Read Online Carolina Heat by Christi Barth - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christi Barth
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Governor to the garbage man darlin’.”
The fire in her eyes subsided slightly, but still smoldered. Mark considered mentioning how her eyes deepened to forest-green when she was angry, but it only took a second to realize any more comments in that vein would trigger another dramatic response. Annabelle tossing her drink in his face was a real possibility at this point. Apparently all the clichés about temper and redheads really were true. Too bad she was so pretty with a flush of temper in her cheeks. Normally he’d cut his losses, but for some reason he couldn’t put his finger on, this was one woman he couldn’t walk away from. “What you need to understand—”
“No,” she cut in, furiously. “What you have to understand is I won’t sit here while the entire restaurant watches us like a circus exhibit. The way I see it, your famed Southern charm leaves much to be desired.” She threw a twenty-dollar bill on the table and pushed her chair back.
Mark’s eyes narrowed. Did she actually think she was going to walk out on him? It was time to set her straight. Before she could fully stand, his fingers circled her wrist. “If you take one step away from this table, I will empty our bottle of wine over your head. Then it’ll be entirely your own fault if the whole restaurant laughs at you.”
Annabelle’s lips thinned, but she remained seated. “Are you out of your mind? Why on earth would you do such a thing?”
“I figure the only way to deal with a temper tantrum is to throw one of my own. After we both pitch a fit, the air will clear, and we can discuss the whole thing rationally.”
“Is that what you think this is? A temper tantrum?” Her body slumped wearily into the chair. It looked like all the adrenaline of the moment had drained out of her. “We seem to keep banging our heads together, you and I. But I’ll give it one last try.” He released her wrist, and she took a sip of wine before continuing. “You are, for all intents and purposes, a total stranger. You hit on me, made sure to find out where I’m staying, and then gave the impression I should go to bed with you for all your trouble.”
He was equal parts confused and amused. “When you put it like that, I could be a serial killer, for all you know.”
“Oh, I feel immeasurably better.”
Mark closed his eyes, trying to picture at exactly which point he lost control of the evening. “Annabelle, I’m sorry if I offended you. With all the crazy people in this world, it’s good to be cautious. Even though I am not, nor ever have been, a serial killer.”
Her eyes twinkled with restored good humor as she tossed a roll at him. “Fine. You have an interesting way with apologies, Mr. Dering.” He nonchalantly picked up the roll and bit into it. Annabelle laughed and dug into her dinner.
“Don’t get me wrong. I am in no way apologizing for the compliment. And just because I stated the simple fact of the beauty that is your hair, it does, in no way, obligate you to have sex with me.” He could tell her good humor was fully restored when she had the grace to look embarrassed.
“It was such an overblown, outrageously romantic thing to say. I took it to be the cheesiest come-on of all time because, honestly Mark, nobody talks like that!”
“I do,” he corrected her. “Women are supposed to enjoy romance. I happen to know for a fact that many of them do.”
“Wow—a bold move, trying to impress a woman with your sexual history.”
“Nothing of the sort. Merely stating another fact.”
Annabelle stabbed at her barbequed shrimp. “And why do you care when my last date was?”
“You just won’t let any little thing lie, will you?” He reached across and took her hand. “Because it doesn’t make sense. Most women as beautiful as you are aware of their charms, and wouldn’t be taken aback by their date handing them a compliment.”
She closed her eyes and bit her lip. “Okay, I’m mortified. I was way out of
The fire in her eyes subsided slightly, but still smoldered. Mark considered mentioning how her eyes deepened to forest-green when she was angry, but it only took a second to realize any more comments in that vein would trigger another dramatic response. Annabelle tossing her drink in his face was a real possibility at this point. Apparently all the clichés about temper and redheads really were true. Too bad she was so pretty with a flush of temper in her cheeks. Normally he’d cut his losses, but for some reason he couldn’t put his finger on, this was one woman he couldn’t walk away from. “What you need to understand—”
“No,” she cut in, furiously. “What you have to understand is I won’t sit here while the entire restaurant watches us like a circus exhibit. The way I see it, your famed Southern charm leaves much to be desired.” She threw a twenty-dollar bill on the table and pushed her chair back.
Mark’s eyes narrowed. Did she actually think she was going to walk out on him? It was time to set her straight. Before she could fully stand, his fingers circled her wrist. “If you take one step away from this table, I will empty our bottle of wine over your head. Then it’ll be entirely your own fault if the whole restaurant laughs at you.”
Annabelle’s lips thinned, but she remained seated. “Are you out of your mind? Why on earth would you do such a thing?”
“I figure the only way to deal with a temper tantrum is to throw one of my own. After we both pitch a fit, the air will clear, and we can discuss the whole thing rationally.”
“Is that what you think this is? A temper tantrum?” Her body slumped wearily into the chair. It looked like all the adrenaline of the moment had drained out of her. “We seem to keep banging our heads together, you and I. But I’ll give it one last try.” He released her wrist, and she took a sip of wine before continuing. “You are, for all intents and purposes, a total stranger. You hit on me, made sure to find out where I’m staying, and then gave the impression I should go to bed with you for all your trouble.”
He was equal parts confused and amused. “When you put it like that, I could be a serial killer, for all you know.”
“Oh, I feel immeasurably better.”
Mark closed his eyes, trying to picture at exactly which point he lost control of the evening. “Annabelle, I’m sorry if I offended you. With all the crazy people in this world, it’s good to be cautious. Even though I am not, nor ever have been, a serial killer.”
Her eyes twinkled with restored good humor as she tossed a roll at him. “Fine. You have an interesting way with apologies, Mr. Dering.” He nonchalantly picked up the roll and bit into it. Annabelle laughed and dug into her dinner.
“Don’t get me wrong. I am in no way apologizing for the compliment. And just because I stated the simple fact of the beauty that is your hair, it does, in no way, obligate you to have sex with me.” He could tell her good humor was fully restored when she had the grace to look embarrassed.
“It was such an overblown, outrageously romantic thing to say. I took it to be the cheesiest come-on of all time because, honestly Mark, nobody talks like that!”
“I do,” he corrected her. “Women are supposed to enjoy romance. I happen to know for a fact that many of them do.”
“Wow—a bold move, trying to impress a woman with your sexual history.”
“Nothing of the sort. Merely stating another fact.”
Annabelle stabbed at her barbequed shrimp. “And why do you care when my last date was?”
“You just won’t let any little thing lie, will you?” He reached across and took her hand. “Because it doesn’t make sense. Most women as beautiful as you are aware of their charms, and wouldn’t be taken aback by their date handing them a compliment.”
She closed her eyes and bit her lip. “Okay, I’m mortified. I was way out of
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