Page 40 of Never Fear (Whiskey Ridge)
“You never,” his shoulders visibly stiffened, his voice dropping, “everfollow me if there’s danger. Do you hear me? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if—” His words cut off, and his neck bobbed with a swallow. “If something happened to you, it would destroy me.”
I jumped off the bed, my tired mind already on the defensive. “Yeah, well, you’re not allowed to just go running into it, either! Haven’t you seen a single horror movie?” I flung a hand toward the window. “That’s exactly how they kill you!”
He shook his head. “Careful, McKenna. It’s starting to sound like you might care about me.”
My mouth popped open with a scoff of disbelief. “Are you kidding me right now?”
The unmoving set of his hard gaze was answer enough.
“Someone was lurking outside my window, and you think now is the time to tease me about being scared you mightdie?”
“Would you rather I bring up the fact that you fucked me for the first time while I was sleeping?”
My jaw nearly hit the floor. “You told me I could!”
“People also say you can jump off bridges, but I don’t see you running to do that.”
I crossed my arms, jutting out my hip. “Maybe I’ll start partaking in that in my free time.”
“Sure you’re not too busy waiting to believe I’m asleep so you can whip my dick out?”
“Youfakedit?” I practically screeched the words.
He shrugged, grabbing his jeans off the floor to pull them on. The sight reminded me that I stood here in only his shirt.
“You were enjoying yourself. Who was I to interfere?”
With a huff of pure irritation, I grabbed the closest thing to me. A photo album off the dresser.
And chucked it right at him.
He caught the book with annoying ease, inspecting the object. “If you wanted to start a family album with me, you could’ve just said so.”
“I don’t want a family with you!” I screamed, my hands curling into fists as I imagined wringing out his neck.
Austin arched a brow at my display of anger. “Then what do you want, McKenna?”
I opened my mouth to yell some pointless remark back, but immediately closed it. He was asking me what I wanted out of this? Well, the answer was obvious. “For you to leave me alone.”
He raised a finger in my direction. “Not happening.”
“You can’t ask that and then refuse to listen.”
“Did I say I’d listen?” He set the album back on the dresser, coming within inches of me where I still stood at its edge. “I asked what you wanted. I didn’t say I’d deliver.”
My lips rolled together, the skin pinched between my teeth in near pain. “You’re insufferable.”
“You’re beautiful.”
“Stop that!” I shoved at his chest, but he didn’t budge.
“You’re going to have to try a lot harder than that to get me to stay away, kitten.”
“I’m not above committing murder.”
“Neither is half this town.” He grabbed my hands in one of his, holding them steady against the warmth of his bare skin. “You’re mad that you liked it.”
“Liked being shot at outside my home in the middle of the night by a stalker standing outside my window?”
