Read Online Body Heat (Vintage Category Romance) by Maddie James - Free Book Online
Authors: Maddie James
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mean by that crack earlier?”
Darian ’s pencil slowed, he closed the spiral notebook with a sigh and then gave her his full attention. “What are you talking about?”
“ That crack about me aiming for accuracy.”
“ I didn’t say that, you did.”
“ Well, I know that, what you said afterward certainly sounded like you were taking potshots at me.”
Darian shrugged. “What did I say?”
Rolling her eyes, Blaire stood and took three steps toward him. “I said… You said… Oh, forget it! It’s not worth getting into an argument.” Blaire threw her hands up, walked to the window, turned her back to him, and stared out at the fairyland. If she weren’t so mad—if she weren’t cooped up in this tiny cabin with him , it might be kind of beautiful. But not now. It was only keeping her prisoner. With him. Funny. The cold always kept her prisoner.
“ You’ve not been totally honest with me, Pixie.”
Blaire listened. His voice was low and husky, almost seductive. She shivered. She hoped not noticeably. So that’s what he meant. Honesty?
“ And you have?”
“ Yes. You haven’t asked me anything that I haven’t answered,” Darian quickly returned.
“ Same here.”
“ So we’ve both been avoiding the issues of importance?” Darian rose.
“ Perhaps.”
“ So, where do we go from here?” He stepped forward. Blaire felt the static of the warm, dry air in the cabin sizzle between them. “The truth?”
Are we talking about the same thing?
Blaire swallowed a lump forming in her throat. She wasn’t sure she was ready to tell Darian exactly why she was here. She wasn’t sure she was ready to tell him the truth. And what truth was he after anyway? The truth about his grandfather’s estate? Or the truth about how he made her feel?
“ The truth?”
Darian stood directly in front of her. “I’m game. How about you.”
Backing up a half step, Blaire felt the icy coolness coming off the cold panes of the window. She lifted her chin. “I don’t have anything to tell you, Darian MacGlenary. I don’t understand what you’re talking about. I’ve been totally truthful with you.”
He inched closer, his face soft and cuddly-looking, a half-smile breaking his lips. Um…his lips . Blaire broke her gaze away from them.
“ Uh-uh. I don’t think so.”
Anger began a slow trek across her body, alongside a tingling of warmth traveling from her belly to her cheeks. He was close. Too close. “So what do you think I haven’t been honest about? Why I came here?”
Darian ’s lips drew into a puzzled frown. “No, actually that was the furthest thing from my mind.” His hand cupped her elbow. “I want you to tell me why you kissed me this morning.”
The statement came out of nowhere and Blaire was not prepared to respond. She started to her left but was immediately caught by both elbows in Darian’s strong hands. She looked down at the length of fingers and muscled hands as they held her there. Wisps of dark hair curled out around the rolled back cuffs of his flannel shirt halfway up his arm. Damn! The shirt again. Then she made her fatal mistake. She looked up into his eyes.
Warm pools of molten lead beckoned. These were not the beast’s eyes, she told herself, these were the eyes of the man. The inner soul. Wanting honesty…and a whole lot more. More than she could offer, no doubt, no matter how she felt at the moment.
“ Tell me, Pixie,” he whispered. “Tell me why you kissed me.”
Blaire felt lost. Time suspended; the beating of her heart stopped. “I don’t know why I did it,” she whispered back. “I just did.”
“ Without thinking?”
Blaire nodded.
Darian’s hands released the grasp on her elbows and she felt them circle her back pulling her closer. “Do you do that often?”
Blaire inhaled deeply and then let it out slowly. Cautiously shaking her head from side to side, she returned, “Never.”
“ Me neither…usually.”
Within the expanse of a split
Darian ’s pencil slowed, he closed the spiral notebook with a sigh and then gave her his full attention. “What are you talking about?”
“ That crack about me aiming for accuracy.”
“ I didn’t say that, you did.”
“ Well, I know that, what you said afterward certainly sounded like you were taking potshots at me.”
Darian shrugged. “What did I say?”
Rolling her eyes, Blaire stood and took three steps toward him. “I said… You said… Oh, forget it! It’s not worth getting into an argument.” Blaire threw her hands up, walked to the window, turned her back to him, and stared out at the fairyland. If she weren’t so mad—if she weren’t cooped up in this tiny cabin with him , it might be kind of beautiful. But not now. It was only keeping her prisoner. With him. Funny. The cold always kept her prisoner.
“ You’ve not been totally honest with me, Pixie.”
Blaire listened. His voice was low and husky, almost seductive. She shivered. She hoped not noticeably. So that’s what he meant. Honesty?
“ And you have?”
“ Yes. You haven’t asked me anything that I haven’t answered,” Darian quickly returned.
“ Same here.”
“ So we’ve both been avoiding the issues of importance?” Darian rose.
“ Perhaps.”
“ So, where do we go from here?” He stepped forward. Blaire felt the static of the warm, dry air in the cabin sizzle between them. “The truth?”
Are we talking about the same thing?
Blaire swallowed a lump forming in her throat. She wasn’t sure she was ready to tell Darian exactly why she was here. She wasn’t sure she was ready to tell him the truth. And what truth was he after anyway? The truth about his grandfather’s estate? Or the truth about how he made her feel?
“ The truth?”
Darian stood directly in front of her. “I’m game. How about you.”
Backing up a half step, Blaire felt the icy coolness coming off the cold panes of the window. She lifted her chin. “I don’t have anything to tell you, Darian MacGlenary. I don’t understand what you’re talking about. I’ve been totally truthful with you.”
He inched closer, his face soft and cuddly-looking, a half-smile breaking his lips. Um…his lips . Blaire broke her gaze away from them.
“ Uh-uh. I don’t think so.”
Anger began a slow trek across her body, alongside a tingling of warmth traveling from her belly to her cheeks. He was close. Too close. “So what do you think I haven’t been honest about? Why I came here?”
Darian ’s lips drew into a puzzled frown. “No, actually that was the furthest thing from my mind.” His hand cupped her elbow. “I want you to tell me why you kissed me this morning.”
The statement came out of nowhere and Blaire was not prepared to respond. She started to her left but was immediately caught by both elbows in Darian’s strong hands. She looked down at the length of fingers and muscled hands as they held her there. Wisps of dark hair curled out around the rolled back cuffs of his flannel shirt halfway up his arm. Damn! The shirt again. Then she made her fatal mistake. She looked up into his eyes.
Warm pools of molten lead beckoned. These were not the beast’s eyes, she told herself, these were the eyes of the man. The inner soul. Wanting honesty…and a whole lot more. More than she could offer, no doubt, no matter how she felt at the moment.
“ Tell me, Pixie,” he whispered. “Tell me why you kissed me.”
Blaire felt lost. Time suspended; the beating of her heart stopped. “I don’t know why I did it,” she whispered back. “I just did.”
“ Without thinking?”
Blaire nodded.
Darian’s hands released the grasp on her elbows and she felt them circle her back pulling her closer. “Do you do that often?”
Blaire inhaled deeply and then let it out slowly. Cautiously shaking her head from side to side, she returned, “Never.”
“ Me neither…usually.”
Within the expanse of a split
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