real nice, to leave. You wouldn’t want me to have to call your brother, the big bad sheriff, would you?”
“What the hell has gotten into you?”
“A dose of reality. Now go away, Jared, before I stop asking nice.”
He’d be damned if he’d beg. Damned if he’d let her see that she’d wounded him where he’d never expectedto be wounded. Iron pride chilled his eyes. He turned and left without a word.
When she heard his car start, and the sound of it going down her lane, she sank back onto her stool and shut her eyes.
She gave Bryan permission for his promised sleep-over and enjoyed the noise and bother of two active boys lasting late into the night. She was in the bleachers on Saturday, cheering on her son and his team. And if she looked around now and again, scanning for a tall man with dark hair and green eyes, no one else knew.
At Cassie’s insistence, she dropped both boys at Connor’s late Saturday afternoon. Home alone, she paced the house, fidgeted in the quiet, and finally went back to work.
The queen was finished, but she still had
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