Why don’t you take a chance and tell him what’s really on your mind?
Kade shoveled in a forkful of rice and chewed. “This is good. What’s the spice?”
“I added fresh savory.”
“Mmm. That it is.”
He ate. She ate. They finished the meal in uncomfortable silence.
She started to clean up the dishes and declined his offer to help.
Finally, he said, “You gonna tell me what’s wrong?”
She slammed the cupboard door. “I don’t know.”
“Could you at least give me the courtesy of lookin’ at me when we’re talkin’, sweetheart?”
Skylar wheeled around. “We aren’t talking, Kade.”
“Is that the problem?”
“Maybe.”
“Only one way to rectify that, Skylar. If you have some to say to me, spit it out.”
“Fine. For lack of a better term, we’ve been playing house for over two weeks.”
“Playin’ house? Is that what you think we’re doin’?”
“Isn’t it? And despite the fact you’re living with me, you’re in my bed, today you came into my plant and tried to charm the pants off me in front of my employees.”
Kade lifted both brows. “Does that make you mad?”
“Yes, it does. I sound like a total idiot, but yeah, it makes me wonder why you don’t use that silver tongue on me when we’re alone.”
“Where exactly do you want me to use my tongue on you, darlin’?”
Everywhere. “You know that’s not what I meant. And it doesn’t help my self-image when I realize we’ve been sleeping in the same damn bed for almost three weeks and…”
“And what?”
Just say it. Calmly. Confidently. With dignity. She blurted out, “And why haven’t you so much as laid a single hand on me?”
He blinked several times. “Come again?”
“You heard me. You asked for honesty, there it is.”
“Yeah? Well, I asked you to marry me, remember?”
“And I said no. That doesn’t answer my question.”
Kade wiped a cloth napkin across his mouth with deliberate slowness. “The reason I haven’t done anything more than sleep next to you in that bed is because I’m followin’ your lead, Sky. You never indicated that’s what you wanted.”
“You haven’t acted like you’re interested, McKay.”
“Wrong. I would’ve fucked you on the couch the first night I moved in. I would’ve spread you out on every goddamn surface in this kitchen morning, noon and night. I would’ve banged you on the concrete floor of your herb room until my knees bled the second I saw you today, in another one of them sexy-assed dresses you always wear.
“I want you like crazy. It don’t matter to me where, but it sure as hell matters when, because I ain’t gonna start nothin’ with you until you’re ready to get into an intensely physical relationship with me.”
Skylar’s belly flipped at the words intensely physical relationship. “Being a true cowboy gentleman, are you?”
“I’m sure as hell tryin’, because that’s what you told me you wanted from the get-go. It ain’t easy as I thought it’d be.”
Rather than admit she was wrong for demanding his stupid gentlemanly behavior, she taunted, “So is that why I caught you jacking off in the shower this morning?”
His eyes glittered. “Me jackin’ off was in direct response to the show you were puttin’ on in the middle of the damn bed about five minutes before that.”
“What show?”
“I’m not supposed to react when you’re diddlin’ yourself in your sleep?” Kade leaned forward. “I watched you come. It was hot as the Fourth of July. Made me hard as a fuckin’ brick. And rather than risk wakin’ up Eliza and goin’ all caveman on you, poundin’ your luscious body clear through that mattress, I took matters into my own hands. Because sweetheart, I’ve had a lot of experience with that in the last year.”
Kade thought her body was luscious? Skylar stared at him. Turned on, turned inside out. “You haven’t been with anyone?”
“Not since you…not since the night Eliza was conceived in my truck in Ziggy’s parking lot.”
She whispered, “Me either.”
Kade stood so fast the chair crashed to the floor.
“No one has touched me since that night.” As he stalked her, she backed up until her lower back connected with the counter edge. “Well, I mean, I’ve been touched. I had to be when pregnant and giving birth, but no one…no man…except that one male nurse…oh God, I’m not making any sense am I?”