pocket as he walked back to his truck.
She should have gone inside to make sure Lily was awake and on her way to school, but instead she tromped across the property line to have a discussion with her temporary neighbor. Gripping the complaint in her hand, she went to the front door and rang the doorbell, over and over again, putting all her anger behind each push.
He didn't answer.
So he was a coward in addition to being a bastard. Eyes narrowed, she glared into the front windows. There wasn't any sign of anyone.
His car was here though, so he had to be somewhere. She went around the house, to the back. She stared at the back door, wondering if it were open and if she should go in to find him.
No, he'd probably have her arrested for breaking and entering. Snorting, she turned.
Her eye caught on the path that led to the pond, at the rear of the property. For some reason, she decided to follow it.
Sure enough, he was sitting on a bench back there, a mug in his hand, looking all together too peaceful.
Not for long. She marched over to him, standing in front of him.
He looked up, looking both pleased and wary to see her.
She was not going to be distracted by his blue eyes. Hands on her hips, she glared at him. As she opened her mouth, she was horrified that tears filled her eyes. "Oh shit."
" Oh shit ," he echoed, looking alarmed as he stood. "Are you going to cry?"
"I hate crying." She sniffed and wiped her cheeks. "This is your fault."
At least he had the grace to look ashamed. "I really—"
"How could you do it? Do you even understand what you've done?"
He held his hands up. "I don't—"
"You could cost me my dance studio."
His brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"This." She stuck the violation in his face.
He leaned his head back as though trying to focus on it. He took it from her, his eyes narrowing as he read it. Then he mumbled a curse under his breath and lowered the page. "Listen, I didn't want this to happen."
"And yet you ratted me out."
"I didn't rat you out." He frowned. "Well, I guess technically I may have."
"Technically? The work is all stopped, and I don't know when it'll start up again." She wanted to scream. She wanted to grab him and shake him. "You may not realize this, but it's more than a dance studio. It's the potential of who I am, and you're trying to take it away from me."
"Look"—he held his hand out—"I'm going to be gone in a couple weeks, and then you can do whatever you like."
"It's not that simple, because I may not be able to renovate if they decide not to give me the permits now that I've broken the law." Her voice raised, but she didn't care. She pointed at him. "You're a selfish man, and you suck."
"I'm sorry—"
"No, you're not. Don't lie to me." She stood toe-to-toe with him, staring him in the eye.
"I'm just—"
"I'm sick of lying men, and I'm sick of another man deciding my destiny for me. That fucker Charles did it, and now you're trying to do it. But you know what?" She poked him in the chest. Then she poked him again for good measure. "I. Won't. Allow. It."
He gazed down at her intently.
She scowled. "Well? Are you going to stand there like a lump?"
"I'm listening to the melody of your voice."
Her eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to mess with me?"
"Who's Charles?" he asked suddenly.
She startled out of her anger by the change of subject. "My ex-husband."
"I hate him already," he said, reaching out as if he were going to touch her.
Oddly, she still wanted him to touch her, which was more startling than his question, because he was the last person on earth she should want.
Eleanor took a step back, gathering her anger around her. Better that than kissing a perfidious fucker. "I won't be cowed, you know."
"I wouldn't imagine that you would," he murmured, putting a hand in his pocket.
"And I won't be stopped. This is war." Glaring at him, she marched back to her house and slammed the door as loudly as she could.
And then she
She should have gone inside to make sure Lily was awake and on her way to school, but instead she tromped across the property line to have a discussion with her temporary neighbor. Gripping the complaint in her hand, she went to the front door and rang the doorbell, over and over again, putting all her anger behind each push.
He didn't answer.
So he was a coward in addition to being a bastard. Eyes narrowed, she glared into the front windows. There wasn't any sign of anyone.
His car was here though, so he had to be somewhere. She went around the house, to the back. She stared at the back door, wondering if it were open and if she should go in to find him.
No, he'd probably have her arrested for breaking and entering. Snorting, she turned.
Her eye caught on the path that led to the pond, at the rear of the property. For some reason, she decided to follow it.
Sure enough, he was sitting on a bench back there, a mug in his hand, looking all together too peaceful.
Not for long. She marched over to him, standing in front of him.
He looked up, looking both pleased and wary to see her.
She was not going to be distracted by his blue eyes. Hands on her hips, she glared at him. As she opened her mouth, she was horrified that tears filled her eyes. "Oh shit."
" Oh shit ," he echoed, looking alarmed as he stood. "Are you going to cry?"
"I hate crying." She sniffed and wiped her cheeks. "This is your fault."
At least he had the grace to look ashamed. "I really—"
"How could you do it? Do you even understand what you've done?"
He held his hands up. "I don't—"
"You could cost me my dance studio."
His brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"This." She stuck the violation in his face.
He leaned his head back as though trying to focus on it. He took it from her, his eyes narrowing as he read it. Then he mumbled a curse under his breath and lowered the page. "Listen, I didn't want this to happen."
"And yet you ratted me out."
"I didn't rat you out." He frowned. "Well, I guess technically I may have."
"Technically? The work is all stopped, and I don't know when it'll start up again." She wanted to scream. She wanted to grab him and shake him. "You may not realize this, but it's more than a dance studio. It's the potential of who I am, and you're trying to take it away from me."
"Look"—he held his hand out—"I'm going to be gone in a couple weeks, and then you can do whatever you like."
"It's not that simple, because I may not be able to renovate if they decide not to give me the permits now that I've broken the law." Her voice raised, but she didn't care. She pointed at him. "You're a selfish man, and you suck."
"I'm sorry—"
"No, you're not. Don't lie to me." She stood toe-to-toe with him, staring him in the eye.
"I'm just—"
"I'm sick of lying men, and I'm sick of another man deciding my destiny for me. That fucker Charles did it, and now you're trying to do it. But you know what?" She poked him in the chest. Then she poked him again for good measure. "I. Won't. Allow. It."
He gazed down at her intently.
She scowled. "Well? Are you going to stand there like a lump?"
"I'm listening to the melody of your voice."
Her eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to mess with me?"
"Who's Charles?" he asked suddenly.
She startled out of her anger by the change of subject. "My ex-husband."
"I hate him already," he said, reaching out as if he were going to touch her.
Oddly, she still wanted him to touch her, which was more startling than his question, because he was the last person on earth she should want.
Eleanor took a step back, gathering her anger around her. Better that than kissing a perfidious fucker. "I won't be cowed, you know."
"I wouldn't imagine that you would," he murmured, putting a hand in his pocket.
"And I won't be stopped. This is war." Glaring at him, she marched back to her house and slammed the door as loudly as she could.
And then she
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