Night Heat (Forged of Steele 2)

As she slipped out of bed she released a long-drawn-out sigh. Aftershocks of passion surged through every part of her body. Her blood felt hot, her body hotter and more than anything she wanted him to finish what he’d started. But she’d get her chance this coming weekend to prove that although neither of them should assume anything, some things were a gimme. What Leah had said a couple of weeks ago was right: when Bas finished what he came to do he would be gone. There was nothing to hold him in Newton Grove, and she had to remember that.

But for now she wanted to enjoy whatever he was offering, and when he did leave she wouldn’t have any regrets.

Chapter 12

Leah glanced up from her book when she heard the sound of a drill outside the house. Pushing out of the chair, she crossed to the window and gasped when a man’s face came into view.

Reese!

She clutched her chest, wondering what on earth he was doing outside her window. Not her window exactly. She had driven over to Jocelyn’s house to finish doing laundry when her dad’s washing machine had suddenly gone on the blink.

Reese had seen her through the window at the same time she’d seen him and through the glass she could read his expression. His frown spoke volumes. He wasn’t happy at seeing her and within minutes he had made his way to the front door and was knocking hard.

She crossed the room and snatched it open. “What are you doing here, Reese?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “I could ask you the same thing.”

She decided biting each other’s heads off wouldn’t accomplish anything so she said as calmly as she could, “Jocelyn went away for the weekend and when Dad’s washing machine broke down I decided to come over here and use hers. And I thought she mentioned that you and your brother were going to the races in Kentucky this weekend.”

He leaned in the doorway, apparently annoyed. “Little Danny got sick so Daniel wanted to hang around.”

“Is little Danny okay?”

He resented hearing the concern in her voice. “Yes, it’s just a stomach virus but Rita almost went bonkers because he’s rarely sick. Since the trip was cancelled I decided to fix that floodlight outside that’s been giving Jocelyn trouble.”

“Oh. Then don’t let me keep you.” She was about to shut the door when he stuck his foot out, halting it from closing.

“You think you can just dismiss me like that? After all these years don’t you think you owe me some type of explanation, Leah?” he asked angrily.

Leah breathed in sharply. Coming face to face with Reese again a little more than a week after their first encounter wasn’t good. There was nothing she could tell him, nothing she could say to make things right, so it was best not to say anything at all. “No, I don’t owe you an explanation.”

She made an attempt to close the door on him again, but in anger he shoved it open. She took a step back when he stormed in and slammed it shut behind him. “The hell you don’t,” he roared as if all the anger he’d been holding inside him had suddenly snapped.

“Have you lost your mind, Reese?”

“I lost my mind years ago since I must have been crazy to get mixed up with the likes of you in the first place,” he said, anger seeping out of his every pore. “You are one ungrateful, selfish, self-centered human being.”

“Get out!”

“Make me. I won’t leave until I’ve had my say.”

“I won’t listen.” She turned away and walked toward the kitchen.

He was right on her heels. “Oh, you’ll listen. When I think of all the time and love I put into this place for you and for you to treat me like dirt and—”

She turned around, almost coming nose to nose with him. She stared at him in shock. “What are you talking about?”

“This house, damn you, was supposed to be ours. I built it for you and was going to surprise you with it on your birthday but you hauled ass. You left without looking back, letting me know I was nothing more to you than a trinket to play with. You cared nothing for me. All your words of love were nothing but lies!”

Leah went completely still, frozen in place. She blinked her dazed eyes. “What do you mean you built this house for me?”