Read Online Southern Spice (Southern Desires Series Book 1) by Jeannette Winters - Free Book Online Page A

angry? He was acting like he was jealous. But of what? She was only feeding his crew. Did he expect her to sit in the house and not speak to anyone? I guess so.
    Casey didn’t want to stand there and be told what she could or couldn’t do. She was no child, and he was not her boss. As she got up to walk out of the kitchen, the pain in her leg shot all the way up her thigh. She grabbed the chair for support but couldn’t hold back the scream that escaped her lips.
    Derrick flew to her side and once again swooped her up into his arms. McLean must not have left yet as he came rushing back into the kitchen.
    “What the hell are you doing to her, Derrick?” McLean shouted.
    “One warning only. Get out of my house, McLean,” Derrick barked.
    She could feel the tension ripple through his body as he held her against him. Surprisingly, McLean didn’t budge nor did Derrick.
    The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Never before had she had two men protect her. If she wasn’t in so much pain she might have even enjoyed the attention, but right now she needed their egos to calm down so Derrick would put her down. “It’s okay. I just twisted my knee. That’s all.”
    “Do you need to go to town to see the doc?” McLean asked.
    “She said she’s fine,” Derrick said angrily.
    She wanted to smack Derrick for not taking her to one that morning. He had made it seem like there wasn’t anyone to give her immediate medical attention. As though the doctor was tied up with other patients. Why would he mislead her like that? What did it gain him? “No, thank you, McLean. Derrick is taking good care of me.” I hope my acting skills are holding up because that’s complete bullshit. And McLean probably knows it too.
    He assessed the situation then said before heading back out of the kitchen, “Have a good night then.”
    Once alone she turned her attention to Derrick. “If you don’t mind, I would like you to put me down,” she demanded.
    Derrick ignored her request again. Instead, he carried her up the stairway to the room he had taken her to last night.
    “You have two choices. Take those pants off yourself, or I’ll rip them off like the last pair. Either is fine with me.” His voice was cold and hard.
    Casey felt her stomach flip-flop. Maybe she was too quick to dismiss McLean. “Why?”
    “Because your stubborn little ass is doing your knee more damage than good by spending the day on your leg. If you don’t let me wrap it again, you might not be walking on it for months.”
    She wasn’t sure if he was doing this out of kindness or if he just didn’t want her there any longer than a week. Either way, Casey could not stand the pain much longer and reluctantly unbuttoned the jeans and slid them over her hips until they dropped to the floor. She tugged the edge of the T-shirt as far down as she could. Thank God it’s long or this would be even more embarrassing than it already is.
    “Lie on the bed, and for God’s sake, don’t look at me like that.”
    Like what? “I’m not afraid of you, Mr. Nash.”
    He laughed softly. “You think that’s fear in your eyes? I wish it was that easy.” She watched as he made his way to the door.
    Is this some kind of game? See if he can get me back in his bed then leave me there? “Where are you going?”
    “I need to get the salve and a new wrap. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll be here when I get back.”
    Casey knew what was good for her, and being in this house with him surely wasn’t it. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll be here when I get back. Who does he think he is? He was arrogant and demanding and grumpy as all heck. No matter how tempting it was to get off the bed to show him he was not in control of her, she knew pushing his buttons to prove a point wasn’t going to be worth the price. One week, Casey. That’s all it is. You can do this.
    When Derrick returned to the room their eyes met briefly. He showed no hint of