Page 23 of Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck

“Well, I do!” said Drest, his voice thundering around them.

Rachael recoiled.

Sighing, Drest took a second to calm his emotions and the all-consuming need to pummel Henry Frankenstein. His sister was a ray of sunshine. She was perfect. Gorgeous and funny. How dare Henry suggest anything to the contrary? And how dare he speak for Drest and what he would and wouldn’t want?

Anger coursed through him as he glared at the door to the kitchen.

“Um, you look like your head might pop off,” said Rachael delicately. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he bit out, his anger aimed at Henry. “But your brother isn’t going to be when I get my hands on him—preferably wrapped around his neck.”

Henry’s rantings continued, all as bad as before.

Rachael closed her eyes and eased back from Drest. Her shoulders slumped.

Drest was torn between comforting her and going into the kitchen and punching Henry in the face. He opted to stay with Rachael only because he wasn’t sure he could physically step away from her knowing she was upset. “He’s wrong,” he blurted.

Rachael’s brows met. “Pardon?”

“I find you very, very attractive,” he announced before he could think better of it. “Uh, what I mean is…uh, never mind. I said what I said. And I meant it. And you know what else?”

Rachael looked as if a feather could knock her over. “What?”

“I may have hundreds of years behind me, but I can say with all certainty, you are the single-most gorgeous woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of laying eyes upon. I won’t touch on the cultured part because it will likely send me into the kitchen to drive my fist into your brother’s windpipe, but know that I don’t see you in the light he tried to paint you in.”

She managed to turn even redder, and her eyes widened.

“And while I’m on a real winning streak here,” he said, easing closer to her. “I’ve been struggling with the urge to kiss you since I saw you dancing around in here.”

She made a noise that reminded him greatly of a cornered mouse, nearly making him laugh. “Why…would you want to do that? Why would you want to kiss me?”

“You did hear me mention how unbelievably attractive you are, right?” he asked, a devil-may-care grin spilling over his face. Damn, she was even sexier when she was totally caught off guard.

ChapterNine

Drest

Rachael backedup again and bumped into a dining chair. She righted it so fast and violently that it tipped toward Drest.

He caught it and clasped it as his gaze fixed on hers. “I think that dress looks amazing on you. And I’m not going to bother with a lie. I think it would look even better on my bedroom floor—with you out of it. Because, woman, you should know, I really, really want to see you out of it.”

“Ohmygod,” she said in a low rush, scurrying around the end of the table, still flushed, her eyes still wide. “Why? I mean, how? No. Wait. I’m not sure what I mean. But stop saying all of that.”

“No,” he returned softly, as he released the chairback he’d been holding and took a few steps in Rachael’s direction. “It’s the truth, and I think you need to hear as much, considering your jackass of a brother is in the other room tearing you down with his every breath. What he’s saying is complete and utter crap. You are unbelievably beautiful, and I want you. More than want you.”

She pulled a chair out from the table and yanked it around in front of her, dragging it backward as she went. For a second, he thought she might actually lift the thing and use it as if she were a lion tamer to keep him back.

The thought left him grinning. He wasn’t exactly easy to tame.

He put his hands up. “I’ll stop. For now. I don’t want you to be nervous or afraid around me. I just wanted you to know that Henry is wrong.”

Rachael gripped the chair to the point that her fingertips turned bright white. She gulped. “I’m not scared of you.”

He lifted a brow, his hands still up. “Hon, I think you are.”

“Hon?” She held the chair tighter, pulling it back some, leaving the front feet of it lifting off the ground.

Drest eased away from her a tad, wanting to give her space. “Sorry.”

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