Mad Enough to Marry - By Christie Ridgway Page 0,31

hurting from her argument widi Gabby and from talking about her father. It pissed him off that she wouldn't even admit it—or give him a chance to comfort her.

**You won't let anyone get too close, will you Elena?" he said tightly.

Her expression didn't flicker. "I'll walk you to the door."

How many feet away could it be? Twenty? Yet with each step he felt another surge of that unfamihar and hot, although also strangely exhilarating, emotion rise within him.

When she put her hand on the doorknob, he thought of the beautiful girl in the ice-blue prom dress who had snatched the corsage from his hand. Emotions rippling across her face, she'd thrown it down to grind it into the.cement with her shoe.

He'd been intrigued and awed by all that honesty

and temper, so different from the iron fist that his family used to control their feelings.

But now, he thought, despite the habitual verbal barbs and the occasional flash of real temper, she had grown to be like them. Under that impenetrable outer shell, she held everything she felt close to her heart. She wasn't like the fiery Elena he remembered at all.

And because he thought he might be in some way responsible for that change, he only felt angrier. She drew open the door. He slammed it shut with the flat of his hand.

*'No," he said.

She turned those cool blue eyes on him. "What?"

"Fm not going to let you push me away like this again."

Oh, she was good. Her eyebrows rose in a way perfected to frighten off the male half of the world. It was a look that could shrivel a man—^his ego as well as his erection—^unless that man knew what was underneath all her aloof condescension.

Wariness. Hurt. Her own fear, he suspected.

He leaned against the door, his adrenaline pumping, something telling him that a comer could be turned here if he pushed her. Pursued her.

Reaching out, he cupped her cheek with his palm. Her skin was velvety and warm. He remembered cupping her breast, the skin there was velvety too, and he'd felt her heartbeat racing against his fingertips.

She didn't budge, but there was just the sHghtest catch in her voice. "You don't want to do this, Logan."

Rationally—no. The good-natured, even-tempered Logan he'd been all his life was somewhere inside him, pointing out in reasonable tones that involving himself with Elena would only mess him up. But that voice was part of the same analytical, conamon-sensical Lx>gan who had stayed chained to a desk job at Chase Electronics for too many years.

Maybe it was time for a different kind of thinking. Or, better yet, not thinking at all.

His thumb stroked across her cheekbone. ''This isn't just for me," he said.

Uncertainty flickered in her eyes and he delighted in it. She licked her bottom lip. "Oh, I suppose I should be honored that you want...that you want to spend time with me?"

She was still trying so hard to push him away.

Ha. **Give an inch, Elena," he whispered, his thumb brushing across her face again. *'You don't have to give it all, just an inch."

**I don't know what you want." Now she sounded nervous, almost defensive.

He pressed, knowing this was the opening he needed. '1 want you to talk to me, Elena. Admit what's going on with you and Gabby. Admit what's going on with you and me."

She stiffened against his hand. *'You know there's no you and me."

'*You know there could be." He took a step toward her, his gaze nev^ leaving hers. '1 thought the attraction was just an echo of the past. But I was wrong.

because it's not going away and it's only getting harder to ignore."

'*Well, ril do fine without scratching that particular itch, thank you very much."

''Damn you, Elena." His temper burned and he heard that wolf begin howling inside his head. Only she brought out in him something so untamed. ^Tm not going to let you drag it down to that level."

She jerked her face away from his hand. '*What other level is there?"

Anger flared again, but this time not at Elena, but at whatever—or whoever—^had made her so distrustful. He grabbed her chin and turned her face his way again. **Take something from me," he commanded her.

She blinked. '*What are you talking about?"

*'Not just about kisses, caresses, sex. Fm offering, Elena. Giving. Take my comfort, take my support, take me as someone to share your worries with."

Her eyes widened. Emotions rippled across them, like disturbances in the depths of an icy lake.

**Let me in,