Page 55 of Unlawful Seduction

The woman had a good point and I scowled in response. The tension wasn’t backing down. “Who was he?”

When she reared back, I read her mind. She was debating punching me. I really wanted her to go for it because her actions would give me a reason to wrestle her to the floor. But her anger quickly faded into sadness, an emotion I had no business getting in the middle of. “Leave it alone, Beckett. I appreciate that you saved me from God knows what. I know you’re a very bad man and if you wanted, I wouldn’t be standing here right now, but please just don’t ask me any questions. Okay? Maybe we both have some things in our past that are best left dead and buried.”

Sighing, I took a few seconds before nodding.

She tried to step around me, but I stopped her cold, wrapping my fingers around her arm and jerking her until she was standing right in front of me. I didn’t want her to leave this room without at least understanding we were still in danger.

“Don’t venture off, Mallory. You might not like what you find.”

“Where am I going to venture out to? Aren’t we miles from civilization stuck in the middle of a snowstorm?”

“That we are.” But we wouldn’t have weather as a layer of protection for long. “Just do as I say and things will be fine.”

She lifted her phone, holding the screen only a few inches from my face. “Do as you say. Well, here’s one for you, mystery man. Don’t ever invade my privacy again and I won’t do that to you either. We don’t know each other. We certainly can’t trust each other completely, but we’ll need to learn to be civil with one another and that includes respecting each other. If you want to know something, ask. I’ll do the same. Deal?”

I was certain no one had ever talked to me in such frank terms before. Or had the nerve to counter anything I demanded either. “I’ll accept the deal.”

“You’ll accept? You don’t have a choice.” Her smile was so mischievous that my balls immediately ached.

“Mmm…” I eased my hand over her head and she trailed my actions with her eyes until she couldn’t see what I was doing any longer. When I smoothed my palm down her long strands of hair, she shuddered visibly and tried to push me away.

I refused to allow that to happen, fisting her hair and pulling her onto her toes. “There are a few things you need to keep in mind, Doc. This isn’t a game and you’re not the expert in this area. I am. That means you always follow my rules. Period. Any infraction and I will punish you.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

She enjoyed pushing me. Perhaps I did with her as well. Being challenged by anyone but especially by an insanely gorgeous woman was a sheer delight. “Both.” I lowered my head by another inch. Now our lips were only centimeters apart.

She licked her bottom lip. Her breathing was audibly ragged, just something else to keep me fully aroused.

“Do I make you nervous, Doc?”

“Very little makes me nervous.”

I forced her head back so I could stare into her eyes. “Good to know. I think we understand each other.” Why was it that I craved making her nervous in every way? Or perhaps I should say in all the best ways?

Mallory held her own, refusing to back down. And I so enjoyed pushing every one of her buttons like she did mine. When I brushed my lips across hers only once, she issued a subtle but audible enough moan. That was all the satisfaction I needed.

For now.

I lifted my head, darting my eyes back and forth across hers.

The unscrupulous lie I’d told wouldn’t hold for long.

This time, I allowed her to take several steps further away from me. There was no sense in making our time together unpalatable. We were at a sensual impasse and damn if my cock wasn’t throbbing.

“Now, if I’m allowed, I’m going to make breakfast.” She tilted her chin and the way the warm glow of light filtered across her face added another layer of sadness in her expression.

“Of course. The house is yours.”

I could tell she wanted to say something in sarcastic retaliation, but chose to leave the room instead.

Afterwards, I took several deep breaths. I’d handled hundreds of difficult situations in my various careers, some life threatening. But dealing with a feisty woman with a chip on her shoulder and a resolve like no other could quite possibly be my greatest challenge.

And my worst temptation.

One I couldn’t afford.

CHAPTER 14

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