Love to Hate You (Hope Valley #9) - Jessica Prince Page 0,41
at the dish that was now so clean it was practically sparkling beneath the soapy water. “Oh.”
“You good, Red?”
Was I? He wasn’t standing close, but I was still able to smell his intoxicating scent, and that was enough to make my body react. Goosebumps had broken out across my skin, my pulse was thrumming, and my breasts felt heavy, my nipples tightening to stiff peaks beneath my bra.
“Mmmhmm,” I hummed, keeping my eyes on the sink as I pulled the plug and turned on the water to rinse the stupid dish. “Just finishing up here. I’ll be right out. You need another beer? I’ll bring one out for you in—”
The rest of the sentence got stuck in my throat when Micah’s chest pressed into my back and his arm came around my front, taking the dish from my hands and dropping it back into the sink before shutting off the water.
I spun around in surprise and had to lean way back in order to look up at him. I’d forgotten just how big he was. Big enough to make me feel small and protected. Damn it, Hayden! Get your head in the game. “What are you—?”
“What’s the deal, Red?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You come over to my place and apologize, invite me to dinner, then act like I’m a walking case of typhoid. What was all that stuff about earlier? Was it just bullshit?”
“No! Of course not!” He was standing so close. Too close. “Could you maybe take a step back?”
He moved, but only to brace his palms on the edge of the sink beside my hips. “Then what’s with the avoidance?”
His gorgeous face and clear green eyes were all I could see. His musky, manly smell invaded my senses. “I’m not avoiding you, I swear.”
“Bullshit.”
“Micah, please.” My chest was beginning to heave. “Please just step back.”
“Not a chance. Not until you tell me what the fuck is goin’ on with you.”
I tried to keep my eyes from straying, but they drifted down to his mouth and those perfect, plump lips of their own accord. Just staring at them made the skin on the back of my neck prickle. My tongue peeked out to swipe over my bottom lip before I pulled it between my teeth and bit down.
A deep rumble worked its way from Micah’s chest, giving me a start, and when my gaze flew back up to his, I knew I was busted.
“Ah. I see what the issue is.”
“Micah,” I said on a breathy whisper. “Move back.” A gasp was ripped from my throat when he closed the last remaining inches between us, pressing his body against mine from hip to chest, the unmistakable impression of his steely erection prodding into my belly. My body jolted at the feel of it, an electric shock zipping its way through my limbs and coming to a stop at my core.
“You still want me,” he murmured, the green in his eyes darkening as his pupils expanded. “That’s it, isn’t it? You want me, and it’s freaking you out.”
“No, I-I don’t—That’s not . . .” I let out a tiny growl of frustration. “Please move. I can’t think when you’re this close.”
Instead of giving me space, he lowered his head, dragging the tip of his nose along the column of my neck until my whole body shivered against his. “What if I told you I still want you?”
Ah hell. There was only so much strength one woman was expected to possess. “We can’t do this,” I insisted, but the fight sounded weak, even to my own ears. “It’s not smart.”
Screw smart! That little devil shouted. Think of all the orgasms!
He made his way up, trailing his nose along my jawline and cheekbone before bringing his lips to mine, hovering millimeters away so they gently brushed against mine as he asked, “What would you do if I kissed you right now?” He knew what he was doing. He knew how to tease so damn well I felt like I was about to come apart. “Would you push me away or kiss me back?”
“I—” didn’t have a freaking clue. “This is too messy, Micah. We’re neighbors.”
“And apparently, I’m your kid’s new best friend,” he said, humor laced through his words. “But I don’t give a shit. You’re still the best I’ve ever fuckin’ had, and I’m dying for more.”
“B-But . . . we hate each other.”
“If I recall, those words never came outta my mouth, Red.”