Chapter 12
“You’re here living with my sister, and you are absolutely not allowed to take any advantage of —Mmph.”
Kissing her was the most polite way he could think of to shut her up. Certainly the most appealing. Her lips were warm and clung to his, and what was supposed to be a single me-man, you-woman kiss turned longer. His hands moved, one over soft hair to rest behind her head, one over soft fabric to press her curving body against him.
He’d just learned something. Calm women, the kinds he liked, the kinds he’d always dated, were calm when they kissed, too. Not this set-me-on-fire passion. He broke the kiss for a second, then went right back in, not able to get enough. Surprisingly strong arms shoved him back. Startled, he let go and immediately regretted it.
“You—you—you…” Outrage again. But she hadn’t moved a step away from him. Not even half a step. Ms. Dragon Lady talked a good chaste game, but wanted to be ravished. He wanted to roll his eyes. His type of woman was straightforward, honest, no games. “That is absolutely beyond anything I’ve ever—Mmph.”
He’d learned something else. It was easier to keep kissing her than stand there and be lectured. Given that her shrieking seemed always at the ready, he might have to do a lot of kissing this morning. Except the more he kissed her, the more he wanted to do a lot more than kiss her, and the more it annoyed him on behalf of nice guys the world over that she responded to him when he behaved like a caveman and shrieked at him when he was polite.
This time the arms were even more surprisingly strong, and once she’d pried him off her, she actually took a step back, then another, then folded those strong arms across her heaving chest, face flushed. She finally meant business.
“Stop. Just stop.”
“About time.” The muttered words came out louder than he intended.
Her eyes widened and for a second she looked hurt and he felt like a toad even if she did deserve it. But the moment of vulnerability clicked off in a second and her mouth opened for more screaming.
He hurried to cut her off —with words this time. “I meant that you seem to enjoy being…coerced.”
That didn’t help, either. Around women like her he needed to learn not to say whatever was in his head.
“I’m just going to tell you one thing. You are not staying in this house and I’m going to do everything in my power to bring Michelle to Langford with me, out of your depraved company.”
Depraved company? Did she stay home and read Gothic novels all day? Now he was frustrated, horny and completely disgusted. “That was two things.”
“What?”
“You said you were going to tell me one. You told me two.”
“How can you possibly pick on that after—”
“Because you refuse to listen or—”
“—you kiss me, when—”
“—let me finish my sentences.”
“—you and Michelle are dating seriously.”
He frowned. Had he heard that correctly? “What?”
“See?” She tossed her thick below-shoulder hair scornfully. “It doesn’t even occur to you that it’s a bad idea to come on to your girlfriend’s sister?”
“Huh?” She had him at a complete loss. Again. Women were the most mysterious beings on the planet. “Michelle and me?”.
“She’s had enough pain in her life being betrayed and tossed around by men. Give her a break. Just pack up and leave before you hurt her.”
Okay. A small lightbulb, just a small one. “Your sister and I are not—”
“Come on, Nolan.”
“No, listen to me, Candace.” He went to grab her arm and she sidestepped him. “Just stand there and listen. We are not dating, not seriously, not casually, not at all, nothing. We’ve never…ever. Not even half—not even a sixteenth of what you and I did.”
Her blush came back. “Why should I believe you?”
“Uh…” He pretended to think it over. “Because I’m telling the truth?”
“Michelle said you were the guy for her. The One.”
“The who?” Was there something that happened to women in childhood that turned them into total aliens? Would plasma slime work on them? He needed to consult with his nephews.
“So excuse me if I don’t trust you. At all. You seem like a pretty typical Michelle choice.”
He thought of Fast Freddie. “I take it that’s not a compliment.”
She shook her head, but sadly. Whatever else, she did love her sister.
“Think about it, Candace. If Michelle and I are dating seriously, why aren’t we sleeping together?”
“I don’t know. You snore?” She wrinkled her nose at his skeptical look. “Okay, maybe not that. But—”
“Candace.” He held up his hands and, by some miracle, she fell silent. “I swear to you. Your sister and I are not dating. I don’t know why she told you that. Here’s another tidbit for your truth file. Michelle planned to ask someone else who works at Habitat for Humanity to move in with her. A dubiously rehabbed meth addict known as Fast Freddie, who makes ‘speedy delivery’ jokes and has a facial tic and questionable hygiene. I thought I’d make a better roommate, so I stepped in.”
She closed her eyes. “Oh, God.”
“What?”
“That sounds like something she would do.”
Wow. She actually believed him. A miracle. “So are we straight here?”
She frowned, but did seem derailed from her total condemnation of Nolan—and why did he care? “I’ll have to talk to Michelle.”
“That’s fine.”
“And it doesn’t change the fact that you…did what you did to me last night when I was asleep.”
He shook his head. Why bother even trying? “Yeah, that was because of my unfortunate drug habit. You’ll be glad to know you could have been a rock and I still would have gone for you. Probably would have woken up all bent out of shape, though.”
“Oh!” Her face grew pink with fury, then what he said must have hit her, and she burst out in an actual giggle.
He grinned and her face grew pinker. “However, today, an unusual day, I have not yet injected, ingested or inhaled any foreign or illegal mind-altering substances, and I have to say I prefer you to any rock I’ve ever met.”
She snorted again, but something shifted between them.
“Truce?” He held out his hand.