Too nice.
I was about to ask myself why when I caught the flash of blue. Jackson's eyes were literally boring into me. Not just staring at me either, he was inspecting me.
Jackson Delancey was not so subtly checking me out. Not like you looked at someone you didn't like. No, he was looking at me the way a man looks at a woman he wants to... do things with. I swallowed, realizing his eyes were doing strange things to my pulse. I also realized that I looked like a mess. My hand flew to my hair and brushed it back.
Not that I gave a damn what he thought. He was a brute. A big, rude, entitled, wealthy Southern brute.
His brother on the other hand, was a gentleman.
"We'd be happy to join you."
Daniel grinned at me.
"See you at 7 o'clock."
Chapter Four Jackson
I could not stop frowning as we headed back to the house for lunch. That woman was a blight on peace! And now Daniel had invited her to our home. I would have to be pleasant to her.
I did not want to be pleasant dammit! I wanted to... I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted, but it was not to make small talk with a cantankerous woman like that!
For some reason I kept thinking about kissing her. Just to shut her up!
"Why did you do that Daniel?"
"What? Invite her to dinner?"
I nodded curtly.
"I was just being neighborly."
I glared at him. He held up his hands. Daniel was always the peacekeeper. I wondered what the hell had gotten into him, stirring up trouble like that.
"Okay fine. I couldn't help but notice the sparks flying back and forth between the two of you."
"Sparks? Now you sound like a girl."
"You didn't think she was attractive?"
"I didn't say that. I'm not blind for God's sake."
Daniel laughed at my quick refusal. I cursed and walked away from him. I knew he was right. My reaction to that woman had been strange to say the least.
Hungover or not, nobody made me lose my cool.
Especially not adorable, annoyingly spunky city girls.
Even with dirt smudged on her face, and her hair tied back under a kerchief she was cute as a button. No, not cute. Fucking beautiful.
Never mind the fact that her body looked like sex on wheels.
For the second time I found myself wondering what it would be like to shut her up with a hot, deep, let's get down to business kiss. I'd toss her on her back and yank her clothes off her. I'd be sure not to stop kissing her.
Just to make sure she didn't start talking again!
I'd screw her until she was too tired to yap anymore. Or complain. Or run away.
Then I'd do it all over again.
Of course that might be hard considering the woman hated me. I'd seen the look she'd thrown at me. If her eyes were a fist, I would have hit the ground. A woman like that was not going to just tumble into bed with me, no matter how badly I wanted her to.
And I had a feeling that this particular itch was not going away anytime soon.
I groaned as the chainsaws sprung back to life.
Angelina
"How was it?"
"Huh?"
"Your walk."
"Fine."
"Uh huh."
Casey was giving me the stink eye. She knew I wasn't telling her everything. I sighed, wiping my hand over my brow.
"I met our neighbors. Well, I met two of them. We are having dinner with them Friday night."
"And?"
"And one of them is a pain in the ass!"
"Was he cute?"
"Casey!"
I tossed a paper towel at her and she ducked. I was on my hands and knees, scrubbing the tub on the first floor bathroom. I'd already installed the safety rails that would help Casey get in and out of the tub. Now I was making it clean so she could have a salt bath.
The minerals helped with the pain and getting a good night sleep.
"I think it's clean, Ang."
I looked down. She was right. It wasn't just clean, I was close to scrubbing the porcelain right off. I was on a rampage ever since my run in with Jackson Delancey.
I'd cleaned the living room and moved our bags to our prospective bedrooms. I'd even opened up the windows upstairs and down to start airing things out. And I had an eye on the third floor attic for a photography studio.
"Well, was he?"
I stood and stretched, running the water to rinse the tub. Then I checked the temperature and let the tub start to fill.
Finally I looked at her.
"Yes."
"How cute?"
I sighed.
"Movie star cute. If movie stars looked like muscle bound cowboys. But he's far too old for you."
She grinned at me as I helped her strip and climb into the bath. I poured salts into the water and leaned on the edge of the tub.
"I wasn't thinking about me."
"Who were you thinking about then? Me?"
"Yes, you! When was the last time you went on a date?"
"I don't have time for dates. Besides that is not what this is! Why would I go on a date with someone I hated on sight?"
"Uh huh. Sure. You know what they say Ang."
"No, what?"
"Love and hate are two sides of the same coin."