what she’d said last week at the loft. What she did remember were his thinly veiled taunts and innuendos.
He leaned against the door frame and she almost grazed his hip when she reached for the handle.
“Thank you, I guess.” Shutting the classroom door with a bang, she locked it and turned on her heel.
“HAVE DINNER WITH me,” Dom called, before she got to the top of the stairs. “Tomorrow night at the loft. I want to cook for you.”
Mackenzie stopped then spun around to face him. Her eyes danced in obvious anticipation of what she was about to say. He tuned in to the beat of her heart as it pounded in his ears.
“What, so you can christen the arrival of your new bedroom painting with the actual subject matter?” The words spat through her teeth, twisting his gut in a delicious fashion. She was clearly on edge. He should stop and try to calm her down, but her feistiness lit a fire inside him that he wanted to keep smoldering.
“How interesting. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Oh.” She scowled. “Well, I’ve got news for you. What happened at the auction was an anomaly. An accident. A horrible mistake.”
He closed the distance between them and her eyes flashed. Toe to heel, she backed away from his advance but he continued until she could go no further. With both hands on the wall, he caged her between his arms and leaned in, stopping just before their bodies met. His eyes were drawn to the pulse fluttering below her ear and he licked his lips.
“An anomaly, yes. A horrible mistake, no.”
He heard the breath catch in her throat as he dipped his head to hers. He knew she expected him to kiss her, and that’s why he didn’t. A brown curl tickled his cheek as he inhaled and pulled her scent into his lungs, his erection throbbing between his legs. He repositioned himself, wanted to press his length hard against her hip—God, she would feel good—but he didn’t. She arched closer as if she sensed his desire, her body contradicting her words.
“What are— Who do you think— Just so you know, I don’t do these sorts of things with strange men. Ever. I’m sorry I gave you that impression.” Her halting voice betrayed the effect he was having on her and he grinned. Although she was a head shorter than him, with a defiant lift of her chin, she managed to look down her nose at him through her lashes.
His gums throbbed as his fangs threatened to break through, but he willed them to stay put. “I’m not really a stranger, though, am I?”
Her green eyes were glued to his lips. Was she hoping he’d kiss her? Even the tip of her tongue darted out for a moment, but still he didn’t make contact. He wanted her to touch him first and he wasn’t disappointed.
Her palms were cool against the heat of his chest as she tried to push him away with an oomph. It was half-hearted at best. He moved away from her slightly, although he could tell she was caving and desire simmered behind her eyes.
“What do you think you’re doing? I have no idea what came over me that night or what kind of a person you think I am, but it ain’t happening again.” She thrust her finger at his chest and he jumped back playfully. Oh, he was so loving this.
“So if you think—” She took a step forward, poking him in the chest with a short pink nail and he took a step back. “You can ask me to dinner—” Another step, another poke. “Just to get me into bed, you can forget it.”
His back was now against the opposite wall and he put his hands up in a mock show of self-defense.
“I would never, not in a million years, have gone to your place last week if I had known it was you who bought that painting. Got it? And I would’ve figured out a way for you to take an art class from someone else had I known you were coming. And that Hello Kitty tape measure? You can buy them at practically every drugstore. What are you laughing at?”
The corners of her mouth strained, betraying her efforts not to smile. She was upset, yes, but not angry. Just because he’d surprised her? He sensed there was something more. Did he dare dip into her thoughts again while they were this close? The bond was