she was about to make that two. Landon was close enough to being the second, and even he was a risk she hadn’t wanted to take.
“Consider me warned.” He cupped her cheek and thoroughly kissed her until her body melded against his before he pulled away. “Unless you want me to take you again, I suggest you get dressed.”
He tapped her on the ass and moved out of the doorway and into the room, where he struggled one-handed with the zipper on his bag and getting his clothes out.
“Reed, we should talk.”
“No need,” he said, sitting on the bed, trying to maneuver his track pants up his legs. “I heard you loud and clear.” He rose and pulled the pants up to his waist. “You don’t do relationships. That’s your right.”
He grabbed a T-shirt out of his bag and slid it up his bandaged arm before twisting to get it over the rest of his body. “My right is to try and convince you otherwise.”
“Reed, you’re wasting your time.” She tossed her towel at him before stomping over to her bag and yanking out her clothes. The man infuriated her. The ending would be the same, no matter what tactics he tried to implement.
“It’s my time to waste.” With a smile on his lips, Reed watched her dress.
“I’m not going to fall for you.” She glanced at him as she pulled up her panties and jeans. “I’m not the falling type. You picked the wrong girl.” Her words were ice cold, and her resolve just as frozen. She wouldn’t give him an inch, no matter what her body and her heart wanted. Not now, not ever.
“I heard you, princess.”
Princess? He did not just call her princess. She snapped her gaze to his and bit the inside of her cheek, trying to hold back a snappy retort that was at the tip of her tongue. “Reed, you’re a nice guy.”
“I don’t want to be nice. They finish last.”
“You’ll find a girl back home that wants to spend time with you, one that will swoon and fall at your feet. One that’s looking for a serious relationship.” The words left a sour taste in her mouth, but she pushed through. “And when you do, you’ll fall madly in love and live your happily ever after.” She pulled her shirt on and straightened her shoulders. “I’m happy with my life just the way it is. It’s easier this way.”
He gave a little nod, grabbed his backpack, and slung it over his good shoulder. “You don’t have to beat a dead horse, Avery. I heard you loud and clear; let’s call a truce. Agree to disagree. You’ll come around. I think you just need more time to admit that we’d be good together.” He glanced up at her. “In and out of bed.”
She’d never admit it, even if there was a smidgen of truth to his words.
Chapter 8
After dinner, Avery stood on the back patio with a coffee cup in hand as she watched the moon dip below the horizon. She sipped her coffee, letting the warmth spread down her throat and into her system. She’d almost lost Reed, and knew damn well it was due to the danger she’d led him into.
“Don’t beat yourself up. Reed’s going to be fine,” Emily said, closing the door behind her. “He’s a tough guy, just like his brother.”
Avery shook her head. “He’s nothing like his brother. Landon is serious, whereas everything is a game to Reed.” Avery rested her head back and looked up at the blanket of stars covering the Texas sky. “I should have sent him home the minute he had arrived. He’s not cut out for this.”
Emily leaned against a post and lifted her mug to her lips. “Something tells me you couldn’t have stopped him if you had tried.”
“I could have tied him up.” Avery chuckled. “I could have told his sister. There were a hundred ways I could have made him stay.”
Emily walked over to her and patted her back. “You know, he wasn’t interested when I came on to him. You should have seen his face.” She chuckled. “He’s got it bad, and I think you do too.”
Avery shook her head at the
“Consider me warned.” He cupped her cheek and thoroughly kissed her until her body melded against his before he pulled away. “Unless you want me to take you again, I suggest you get dressed.”
He tapped her on the ass and moved out of the doorway and into the room, where he struggled one-handed with the zipper on his bag and getting his clothes out.
“Reed, we should talk.”
“No need,” he said, sitting on the bed, trying to maneuver his track pants up his legs. “I heard you loud and clear.” He rose and pulled the pants up to his waist. “You don’t do relationships. That’s your right.”
He grabbed a T-shirt out of his bag and slid it up his bandaged arm before twisting to get it over the rest of his body. “My right is to try and convince you otherwise.”
“Reed, you’re wasting your time.” She tossed her towel at him before stomping over to her bag and yanking out her clothes. The man infuriated her. The ending would be the same, no matter what tactics he tried to implement.
“It’s my time to waste.” With a smile on his lips, Reed watched her dress.
“I’m not going to fall for you.” She glanced at him as she pulled up her panties and jeans. “I’m not the falling type. You picked the wrong girl.” Her words were ice cold, and her resolve just as frozen. She wouldn’t give him an inch, no matter what her body and her heart wanted. Not now, not ever.
“I heard you, princess.”
Princess? He did not just call her princess. She snapped her gaze to his and bit the inside of her cheek, trying to hold back a snappy retort that was at the tip of her tongue. “Reed, you’re a nice guy.”
“I don’t want to be nice. They finish last.”
“You’ll find a girl back home that wants to spend time with you, one that will swoon and fall at your feet. One that’s looking for a serious relationship.” The words left a sour taste in her mouth, but she pushed through. “And when you do, you’ll fall madly in love and live your happily ever after.” She pulled her shirt on and straightened her shoulders. “I’m happy with my life just the way it is. It’s easier this way.”
He gave a little nod, grabbed his backpack, and slung it over his good shoulder. “You don’t have to beat a dead horse, Avery. I heard you loud and clear; let’s call a truce. Agree to disagree. You’ll come around. I think you just need more time to admit that we’d be good together.” He glanced up at her. “In and out of bed.”
She’d never admit it, even if there was a smidgen of truth to his words.
Chapter 8
After dinner, Avery stood on the back patio with a coffee cup in hand as she watched the moon dip below the horizon. She sipped her coffee, letting the warmth spread down her throat and into her system. She’d almost lost Reed, and knew damn well it was due to the danger she’d led him into.
“Don’t beat yourself up. Reed’s going to be fine,” Emily said, closing the door behind her. “He’s a tough guy, just like his brother.”
Avery shook her head. “He’s nothing like his brother. Landon is serious, whereas everything is a game to Reed.” Avery rested her head back and looked up at the blanket of stars covering the Texas sky. “I should have sent him home the minute he had arrived. He’s not cut out for this.”
Emily leaned against a post and lifted her mug to her lips. “Something tells me you couldn’t have stopped him if you had tried.”
“I could have tied him up.” Avery chuckled. “I could have told his sister. There were a hundred ways I could have made him stay.”
Emily walked over to her and patted her back. “You know, he wasn’t interested when I came on to him. You should have seen his face.” She chuckled. “He’s got it bad, and I think you do too.”
Avery shook her head at the
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