Page 27 of Perfect

He eyed me thoughtfully. His reply shouldn’t have surprised me after what Ella had said, but it did.

“You,actually.”

My brow threaded and I felt a whoosh of adrenalin hit me. The fact that he just laid it out there rattled me a little.

A mixture of raw emotions slapped me all at once. Disbelief, frustration, distrust.

“Me?!” I squeaked, heat crawling up my neck and into my cheeks.

It was strange hearing Connor confess without a trace of embarrassment.

A charge of energy reached out as my stepbrother pushed off the car and stepped towards me, his eyes scanning my face like he was looking for something.

“Yep,youwere the main topic of discussion. Thomas Wade believes he’s found his future Mrs.”

A smirk crossed his lips and he shot me a look I couldn’t determine.

“Really?” My voice was way too high.

He slowly nodded his head. “Yep,really.”

My mouth twisted which I knew wrinkled my nose. I wasn’t sure how to respond. It now felt odd having a ‘boys’ discussion with this particular one. Discomfort snaked its way from my stomach to my chest.

Turning my face away slightly, I muttered, “I only spoke to him for ten minutes,” almost tripping over the words. I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to defend myself.

Connor took another step forward into my space and I felt the fine hairs on my neck bristle.

“Speak the hell up and stop mumbling,” he ordered into my ear, drawing the words out slowly to highlight his point. I could feel his breath against my neck. I loved that he tried to tell me what to do. It was such a turn-on. His body language stated he was in charge.

He was so close, and considering he’d probably been working on the Ranger all morning, his scent was amazing, fucking intoxicating. He wasallmale but free from aftershave and there was no hint of sweat, even though his top was slightly damp. Heady is the word I would go for.

“I said we only spoke for ten minutes. But the banter was good, our conversation flowed well. Considering he’s so smart.”

“You don’t need to worry about matching his level of intelligence. He doesn’t give a shit how clever you are.”

“Well, it helps if you’re on the same page with things like that. It means you have more in common.”

Connor bent his head even closer, his eyes intensely focused on my lips. “That’s bullshit. Tom doesn’t give a crap about the size of your brain. He probably got a hard-on the second he saw you. And don’t look shocked by my words. His attraction hasnothingto do with your fucking conversation.”

I pulled my hands from my pockets and clasped them together in front of me, they were shaking. He was steering the conversation to a place where he could be horrible to me. I felt so uncomfortable in my skin at that point.

I decided to play ignorant. “Sorry, I don’t get you?”

“Supposedly, you have nice tits,” he said, glancing briefly at my chest. My heart leapt and heat stung my cheeks. Had Tomreallysaid that about me? He’d seemed like such a nice boy.

“You didnotjust say that to me,” I scoffed,mortifiedat the thought of my tiny offering in the boob department being discussed in the village pub.

He shrugged, “What? I’m only saying it as I heard it.”

“Did he say anything else?”

Connor viewed me with a skewed type of fascination. It was unsettling. I sure hoped he didn’t think I was fishing.

He ignored me and went off on a tangent, “You really think he gives a shit about your sparkling personality? You think thatanythingaround here with a cock will?” Connor said, swinging a look around.

I gnawed on my answer, ignoring his bluntness, squinting up at him. “He was interested in what I had to say thank you very much. He’s nice and easy to talk to,” I put out there with a pout.

My reply didn’t seem to sit well with him and darkness clouded his features. Connor’s eyes were now hooded as he continued to watch me.

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