keep it from becoming an absolute foregone conclusion. Fate had stepped in and spared her this time. Next time, she’d be a little more cautious and a hell of a lot stronger against his advances.
Dammit. She chastised herself. There wouldn’t be a next time. She wasn’t going to become one of Ryan Harrison’s little bimbos, even if she was his wife.
Chapter Twelve
Kate was wrong when she assumed it was Simone’s wary gaze she’d have to avert. When she stepped into the living room of the suite, Mitch was leaning against a bar stool alone. His head came up when he saw her, his eyes as fiery as she’d ever seen them.
“What the hell’s going on?”
Lovely. This so wasn’t what she needed right now. Thankfully, the suits were gone and her parents were nowhere to be seen.
Kate held up her hands to stop him from going into the bedroom. “Mitch, let it go. I’ve already had to deal with one irate man today, I can’t take another.”
“He’s being an ass, isn’t he? We heard the press conference in the car on the way over, but it doesn’t give him the right to treat you like this.”
“I can handle Ryan. I’m not some wimpy girl. Where are your…my…our parents?”
“Simone took them in the other room so they didn’t have to listen to World War III.”
Kate’s eyes slid shut. Great. Just great. Their first impression of her would be her screaming at her husband.
“You did great today,” he said softly. “That’s part of the reason Ryan’s so pissed. You had those reporters eating out of the palm of your hand.”
She stifled a pathetic laugh. “Really? That’s not the impression Ryan gave me.”
The door opened behind her, and she sensed Ryan step into the room.
Mitch shot him a glare. “Are you done throwing your little temper tantrum?”
“Kiss my ass.”
Mitch took a step toward him. “I’d rather kick it. You’re being a complete jackass, and you know it.”
“You wanna take a swing at me?” Ryan huffed, throwing his arms out invitingly. “Go ahead. You aren’t the first Mathews’s to want to do that today.”
Kate pushed her way between the two. “Knock it off right now. You’re both idiots if you think this adolescent sparring’s going to help the situation at all. What is it about men that makes them think throwing a punch is going to make them feel better?”
Ryan’s gaze shot to her, and his face paled. “You’re bleeding.”
“What?” Kate touched her lip. “Damn. It’s just a bloody nose.” She tilted her head back and took the tissues Mitch offered, pressing them against her face.
The door across the room opened. Ryan grasped her hand and pulled her back toward the bedroom. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up before you have to see them. Mitch, run interference…please?”
Mitch frowned but nodded and headed in the opposite direction.
Ryan propped Kate up on the long marble vanity in the suite’s master bathroom. He handed her fresh tissues while she pinched the bridge of her nose to stop the flow of blood.
“Don’t look so concerned,” she tried to joke. “It’s no big deal. I get them all the time.”
“You do?” He took the bloody tissues, grimaced, and handed her a fresh one.
“Yeah, usually when I’m stressed. I think this whole day classifies as stressful.”
Ryan rested his hands on the counter, one on each side of her thighs. “I’m sorry. I was out of line yelling at you before. I’m not mad at you. I’m just frustrated with this whole thing. And now to have the press swarming… It infuriates me. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
Kate looked at him over the mound of tissues pressed to her face. “Did you mean it when you said this was all my fault?”
“No. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I have a temper.”
“Did you always?”
He pulled the tissues away and checked her nose. “No. I know you won’t believe this, but I was pretty even-keeled when we were married. I’m definitely not the same person I used to be.”
Her fingertips grazed his hand when he reached up with a washcloth to wipe the blood from her lip. “Neither am I, Ryan.”
His hand stilled, and his eyes locked on hers, eyes that seemed to be seeing a part of her no one else could touch. She felt herself being sucked back under, felt her heart thump rapidly, felt her skin tingle with that crazy need to be touched only by him.