“I’m stopping you from destroying your house. Do you realize this is the fourth wall you’ve knocked out? Five, if you count the one in the barn.”
“I can count, you know,” she snapped. “And it’s my house,” she added indignantly, yanking hard on the sledgehammer. The irritating man yanked right back, slamming Lucy up against him with only the hammer between them.
“Let go, Lucy.”
She glared up at him. “I will not!” The man had been working for her all afternoon and she’d been trying not to think about how every time he looked at her she forgot all about not wanting a man in her life.
Holding the handle with one hand, he covered her hands with the other. The work-roughened feel of them caused goose bumps on her arms.
His lip twitched at the corners as he stared down at her. “You sure are pretty when your eyes are shooting fireworks. I’m kinda growing fond of it.”
She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move. What had this man done to her?
One minute they were staring at each other, and then he lowered his head and kissed her. How dare he....
Goodness... The dreamy chant began ringing through her head as his lips melded with hers.
You’re a fool, a fool, a fool, the small voice of sanity began to scream. Tearing her lips away from his, she put footage between them. “Why did you do that?”
His brows had crinkled together over teasing eyes. “I’ve been wanting to do it from the first day you dropped into my arms. And you know it. I’ve seen you looking at me, too.”
Her jaw dropped. “You don’t have a clue what I want. Or don’t want.” That he had her pegged did not make her feel good. “I don’t want a man. I don’t need a man. And certainly not one who kisses me right out of the blue like that.” Well, it had been nice— She told the voice in her head to take a hike!
Rowdy stared at her as if she’d grown two heads or something. “Look,” he said at last. “I kissed you. I’m sorry. I told you I was trying to mend my ways and you’re right, I went and kissed you and I shouldn’t have.”
“Aha! So you freely admit that kissing women is a regular pastime for you. It just goes to show you that men are all despicable.” The words just flowed out in a rush. “And another thing,” she flung at him when suddenly it hit her that he was still looking at her as though she’d clearly lost her marbles.
She swallowed hard and prayed for the floor to open up and swallow her. How horribly embarrassing.
The clock on the wall in the next room could be heard in the silence that stretched between them.
“Are you okay?” Rowdy asked gently.
She couldn’t look at him as she nodded.
“I’m really sorry. I overstepped myself and you’re right. I was way out of line. It won’t happen again.”
He was actually apologizing to her. What a concept. When had Tim ever done that? Only when he’d wanted something...or when she’d figured out he’d done something he hadn’t wanted her to find out about. The sleaze.
“Look.” Rowdy held up his hands in surrender. “I’m not sure what your problem is, but if it will make you feel better, I’ll leave.” He turned to go and it was then that she realized she’d been glaring at him the whole time.