“Quiet,” he ordered low and my whole body stil ed at his tone and the look on his face.
When he had my attention, he started talking. “You freaked when you got the flowers and the way you told me it was over, I knew you needed that and was wil in’ to give it to you but I was takin’ one last night. You agreed. I used that night to get you to stop thinkin’ crazy and pushin’ me away and it worked.”
“It didn’t.”
“You started redecorating my cabin, you thanked me for the flowers, you let me make love to you in the moonlight and again in the morning. You showered with me, you held on tight on the bike when I brought you home. Is that the behavior of a woman who’s just broken up with you?” Hmm.
He had a point.
“You didn’t cal me for three days,” I kept at it.
“I was workin’ and it’s been intense between us. You freak out any time I get close. You needed space to get your head together. I backed off for a few days and gave it to you.”
Okay, that made sense. It was even nice.
Stil .
“I do not freak out,” I snapped.
He raised his brows.
Fuck!
I was freaking out as we talked.
I glared at him because I didn’t have a leg to stand on and I knew it but my pride wouldn’t let me admit it out loud.
He watched me then his face started to go soft and sexy and I knew that he knew my thoughts.
Vance Crowe totally had my number.
Damn.
Time to move on.
“Al right, wel … whatever.” It was weak but I didn’t know what else to say.
I caught his grin definitely this time before his face disappeared into my neck. He knew he’d won in more ways than one.
“Next time I give you space, I’l tel you,” he said into my neck.
I didn’t want there to be a next time. This last time was bad enough. I didn’t share that with him however.
His mouth moved on my neck and then came to mine and he kissed me, soft and quick and my freak out started to melt away. Then he lifted his head.
“Go to work. I’m tired and need sleep,” he said softly, his face an inch from mine.
“That didn’t take long,” I said, kind of snotty but not real y meaning it, “we’re back to macho-speak.”
“Go to work,” he replied, knowing I didn’t mean it.
I stared at him.
I started to move away but his arms got tight. I looked at him and he kissed me again, this time slow and sweet but with lots of tongue.
That was more like it.
When he was done, my freak out had disintegrated.
Gone.
I looked him in the eyes for a beat then said against his mouth, “Sleep wel .”
He kissed my forehead and I grabbed my nightie, pul ed it over my head, turned off the alarm so it wouldn’t wake Vance, swung off the bed and went to feed Boo.
I showered, got ready as quietly as I could and chanced a glance up at the bed before I left.
Vance was lying on his stomach, sheet down to his waist and I could see his brown-skinned, muscled back which looked even browner against my cream sheets. Boo was curled into the side of his waist and didn’t even look at me when I peeked.
I had to hold on to the bed platform not because of a bel y flutter but because my knees went weak. There were al sorts of reasons for this, none of which I had the time or inclination to explore at that moment.
I pul ed myself together and walked outside.
Nick was standing in the yard staring at Vance’s Harley which was parked close to the backdoor.
Nick’s eyes swung to me but he didn’t say a word.
“Um… seems Vance and I are back together,” I informed Nick, explaining the bike.
Nick watched me a beat then dropped his head, stared at his shoes and muttered something under his breath I didn’t catch.
I walked closer to him. “Sorry?” I asked. “I didn’t hear that.”
He looked at me. “These are the times I hate,” he said louder.
I just stared at him.
Then I asked, “What times?”
“The times when I don’t know what Reba explained to you and what she didn’t.”
Oh crap.
Not one of those times. Those times were always embarrassing for both of us. Always.
“Nick –” I started but Nick interrupted me and I could tel it was in an effort to get what he had to say over with and quick.
“Don’t fuck with this guy, Jules. This is not the type of guy you fuck with. I figure he’s got a lot of patience and to be honest, no offense sweetheart, he’s gonna need it with you.
But don’t use up his patience. Does that make sense?” I was stil caught at Nick dropping the f-bomb. Nick didn’t tend to use the f-word very often.
Nick took my silence as confusion, came closer to me and explained, “What I’m sayin’ is, don’t jack him around.”
“Nick!”
“I’m just sayin’.”
“I’m not jacking Vance around!” Okay, maybe I was, but I didn’t realize it at the time. “I’m just…” I went on, “working through some issues.”
“Wel , don’t tease him while you’re doin’ it, that’s al I’m sayin’.”
“Tease him?” I whispered.
Oh my God.