Page 20 of Heat Stroke

Well… ok, then. It’s not just me who’s all flustered and ready to explode.

Forcing myself to look away from his obvious arousal, I return my gaze to his face. He’s smirking at me but he doesn’t say anything. He stays quiet.

Thank God!

Pressing my lips together again, I try to gather my thoughts so I can say what I came here to say. Stupid Alena’s brilliant idea sure backfired.

Keep your ideas to yourself, little sister!

See what happened when I listened to you?!

Oh, God! Of course she can’t see. Thank heavens.

Stop… task at hand, Wren…

Finally, I point at Blaze. “I’m really mad at you.”

Tossing his head back, he laughs. “Yes, I gathered that part when you stormed into my work site and called me an asshole… twice. Do I get to know why I’m an asshole?” His eyes drift over me, stopping at my chest. I immediately blush again. I know my nipples are still hard. I canfeelthem, so I know damn well he canseethem. He mutters, “Or, we can just skip that part and talk about you kissing me…” as he watches my nipples strain against the fabric of my bra and shirt.

Narrowing my eyes at him, I grip the back of the leather chair beside me and slide it in front of me, leaning down and blocking his view. The fact that I just put another object between us isn’t lost on him.

He smirks and leans back against the door, getting comfortable. He crosses his arms across his chest and my eyes immediately go to the bulging muscles and tattoo.

Lord-a-mercy! Why does he have to have tattoos?!

They’re my weakness and damn… No, stop! First things first.

I snap, “Stop it!” I don’t know if I’m scolding myself or him. Probably both of us.

His eyes widen in false innocence. “Stop what?” Dropping his arms, he makes his pecs jump and grins again when my eyes immediately focus on them.

Growling, I shake my head and grit my teeth. “You know what! Stop it!” My palm slaps against the leather as I snap at him, “I came here with shit to say and I am going to say it!”

His face clears and he nods again, leveling his eyes on mine. He’s serious now. “Ok, fair enough. As it happens, I’m very curious about why you stormed over here.”

Glaring at him again, I grip the back of the chair tightly and frown. “Oh, whatever. You know why I’m pissed off, Blaze!”

Confusion covers his face as he shakes his head in denial. “I do not. I can assure you I have no idea why you’re calling me an asshole. At least, not exactly…” His brow wrinkles as he thinks. “I know that I shouldn’t have pushed dinner on you last night, so you have a right to be angry about that. I invaded your space and that was selfish and wrong of me.

“I also know that I apologized, but you have every right to still hate me for my past treatment of you…” His mouth twists, but not with a smile. “That’s it, isn’t it?”

I blink at him and my jaw drops open as I realize he literallydoesn’tknow why I’m so pissed.

Is he an idiot?!

Shaking my head, I raise my hands and shake them as if I’m shaking him to show him my frustration. “What? No! I mean, yes! Yes, you shouldn’t have come to my house last night. I never said I was going to dinner with you. I didn’t want to have dinner with you, Blaze!”

He nods. “I know. I’m so—”

Slapping the back of his chair, I stop him. “Shut up! This is my turn to talk. You just shut up!” His eyes widen, but it’s my turn to talk dammit! “I didn’twantto have dinner with you because I didn’t want to bearoundyou. At all.

“Even though, for whatever stupid reason, I can’t stop thinking of you and you’re all in my head…” His head turns quickly and he locks his eyes with mine as I point at my temple. I almost lose my train of thought again. “I hated you. Do you get that?! I literallyhatedyou in school, Blaze. You ruined my life. Youruinedit. You got to be the ‘it man’ in high school. Hell, middle school, too.

“You were the guy that people flocked to. And, you—you sucked!” He flinches, but I’m on a roll now. “You fucking sucked. To me, you were the devil…” He inhales deeply and I see him swallow, but he respects my wishes and he doesn’t say anything though I can see how hard it is for him to stay quiet. “I missedeverythingin middle and high school… I missed it because ofyou.

“I didn’t go to dances. I never got to go to football or basketball games. I never even got asked on adate, Blaze.” He frowns and clenches his hands. They form fists at his sides. “Do you know what life was like for me? It was literalhell! I was teased… tormented… laughed at… And, you were at the center of it all. You’d poke at me and everyone else would follow along. You were the ringleader and you were the reason that I cried myself to sleep almost every night… Foryears…” I swallow as my voice cracks with old pain. I look at him, unblinking. “You were horrible, Blaze.”

He opens his mouth again and I hold out my hand to stop him. He does, nodding at me to continue. His jaw is white he’s clenching it so tightly.

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