Page 30 of Tempting Irish

She glances away, clamping her lipsclosed.

I grunt, dragging my fingers through my hair as I start to pace the room, suspicion flooding my mind and dulling the rightness that I’d felt lastnight.

“Jeezus. I almost…we almost…” I rough my palms over my face. “Do ye have any idea the shit I’m going to get when the others findout?”

“They don’t have to. Nothing happened. We kissed. That’sall.”

I move towards her, towering above her small frame. But instead of shrinking back, she juts her chin out and matches my glare. I hold her gaze, the heat of her body drawing me closer, and hell if I don’t want to crush my mouth against hers, take her hard,punishingly.

I swear to God, my eye starts twitching because of the anger I’m holding back. Never in my life have I wanted to both strangle and kiss a woman so desperately at the sametime.

“If Shane hadn’t called, I would have fucked ye, and ye would have letme.”

“So?” Her arms cross over her chest. “We’re bothadults.”

“So?” I say with exasperation. “Ye’re…”

“I’mwhat?”

I drag my fingers through my hair and curse. “Ye’refamily.”

“Family?” She laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “I used to think that word meantsomething.”

“It meanseverything. And I’ll do anything to protectmine.”

Anger glitters in her eyes, and she says bitterly, “Always thehero.”

“Ye didn’t seem to mind last night. Or, maybe the whole damsel in distress act was another one of yerlies.”

“Screw you.” She tries to push by me, and I grab her arm, stoppingher.

“Is that what ye want, sweetheart? Why ye camehere?”

Her gaze drops to where my hand makes contact with her skin. I feel the tremble that races through her, and see her chest rise and fall on an unsteadybreath.

“Are you upset that we almost had sex?” She meets my gaze, ice replacing the fire that burned there last night. “Or are you worried your precious Emer will findout?”

“Careful,” I grit out, tightening my grip, her words slicing a little too close to the truth. “Did ye come here to cause trouble betweenus?”

Hurt crosses her features for a brief moment, but she quickly blinks itaway.

I barely hear the words when she whispers, “You’re hurtingme.”

Fuck. I release her forearm, wincing when I glance down and see the red fingerprints on herskin.

“I’ll get my bags andgo.”

“We’re not done talking.” Because I still haven’t figured out what I’m going to do with her, or what the hell I’m going to tell the guys when they ask me what the fecking hell triggered my anger this morning. There’s only so much asshole behavior I can blame on my damnheadaches.

I step in front of her when she starts towards thebedroom.

“Let me get mybags.”

“Ye still haven’t answered myquestions.”

“You haven’t asked me any, other than if I’m here to cause trouble. I’m not. I came here to see my…family,” she says the last word with a curl of her lips, and it sends all sorts of warning bells off in myhead.

“Ye knew they’d be here. ThatI’dbehere.”

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