Page 44 of Before We Fell

With a huff, I crouched down and tugged on the wooden stick I kept in the sliding door track for additional security. Dropping it to my carpet, I stood and flicked the latch on the door.

His hand was there, pushing it open and stepping inside before I could move out of his way. His scent surrounding me, his anger pulsing off him, reaching to the floor at our feet so harshly I felt it like a bass drum inside my chest.

“What do you want?”

“Did he kiss you?”

“What?” My head spun.

I didn’t realize I’d been walking backward until I bumped against the back of my couch. My hands went out to stop me from toppling over it.

“Did he kiss you?” He slowed the words. Overenunciated each of them. His jaw was hardened granite, dark eyes blazing.

He was beautiful. Intoxicating.

It took everything I had to not reach for him. “That’s none of your business.”

“Wrong,” he said, that smirk of his growing and his voice changing to a beautiful, sensual purr. “You are so very wrong.”

He was almost pressed to me. So close I arched my back to move away. His hands went to the couch, curled around the edge outside of mine and he bent closer. “Did you kiss him?”

I shook my head, unable to ignore his question. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because we both know we have something here, and I’ve already let you know I wanted you to be mine.”

What? Of all the arrogant, cocky, andwrongthings to say, there was no certainty which ones of those were the worst. “I’m not yours.”

“You’re not?”

“No.”

Even if I wanted to be, I couldn’t. And I didn’t. He was a jerk! This whole scenario proving it.

“I could prove you are,” he said, and his head cocked, sliding closer. “I bet if I kissed you now, you’d whimper so prettily down my throat.”

“Stop.” My command was a gasp. “I don’t want you.”

Warm, thick lips pressed to my throat and curved into a smile. “Liar.” He nipped me, playfully, and my body shivered. I couldn’t hide it, the spark so surprising andhot. “I need something from you.”

Hisneedwas pressing against me, obvious and hard. I shook my head.

“No.”

“With Riley.”

He pulled back, and my mouth dropped, stunned. “What?”

He stepped back and smiled, such beautiful white teeth that had just nipped my skin now appeared on his lips as if I was the cutest thing in the world. Crossing his arms over his chest, he planted his feet wide like he was preparing for battle.

“What?” I needed a clear head to deal with him. My desire for him pulsed at my flesh, sliding to places that would soon become a throb of need. He’d done that to me, so quickly, faster than I could imagine and all it’d taken was the scent of him and a sharp bite of teeth.

“I need your help with Riley.”

I whipped in the direction of the door. He’d come to my house for help with Riley? This was all about her?

“I got called to go back to St Louis,” he explained, and all that heat I’d seen in his eyes was gone. Had I imagined it?

Oh God. Was I so screwed up I’d imagined the entire last few minutes? That wasn’t possible.

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