mid-section. “I’m not going anywhere, Cara. You’re going to have to try a hellof a lot harder than that.”
“I’m not going to hit you,” she whispered, her fist still pressed hard against his abs.
“Then kiss me.”
That wasn’t what he’d meant to say. But when she gasped and her gaze flew back to his face, he couldn’t regret it. Yes, he thought. Kiss me. Punch me. Make me feel anything other than this empty fucking ache.
In the distance, thunder rumbled in warning.
Cara’slips parted and her eyes widened in shock. After last night, she couldn’t be surprised that he wanted her to kiss him, could she?
On the other hand, this was the second time in as many days that he’d made his desire pretty fucking clear and she’d shot him down. So who was the clueless idiot, really?
He needed to go into town. He dropped her wrist, ignoring the way she swayed slightly into him.“Never mind. I have to go.”
“Mick…” she trailed off, her voice sliding into nothingness. Her eyes darkened as she stared into his face. “Maybe after we hear something.”
He laughed. “You’re not going to want to have anything to do with me then.”
She jutted her chin out as she crossed her arms and stepped back a step. Two steps. Whatever moment they’d just shared was over. He could practicallyhear the vault doors slam shut.
Screw her, then. He didn’t need any extra drama. He shook his head. “You’re a stubborn—”
“Don’t,” she said, unexpected steel making that one word solid. Vault, indeed. “Whatever you were going to say. Just…don’t.”
He frowned. “You think I’d call you a name?”
She looked down at the ground. “I think you’d do anything to throw me off-kilter.”
The only way he wantedto disrupt her life was throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her off to that stupid tent so he could get as far under her skin as she was under his.
But his infatuation was clearly one-sided.
And stupid as fuck.
He snarled something that he’d meant to be a laugh but probably ended up sounding feral. Rude.
Right on target for her impression of him.
With a calm he definitely wasn’t feelingfor real, he turned and stalked as quickly as he could around the house.
He needed coffee, the internet, and a new supply of beer. All before the storm rolled in, or his head exploded, whichever came first.
SEVEN
C ARASTAREDDUMBLYAS M ICKTWISTEDONHISHEELANDDISAPPEARED .
Come back , she wanted to cry out. Come back and I’ll kiss that pissed-off look right off your face. But she’d screwed that up, pushing him away for the second time.
She wouldn’t get a third shot at a kiss. She knew that to her very core.
It was for the best, she told herself, but the way her body felt cleaved in two,a raw tear right down her centre, she wasn’t convinced.
Worse, she’d insulted him. It was a knee-jerk reaction to having been treated poorly in the past, and when she thought about it, maybe in the present, too. Every interaction she had with Mick set her past so-called relationships with men in stark contrast.
No man had never commanded her to kiss him. Had never teased her or even made herdinner. Never made her feel a fraction of the crazy roller coaster of emotions that Mick had created in her.
God, what a mess.
She stared out at the sea. It looked like this storm might blow past. They’d get some rain, though, so painting was out. With a sigh, she headed back inside. She triple-checked that the work orders were posted outside each door, just in case anyone came by to work, thenstuck a note on the front door that she’d gone into town.
With any luck, she’d be back before Mick returned and he’d never be the wiser that she’d left.
A hot flush of anger flooded through her body. She did too leave. Just because she was staking an active claim on the plantation didn’t mean that she was psychotic.
Maybe she would stay away for the afternoon. Show him that she didn’t care.
What was the
“I’m not going to hit you,” she whispered, her fist still pressed hard against his abs.
“Then kiss me.”
That wasn’t what he’d meant to say. But when she gasped and her gaze flew back to his face, he couldn’t regret it. Yes, he thought. Kiss me. Punch me. Make me feel anything other than this empty fucking ache.
In the distance, thunder rumbled in warning.
Cara’slips parted and her eyes widened in shock. After last night, she couldn’t be surprised that he wanted her to kiss him, could she?
On the other hand, this was the second time in as many days that he’d made his desire pretty fucking clear and she’d shot him down. So who was the clueless idiot, really?
He needed to go into town. He dropped her wrist, ignoring the way she swayed slightly into him.“Never mind. I have to go.”
“Mick…” she trailed off, her voice sliding into nothingness. Her eyes darkened as she stared into his face. “Maybe after we hear something.”
He laughed. “You’re not going to want to have anything to do with me then.”
She jutted her chin out as she crossed her arms and stepped back a step. Two steps. Whatever moment they’d just shared was over. He could practicallyhear the vault doors slam shut.
Screw her, then. He didn’t need any extra drama. He shook his head. “You’re a stubborn—”
“Don’t,” she said, unexpected steel making that one word solid. Vault, indeed. “Whatever you were going to say. Just…don’t.”
He frowned. “You think I’d call you a name?”
She looked down at the ground. “I think you’d do anything to throw me off-kilter.”
The only way he wantedto disrupt her life was throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her off to that stupid tent so he could get as far under her skin as she was under his.
But his infatuation was clearly one-sided.
And stupid as fuck.
He snarled something that he’d meant to be a laugh but probably ended up sounding feral. Rude.
Right on target for her impression of him.
With a calm he definitely wasn’t feelingfor real, he turned and stalked as quickly as he could around the house.
He needed coffee, the internet, and a new supply of beer. All before the storm rolled in, or his head exploded, whichever came first.
SEVEN
C ARASTAREDDUMBLYAS M ICKTWISTEDONHISHEELANDDISAPPEARED .
Come back , she wanted to cry out. Come back and I’ll kiss that pissed-off look right off your face. But she’d screwed that up, pushing him away for the second time.
She wouldn’t get a third shot at a kiss. She knew that to her very core.
It was for the best, she told herself, but the way her body felt cleaved in two,a raw tear right down her centre, she wasn’t convinced.
Worse, she’d insulted him. It was a knee-jerk reaction to having been treated poorly in the past, and when she thought about it, maybe in the present, too. Every interaction she had with Mick set her past so-called relationships with men in stark contrast.
No man had never commanded her to kiss him. Had never teased her or even made herdinner. Never made her feel a fraction of the crazy roller coaster of emotions that Mick had created in her.
God, what a mess.
She stared out at the sea. It looked like this storm might blow past. They’d get some rain, though, so painting was out. With a sigh, she headed back inside. She triple-checked that the work orders were posted outside each door, just in case anyone came by to work, thenstuck a note on the front door that she’d gone into town.
With any luck, she’d be back before Mick returned and he’d never be the wiser that she’d left.
A hot flush of anger flooded through her body. She did too leave. Just because she was staking an active claim on the plantation didn’t mean that she was psychotic.
Maybe she would stay away for the afternoon. Show him that she didn’t care.
What was the
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