Page 12 of Burned By the Broken Doctor

She snaps back, “You’re the one crashing my morning.”

I raise an eyebrow, trying to keep my cool. “I thought you were a Cole? The name on the store is FreshOne, so maybe you’re in the wrong place.”

She crosses her arms, her eyes narrowing. “I’m not surprised you can’t understand a simple analogy. Let me dumb it down for you. I was here first. You should step out until I’m done.”

I take a step toward her, my teeth gritting in anger. “Do you think the world revolves around you?”

“This is my world, my town,” she retorts. “And just like you were a coward who couldn’t face the consequences of your actions and asked me to leave your house, this is my territory. You’d better leave if you know what’s good for you.”

I take another step closer, lowering my voice to a dangerous whisper. “Damon invited me here, and I’m going nowhere until I’m done. So, bring on whatever you have in store for me, sweetheart.”

Her eyes flare with anger, and I know I’ve struck a nerve. She opens her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. “I’m just here to get a snack, Emma. Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be.”

She glares at me, her fists clenched at her sides. “You think you can just waltz back into town, and everything will be fine? You think you can avoid facing what you did?”

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “I’m not avoiding anything. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Barely,” she shoots back. “You’re still the same coward who kicked me out of his house.”

Her words sting, but I keep my expression neutral. “You don’t know the whole story.”

She snorts. “I know enough. And I know you’re not the kind of person I want around my brother.”

I feel a flash of anger, but I force myself to stay calm. “Damon is my friend. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Fine,” she says, her voice cold. “But don’t think for a second that I’m going to make this easy for you.”

I nod, accepting the challenge. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, sweetheart.”

“You’re the kind of vermin I wouldn’t want to touch with a ten-foot pole.”

“Really?” I cock my head to the side. “Because you touched me at a distance lot shorter than that yesterday.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“It’s not the first time I’ve been called that.” I let a mocking smile spread across my lips. “I prefer dick, personally. It reflects what’s going on in your mind a bit more.”

She looks mad enough to grab something heavy off the cart and hurl it at my head, and at the same time, for some crazy reason, she looks incredibly sexy. Face flushed, red hair disheveled and bouncing around her shoulder, lips pursed straight at me.

What would she do if I grabbed her against the wall and kissed her right here?

Probably drive her knee into my crotch or maybe kiss me back. I’m not sure I want to risk the reaction the anger in her eyes will bring, though.

Emma Cole brings me a kind of challenge I’m not sure I’m ready for. But it keeps me excited. She gapes at me with the maddest set of green eyes I’ve ever seen. The section is suddenly filled with a leaden silence.

4

EMMA

My hand clenches into a fist by my sides as I stare at Liam. The image of my palm connecting with his cheek flashes in my mind, a fleeting flicker of savage satisfaction.

That wouldn't solve anything, but it should shut him up for a bit. He must be the most irritable person I’ve ever met in my life because I’ve never felt satisfaction just thinking about slapping someone before.

The only other time I’ve ever even entertained the thought of landing a slap on someone’s face was in his condo that morning.

Maybe a slap won’t even do. Maybe a well-placed knee to his crotch would be a more satisfying way to crush the annoying big dick energy he’s oozing right now. A swift, surprising jab would double him over and leave him sputtering for words. The image of his arrogant smirk twisting into pain is almost enough to make me laugh.

Before I can act on either of these uncharacteristically violent impulses, the bell above the store door chimes, and my head snaps up to see who’s joined us.

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