Uncovering Annabelle by N. J. Walters Page A

always
renegotiate at a later date.
    “I don’t want anyone else to know about us.
That way, when we end our relationship, it’s nobody’s business but
ours.” She nervously chewed on her bottom lip, as if afraid he
wouldn’t agree to her terms.
    Stunned by her demand, Mike sat back in his
chair and studied her expression. She was aroused, but she was also
deadly serious. She’d certainly shocked him, something he hadn’t
thought possible. Annoyance began to simmer inside him. “Let me get
this straight. You want to have sex with me, but you don’t want to
have a real relationship.” And wasn’t that a kick in the balls.
    Most men would be thanking their lucky
stars. After all, what man wouldn’t want hot sex with a gorgeous
woman, no strings attached? But he wasn’t most men and this was
Annabelle. What he wanted from her went beyond the physical.
    He felt like his head might explode when she
smiled and nodded. The muscles in his arms were straining as he
resisted the temptation to pull her to her feet and shake her until
she came to her senses. The fact that she looked relieved only
served to heighten his anger. “Why the hell not?”
    Annabelle reared back in her seat and
frowned, clearly taken aback by his angry outburst. Her eyes
widened and she shifted nervously in her seat. So she should, he
thought. How dare she try to cheapen what they had together? Not
that she had any idea where he wanted their relationship to go.
Obviously they weren’t on the same page at all when it came to what
they both wanted.
    Their role reversal was almost laughable,
but Mike seemed to have momentarily misplaced his sense of humor.
She wanted nothing more than hot sex while he wanted a whole hell
of a lot more.
    “Well.” Annabelle glanced around to make
sure the waiter wasn’t nearby. She chewed on her bottom lip,
something he’d noticed was a nervous habit. Watching her teeth play
over her lip, Mike had the sudden urge to nibble on that luscious
mouth himself. He would need hours to properly explore it.
    “If people know about us, then when you
don’t want me anymore, people will pity me and talk about me. I
know this isn’t about marriage, I like my job, and the town
. . .” Annabelle trailed off into silence, suddenly
becoming very interested in the tablecloth.
    Holy hell . Mike wouldn’t have been
more stunned if someone had hit him up the side of his head with a
two-by-four. This wasn’t about him at all. It wasn’t that she
didn’t want to be with him. It was that she didn’t think he’d want
anything permanent.
    This was about Annabelle’s insecurities as a
woman.
    What kind of an idiot had her college
boyfriend been that she felt a man would only want her for a short
while? Mike had the sudden urge to find the loser and beat him
senseless for the harm he’d obviously wreaked on Annabelle’s
self-esteem. Just the thought was enough to make his blood pressure
soar. And what about the men she’d dated since?
    He took a deep cleansing breath to calm his
tumultuous emotions. The object of his anger was nowhere in sight
and a show of temper was the last thing that Annabelle needed.
    The only sign of Annabelle’s agitation was a
slight tremble of her hand as she sipped her now cold coffee. At
that small betraying tremor, Mike felt his heart turn over. She
still hadn’t looked him straight in the face since she’d finished
her little speech.
    A sense of certainty settled over Mike the
longer he studied her. He knew she wouldn’t believe him if he told
her he was thinking long-term, that the idea of marriage had even
crossed his mind. She’d certainly think he was handing her a
line.
    And maybe she’d be right. There was no way
of knowing where their relationship might go. All he knew was that
he wanted to seriously date Annabelle with an eye to a future
together.
    He’d have to show her instead. His actions
would prove to her how desirable she was as a woman and a partner.
He wanted her to know her