Shades of Grey by Natalie Dae and Sam Crescent Page B

that forced her to rebuff help from any man. But, hell, if she pulled away now…
    “I don’t want you to care for me,” she whispered.
    “Why the hell not?” He swallowed, throat tight. “What’s so bad in letting me help you every now and then?”
    “Every now and then. That’s why. I can’t just have you every now and then, and that’s all it would be, isn’t it?”
    “Why would you think that?” Had someone in her past loved and left her? Used her? He didn’t know—didn’t know much about her because she gave very little away. When she’d cried earlier, let out whatever emotions she’d been holding in, he’d thought he’d made some headway. Her icy veneer had turned to water—it had washed away whatever sorrows made her seem so cold and angry most of the time, only for them to return now—mistrust the main culprit if her words were anything to go by.
    “Because you’re a man,” she said.
    “I don’t understand.” He frowned. What bastard had upset her apart from Clark? If he got his hands on them… The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Fuck, he didn’t need that now. He willed himself not to shift, to remain a man so he wouldn’t scare her shitless, make her even more wary.
    “Men don’t want bossy women like me. They want someone they can control. Who’ll do as they’re told.”
    He threw his head back and laughed then, loud and hearty. The danger of him shifting disappeared. “You think I don’t know I can’t control you? Shit, the arguments we’ve had would tell anyone you’re a stubborn woman who wants things all her own way.”
    “You really think that?” She furrowed her brow.
    “Well, don’t you?”
    She nipped her bottom lip with her teeth, thinking, he’d bet, and he took the time to caress her some more, softly, with no rush. She felt fine, so damn fine, and she didn’t move away, didn’t look uncomfortable from what he was doing. That was something, wasn’t it? A start?
    “Is that how I come across?” she asked, running a fingertip around the neck of his T-shirt.
    Her skin met the dip below his Adam’s apple for a second, and he held his breath. Fuck, his cock and bollocks ached. He could taste her on his tongue and wanted another sample, but kissing her now wouldn’t wipe the creases from her forehead and the hurt from her eyes.
    “Kind of.” He rushed on. “But it isn’t a bad thing to want your independence, and I understand it must be hard allowing other people to help you out when you’ve been used to doing it all yourself. The men working for you—that’s different, I get that. But a man around the house? Yeah, I can see why that would get your back up. But I’m here for you. I’ll help you out when the work day is done.”
    “I can’t—”
    “You can, honey. It doesn’t make you weak. Think of it as delegating. You’re the boss. You can ask the men for help by way of giving orders if it makes you feel better. Anything to take the load off you, give you more time to devote to this place. You pay them, for fuck’s sake. They’ll be earning at the same time as doing what you usually do out there. Your house needs sorting out—it won’t be long before it gets dangerous to live here. We’ve got a hard winter coming on. What if you tell the other men I’m on house duty? That you’re paying me to fix it up?”
    “I suppose…”
    “And as for Macy Jo’s.” He kissed her soundly before she could say anything then eased back to look down at her. “I don’t have to go in with you, but I can wait outside. Look through the window, see if things get nasty. Right?”
    She nodded, eyelids growing heavy.
    “It’s been a bad day, Sarah, honey. How about you go out there and tell the men to take the rest of the day off? I can make sure the horses are stabled. If you go lay on the sofa, you’ll be rested enough for tonight.” He eased off on holding her so tightly. “Did you feel that?”
    “What?” She frowned again.
    “There