Read Online Taking What's His (Entangled Brazen) by Diane Alberts - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Diane Alberts
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asshole, and had him step up to the plate, bat in hand. “You misunderstood me. I don’t want more from you at all. I came to my senses after you left.”
She froze. “But you said you want—”
“No, I said I wanted more.” Closing his hands over hers, he removed them from his shoulders. It was a hell of a lot harder than it should have been. Smirking, he shrugged as if he didn’t give a damn about her or anyone. It was a cloak he wore all too well, but tonight it felt wrong. “Past tense. I don’t need the trouble sleeping with you again would bring. No offense.”
Annnnd home run .
Her cheeks suffused with color, and she took a step back. “Oh. Right.”
“Guys like me don’t look for more.”
She nodded, turning away from him. Even so, he saw the confusion and pain she tried to hide. “I heard you the first time. I know .”
There was so much he wanted to say. But he didn’t.
Instead he tipped his head toward his truck. “My truck’s this way. Come on.”
She bit her lower lip. “I’m not going with you.”
He sighed. “Lydia—”
“No. He thinks you’re giving me a ride, so your best friend duty is filled. Believe it or not, I know how to call a cab. I did it at your place this morning.”
“We already went over this shit, Lydia.” He spread his hand over her lower back, guiding her toward his truck. He’d been trying to avoid touching her, because touching her made him want her even damn more. She dug her heels into the pavement, but he refused to stop propelling her forward. “Get. In. The. Truck.”
“ Fine .”
Huffing, she followed him, her back tense under his fingers. Funny, he knew the perfect remedy for that. Too bad he couldn’t show her. They reached the passenger side door, and he opened it for her. He didn’t help her up with a boost on her ass like he had last night. He kept his hands to himself. “In you go.”
She climbed in without a word, her silence louder than words could ever be. As he walked around the back of the truck, he dragged a hand through his hair. Then he slid into his seat and slammed the door shut, starting the engine and kicking it into reverse right away.
After he merged onto the road, he tapped his thumbs on the wheel. “Are you still living on campus?”
“No.” She crossed her arms and stared out the window. “I’m at Shadyside Apartments.”
That was in a suspicious part of town. Not fit for a girl like her. “Steven lets you live there?”
“ Lets?” Her mouth pressed into a tight, angry line. “No one lets me do anything, thank you very much, least of all my brother.”
He stopped at the red light and held his hands up. “Fuck, sorry. All I know is my nuts were threatened if I even thought about touching you, so I figured he might be a pain in the ass as far as your living conditions go, too.”
“Well, he isn’t. And believe it or not, his opinions on who I date don’t matter to me, either. If he had it his way, I’d be a nun.”
Hell, Holt would, too. Because if he couldn’t have her, damn it, neither should anyone else. Logical? Nope. But he didn’t give a flying fuck. “I think that the sisterly way of life is highly underrated by modern society. If you were my little sister, I’d—”
She growled under her breath. “Don’t even think of going all older brother on me after last night. I will strip naked, right here, right now, to remind you who I am, and what we did. Don’t think I won’t.”
“Oh, believe me. I know exactly who you are.” He flexed his fingers on the wheel, his throat tightening on him. The image of her stripping for him was enough to make him forget all about pushing her away. But he had to do it. “And what we did, too.”
She glanced out the window, her shoulders stiff. “Whatever.”
They fell silent until they reached her complex. As he parked in front of her building, he searched the shadows. Nothing moved. “I’ll walk you in safely.”
“You don’t have to. I’ll
She froze. “But you said you want—”
“No, I said I wanted more.” Closing his hands over hers, he removed them from his shoulders. It was a hell of a lot harder than it should have been. Smirking, he shrugged as if he didn’t give a damn about her or anyone. It was a cloak he wore all too well, but tonight it felt wrong. “Past tense. I don’t need the trouble sleeping with you again would bring. No offense.”
Annnnd home run .
Her cheeks suffused with color, and she took a step back. “Oh. Right.”
“Guys like me don’t look for more.”
She nodded, turning away from him. Even so, he saw the confusion and pain she tried to hide. “I heard you the first time. I know .”
There was so much he wanted to say. But he didn’t.
Instead he tipped his head toward his truck. “My truck’s this way. Come on.”
She bit her lower lip. “I’m not going with you.”
He sighed. “Lydia—”
“No. He thinks you’re giving me a ride, so your best friend duty is filled. Believe it or not, I know how to call a cab. I did it at your place this morning.”
“We already went over this shit, Lydia.” He spread his hand over her lower back, guiding her toward his truck. He’d been trying to avoid touching her, because touching her made him want her even damn more. She dug her heels into the pavement, but he refused to stop propelling her forward. “Get. In. The. Truck.”
“ Fine .”
Huffing, she followed him, her back tense under his fingers. Funny, he knew the perfect remedy for that. Too bad he couldn’t show her. They reached the passenger side door, and he opened it for her. He didn’t help her up with a boost on her ass like he had last night. He kept his hands to himself. “In you go.”
She climbed in without a word, her silence louder than words could ever be. As he walked around the back of the truck, he dragged a hand through his hair. Then he slid into his seat and slammed the door shut, starting the engine and kicking it into reverse right away.
After he merged onto the road, he tapped his thumbs on the wheel. “Are you still living on campus?”
“No.” She crossed her arms and stared out the window. “I’m at Shadyside Apartments.”
That was in a suspicious part of town. Not fit for a girl like her. “Steven lets you live there?”
“ Lets?” Her mouth pressed into a tight, angry line. “No one lets me do anything, thank you very much, least of all my brother.”
He stopped at the red light and held his hands up. “Fuck, sorry. All I know is my nuts were threatened if I even thought about touching you, so I figured he might be a pain in the ass as far as your living conditions go, too.”
“Well, he isn’t. And believe it or not, his opinions on who I date don’t matter to me, either. If he had it his way, I’d be a nun.”
Hell, Holt would, too. Because if he couldn’t have her, damn it, neither should anyone else. Logical? Nope. But he didn’t give a flying fuck. “I think that the sisterly way of life is highly underrated by modern society. If you were my little sister, I’d—”
She growled under her breath. “Don’t even think of going all older brother on me after last night. I will strip naked, right here, right now, to remind you who I am, and what we did. Don’t think I won’t.”
“Oh, believe me. I know exactly who you are.” He flexed his fingers on the wheel, his throat tightening on him. The image of her stripping for him was enough to make him forget all about pushing her away. But he had to do it. “And what we did, too.”
She glanced out the window, her shoulders stiff. “Whatever.”
They fell silent until they reached her complex. As he parked in front of her building, he searched the shadows. Nothing moved. “I’ll walk you in safely.”
“You don’t have to. I’ll
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