He’s laughing at me.
Bastard.
“Daisy. Good morning. Or maybe not, as the case might be for you.”
I bite my tongue so hard that I draw blood, tasting metallic in my mouth.
I’m gonna…I’m gonna…
Walk away.
It’s either that or punch him in the throat, and I don’t think punching my boss would be a good idea. It’d be my fast pass back to prison.
And I really don’t want that.
Jesse. Think about Jesse.
Jaw locked, I swivel on my toe and walk through the open gates.
I’m speed-walking, sticking to the edge to keep out of the way of his car for when he drives past me.
My hands are balled into fists. And I honestly feel like I could cry.
I like to think of myself as strong and capable. But, right now, I just feel torn up with emotions.
I miss my brother. I hate my boss. I’m soaked, and I’m about to start my period. So, yeah, I’m feeling a tad emotional.
I hear his car roll up behind me, and it drives straight past me, just like I expected him to.
Because it’d be too courteous to offer to drive me the rest of the way.
Arsehole.
Gritting my teeth, I stomp the rest of the way to the house, my trainers squelching. All the while, I imagine strangling Kas-hole with my bare hands.
As I approach the house, I see the front door is open, and Kas-hole is standing there, looking all dry in his dark blue jeans and V-neck jumper.
He looks hot—as much as I hate to admit it.
I hate that he’s a good-looking bastard.
Jaw clenched, hands balled at my sides, I come to stop in the porchway.
“Dry off before coming inside.” He holds out a towel to me. “I don’t want you dripping all over the floor.”
Um…what?
I stare at him in shock.
He blankly stares back at me and gestures for me to take the towel.
Argh! I hate this guy!
I have to stop myself from reminding him that, if I make a mess, I’ll be the one who cleans it up anyway.
Ignoring him, I drop my bag to the floor and pull off my trainers. Barefoot on the cold floor sends shivers running up my legs. Unzipping my raincoat, I yank it off and drop it on the floor by my bag. Leaving me in just my wet dress.
Shivering and not looking him in the eyes, I reach out and pull the towel from his still-outstretched hand. I bring the towel to my face, patting it dry. Then, I run it over my arms and bare legs, drying them off. Reaching back, I tug my hairband out. Gathering up my hair, I squeeze the water out of it and then rub the towel over it.
When I’m done, I make the mistake of looking at Kas.
He’s staring right at me.
But, for once, he’s not looking at me with distaste.
The look in his eyes…it’s intense.
I can’t remember anyone ever looking at me like this before. I feel like he’s stripping me bare.
A tug of need pulls at my lower belly, surprising the hell out of me.
And I suddenly don’t feel so cold anymore.
His stare is heating me up from the inside out.
What the hell is this?
How can I be feeling…whatever I’m currently feeling for him? I hate him.
But, apparently, my body missed the memo on that one because she seems to quite like him at the moment.
“Mr. Matis…” I whisper his name, not sure why or what I hope to achieve by doing so. I’m beyond surprised at how breathy my voice sounds.
And it’s the sound of my voice that seems to bring him back to life. I watch as his expression shuts down. His brows draw together in a frown of disdain, and without a word, he turns on his heel and strides away.
Okay. What the effing hell was that all about?
I’m putting it down to me not having had sex in a really long time. My body and hormones just saw man and got confused for a moment.
That definitely will not happen again.
On a sigh, I bend and pick my raincoat up before shaking the water off it. I pick my shoes up and walk into the house, shutting the door behind me.
I head straight for the utility room and hang my coat over the clothes airer. I put my trainers into the dryer.
My dress and underwear are soaked. But there’s nothing I can do. I don’t have anything to change into. I’ll just have to wear them and hope they dry while I work.
First though, I need to sort my hair out.
Taking my bag with me, I head to the downstairs bathroom. Locking myself inside, I stare in the mirror.
I look like a drowned rat.
I get my hairbrush out and brush the knots out. Then, I tie it up into a messy bun. Stashing my hairbrush back in my bag, I unlock the door and let myself out.
My feet slam to a halt when I see Kas standing on the other side of it.
“I brought you something to wear.” He gestures to my wet dress and then holds out a red polo shirt and a pair of jodhpurs. The polo shirt has Matis Estate embroidered on the right breast.