away, Alec.”
He tossed his leather jacket and helmet onto her sofa as he passed it. “Are you really going to shoot me if I don’t?”
“If you don’t turn around and get out of my house, yeah.”
Alec could stand stock still and be merely gorgeous, but when he moved, all bets were off. There was a sleek, predatory grace to him that was riveting. A woman couldn’t help but wonder if he would be as smooth in bed. Eve knew he was. Sex was an art form to Alec, and he was a master.
“I’m not leaving, angel.”
Eve’s nostrils flared. Then she squeezed the trigger.
CHAPTER 4
The click of the hammer falling was deafening in the quiet room. Had there been a round in the chamber, Alec would be sporting a steaming hole in his chest.
“You can’t hurt me,” he said softly.
“Don’t underestimate me. I always keep the gun stored on an empty chamber. You won’t be so healthy when I squeeze off a live round.” She gestured toward the door with a hard jerk of her chin. “Get out, while you’re still in one piece.”
Her home no longer felt like her own. Alec dominated her living room. The darkness of his clothes was completely at odds with the soft champagne colors she’d decorated with. In an odd twist of fate, she and he matched. She wore a black cotton tank top and matching shorts, her comfort clothes.
“I can’t.” He turned his back to her and pushed the door closed, the protruding dead bolts fitting into the gaping holes in the decimated jamb. He hooked the slender chain into place (the one piece of security she hadn’t bothered with before), then grabbed the wooden chair next to the console table and wedged it under the haphazardly hanging knob.
Locking them in together.
He faced her. “That mark on your arm is going to start messing with you.”
The damn thing was already messing with her. It throbbed and burned something fierce. “What is it?”
“Both a blessing and a curse.” Alec stepped closer, completely unconcerned with the danger her gun presented. “It’s a punishment, a form of penance.”
“What-the-fuck-ever. I’m agnostic and you’re insane. Take your lunatic bullshit and get out of my house.”
“You’re going to get sick and need someone here.”
“Well, it sure as hell isn’t going to be you. I’ll call a friend. Someone reliable.”
Outwardly, the dig didn’t appear to affect him, but she sensed it had struck home.
“A friend isn’t going to be able to help you, Eve. Especially a woman. Not unless you started swinging both ways, which I really doubt. You like men too much.”
“No, I only like parts of men.”
“You liked all of me.”
“I was a stupid kid.” She snorted. “But I learned my lesson the first time.” His challenging smile made her breath catch and she stilled, absorbing what he’d said. “Wait. Are you talking about sex?”
Eve’s eyes widened and her gaze dropped to his groin. The man was rocked, cocked, and ready to go. Every inch of that hard, muscled frame was edgy with tension and arousal. Sudden fury gave her strength, and her shaking stopped.
“No way, Alec. You’re insane if you think I’ll let you touch me again. Go find someone else to torment. I’m all stocked up on angst.”
The angular lines of his face softened. “Angel—”
“Don’t ‘angel’ me. I’m not your angel. I’m not your anything.”
“You’re everything, which is why I left.”
“Shut up.” Fire was coursing through her veins making it hard to think.
Alec studied her intently. “The fever’s kicking in. Your cheeks are flushed and you’re beginning to sweat. You need to lie down.”
“Yeah, that’d be convenient for you, wouldn’t it? Disarm me and get me horizontal.”
“If I just wanted to get laid, why hit up a woman who holds the grudge from hell? I’m not that hard up.”
That smarted, the knowledge that he could crook his finger and have whomever he wanted. She should take comfort knowing she wasn’t the only one to chase him. But it just made her jealous and cranky.
“If you know what happened,” she bit out, “then you know that man looked like you.” Although now that he was here in the flesh, Eve saw the differences between them. No one looked like Alec, although the winged man had been awfully close.
But at this point, she didn’t care. She just wanted Alec out of her house. She couldn’t deal with him. Not today. God, not ever. Never again. Even after all these years, he still drove her crazy.
Sweat dripped down her temple