Page 131 of Reckless Harmony

“That’s one way of describing it,” he said.

“Says the guy with the glittery pink wallpaper,” she teased.

“Watch it, or I’ll ask them to keep some of it when they tear the house down and have them install it in the new house.” He gave Bea another piece of carrot before realizing Rayna wasn’t laughing.

He looked over at her, his stomach tensing at the look on her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said, turning off the stove and dumping the chicken into a glass dish.

“Something is wrong,” he said. “Tell me what it is.”

She shrugged. “I’d just forgotten what this was between us.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

She gave him a fleeting smile. “You’re being nice to me because you want my property.”

A tidal wave of hurt nearly drowned him. He dropped the knife on the counter and stepped back, putting even more space between himself and Rayna.

“You think what’s happening between us is because I want your property?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Why the fuck do you believe that?”

She gave him a bewildered look. “Because, Isaac, we have nothing in common except fantastic sex. I am not your type at all. You date lawyers and doctors who wear makeup, have an actual fashion sense, and aren’t covered in a layer of dog and cat hair. I know that I will never be someone you actually want to date, okay? I just let myself be swept up in…”

She released her breath in a heavy sigh. “It doesn’t matter. I know what you want from me, and it isn’t a relationship.”

“So, that’s who you think I am? A shallow asshole who’s sleeping with you to get your property.”

She frowned and started toward him, stopping when he held up his hand. “Don’t, Rayna.”

Anger settled over her features. “Are you seriously doing the wounded bird act with me right now? Do you or do you not want my property, Isaac?”

“You know I do,” he spat. “But that’s not the point. The point is -”

“That’s exactly the point,” she said. “You want to buy my property. I am not selling it to you. That won’t change no matter how amazing the sex is between us or how nice you are to me.”

Stark stared silently at Rayna, his chest so tight he could barely breathe. The whole time he was falling in love with her, she thought he was just using her. She didn’t believe anything he’d said to her was real, and the weight of that knowledge nearly crushed him.

“Isaac,” Rayna started toward him with confusion and what almost looked like hurt on her face, “sit down and -”

“Don’t, “he repeated, backing toward the doorway. “It isn’t only about your property for me.”

She bit at her bottom lip, looking like she was about to cry. “Isn’t it? Because you just talked about tearing down my house, Isaac.”

“Because I want…”

He trailed off, his surety that Rayna was the one for him lying in tatters at his feet. How could he be in love with someone who couldn’t see him for who he really was?

Now, a tear did slip down her cheek. “You want this house gone because it’s stopping you from getting what you want. You can’t see how much it means to me, how hard I worked to make it mine.”

“That isn’t true,” he said.

“Isn’t it?” she said softly.

Harsh despair replaced the anger and the hurt. His shoulders slumped, and he took a deep breath and swallowed the golf ball that had suddenly lodged itself in his throat.

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