Page 29 of Whispers of My Skin

“Let me go!” I struggle to break free, but Joel effortlessly restrains me with one hand, forcing me to look at him with his other.

“You’re going to tell me what you think is going on and you’re going to tell me now,” he grounds out slowly.

“I heard you talking to Cassandra,” I growl, furious that he’s still acting the innocent.

“And what exactly was it you think you heard?” He quirks his eyebrow and goddamn if that isn’t as sexy as hell. So not fair.

“You know perfectly well what you talked about with that bitch.” I refuse to be distracted by the strong carnal attraction that’s always there between us. It’s just physical, it means nothing.

“Honey, maybe you really do have some kind of delayed shock, ‘cause I am still clueless as to what’s gotten you so riled…” he drawls in that sexy way of his, but I cut him off. He is not going to get around me that way.

“Don’t try and evade the issue by claiming I’m in shock, and don’t you dare ‘honey’ me as if you cared,” I glare.

It’s adding insult to injury to callously use that sweet term of endearment. I can’t forget how he used it all the time when we were young, naïve, and thought our love would last forever.

Joel rolls his eyes and runs his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“Woman, I’m going to get the truth out of you, even if I have to...”

“Beat it out of me?” I raise my eyebrows challengingly.

“I would never hit you, baby. At least not in the way you’re implying,” he smirks. “Trust me, when the time comes, I’ll make sure you enjoy every second when I put you over my knee and turn those pretty little ass cheeks of yours a nice shade of pink.” Annoyingly, the thought of being spanked by him turns my face cheeks a nice shade of pink too, telling Joel how much his words turn me on. “So, come on, Tara spit it out. What in the hell is it that’s gotten you so riled up?”

“Only that you’re planning to sell the ranch, that’s all,” I say, raising my voice and looking him in straight the eye to gauge his reaction. Surprise, is what I see reflected there.

Joel pulls away to look at my face but doesn’t release me.

“I see. And what else?” he demands.

“Nothing,” I reply evasively because I find it unbearably difficult to say out loud that Cassie’s having his baby.

“What else did you hear, Tara?” he persists.

“You know very well what you talked to her about.”

“I’m asking you and I want an answer. Tell me!”

Anger bubbles up in my throat. He’s forcing me to say the words to humiliate me.

“That Cassandra is having your baby!” I yell. “That you two have been fucking like bunnies and now you’ve gotten her pregnant! Yay! Well done you for knocking her up! Just don’t expect me to throw her a baby shower.”

The bastard laughs. Yes, he actually has the nerve to laugh.

“Typical Tara. You overhear half a conversation and immediately make all kinds of assumptions,” he chuckles.

How in the hell dare he?

I’m so glad he can find some hilarity in this god-awful mess because as far as I’m concerned, this is anything but hilarious.

But all he can do is fucking well laugh.

This means war.

.

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