Her eyes shot up from his crotch to his now annoyed expression. Why he was annoyed she had no damn clue.
Her spine instantly straightened at the judgment she’d heard in his voice. “Well, whoopee for you. Do you have something to add? Anything my brothers forgot? Do you have the burning need to share your disappointment, your disapproval, at my irresponsible behavior as well?”
He shook his head then he was moving toward her. His movements were slow—hell, predatory. But instead of wanting to run like a frightened woodland creature, she wanted to stay right where she was, fall to her back, expose her throat, and let him devour her.
What is wrong with me? She knew better than to entertain those kinds of pointless thoughts. All they did was keep her trapped in a useless cycle of hope followed swiftly by inevitable pain. Either by his disinterest, his rejection, or seeing him with someone else. She’d experienced all of the above. More than once.
He stopped in front of her. Close. Too damn close. “No.”
She blinked up at him. “No?”
The irritation she’d seen in his eyes a second ago vanished, and the smirk returned. “I have nothing to add.”
She forced a snort. “There’s a first.”
He chuckled, low and dark and rough. And dear God, she felt it. Felt it right between her thighs.
His fingers went to her hair, resting on her shoulder, and he rubbed the strands between his fingers. “I have to ask one thing, though.”
He’d done the same thing four years ago, touched her hair like that. She’d never forgotten; remembered it like it was yesterday. She remembered the way he’d made her feel as well. Another reason she was a damn fool for wanting this man. “I wouldn’t dream of stopping you.”
“Do you plan this shit out, or are you just naturally gifted?”
It took her a second to process what he’d said, the way he was looking at her. He was back to pissed off, and had a growl to his voice that backed it up.
“Naturally gifted at what?”
“At making people fucking crazy. Winding them up, infuriating them…getting under their goddamn skin.”
She jerked back, tugging her hair from his fingers. The way he’d said it, it was obvious he didn’t just mean her brothers. Her heart did a volley of erratic pumps in her chest.
They argued a lot. A lot. And the kicker was, getting him all hot under the collar like this—though she still wasn’t sure what he had to be angry about—only made him sexier. All flaring nostrils, bright eyes, heaving muscles.
Angry Adam was hot, goddamn it. And that just pissed her off more.
“Well, look at that. You did have something to add after all. Feel better now?”
He shook his head again. “Not really, no.”
“I fail to see how my being home affects you.”
He was somehow closer, and she didn’t miss the tic in that strong jaw or the way he swayed even closer still.
His mouth flattened into a grim line. “Baby girl, you fail to see a lot of things.”
She blinked up at him. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” Their chests were almost touching, and the rough way he just said baby girl caused the relentless pulse between her legs to get stronger. She had a love/hate thing going on with that nickname. She knew he used it to put her in her place, to keep her at a distance. But the amount of times she’d lain in her bed, touching herself, imagining him above her while he said those words…
It happened more than she’d like to admit.
A rough sound slid past his lips. She shivered before she could stop herself. God, his boot was against her foot, their bodies plastered from knee to chest. What the hell is going on here?
He gritted his teeth. “It means you—”
His phone started up in his pocket.
Adam stilled, then looked down at her like he didn’t know how he got there. He took an abrupt step back, but that cool blue gaze stayed locked on hers, body stiff.
“It means I what?” Her voice came out husky, softer than she’d intended.
His fingers curled into fists and his jaw ticked again. She thought he might actually answer her, but instead he yanked his phone from his pocket.
“Just…give your brothers a goddamn break. Last thing they need to be worrying about is keeping your ass out of trouble.” Then he answered the phone, dismissing her.
She spun around before he saw how his words affected her, how much they hurt. Especially after the way he’d just pressed up against her, the way he’d looked at her. God, she’d actually thought he was going to…
Idiot.
Cutting off those thoughts before they could fully form, she bent to pick up her bags. There had to be something seriously wrong with her, wanting—shit, loving a man like him. But what could she do? Where Adam was concerned, the heart wanted what it wanted. Turned out her heart was insane and masochistic.