Page 83 of Contention

“Then talk to me about something non-threatening.” His voice is back to being smooth, teasing almost. He’s got a certain, predatory laziness about him, green eyes captivating.

She’s glad he isn’t leveling her with that Hollywood smile, no, he’s not putting on a show here.He’s just a man,Kara tells herself, trying to calm her fluttering heart.A very good-looking man that just so happens to make other men nervous.

Kara’s mind crashes about as she thinks of a way to change the conversation, because what does a man like this find interesting to talk about? Kara glances around, flustered, before settling on his hands, noticing the very slight tan line at his wrist. “So, you ride polo ponies,” she chokes out, feeling stupid.

Dietrich looks down at his own hands and scoffs. “Ah, you remember that conversation with Gale.” He turns his left hand over and back in examination. “The gloves give me ridiculous tan lines and I have to attempt to fix it when I can. Good eye.”

Kara looks back out at the water now that they are on the main expanse of the lake again, leaning back, her weight on her hands. Trying to relax in his unnerving presence. “Must be fun. I did a little riding as a girl, but that’s what comes with living way out in the boonies, I guess.” She sighs, remembering. “It made me feel free.”

He leans back on his hands as well, legs spread, a slight smirk pulling at his lips. “Oh, yeah? What did little you do?”

“Just open field riding on a friend’s horse. At her farm. I loved going to her house, because my family didn’t have the money for it.” She has shared too much, she thinks, about her past. It makes her backtrack out of it, turning it back to him. “Nothing quite so ‘fancy’ as you English riders. I bet you look nice in white breeches.” Then she flushes; that last bit was uncalled for. “Based on…you know. Cougars clawing at you after you ride.”

There’s a hint of a wicked smile growing on his lips, green eyes taking in her embarrassment. “You could come see for yourself. Our matches are on Sundays.”

He’s mirroring her movements, she realizes. Leans forward, shifts when she shifts. It’s subtle, but he’s doing it. A psychological signal of liking someone, or trying to make someone elsefeelcomfortable in his presence. Her mouth goes dry. This rat bastard.

Trying to keep her mind off the fact that he’s trying to ease her up artificially, Kara says accusingly, “Need me to save you from thirsty older women? Woe is you.”

“It’s a gift,” he sighs, a falsely exasperated look crossing his face. “So,” he changes his tone lightly. “Are you having fun? Or has Gale been putting you through the ringer all morning?”

“It’s certainly a break from my usual routine.”

A smirk. “I’m never boring.”

“I can believe that. You’re also dreadful,” Kara says drily, taking a long sip from her water, feeling overheated, for multiple reasons.

Green eyes are on her lips, wrapped around the bottle.

“Stop!” Kara snaps, feeling her face go crimson.

He doesn’t stop. “What?”

“You’re trying to get me all hot and bothered! Stop it!”

A flex in his finely muscled abdomen is the only response Kara gets and she nearly has a conniption.

“Why did you invite me here?” She stares into his lovely eyes, because she refuses to look at the glistening, toned flesh below his neck. “It wasn’t to make nice and chat to me about hobbies.”

“How do you know that?”

“Iwasn’tborn yesterday.”

He makes a little amused noise, like he’s been caught being naughty. “Because, you’re a new face in my rather tedious circle and I’m easily bored.” It sounds practiced.

“I think you’re lying,” Kara replies to that. “I’m not very interesting. I’m young, but I’m not stupid.” She licks her lips and tries bringing up what’s been bothering her about this whole affair. “Is it about Nick? Because you saw me with him? Some sort of stupid male competition to see who can snag the girl?”

Now, the strange calculation appears in his gaze, like he can see into her bare soul. “Are you with him? I can’t quite…tell.”

Flushing, Kara tears open a bag of chips. “What sort of sordid question is that? Jeez. Mind your own business.”

There’s a hint of cruelty seeping into his green, viper gaze. “You know, he’s not able to get it up any other way, right?” He says in that smokey smooth tone, lovely and sinful. “Nick. You’re wasted on him.”

Kara stiffens at that.

Dietrich looks positively gleeful. “You didn’t know? Or you didn’t believe it? Are you exclusive?” He says the last bit oddly, like he knows something she doesn’t. Like he’s laughing at her. It makes Kara feel distinctly out of her league.

She looks out at the water, sighing, thinking about Nick and his detached, distant way about him. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” she says blandly. “I’ve got no hold on him and he can’t have one on me.”

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