The Tycoon's Resistant Lover by Elizabeth Lennox Page B

moment. She was so hurt by his reaction and had to fight back the tears caused by his heartless laughter at her expense. She stood in the middle of her office just taking in deep breaths, trying to calm down and smother the hurt his laughter had caused her.
    She would not cry, she told herself and sniffed, blinking rapidly to stop any errant tears that might decide to fall and reveal to that horrible man how much he’d just wounded her. She’d had sex for the very first time and he had laughed! What a rude, disgusting man! How could she have entrusted her first time to him?
    Well, there hadn’t been any ‘entrusting’ going on, she reminded herself. If she’d been thinking, she would have locked him out of her gallery and never spoken to him again. But there was just some mind-numbing chemistry between the two of them that shut down her thinking and reasoning processes whenever he came close to her.
    So the trick was to make sure he didn’t come close! That’s all. Easily done, she said, trying to give herself a pep talk. She’d agreed both yesterday and today to meet with him, despite her better judgment and both times she’d ended up in his arms. Apparently, that was a very bad place to be, especially when she was vulnerable, such as after her first sexual experience. That laughter was a cold slap in the face and she would do well to remember that the next time he asked for any of her personal time.
    “What’s taking you so long?” James asked, standing in her doorway and casually surveying her personal sanctuary. Then he noticed the bright eyes and something twisted in his gut. “What’s wrong, Jules?” he asked softly, moving over towards her and taking her in his arms.
    Julianna couldn’t believe how crass he was! He’d laughed at her and then expected her to just fall right back into his arms? “Don’t touch me!” she yelled at him, taking a step back and raising her hands so he couldn’t reach them.
    James halted, a shocked expression on his face. “Julianna?”
    She shook her head and closed her eyes. “Just leave me alone,” she said with a bit more dignity, but her voice was shaking and her hands curled into fists. She crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath. Remembering her manners at the last moment, she added, “Just go. Please.”
    James put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Not until you tell me what happened to the passionate woman of ten minutes ago. Surely you can’t be regretting what we shared already.”
    “I do,” she spat out and turned away, curling her arms around her stomach and bowing her head so he couldn’t see her lip tremble, fighting the need to cry out her hurt from his cruel words.
    “What the hell is going on, Julianna? What happened between the bottom of the stairs and now? Besides you….” He stopped and thought back to their conversation…and his subsequent reaction. When he remembered his exhilaration and how he showed that feeling, he finally understood. Rubbing his hand over his face, he couldn’t believe what an idiot he’d been.
    “Damn!” he said softly. “I’m sorry, Jules,” he said and moved closer, not touching her, but standing close enough to smell her soft perfume and the flowery scent of her hair. “I laughed and you’re hurt. And I’m sorry, but it isn’t what you think.”
    Her whole body stiffened because he’d brought up his laughter, and his voice was so gentle and deep. That tone was breaking through her humiliation, just a crack and she was shuddering from the exertion of trying to not throw herself into his arms and pound her fists against his massive chest in punishment. “Just leave me alone,” she said and hated the fact that she sniffed, revealing just how close to tears she actually was.
    James sighed heavily, already regretting his outburst since it caused her this much pain. “I didn’t laugh because you were a virgin, Julianna. I laughed because I was delighted that you would share