would rather remain oblivious. Shifting his weight to accommodate his growing discomfort, he realized he had completely forgotten what they had been discussing.
She hadn’t.
“It is likely you reserve a certain amount of animosity for us Terriburys especially,” she continued, unknowing that his thoughts had shifted in a decidedly inappropriate direction. “I imagine it takes a lot of effort to maintain such a forbidding expression and distant demeanor.”
Her steps faltered and she glanced around as if she’d just then realized he was no longer walking beside her. Stopping, she turned in place to look back at him.
Her sweetly full lips curved into a warm smile. It seemed her good humor had returned. He doubted she ever went very long without it.
“It really is unnecessary for you to keep up such unpleasantness around me. I know you don’t believe me, but I assure you I have no designs on you. Marital or otherwise.”
It was the otherwise he couldn’t stop thinking about. “You may not,” he replied with forced gravity, though he was starting to wonder if her pert little smile tasted as sweet as it looked. “But your mother is another story altogether.”
She sighed. “Good point. And you have had to be wary of Mother for such a long time. I suppose your belligerent manner toward anyone carrying the Terribury name is likely far too ingrained for me to expect you to change now.” She waved her hand in a flighty gesture and gazed upward from the corner of her eye. “Isn’t there something they say about old dogs and new tricks?”
Her insinuation did not deserve a response. He should ignore it.
But sexual tension had gotten twisted too tightly within him. And there had simply been one too many flippant insults tossed at his head without proper consequence.
He lowered his chin and started toward her. Slowly. “I am not a dog, and I am far from old.”
“Oh?” she asked with an innocent blink of her eyes. “Are you sure? Perhaps our walk has been a bit too strenuous. That might explain your disgruntlement. Do you need to rest?”
He came to a stop directly in front of her. So close she had to tip her head back to continue meeting his gaze. He took a moment to slide his gaze over the inquisitive arch of her eyebrows, the richness of her earthy eyes that flashed with humor, and her lips. Lovely full lips curved in a mischievous smile that was beginning to falter.
“You should not be so free to challenge a man’s strength and virility.”
Something of the fierce arousal racing through his veins must have shown in his face, because the last remnants of her smile slipped away and she took a step back. The pulse in her throat fluttered. “I…I didn’t.”
He had intended to scare her a little—let her know she had crossed the line. But he could not seem to stop himself from pushing her a bit further.
“You would not want me to prove you wrong.”
She stared at him. Her gaze was bright and intent. Her posture tense and ready. Then something changed. There was a flicker of something elemental in the depth of her eyes.
“I wouldn’t?”
Desire clamored clumsily through him, urging him to accept her unwitting challenge. He grasped her upper arms and drew her toward him as his gaze fell to her mouth again.
God, he wanted to kiss her. Test the lush surface of her lips, taste the secrets of her tongue. The warmth of her body saturated his clothing and the softness of her curves crushed against him, begging for further exploration. The base desire to possess rose darkly within him and he battled to maintain control.
She made a soft little sound in her throat and he shifted his gaze. She stared at him with wide glittering eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and her chest heaved with short breaths she drew through parted lips. Yet she did not look frightened. She looked…ready.
A strong band of caution wrapped around the desire running rampant through him.
He had only meant to prove a point, retaliate
She hadn’t.
“It is likely you reserve a certain amount of animosity for us Terriburys especially,” she continued, unknowing that his thoughts had shifted in a decidedly inappropriate direction. “I imagine it takes a lot of effort to maintain such a forbidding expression and distant demeanor.”
Her steps faltered and she glanced around as if she’d just then realized he was no longer walking beside her. Stopping, she turned in place to look back at him.
Her sweetly full lips curved into a warm smile. It seemed her good humor had returned. He doubted she ever went very long without it.
“It really is unnecessary for you to keep up such unpleasantness around me. I know you don’t believe me, but I assure you I have no designs on you. Marital or otherwise.”
It was the otherwise he couldn’t stop thinking about. “You may not,” he replied with forced gravity, though he was starting to wonder if her pert little smile tasted as sweet as it looked. “But your mother is another story altogether.”
She sighed. “Good point. And you have had to be wary of Mother for such a long time. I suppose your belligerent manner toward anyone carrying the Terribury name is likely far too ingrained for me to expect you to change now.” She waved her hand in a flighty gesture and gazed upward from the corner of her eye. “Isn’t there something they say about old dogs and new tricks?”
Her insinuation did not deserve a response. He should ignore it.
But sexual tension had gotten twisted too tightly within him. And there had simply been one too many flippant insults tossed at his head without proper consequence.
He lowered his chin and started toward her. Slowly. “I am not a dog, and I am far from old.”
“Oh?” she asked with an innocent blink of her eyes. “Are you sure? Perhaps our walk has been a bit too strenuous. That might explain your disgruntlement. Do you need to rest?”
He came to a stop directly in front of her. So close she had to tip her head back to continue meeting his gaze. He took a moment to slide his gaze over the inquisitive arch of her eyebrows, the richness of her earthy eyes that flashed with humor, and her lips. Lovely full lips curved in a mischievous smile that was beginning to falter.
“You should not be so free to challenge a man’s strength and virility.”
Something of the fierce arousal racing through his veins must have shown in his face, because the last remnants of her smile slipped away and she took a step back. The pulse in her throat fluttered. “I…I didn’t.”
He had intended to scare her a little—let her know she had crossed the line. But he could not seem to stop himself from pushing her a bit further.
“You would not want me to prove you wrong.”
She stared at him. Her gaze was bright and intent. Her posture tense and ready. Then something changed. There was a flicker of something elemental in the depth of her eyes.
“I wouldn’t?”
Desire clamored clumsily through him, urging him to accept her unwitting challenge. He grasped her upper arms and drew her toward him as his gaze fell to her mouth again.
God, he wanted to kiss her. Test the lush surface of her lips, taste the secrets of her tongue. The warmth of her body saturated his clothing and the softness of her curves crushed against him, begging for further exploration. The base desire to possess rose darkly within him and he battled to maintain control.
She made a soft little sound in her throat and he shifted his gaze. She stared at him with wide glittering eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and her chest heaved with short breaths she drew through parted lips. Yet she did not look frightened. She looked…ready.
A strong band of caution wrapped around the desire running rampant through him.
He had only meant to prove a point, retaliate
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