Read Online Eye of the Tiger by Diana Palmer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Diana Palmer
Ads: Link
gaze.
“Can’t you see how hard this is for me?” he asked quietly. “I know how badly I hurt you, what I did to your pride.”
“And what are you trying to do now, make it up to me with a little light lovemaking between women?” she accused angrily. “No, thanks! You caught me off guard today—some old memories got in my way and I lost my head. But that won’t happen twice, Keegan Taber. I’d rather throw myself at a shark than at you.”
He forced himself to smile, as if it didn’t matter. “Would you? The shark might take off a leg. The worst I could take is something you once gave me.”
“Something I can never give again, thanks to you,” she returned. Her dark eyes flashed as she dragged them away. “Dad likes you, so feel free to visit him whenever you like. But I’m not at home to you anymore.”
“Suppose…I didn’t rush you.” He sounded oddly hesitant, even hopeful. He looked at his deck shoes, not at her. “Suppose we got to know each other again—”
“In whose bed, yours or mine?” she interrupted, her voice chill and distant.
He sighed impatiently, and the iron control faltered. “For God’s sake, I’m not trying to seduce you!”
“What an interesting denial, after what happened by the lake!”
He inhaled and seemed to grow two inches. “You weren’t fighting very damned hard!”
Her lower lip trembled, and he cursed himselfinwardly for that blow to her pride. It was the worst thing he could have said, justified or not.
“Ellie…” he began.
“Never mind,” she told him, reaching for the doorknob. “No, I wasn’t fighting, you’re very good at seduction. I should have tried to remember how good, shouldn’t I? Just leave me alone, Keegan!”
She rushed into the house without another word, hurt and humiliated all over again. She was horrified at what she’d done. Stupid, she told herself. He was the kind of man to take advantage of any lapse. If she wasn’t careful, she’d wind up back in the same shape she’d been four years ago. It was very likely he was pulling the same stunt again, this time with the pretty Irish girl as the prize. Well, he wasn’t going to pull the wool over her eyes a second time, no, sir. This time she knew exactly what she was doing.
As long as she kept five feet away from him, she amended with a wistful sigh. Her body still tingled from his hands; she could taste him on her mouth. She closed her eyes and tried to picture Wade. But the only man she saw in her mind had red hair and freckles, and he sat in the living room with her father for what seemed like forever until finally he gave up and left.
Chapter Five
E leanor stayed in her room until she was sure Keegan had gone. She didn’t want to see him again while her emotions were still in turmoil. Who would have thought she’d be so vulnerable with him after what he’d done to her four years ago? She hadn’t realized that she’d be quite so easy to seduce, but now she was forewarned. It would be a cold day in hell before she let him get that close again. Just remembering it made her go hot. To make matters worse, she knew it would take days to get over what they’d done together.
What bothered her most was why he’d done it. He hadn’t seemed quite in control at the last, as if he’d been as crazed by passion as she. Well, he wanted her—she knew that. He’d never made any secret of it, either. But it didn’t make things any easier. The hardest thing to take was his accusation that she’d wanted it just as much as he had. That was true, but she didn’t want himknowing it. She had to remember what had happened before, had to remember that she couldn’t trust him. Otherwise, she was going to find herself in another big mess.
Finally Eleanor joined her father in the living room. She’d reapplied her makeup, and except for the slight swelling of her lips where Keegan’s hungry mouth had bruised them, she looked quite normal.
But her father’s keen eyes didn’t
“Can’t you see how hard this is for me?” he asked quietly. “I know how badly I hurt you, what I did to your pride.”
“And what are you trying to do now, make it up to me with a little light lovemaking between women?” she accused angrily. “No, thanks! You caught me off guard today—some old memories got in my way and I lost my head. But that won’t happen twice, Keegan Taber. I’d rather throw myself at a shark than at you.”
He forced himself to smile, as if it didn’t matter. “Would you? The shark might take off a leg. The worst I could take is something you once gave me.”
“Something I can never give again, thanks to you,” she returned. Her dark eyes flashed as she dragged them away. “Dad likes you, so feel free to visit him whenever you like. But I’m not at home to you anymore.”
“Suppose…I didn’t rush you.” He sounded oddly hesitant, even hopeful. He looked at his deck shoes, not at her. “Suppose we got to know each other again—”
“In whose bed, yours or mine?” she interrupted, her voice chill and distant.
He sighed impatiently, and the iron control faltered. “For God’s sake, I’m not trying to seduce you!”
“What an interesting denial, after what happened by the lake!”
He inhaled and seemed to grow two inches. “You weren’t fighting very damned hard!”
Her lower lip trembled, and he cursed himselfinwardly for that blow to her pride. It was the worst thing he could have said, justified or not.
“Ellie…” he began.
“Never mind,” she told him, reaching for the doorknob. “No, I wasn’t fighting, you’re very good at seduction. I should have tried to remember how good, shouldn’t I? Just leave me alone, Keegan!”
She rushed into the house without another word, hurt and humiliated all over again. She was horrified at what she’d done. Stupid, she told herself. He was the kind of man to take advantage of any lapse. If she wasn’t careful, she’d wind up back in the same shape she’d been four years ago. It was very likely he was pulling the same stunt again, this time with the pretty Irish girl as the prize. Well, he wasn’t going to pull the wool over her eyes a second time, no, sir. This time she knew exactly what she was doing.
As long as she kept five feet away from him, she amended with a wistful sigh. Her body still tingled from his hands; she could taste him on her mouth. She closed her eyes and tried to picture Wade. But the only man she saw in her mind had red hair and freckles, and he sat in the living room with her father for what seemed like forever until finally he gave up and left.
Chapter Five
E leanor stayed in her room until she was sure Keegan had gone. She didn’t want to see him again while her emotions were still in turmoil. Who would have thought she’d be so vulnerable with him after what he’d done to her four years ago? She hadn’t realized that she’d be quite so easy to seduce, but now she was forewarned. It would be a cold day in hell before she let him get that close again. Just remembering it made her go hot. To make matters worse, she knew it would take days to get over what they’d done together.
What bothered her most was why he’d done it. He hadn’t seemed quite in control at the last, as if he’d been as crazed by passion as she. Well, he wanted her—she knew that. He’d never made any secret of it, either. But it didn’t make things any easier. The hardest thing to take was his accusation that she’d wanted it just as much as he had. That was true, but she didn’t want himknowing it. She had to remember what had happened before, had to remember that she couldn’t trust him. Otherwise, she was going to find herself in another big mess.
Finally Eleanor joined her father in the living room. She’d reapplied her makeup, and except for the slight swelling of her lips where Keegan’s hungry mouth had bruised them, she looked quite normal.
But her father’s keen eyes didn’t
Similar Books
