Page 19 of This Heart Of Mine (Chicago Stars 5)

“Well?” he barked.

Her fuzzy brain started working again. “Don’t worry about it.” Too late she grew conscious of the dampness between her thighs. “It’s the wrong time of the month.”

“There isn’t any wrong time of the month.” He flipped on the floor lamp, exposing more than she wanted him to see of her very ordinary, very naked body.

“There is for me. I’m as regular as a clock.” She didn’t want to talk to him about her period. She clutched her nightgown and tried to figure out how to get it back on without showing more of herself than she already had.

He didn’t seem the slightest bit interested in either her nudity or his. “What the hell were you doing poking around in my shaving kit?”

“It, uh, was open, and I just happened to look in, and…” She cleared her throat. “If it was so old, why were you still carrying it around?”

“I forgot about it!”

“That’s a stupid reason.”

Those Astroturf-green eyes were murderous. “Are you trying to blame this on me?”

She drew a deep breath. “No. No, I’m not.” It was time to stop acting like a coward and face the music. She stood up and pulled the nightgown over her head. “I’m sorry, Kevin. Really. I’ve been acting crazy lately.”

“You’re not telling me a damn thing.”

“I apologize. I’m embarrassed.” Her voice quivered. “Actually, I’m beyond embarrassment. I’m completely humiliated. I—I hope you can forget about this.”

“Not likely.” He grabbed a pair of dark green boxers from the floor and shoved his legs in.

“I’m sorry.” She deserved to grovel, but since that didn’t appear to be working, she reverted to being the world-weary, spoiled heiress. “The truth is, I was lonesome and you were available. You have a—reputation as a playboy. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“I was available?” The air crackled. “Let’s think about this. Let’s think about what this would be called if the situation was reversed?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What would this situation be called, for example, if I’d decided to crawl in bed with you—a nonconsenting female!”

“It’s—” Her fingers fidgeted with the skirt of her nightgown. “Uh, yes, I see what you mean.”

His eyes narrowed, and his voice grew low and dangerous. “It would be called rape.”

“You’re not seriously trying to say that I—I raped you?”

He regarded her coldly. “Yeah, I think I am.”

This was far worse than she’d imagined. “That’s ridiculous. You—you weren’t nonconsenting!”

“Only because I was asleep and I thought you were someone else.”

That stung. “I see.”

He didn’t back off. If anything, his jaw hardened. “Contrary to what you seem to think, I like having a relationship before I have sex. And I don’t let anybody use me.”

Which was exactly what she’d done. She wanted to cry. “I’m sorry, Kevin. Both of us know my behavior was outrageous. Could we forget about this?”

“I don’t have much choice.” He bit off his words. “It’s not something I want to read about in the papers.”

She backed toward the door. “I hope you realize I’ll never say anything.”

He regarded her with disgust.

Her face crumpled. “I’m sorry. Really.”

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