Page 39 of Kyle
"I concur." His hands trailed up and down her back.
"Okay. Okay." She took several deep breaths before lifting her head to look at him. "Here's the deal. Obviously, we're gone on each other. I have no idea what the hell that means, but we have something. A lot of something. So..." She took another deep breath. "I'm going to get territorial and say something I would never normally say."
"Like?"
"If I find that you're seeing that actress, even having tea in a public restaurant with her, I'm going to go batshit crazy and probably do something I won't regret, like, like going a round with her. And then I'm going a round with you, possibly doing bodily damage snipping off some much-needed appendage." She showed her teeth when he grinned. "I mean it, McCreary. I never asked for this and here we are. So we're officially married. For better or worse and I'm not sharing."
"Do I get any say in all of it?" He was delighted to have her set out the rules, because he had no intention of being with anyone else.
"None."
"Somehow, that doesn't seem fair. What if I find out you're locking lips and looks with Brad from accounting?"
She stared at him in surprise.
"You don't think I noticed he takes every opportunity to touch you? Rumors are you two were a thing."
"For one night. We were working late on some financing and we... there was a moment. Oh stop looking at me like that!"
"In the office?"
"Yes. So?"
He grinned at her belligerent tone. "So I expect him to keep his bloody distance."
"We happen to work together."
"From a distance. Same rules apply, McCreary."
She bristled, but that was just for show, and she loved that he called her by her married name.
"Okay. Fine. We have to go."
"One more."
"No."
"Yes." Clamping his hand around her throat, he bent his head and closed his mouth over hers. When he withdrew, she had to grab hold of the counter to steady herself.
"I need a minute."
"Take it." His tone was smug as he went to grab their cups.
"Same car?"
"Nope. I have some rounds to make."
"I'll grab our jackets."
He watched her as she moved away, her silhouette sharp against the morning light streaming in from the window. The air between them vibrated with everything unspoken, an electric charge that neither one wanted to break just yet. In the thick moments of quiet, both knew that what happened here,this intensity, would have to be carefully concealed once they stepped outside.
*****
It was weird going back to work as a married woman. She had left not less than a week ago, not having any idea that her life was about to be altered. A lot had happened during those days. She had strained against the decision to the arranged marriage and had been determined to continue hating Kyle.
A couple of days later, that had changed, drastically. Now she was pretty sure she was on the way of falling head over heels in love with a man she had previously held in contempt.
And she still had her misgivings. He was gorgeous and she could never be sure of a man who was better looking than she was. He had been a playboy in the past, skipping from one woman to the next. She had always avoided those. Her confidence had been battered by her mother since she was a child.
