Love to Hate You (Hope Valley #9) - Jessica Prince Page 0,56
me by nodding in agreement.
“Good. Then we’re doing this.”
“I-I guess we are,” she replied, sounding hesitant and hopeful at the same time.
I hardened my expression, making my tone serious as I told her, “That means staying away from Greg Cormack. Got it?”
At my bossiness, her eyes flashed with fire once more. “For your information,” she started snidely, “I told him I wasn’t interested before you behaved like a Neanderthal. If you’d have let me explain instead of acting like a jackass, I could have told you that.”
“If I’d let you explain first, we wouldn’t have had that angry fuck against your bedroom wall,” I countered.
Her gaze drifted up and to the side as she mumbled, “Hmm. Good point.” When those vivid blues returned to me, she smiled proudly. “And that was a pretty exceptional angry fuck, wasn’t it?”
“Christ, Red. That’s an understatement. I thought the back of my skull was gonna blow off.”
Her giggle reminded me of windchimes swaying in a breeze. “We’re really good at that,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper. “Like, really good.”
A pained groan worked its way past my lips. “You gotta stop being cute, or we’re never gonna leave this room.” Her plump bottom lip jutted out in a tiny pout. I bent to give it a little nip before pushing off the bed and pulling her up with me, finally breaking our connection. “I know your game,” I said accusingly as I removed the used condom and tied it off, tossing it in the trash bin beside her bed. I hiked my pants back onto my hips and tucked my semi inside. “You were about to use The Look to get your way, weren’t you?”
She gave me a wide-eyed innocent expression as she righted her bra and pulled the straps of her dress back onto her shoulders. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The corner of my mouth twitched as I fought back a grin. “Bullshit. I just mentioned leaving the bed and that bottom lip came right out. You were totally about to use it.”
She arched that brow and hit me with a seductive grin. “And if I was?”
I moved in and grabbed her by the hips, pulling her flush against me. “Two can play that game.”
I could see the curiosity dancing in her gaze. “Meaning?”
I lowered my head and spoke against her lips. “Meaning, you pull that shit on me again, I’m not gonna let you come until you beg for it.”
She sucked in a gasp, leaning deeper into me, and I knew right then that I had her.
And I couldn’t fucking wait to get her in my bed.
Hayden might have been anxious when we rejoined the party, but I couldn’t help but grin like a son of a bitch as we hit the yard, garnering attention and knowing looks from our friends.
Hayden tried pulling her hand from mine, but I wasn’t having any of that. I tightened my grip and used it to pull her until she was pressed right up against my side. Only then did I release her hand so I could sling my arm over her shoulders.
Leaning in, I spoke quietly out of the side of my mouth as I guided us toward where Leo was standing with Dani, Hayes, Tempie, Eden, and Linc. “You keep actin’ so stiff, people might start to think you don’t like me.”
She turned her head and tipped it back, hitting me with a glare that did a piss-poor job at masking the humor dancing in her eyes. “I don’t like you. I hate you, remember?”
“Damn, Red. You just love to hate me, don’t you?”
She finally got with the program, raising her arm and hooking it around my waist as she grinned. “You’re finally getting it.”
“Well don’t you two just look cozy,” Tempie teased as soon as we hit the group, but I was too busy scanning the yard to pay attention to whatever Hayden said in return. “Hey, you guys know where Ivy is? I promised her earlier I’d teach how to throw a football.”
Hayden’s head spun around quickly. “Don’t you think she’s a little small to be catching a football?”
My arm around her clenched as I grinned down at her worried face. “For a chick who loves wearin’ tutus, she’s all tomboy. She’ll be fine. That kid’s tough as nails.”
Lincoln lifted his beer bottle, pointing toward the back of the property. “Think I saw her hangin’ with some of Gypsy’s brood earlier.”