examining it for flaws.
‘For instance,’ he said breaking into her thoughts, ‘I’d like to understand why you react to me the way you do.’
Her stomach dipped as she eyed him warily. So much for enjoying the conversation. She had a feeling he was about to prod her back out of her complacent thoughts.
When she didn’t say anything he tilted his head to one side and contemplated her. ‘At first, I wondered if it was because you didn’t like me.’ He didn’t sound annoyed, just…meditative.
‘Did you?’ She took another quick sip to moisten her suddenly parched mouth.
He swirled his mug and stared into it as though an answer might be hidden in the hot tea. ‘But then I decided that couldn’t be the case.’
‘You—you did?’ She was unwillingly curious.
He lifted his eyes to focus on her; intelligence gleamed in his piercing look. He nodded slowly. ‘I realised you don’t know me well enough to dislike me.’
‘Oh.’ Not a question, but definitely something that required an answer of some sort. She fingered the handle of her mug as she debated what to say. After a moment, she slid a look at him. ‘Does that mean if I get to know you, it will be okay to dislike you then?’
He grinned his appreciation at the way she’d evaded a direct comment. ‘No, that’s not what I mean at all. When , not if , you get to know me, I’m sure you’ll be charmed by my wit and sparkling personality.’
‘And your modesty. Don’t forget that.’ Her biggest problem was that with his humorous approach he was charming her.
‘You bet. Faint hearts and fair ladies.’ He paused for a moment. ‘Would you agree you’re an open-minded person, Kayla? The sort who judges people on their merits?’
‘I try to be.’ But she knew she hadn’t been fair with him. She had a feeling he was about to call her on it.
‘Then why have you been giving me the cold shoulder?’
‘ Trying to give you the cold shoulder,’ she corrected, with a rueful smile. ‘I’ve been spectacularly unsuccessful.’
His lips twitched but other than that she could see he was waiting for an answer. She sighed. She’d give him one, but it wasn’t a good one.
‘It seemed the best way of handling you.’
‘Why?’ he asked softly.
‘It’s the way I deal with the unknown. I keep it at a distance.’
‘I’ve seen you meeting Jack and Liz’s other friends for the first time. No sign of frost then. Only when I’m around.’
So it hadn’t been her imagination. He had watched her at the social events. She rolled the body of her mug between her hands. His perception was unsettling. ‘That’s what I mean. You are the unknown. You’re not my…type.’
‘What type am I?’
Sexy, dangerous, masculine, threatening? Overwhelming? Larger than life? Much more man than she could handle? Impossible words and phrases paraded through her mind. She couldn’t say any of them. ‘Large. Dominant. In the police force.’
‘That’s the third time you’ve brought up my job. Interesting. You don’t seem the sort who’d have run foul of the law to build up that sort of prejudice.’ She waited for him to draw the inevitable conclusion. ‘So maybe your experience is a more personal one.’
Her hands were suddenly clammy against the stainless steel of the mug. She tried to think of something to change the subject.
‘Someone you went out with?’
‘Yes,’ she said reluctantly.
‘Close?’
She tightened her fingers around the mug. ‘We were engaged.’
‘Past tense.’ After a moment he added, ‘But perhaps not very past tense.’
‘No, not very.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he said softly, and tears prickled at the backs of her eyes. She’d thought she was all cried out over Keith. She was all cried out—it was Tom’s sympathy that was undoing her.
‘Don’t be.’ Her voice was husky with the choky feeling in her throat. ‘It was for the best.’
‘How long before you came up here?’
‘A couple of
‘For instance,’ he said breaking into her thoughts, ‘I’d like to understand why you react to me the way you do.’
Her stomach dipped as she eyed him warily. So much for enjoying the conversation. She had a feeling he was about to prod her back out of her complacent thoughts.
When she didn’t say anything he tilted his head to one side and contemplated her. ‘At first, I wondered if it was because you didn’t like me.’ He didn’t sound annoyed, just…meditative.
‘Did you?’ She took another quick sip to moisten her suddenly parched mouth.
He swirled his mug and stared into it as though an answer might be hidden in the hot tea. ‘But then I decided that couldn’t be the case.’
‘You—you did?’ She was unwillingly curious.
He lifted his eyes to focus on her; intelligence gleamed in his piercing look. He nodded slowly. ‘I realised you don’t know me well enough to dislike me.’
‘Oh.’ Not a question, but definitely something that required an answer of some sort. She fingered the handle of her mug as she debated what to say. After a moment, she slid a look at him. ‘Does that mean if I get to know you, it will be okay to dislike you then?’
He grinned his appreciation at the way she’d evaded a direct comment. ‘No, that’s not what I mean at all. When , not if , you get to know me, I’m sure you’ll be charmed by my wit and sparkling personality.’
‘And your modesty. Don’t forget that.’ Her biggest problem was that with his humorous approach he was charming her.
‘You bet. Faint hearts and fair ladies.’ He paused for a moment. ‘Would you agree you’re an open-minded person, Kayla? The sort who judges people on their merits?’
‘I try to be.’ But she knew she hadn’t been fair with him. She had a feeling he was about to call her on it.
‘Then why have you been giving me the cold shoulder?’
‘ Trying to give you the cold shoulder,’ she corrected, with a rueful smile. ‘I’ve been spectacularly unsuccessful.’
His lips twitched but other than that she could see he was waiting for an answer. She sighed. She’d give him one, but it wasn’t a good one.
‘It seemed the best way of handling you.’
‘Why?’ he asked softly.
‘It’s the way I deal with the unknown. I keep it at a distance.’
‘I’ve seen you meeting Jack and Liz’s other friends for the first time. No sign of frost then. Only when I’m around.’
So it hadn’t been her imagination. He had watched her at the social events. She rolled the body of her mug between her hands. His perception was unsettling. ‘That’s what I mean. You are the unknown. You’re not my…type.’
‘What type am I?’
Sexy, dangerous, masculine, threatening? Overwhelming? Larger than life? Much more man than she could handle? Impossible words and phrases paraded through her mind. She couldn’t say any of them. ‘Large. Dominant. In the police force.’
‘That’s the third time you’ve brought up my job. Interesting. You don’t seem the sort who’d have run foul of the law to build up that sort of prejudice.’ She waited for him to draw the inevitable conclusion. ‘So maybe your experience is a more personal one.’
Her hands were suddenly clammy against the stainless steel of the mug. She tried to think of something to change the subject.
‘Someone you went out with?’
‘Yes,’ she said reluctantly.
‘Close?’
She tightened her fingers around the mug. ‘We were engaged.’
‘Past tense.’ After a moment he added, ‘But perhaps not very past tense.’
‘No, not very.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he said softly, and tears prickled at the backs of her eyes. She’d thought she was all cried out over Keith. She was all cried out—it was Tom’s sympathy that was undoing her.
‘Don’t be.’ Her voice was husky with the choky feeling in her throat. ‘It was for the best.’
‘How long before you came up here?’
‘A couple of
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