Rules of Desire: Protecting Erin(27)

Jared’s lips twitched. “I can imagine.”

Having been on the receiving end of his contrary wife’s temper more than a few times, after having riled it more than his share, Duncan understood how exciting taming her could be.

And how frustrating.

And definitely temporary, which made the woman herself even more exciting.

Following Reese, Duncan slapped him on the back. “Long day, huh?”

Reese grimaced. “I tried to talk to her, but she won’t hear of it. Says she’s too mad. After a couple of hours of her cold shoulder, I’d had enough. I decided I’d let her burn off some of her mad in a way that would give me a great deal of satisfaction. I was just waiting for the two of you to get back.”



* * * *



Erin had finished bagging an order when an awareness she never quite understood overtook her senses.

The back of her neck prickled, but the clenching of her insides gave the warning an erotic edge.

Promising herself that she wouldn’t look at them, she forced a smile and waved a friendly good-bye to one of their regular customers. “Have a nice day.”

Erin glanced at Rachel, her stomach pulse tripping at the combination of amusement and alarm in Rachel’s eyes.

Recognizing Jared’s watch out of the corner of her eye, she rounded the counter, brushing past him to join her sister. Keeping her voice low, she helped Rachel refold panties. “They’re just trying to intimidate me. They’re still pissed off because they think I had a thing with Wes. Assholes. All men are assholes.” She looked up with a grimace. “Where the hell are the customers when you need them?”

Rachel glanced up. “Erin, Reese is on his way over.”

“I’m ignoring him.” Erin started to turn, yelping when Reese wrapped an arm around her thighs and lifted her over his shoulder with a speed that left her dizzy.

“You can try to ignore me, but I don’t think you’ll have much luck.” He slapped her ass, making her yelp again.

“Reese! Put me down.” She glared at Jared and Duncan as Reese strode past them, not giving them the satisfaction of kicking at them as she had in the past.

It only amused them.

Erin didn’t speak when Reese walked out the back door, biting her lip when he continued across the parking lot to their SUV.

He unlocked the back door and opened it before easing her from his shoulder to hold her against his chest and climbing into the back seat with her.

After sliding to the center of the seat and settling her on his lap, he closed and locked the door before lifting her chin to stare into her eyes. “It’s time to get a few things settled.”

Erin gulped, unnerved by the erotic intent glittering in his eyes. “I don’t feel like talking to you right now.”

Reese smiled. “You’ve made that abundantly clear.”

Something in his tone sent a tingling chill up her spine, but it was the look in his eyes that totally disconcerted her.

Stunned, she felt him unfasten her jeans with a sense of unreality. “Reese?”

Reality slammed into her again with a vengeance when he yanked her jeans down to her knees. “I’m mad at you, and even if I wasn’t, I’m not fucking you in the damned car!”

“Really? That’s what you think this is about? Interesting.”

Alarm set in when he flipped her to her stomach. “Damn it, Reese!”

She pushed against the seat to get up, but a hard arm at her back made it impossible. Sucking in a breath when his other hand flattened on her ass, Erin began to struggle in earnest. “What the hell are you doing?”

The hand on her ass moved, seeming hotter than it had been just seconds earlier. “I think you know the answer to that. You deserve it for not telling us that you might be in danger.”

Fisting her hands against the wave of desire, Erin turned to look up at him over her shoulder. “Are you kidding me? That’s what you’re pissed off about?”

Reese lifted her shirt out of the way and resumed his caress. “That and the fact that you went to Cramer’s hotel room alone.”

Insulted, she tried to slap at him, her position not allowing her to get the leverage she needed. “You asshole!” Her next attempt to get up earned her a sharp slap on her ass, the resulting surge of arousal pissing her off even more. “Reese, damn it! I wasn’t going to have sex with him.”

How could he possibly think that?

“Don’t you think we know that?” He slapped her ass again. “We know you, Erin. We trust you, apparently a hell of a lot more than you trust us.”

Her bottom stung, the heat quickly spreading in a way that had her squirming against him.

“Then why the hell are you doing this? Damn it, Reese. Someone could see me.”