MATTEO
She has her arms around him.
They’re hugging.
He’s touching her.
My stomach knots. A wave of heat engulfs my body. The room narrows until all I can see is her hands on his back and her beautiful green eyes gazing at me from over his shoulder. Those eyes widen when she spots me, then narrow.
She’s not happy to see me. She’s in his arms, and she’s not happy to see me.
I’m going to break something. Probably his legs.
Kimber pulls away from her ex. It looks reluctant. He glances over his shoulder and does a double take.
His expression is more complicated than hers. He’s surprised to see me, too, and afraid, that’s obvious. But there’s something else I don’t understand. Something like . . . excitement?
Maybe he wants to fight me. If that’s the case, I’m going to mop the floor with this preppy pezzo di merda.
“What’re you doing here?” Kimber’s tone is as unfriendly as the look in her eyes.
“I was on my way to work.” That’s as much of an explanation as I can give before the snarl starts creeping into my voice, and I have to stop.
Brad moves to stand beside Kimber, nervously wiping his palms on the front of his jeans. He stares at me with a wild look in his eyes, as if he’s not sure if he’s going to bolt or start throwing punches.
I scowl, looking back and forth between them. What is this? Are they getting back together?
The thought makes it hard to breathe.
Kimber tilts her head, studying my expression. “So continue on your way.”
Beside her, Brad fidgets like a child waiting impatiently for a piece of candy.
Gazing steadily at him, I say, “You don’t need to me stay?”
At the exact same time, she says “No,” and Brad says, “Yes.”
With emphasis.
“I wasn’t asking you!”
With a sharp intake of breath, he puts his hand to his throat. Kimber looks at Brad’s face and snorts like she thinks something’s funny.
The last of my patience unravels. I snarl, “What the fuck is going on?”
Wide-eyed, Brad breathes, “So intense.”
He’s mocking me. This son of a bitch is mocking me.
I take a step forward, ready to knock him out, but Kimber rolls her eyes and throws her hands in the air. “Cool your jets, Count, he was just leaving!” She gives Brad a little shove. “I’ll talk to you later. Go back to your hotel.”
By this time I’m vibrating with anger. I don’t know what’s happening, but I don’t like it one bit. She wanted to kill him when she saw him after the funeral. Now they’re sharing hugs?
At the sound of my name, I snap my gaze back to her. She stares back at me with an eyebrow arched in disdain.
“Step aside.” She looks pointedly at the door, which I’m blocking.
I manage three steps to my right. Then I glare at Brad as he slowly makes his way across the shop. His pace quickens as he skitters sideways past me like a crab, then he’s gone.
None of the tension leaves my body, but at least he’s gone.
“Your turn,” says Kimber, dismissing me.
Instead I close the door and lock it. When I turn back to her, she’s got her arms folded over her chest and her jaw set.
“I’m not doing this with you now.”
“Doing what?” I move closer.
“Don’t play that game,” she warns, glowering.
Oh, love. This isn’t a game.
When I don’t say anything, she inhales an agitated breath and taps her toe against the floor. “What do you want from me?”
Everything. I want everything from you. And I want it now. I stop a foot in front of her and stare down into her eyes. “Time to eat the frog.”
She crinkles her forehead. “Excuse me?”
“It’s something my father used to say. If eating a frog is the worst thing you have to do in a day, don’t put it off. Do it first thing and get it out of the way.”
Her gorgeous green eyes kindle with anger. “You’re comparing kissing me to eating a fucking frog?”
God, I love that temper. I love that I don’t intimidate her. I love that she never tries to impress me, never bites her tongue, never backs down.
I love that she doesn’t care about my money, my title, or my family name. I’ve never met a woman who wasn’t after at least one of those.
Most of all I love that though she’d rather die than admit it, she’s enjoying this bargain of ours as much as I am. Those cheeks are pink from more than anger.
“It’s a metaphor. But I was talking about you,” I say, staring hungrily at her mouth. “I’m the frog you have to eat. Might as well get it over with early so you don’t have to think about it for the rest of your day.”
Her lips flatten. “You don’t get to call all the shots here. You can’t just show up unannounced, demanding kisses.”
“Yes I can. I just did. And I’ll do it again. Give me my kiss.”
She says frostily, “For a guy who said I’m a mediocre kisser, you’re awfully eager to shove your tongue down my throat.”
I said it because I know there’s nothing more she thrives on than a challenge, but now I see it was a mistake. I went too far. I hurt her feelings.
Fuck.
“I’m sorry. That was stupid. It won’t happen again.”
She blinks, taken aback. A shade of the hostility fades from her posture, but she’s still upset. “Why did you say it, then?”
“I wanted to rile you up.”
She’s beginning to look confused, worrying her lower lip with her teeth and frowning. “So . . . you don’t think I’m a bad kisser?”
That she cares what I think makes my chest tighten and my pulse start to pound. I can’t tell her that I made myself come three times last night thinking about her mouth. Her body. The little sounds she makes when she’s wrapped up in my arms. I can’t tell her that she’s my fucking wet dream, that I can’t get her out of my head no matter what I try.
I can’t tell her anything yet. I don’t want to scare her off or overwhelm her. Because if I told her what I really want from her, she’d run for the hills.
She’s a woman nursing a broken heart. Though there’s nothing more I’d love to do than throw her over my shoulder, take her home with me, and make her mine, I have to tread lightly.
Good things come to those who wait.
So I say, “If I thought you were a bad kisser, I wouldn’t be trying so hard to kiss you, now would I?”
She eyes me, cagey as a spy. I can’t tell if she believes me or not, but I don’t have time to ask because she blurts, “Okay, fine, let’s get this over with.”
I take her face in my hands and take her mouth before she has time to change her mind.