Page 34 of Winter Vows

It was the latter that reassured him he’d made the right choice. He knew he could get to her with a kiss, knew that the chemistry was explosive enough to lead to seduction when the time was right. But not yet, not when it would only prove every single rotten opinion she already held about him. Having the reputation of a womanizer had never especially bothered him before, because his conscience was clear when it came to each of the women he’d dated. Having Trish think the worst bothered him for reasons he wasn’t sure he really wanted to explore.

Slowly, and again with careful deliberation, he turned his back on her and retrieved his sandpaper and spackle. He went back to work as if the incident had never taken place, as if his nerves weren’t jumbled and his pulse weren’t racing.

“Hardy?”

“Hmm?”

“What just happened here?”

He bit back a grin at the irritation in her voice. “Nothing, why?”

“It didn’t feel like nothing.”

He glanced over his shoulder to see that she was sitting on the chair now, regarding him with a perplexed expression.

“Oh?” he said innocently. “What did it feel like?”

She peered at him intently. “You honestly didn’t notice anything?”

“Darlin’, you’re going to have to be more precise than that. Notice what?”

She held up her hands in a vulnerable, helpless gesture that would have drawn another smile, if he hadn’t figured that was a sure way to get clobbered by a hammer.

“Never mind.”

He shrugged. “Whatever.” He forced his attention back to the job.

“Hardy?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you kiss me just now?”

He swallowed a laugh at the plaintive note in her voice. Keeping his expression perfectly serious, he met her gaze. “You told me no more kisses. That was the deal, wasn’t it? I never go back on my word. Haven’t I told you that?” He studied her an instant. “What about you? Have you changed your mind?”

“No, of course not,” she said impatiently, then sighed.

“I suppose you think I’m totally perverse.” He grinned.

“No, what I think is that you don’t know your own mind. Let’s face it, you’ve had a bad experience with a jerk. You don’t trust your own judgment. I can wait.”

She eyed him warily. “Wait? For what?”

“For you to admit you want me.”

Her expression froze. “Want you?” she echoed as his very explicit response sank in. “Oh, no, you are definitely wrong about that. I absolutely, positively do not want you. No way. You can just get that idea right out of your head.”

He shrugged as if it made no difference to him one way or the other. “Oh well, maybe I was wrong.”

“You were. Absolutely.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Hardy, I am serious. Don’t go getting any ideas. I don’t do flings.”

“Of course not. No ideas,” he echoed. “I’m taking you at your word.”

Her gaze narrowed as if she sensed a trick, but she finally gave a little nod of satisfaction. “Good.”

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