“You need to have your eyes checked, Jake. I’m not the paragon that you’re buildin’ me up to be,” Harmony denied warily.
“No, you’re better,” Jake stated on a growl. “Your only fault as far as I can tell is that you can’t accept an honest compliment. Well, that and your cookie consumption rate kinda scares me, but I don’t judge. Everybody needs a vice.”
Frowning, Harmony glared at him, her nose wrinkling. “It’s not a vice. It’s a coping mechanism.”
“Six of one, half dozen of the other, babe,” Jacob chuckled. “Either way, neither of those so-called faults is gonna keep me from claimin’ you.”
“I’m not undiscovered territory, Jacob,” Harmony retorted sharply. “I’m a woman. And I’m not looking to be claimed. Not by you or anybody else. Go take your flag and plant it someplace else.”
Leaning forward until his nose grazed hers, Jacob stared into Harmony’s eyes. “Too fuckin’ late. I’m not going anywhere, Harmony, and you aren’t running from this. If it goes bad, then we’ll deal with it, but we’re gonna give this thing between us a chance and see where it goes.”
Jerking her head back, Harmony’s eyes flashed mutinously as she shook her head. “No, I’m not!” she argued, her strength returning as the sugar worked through her system. “I already told you, Jake, I need…”
Cupping the back of her neck, Jake cut her off as he pulled her gently, but firmly toward him. “No, Harmony,” he countered. “You need to shut up and listen,” he demanded, enjoying the way her lips parted as her eyes widened. Damn, but she was begging to be kissed. “Baby, I love that you’re stubborn. It turns me right the hell on, but right now, I need you to be quiet and hear me. I already know what you need.”
“You do, huh?” Harmony growled, ignoring the thrill she got from hearing that seductive rumble tell her that she turned him on. “Well, what’s that, Mr. All-knowing Hot Stuff? Tell me all about what you think I need, Jake,” she goaded, her blue eyes glinting with annoyance.
She met his gaze, unafraid and completely head-on...and it was hot as hell. Gripping her hips, he shifted her until she straddled his lap, holding her steady when she would have jumped away. “Nuh uh, you wanna hear this, we do it face to face, Pretty Girl, just like this.”
“Fine!” She all but spat at him, her cheeks flushing as she squirmed in his lap. She could feel her neglected body reacting to the hard bulge nestled between her legs, and she moved restlessly against him. “Say what you need to say so that I can go home!” she ordered through clenched teeth, praying her expression didn’t convey her embarrassment.
Caressing her lower back through the silk dress she wore, he smiled. “You’re even more gorgeous when you’re mad, darlin’,” he remarked softly, lifting one hand to stroke the back of his fingers against her cheek.
“I’m not mad, Jake. I bypassed mad and moved right on to gettin’ good and pissed,” Harmony warned grimly, jerking her face away from his gentle hand and narrowing her eyes as she felt his other palm slide against her spine. Sweet Lord, the man was part-octopus. His touch felt wonderful, but she’d be damned if she’d allow him know it. He seemed to know her entirely too well already. He’d certainly done a more than fair job at snaking his way past all her defenses. He’d said all the right word and done all the right things. Hell, he’d even managed to find her cookies. And all of these things only made him more dangerous to her. She had to get out of here. Preferably before she did something incredibly stupid like bury her face in his neck and beg him to help her forget her whole ugly past. “Jake, I need to go,” she begged, looking longingly over his shoulder toward the door.
“No, you need to stay, babe. Going now would be the coward’s way out. The one thing I know about you, Harmony, is that you are no coward.”
Licking her dry lips, Harmony drew in a shaky breath before she made herself focus on his darkly handsome face. “You were gonna tell me what I need, Jake,” she reminded him softly. “Tell me so that we can get this thing done between us.”
“Darlin’, this thing between us isn’t going anywhere. It’s chemistry, baby. I felt it the first time I saw you and it’s only gotten stronger every day since then. I hate to tell you this, but once you have it, there’s no denying it.”
“Then don’t deny it. Ignore it,” she suggested quickly, her belly quivering as his eyes went molten and hot.