She’d made her bed, time to get in it. She met his face and his rage took her breath. She wasn’t afraid. He’d never hurt her. The last time she’d seen that face, though, he thought she was being attacked and he’d stepped in to rescue her. She wet her lips and found her voice. “About what?”
“About you working here.”
She crossed her arms under her chest. Wasn’t there somewhere to curl up out of his gaze, forget what all those women said? Instead she held her ground for what she’d earned. “Go ahead.”
“You’re not going to act like you did last time. If I catch you in my barn or in my orchard one time with John, you’re gone.”
The memories of those moments started in, but she pushed them away. The room shrunk smaller. The air so hot and she needed more space. She could tell him Tate just discussed this with her, but she didn’t. Wade deserved the chance to put her in her place. “Okay.”
“I’m not done.”
She waited. Didn’t have words for him. Didn’t want to just come out with “I was so in love with you I did all I could think of to get your attention.”
“When your name is tied to my business, you’re not to date anyone. I know it sounds extreme, but I don’t trust you.” He stood straighter. Stood so much taller and wider. “Not after last time. I won’t have people calling you a slut and whore because you can’t keep it behind closed doors while you work here.”
The burning energy surging through her fizzled out. Right. His name. She already planned to keep her nose extra clean. She couldn’t judge him for his comments and thoughts. It was her actions that led him to believe it all. “Fine.”
“No more talking to John.”
“That’s ridiculous.” And out of the question. She was going to talk to John. To apologize.
“You want a job? My rules.” He’d come closer again. His chest nearly brushed her arms across her chest. “No talking or flirting with John.”
“Are you done?” she ground out between clenched teeth.
He reached forward. She couldn’t move. Part of her didn’t want to. The tip of his finger slipped under the thin strap of her dress. “No more of this kind of stuff.”
“What?” His nail lingered against her skin and she was powerless but to shudder under the soft and gentle touch.
He ripped his hand away as if he’d been burned and gestured at her. “These sexy clothes. No more. We’re a family farm.”
She glanced down at the orange sundress Whitney had instructed her to wear. The cotton skirt reached to just above her knees. It fit across her breasts, but fell loose around her curves below that. The top of the dress didn’t even cut low enough to show any cleavage. “I’ll be sure to pick up some oversized sweats next time I’m in the store. Will that do?”
He didn’t smile. Not that the moment was funny. “You were hell on my life last time you were here, darlin’. It won’t be the same this time around.”
“Like mine was a picnic.” No worries there. She already made him lose his best friend and she wrecked her friendship with Whitney, no doubt leaving him to pick up those pieces. She’d done enough to him, to herself.
He reached for her, and that was his mistake. She had her opening and she ran for it, cutting around and under his arm out the door.
“Kara!”
She didn’t look back or slow down, but hauled ass down the steps as fast as she could in her strappy sandals and went out the door, back to her post at the front. Facing the public and their glances and stares was far better than facing off with Wade.
Chapter Five
For the next agonizing eight hours, Wade kept his distance. Close enough he could see her. Not so close he could hear. After she fled the house away from him, he’d told Whitney not to leave her side again. He wouldn’t have anyone else coming around causing potential problems.
Last time she’d been here, there’d been talk about Kara’s very public sexual actions with John, and
“About you working here.”
She crossed her arms under her chest. Wasn’t there somewhere to curl up out of his gaze, forget what all those women said? Instead she held her ground for what she’d earned. “Go ahead.”
“You’re not going to act like you did last time. If I catch you in my barn or in my orchard one time with John, you’re gone.”
The memories of those moments started in, but she pushed them away. The room shrunk smaller. The air so hot and she needed more space. She could tell him Tate just discussed this with her, but she didn’t. Wade deserved the chance to put her in her place. “Okay.”
“I’m not done.”
She waited. Didn’t have words for him. Didn’t want to just come out with “I was so in love with you I did all I could think of to get your attention.”
“When your name is tied to my business, you’re not to date anyone. I know it sounds extreme, but I don’t trust you.” He stood straighter. Stood so much taller and wider. “Not after last time. I won’t have people calling you a slut and whore because you can’t keep it behind closed doors while you work here.”
The burning energy surging through her fizzled out. Right. His name. She already planned to keep her nose extra clean. She couldn’t judge him for his comments and thoughts. It was her actions that led him to believe it all. “Fine.”
“No more talking to John.”
“That’s ridiculous.” And out of the question. She was going to talk to John. To apologize.
“You want a job? My rules.” He’d come closer again. His chest nearly brushed her arms across her chest. “No talking or flirting with John.”
“Are you done?” she ground out between clenched teeth.
He reached forward. She couldn’t move. Part of her didn’t want to. The tip of his finger slipped under the thin strap of her dress. “No more of this kind of stuff.”
“What?” His nail lingered against her skin and she was powerless but to shudder under the soft and gentle touch.
He ripped his hand away as if he’d been burned and gestured at her. “These sexy clothes. No more. We’re a family farm.”
She glanced down at the orange sundress Whitney had instructed her to wear. The cotton skirt reached to just above her knees. It fit across her breasts, but fell loose around her curves below that. The top of the dress didn’t even cut low enough to show any cleavage. “I’ll be sure to pick up some oversized sweats next time I’m in the store. Will that do?”
He didn’t smile. Not that the moment was funny. “You were hell on my life last time you were here, darlin’. It won’t be the same this time around.”
“Like mine was a picnic.” No worries there. She already made him lose his best friend and she wrecked her friendship with Whitney, no doubt leaving him to pick up those pieces. She’d done enough to him, to herself.
He reached for her, and that was his mistake. She had her opening and she ran for it, cutting around and under his arm out the door.
“Kara!”
She didn’t look back or slow down, but hauled ass down the steps as fast as she could in her strappy sandals and went out the door, back to her post at the front. Facing the public and their glances and stares was far better than facing off with Wade.
Chapter Five
For the next agonizing eight hours, Wade kept his distance. Close enough he could see her. Not so close he could hear. After she fled the house away from him, he’d told Whitney not to leave her side again. He wouldn’t have anyone else coming around causing potential problems.
Last time she’d been here, there’d been talk about Kara’s very public sexual actions with John, and
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