Page 56 of Forbidden Harmony

“That’s fine with me.” She studied the kitchenbefore saying, “You don’t have a stove or a microwave.”

He filled the glass with water and handedit to her. She took a few sips. “How do you cook your meals?”

“I eat out,” he said.

“Oh. Well, if you ever want a home-cookedmeal I’m a pretty good cook. My mom taught me, and -”

“I don’t need or want you to be mygirlfriend,” he said. “This is just fucking, remember?”

“I remember,” she said before drinking therest of her water in three large gulps. “I was just trying to be nice.”

“Don’t bother.”

“Fine by me,” she said but he could hearthe hurt in her voice.

“C’mon.” He walked to the bed and strippedoff his shirt before yanking off his socks. He turned to see her standingbehind him fully dressed and he raised his eyebrow at her. “Are you going toget naked?”

She flushed. “I thought you would, I mean…”

He unbuttoned his jeans. “You have twohands. You don’t need me to undress you.”

“Right,” she said.

He turned away from her and dropped his jeansand his briefs. He picked them both up and tossed his underwear in the hamperbefore folding his jeans and placing them on top of the dresser. When he turnedaround, she was still in her dress and struggling to pull the zipper down.

He rolled his eyes and she said, “The zipperis stuck.”

“Turn around.”

She turned around and he pushed her hairover her shoulder, resisting the urge to bury his face in the soft strands. Thezipper was caught in the lining of her dress and he tried to pull the liningfree. It refused to budge and with a grunt of effort, he yanked on thezipper. It broke off in his hand and he cursed. “I broke the zipper.”

“Oh, uh, that’s okay.” She sounded likeshe was on the verge of tears.

Of course she is! You’re being acomplete asshole. For fuck’s sake, she’s a lady – treat her like one!

Guilt coursed through him. He didn’t wanther to think he was her goddamn boyfriend but that didn’t mean he should treather like she was nothing. He took a deep breath and pulled on the edges of herdress. The broken zipper pulled apart easily and he eased her dress down her armsto her waist. She didn’t protest but she immediately crossed her arms over herbreasts. Her entire body was trembling, and he didn’t think it was because shewanted him.

He leaned forward to brush a light kiss againsther upper back. “You okay, Sunshine?”

Chapter Fourteen

She was making a mistake. Sure, she wantedPreacher a lot, but she couldn’t do this. He didn’t want to be her boyfriendand she was fine with that but the way he was treating her now washumiliating. She blinked back the tears as Preacher pulled on the stuckzipper. Maybe he hadn’t been romantic the first two times they’d had sex, buthe’d been sweet at least. There was no sweetness in him at all now.

You said this was what you wanted. Helaid out the rules and you agreed to them. Don’t go changing your mind nowjust because he isn’t sweet. Harrison was sweet and look what he was doing behindyour back. You have a month to learn everything you can from Preacher. Payattention, figure out how to be good in bed, and then you can forget all abouthim and move on with your life with a nice man who you can wow in bed so hewon’t cheat on you.

Preacher spit out an expletive. “I brokethe zipper.”

“Oh, uh, that’s okay.” She could hear thetears in her voice, and she tried to swallow past the boulder sized lump in herthroat.

Get it together, you idiot!

Preacher pulled on her dress and she allowedhim to ease it down her arms until it was bunched at her waist. She folded herarms across her small breasts. She was wearing a bra, but she was suddenlyself-conscious.

God, what was she doing? She had to put astop to this. She opened her mouth to tell him she had changed her mind, whenPreacher brushed his mouth across her bare back and said, “You okay, Sunshine?”

Hearing his nickname for her made her releaseher breath in a shaky sigh. Before she could reply, he put his arm around herwaist and brought her back against his chest. He pressed a soft kiss againsther neck.

“Okay?”

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