Gentle Pirate by Jayne Castle

arm closed around her waist, hoisted her unceremoniously into the air, and then set her down as if she were a bag of groceries. By the time she caught her breath the door had been firmly closed and Simon was standing between it and Kirsten, eyes glittering with laughter and something else. Something that really awakened the fear within her. With all the dignity she could muster, Kirsten refused to let it show.
    "Relax, honey. I'm not going to hurt you," he soothed.
    Kirsten absorbed the rocklike stance he had adopted in front of her and closed her hands into small fists.
    "Simon, this is my place," she whispered as coolly as possible. "I want you to leave. You have no right acting like this!" Then the coolness seeped out of her tone to be replaced by a touch of demanding defiance. "Isn't there any trace of the gentleman in you?"
    "Why do you bother to ask? You've already decided there isn't, haven't you?" He smiled coldly, the warmth fading from those eyes, but not the intention. The little twist of fear inside Kirsten grew. Simon came forward slowly, forcing her to back into the living room. Beyond him the door was so inviting… She began weighing her chances.
    "Don't bother, Kirsten." he told her off-handedly. "I'll catch you before you take three steps."
    She surrendered the possibility of that escape route and, turning, stalked farther into the room. With a certain grim calculation, she mentally ticked off the various appeals left to try.
    "This is still a small town in many ways, Simon, even if it has been growing so rapidly lately. I know my neighbors and there will be gossip if you stay here. You can count on it reaching Silco, too!" She went to stand in front of the fish tank. Thank God the vandals hadn't used a hammer on it, she thought feelingly. It was calming to watch Jeremiah the Algae Eater going about his business of keeping the tank sides clean.
    Simon came to stand behind her, not touching. "We needn't concern ourselves with gossip, honey. Your friends will understand that I couldn't leave you alone after what's happened."
    "And how am I supposed to explain the fact that you appeared on my doorstep at one o'clock in the morning when everyone knows I had a date with Ben?" Kirsten hissed angrily, still watching the graceful motions of the fish. "For that matter, what the hell were you doing there-here-at that hour?" She hugged her arms around herself again and flinched as his hand touched her hair lightly, almost appealingly. Automatically, Kirsten corrected herself. Simon Kendrick would never plead for anything. Much less a woman's attention. The impressions she'd had briefly when she'd opened the door earlier and again just now when he stroked her hair were false ones. He probably cultivated that particular approach to put unsuspecting women off their guard!
    "I told you, I came to return your earring," Simon said softly, fingers entwining themselves more deeply in her hair.
    "I don't believe you. It could have been returned on Monday at work."
    "I also wanted to talk to you…"
    "You could have called in the morning. Simon, stop lying to me! Do you think I'm a fool? What is it about me that makes men think they can treat me…" Kirsten broke off and whirled to face her tormentor, jerking her hair loose from his fingers. "Why are you here, Simon Kendrick?" She wished mightily she didn't have to look up so far in order to meet his eyes.
    "I'm here for all the reasons I told you. Kirsten." he began, eyes stern and a fine degree of roughness in the deep tones of his voice. "I'd never, ever lie to you. But I do admit there was another reason."
    "I can't believe you're so desperate for a woman that you would set out to annoy an employee!" she blazed, trying desperately to forestall any protestations of desire from him.
    "I'm not desperate for just any woman," he growled, wrapping his huge hand around the back of her neck and holding her absolutely immobile while his eyes bored into hers. "I want you," he added