And he wasn’t content to let her hide her feelings or run from what had happened between them before dinner last night.
Reaching out, he stilled her movements. “Why are you doing this?” he asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” She wriggled her hips, but he clenched his teeth and held on to his self-control.
“Not when just last night you pushed me away.” He wanted nothing more than to rip open her shirt and bury his face between her breasts, suckle on one tight nipple before moving on to the next. But when he did, there would be no misunderstandings between them.
She met his gaze. “You went home.”
He shook his head. “Because you were playing hot and cold with me. You used that invitation to dinner and then my family’s abominable behavior as an excuse to back away.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Obviously she couldn’t argue.
“Your point?” she asked at last.
“No more running away. For as long as you’re in town, you’re mine.”
She released a lengthy breath. “I think I can live with that. As long as you promise me one thing?”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t leave me alone in this house with that mouse. I know from experience, where there’s one rodent there’s bound to be more.” Her entire body trembled again.
“Nights, too?”
Her eyes darkened. “Nights, too.”
He nodded, silently thanking the run-down, abandoned house for supplying her with an excuse to ask him to stay.
The next few weeks belonged to them.
And what then, a little voice in his head asked. Her cell phone interrupted his thoughts.
She grabbed for it quickly, glancing at the number.
“Hello?” she asked, her voice tremulous.
He waited, confused by her anxiety.
“I see. And now?” She listened once more. “Just like she’s been for the last year. I see. That’s too bad. I was hoping that after this morning, maybe she’d come out of it.”
Her sister, Jason realized.
“I’ll touch base tomorrow morning, Doctor. Thank you.” She disconnected the call, exhaled a long hard breath, then inhaled deeply.
For a brief second she appeared hurt and fragile. Then she turned to him and squared her shoulders. “Now where were we?” she asked seductively. But her tone was clearly forced.
He slid his hand from beneath her shirt and grasped her arms, pulling her away from him. “What’s going on? That was a serious call and you’re obviously upset. So why pretend you aren’t?”
“Because I don’t expect you to feel sorry that my sister’s having problems.”
“How about if I feel sorry that you’re having problems?”
She shook her head. “Doesn’t accomplish my goal.”
“Which is?” he asked warily, knowing he wouldn’t like what he heard.