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Authors: Kira Sinclair
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flexed as if she’d just escaped from a tight, uncomfortable binding.
It had been a long time since anyone had been concerned for him.
A warm buzz started somewhere in the center of his chest and spread slowly through the rest of him.
“I appreciate your concern, but it’s unnecessary.”
“Who said I was concerned?”
He snagged her gaze, holding her in place and refusing to let her go. His lips tugged up into a lopsided grin that dared her to lie to him again.
She didn’t bother. “Just be careful. You weren’t exactly considered citizen of the year before. I don’t want what happened between us to derail your job with the resort.”
“Well, that’s sweet, angel, but my contract with the consortium is airtight. The only way the citizens of Sweetheart are getting rid of me this time is if I don’t perform. And we both know I have no problems in that department.”
Dev enjoyed the way her cheeks flamed with color. Her eyes flashed a warning. His body hummed, this verbal sparring with her doing nothing to quench the flame of need licking across his skin. In fact, it only made him want her more.
Ten years ago she’d been quiet and unsure. Delicate. She still had that edge of fragility that made a man want to circle around her and growl at anything that came within inches of touching her. But she no longer held back, unafraid to call him on his bullshit and slap him across the face with her harsh words.
Willow Portis had grown up, and God, that only made him want her more. She’d been a tempting teenager. She was a formidable woman.
She’d pulled her long, sleek hair into a smooth knot at the back of her head—now the deep, dark brown that he remembered. He wanted to tug on it and make the silky strands tumble down across his hands and chest and thighs. He wanted to run his teeth along the elegant curve of her long neck. He wanted to leave a mark on her so that every time she looked at it her body would remember.
Instead, he clenched his hands tight in his lap beneath the table and dragged a heavy breath into his burning lungs.
He needed to put some distance between them. Now. Before he did something stupid and compounded the problems they already had.
“Look, I appreciate the thought, but you don’t need to worry about me. I’ve been taking care of myself for most of my life.” By force of will, Dev tore his eyes from hers. The moment his attention drifted over the crowd of people around them, guilty stares started jerking away.
Nothing ever changed.
His lips twisted into a scowl and he said, “You better leave now. A few more minutes sitting here with me and your reputation will be ruined forever.”
Dismissing her, he dipped several fries into the pile of ketchup on his plate and shoved them into his mouth.
But she didn’t leave. Instead, she shifted on her chair, as if she were finding a softer spot to settle. Willow Portis was a disconcerting puzzle. Just when he thought he’d pegged her, she went and did something that broke the neat box he’d shoved her into.
Watching him through lowered lids, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared back at him.
“You really are an asshole, aren’t you?”
Her words hurt, although he didn’t want them to. And he certainly wasn’t going to let her know it. Swirling another fry through the pool of red, he said lazily, “Yep, that’s me.”
“What did Rose ever see in you?”
He sent her a mischievous grin, the sexual energy he was trying to keep a tight lid on leaking out.
“Rose got exactly what she wanted from me.”
Willow huffed deep in the back of her throat.
“I seriously doubt that. She had to leave town. You both did. Nothing is worth losing your home, especially not sex.”
“Speak for yourself, little girl. Finally getting a taste of you was worth a whole hell of a lot.”
She gasped, enraged. God, he’d always enjoyed watching her shoulders tighten with indignation and her eyes narrow with determination. Ten
It had been a long time since anyone had been concerned for him.
A warm buzz started somewhere in the center of his chest and spread slowly through the rest of him.
“I appreciate your concern, but it’s unnecessary.”
“Who said I was concerned?”
He snagged her gaze, holding her in place and refusing to let her go. His lips tugged up into a lopsided grin that dared her to lie to him again.
She didn’t bother. “Just be careful. You weren’t exactly considered citizen of the year before. I don’t want what happened between us to derail your job with the resort.”
“Well, that’s sweet, angel, but my contract with the consortium is airtight. The only way the citizens of Sweetheart are getting rid of me this time is if I don’t perform. And we both know I have no problems in that department.”
Dev enjoyed the way her cheeks flamed with color. Her eyes flashed a warning. His body hummed, this verbal sparring with her doing nothing to quench the flame of need licking across his skin. In fact, it only made him want her more.
Ten years ago she’d been quiet and unsure. Delicate. She still had that edge of fragility that made a man want to circle around her and growl at anything that came within inches of touching her. But she no longer held back, unafraid to call him on his bullshit and slap him across the face with her harsh words.
Willow Portis had grown up, and God, that only made him want her more. She’d been a tempting teenager. She was a formidable woman.
She’d pulled her long, sleek hair into a smooth knot at the back of her head—now the deep, dark brown that he remembered. He wanted to tug on it and make the silky strands tumble down across his hands and chest and thighs. He wanted to run his teeth along the elegant curve of her long neck. He wanted to leave a mark on her so that every time she looked at it her body would remember.
Instead, he clenched his hands tight in his lap beneath the table and dragged a heavy breath into his burning lungs.
He needed to put some distance between them. Now. Before he did something stupid and compounded the problems they already had.
“Look, I appreciate the thought, but you don’t need to worry about me. I’ve been taking care of myself for most of my life.” By force of will, Dev tore his eyes from hers. The moment his attention drifted over the crowd of people around them, guilty stares started jerking away.
Nothing ever changed.
His lips twisted into a scowl and he said, “You better leave now. A few more minutes sitting here with me and your reputation will be ruined forever.”
Dismissing her, he dipped several fries into the pile of ketchup on his plate and shoved them into his mouth.
But she didn’t leave. Instead, she shifted on her chair, as if she were finding a softer spot to settle. Willow Portis was a disconcerting puzzle. Just when he thought he’d pegged her, she went and did something that broke the neat box he’d shoved her into.
Watching him through lowered lids, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared back at him.
“You really are an asshole, aren’t you?”
Her words hurt, although he didn’t want them to. And he certainly wasn’t going to let her know it. Swirling another fry through the pool of red, he said lazily, “Yep, that’s me.”
“What did Rose ever see in you?”
He sent her a mischievous grin, the sexual energy he was trying to keep a tight lid on leaking out.
“Rose got exactly what she wanted from me.”
Willow huffed deep in the back of her throat.
“I seriously doubt that. She had to leave town. You both did. Nothing is worth losing your home, especially not sex.”
“Speak for yourself, little girl. Finally getting a taste of you was worth a whole hell of a lot.”
She gasped, enraged. God, he’d always enjoyed watching her shoulders tighten with indignation and her eyes narrow with determination. Ten
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