Page 201 of My Temptation (Kingston Lane)

You did.

I roll my lips to hide my smile.

“Anyway, I wanted to apologize for calling your house names.”

“Anything else you want to apologize for?”

“A lot, actually.” He shrugs. He tries to continue, but I cut him off.

“What else do you want to apologize for?”

“Aah.” He swallows a lump in his throat. “My . . .”

I widen my eyes as I wait.

“The way you told me to sleep with Mason?”

He winces. “Yeah . . . about that . . .”

“Yes?” I wait.

“That didn’t come out exactly right.”

“It didn’t?”

“No, it was just . . .” He shrugs.

“You’re terrible at apologizing, by the way.”

“I’m well aware.”

“Carry on,” I reply flatly. Acting tough is fun.

“I just don’t want a relationship, that’s all.”

“Okay, you could have just said that instead of trying to throw me to the wolves.”

He smirks at my analogy. “Mason is hardly a wolf. He’s more like a greyhound.”

“Jealous, are you?”

“Of him?” He screws up his face. “No.”

“Ha.” I tut as if I don’t believe him. Although his story is credible—Mason could totally be a greyhound.

We stare at each other some more as the air does that stupid thing between us, and I want to yell and scream and be a complete drama queen for him not falling madly in love with me because damn it, we have something.

But I won’t . . . I’m keeping my cards close to my chest from now on.

“I just wanted you to know that I would like us to be friends, seeing that we are neighbors,” he says with a soft smile.

It has been awkward around here with us ignoring each other.

“Okay.” I nod. “I agree. I would like that too.”

“Good.” He smiles as if proud of himself.

“Good.”

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