Tough Love
Page 107
“Your sister is a ditz, so, no, I’m sure she didn’t.” And now it’d be far too late. For many, many things.
All of them for her benefit.
His gaze cut to her. “Here’s a clue, Whit. You have zero rights to insult my family. Don’t do it again.”
Wow. She hadn’t expected that reaction. Anyone who met Tabitha knew the woman was an utter airhead.
Much like Stack’s new girlfriend.
To soften him back up, she made a peace offering. “I assume I’ll hear from Phil again. Should I call you if I do?”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Your number is the same?”
“Yeah.” He hesitated, then propped a shoulder on the wall and folded his arms over his chest. “Is any of it true?”
Confused, she slid off the stool and approached him. With his arms that way, his biceps were positively huge. She went liquid inside, wanting him bad and determined to have him. If not now, then soon. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“All those things you’ve been whispering in Leese’s ear about a drug dealer sending out a hit on me.”
She nearly dropped her drink. How in the world did he know it was her? She’d never, not once, given her name to the hunky fighter. Stunned, she took a step back. “I don’t—”
His hand slashed the air. “Save the lies, Whitney. I know you too well. I see it on your face.”
She surged forward again, her hand on his forearm, her eyes as earnest as she could make them. “Leese means nothing to me. He was just a diversion, a way to pass the time.” She slid her hand higher, up to that rock-solid biceps. “I’ve been lonely since you broke things off.”
Smirking, Stack removed her hand, dropping it away as if she repulsed him. “Screw anyone you want, Whitney. I have no problem with that.”
“But—”
“I’m just trying to decide if you shared with Leese as part of a game, or if you were telling the truth.”
Damn him, she had her pride. Lifting her chin, she said, “I was trying to protect you.”
“Funny. Might’ve been easier if you’d just called me.”
“As I remember it, you refused my calls.”
That hit a note, given the softening of his expression. “All right. Then why not just come see me?”
She set her drink aside and, taking him by surprise, threw herself against him. Even though he didn’t return the embrace, he felt good, so good, and as she inhaled his musky scent, memories assailed her.
Red-hot, smoldering memories.
It didn’t matter that he went rigid, that he braced away from her. She opened one hand on the back of his neck and tunneled the other into his warm hair. “I saw you at your mother’s, and you were nasty to me.”
His hands clasped her upper arms as he attempted to free himself. “Stop coming on to me, and we can talk more civilly.”
Instead of allowing him an escape, she clenched him tighter and kissed his jaw, his throat—even managed to reach his mouth for a heartbeat.
Without the gentleness she knew so well, Stack thrust her away. Because her fingers had been tangled in his hair, she was sure the move hurt him as much as, maybe more than, it frustrated her.
Staggering, so turned on she didn’t care if he hated her, Whitney said, “I want you. Right now.”
His eyes were cold as he scrubbed a hand over his mouth. “Not happening.”
Breathing heavily, Whitney stared at him, trying to decide her next move.
He might have removed her lipstick from his lips, but not from his jaw or his neck, and the fact that she’d marked him gave her a small measure of satisfaction. “You’ll come back to me.”
He laughed.
Undeterred, she straightened. “You’re in danger. I wish I had more facts to share, but right now I don’t.”
“I know you’re still smoking. Who’s your dealer? Where can I find him?”
Her dealer was Phil. But she wouldn’t admit that. Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t know. If I ask too many questions, it could put me in danger, too.”
“If any of it is true.”
She licked her lips, imagining his taste. “When I hear from Phil again, I’ll let you know.”
Eyes narrowed, he studied her, maybe trying to determine her honesty. Finally he nodded. “Anything you hear, anything at all, call me.”
And this time, she knew, he’d take her calls.
It was a start. A lot more than she’d had yesterday. Smiling, she watched him turn and walk away. The front door opened and quietly closed.
All of them for her benefit.
His gaze cut to her. “Here’s a clue, Whit. You have zero rights to insult my family. Don’t do it again.”
Wow. She hadn’t expected that reaction. Anyone who met Tabitha knew the woman was an utter airhead.
Much like Stack’s new girlfriend.
To soften him back up, she made a peace offering. “I assume I’ll hear from Phil again. Should I call you if I do?”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Your number is the same?”
“Yeah.” He hesitated, then propped a shoulder on the wall and folded his arms over his chest. “Is any of it true?”
Confused, she slid off the stool and approached him. With his arms that way, his biceps were positively huge. She went liquid inside, wanting him bad and determined to have him. If not now, then soon. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“All those things you’ve been whispering in Leese’s ear about a drug dealer sending out a hit on me.”
She nearly dropped her drink. How in the world did he know it was her? She’d never, not once, given her name to the hunky fighter. Stunned, she took a step back. “I don’t—”
His hand slashed the air. “Save the lies, Whitney. I know you too well. I see it on your face.”
She surged forward again, her hand on his forearm, her eyes as earnest as she could make them. “Leese means nothing to me. He was just a diversion, a way to pass the time.” She slid her hand higher, up to that rock-solid biceps. “I’ve been lonely since you broke things off.”
Smirking, Stack removed her hand, dropping it away as if she repulsed him. “Screw anyone you want, Whitney. I have no problem with that.”
“But—”
“I’m just trying to decide if you shared with Leese as part of a game, or if you were telling the truth.”
Damn him, she had her pride. Lifting her chin, she said, “I was trying to protect you.”
“Funny. Might’ve been easier if you’d just called me.”
“As I remember it, you refused my calls.”
That hit a note, given the softening of his expression. “All right. Then why not just come see me?”
She set her drink aside and, taking him by surprise, threw herself against him. Even though he didn’t return the embrace, he felt good, so good, and as she inhaled his musky scent, memories assailed her.
Red-hot, smoldering memories.
It didn’t matter that he went rigid, that he braced away from her. She opened one hand on the back of his neck and tunneled the other into his warm hair. “I saw you at your mother’s, and you were nasty to me.”
His hands clasped her upper arms as he attempted to free himself. “Stop coming on to me, and we can talk more civilly.”
Instead of allowing him an escape, she clenched him tighter and kissed his jaw, his throat—even managed to reach his mouth for a heartbeat.
Without the gentleness she knew so well, Stack thrust her away. Because her fingers had been tangled in his hair, she was sure the move hurt him as much as, maybe more than, it frustrated her.
Staggering, so turned on she didn’t care if he hated her, Whitney said, “I want you. Right now.”
His eyes were cold as he scrubbed a hand over his mouth. “Not happening.”
Breathing heavily, Whitney stared at him, trying to decide her next move.
He might have removed her lipstick from his lips, but not from his jaw or his neck, and the fact that she’d marked him gave her a small measure of satisfaction. “You’ll come back to me.”
He laughed.
Undeterred, she straightened. “You’re in danger. I wish I had more facts to share, but right now I don’t.”
“I know you’re still smoking. Who’s your dealer? Where can I find him?”
Her dealer was Phil. But she wouldn’t admit that. Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t know. If I ask too many questions, it could put me in danger, too.”
“If any of it is true.”
She licked her lips, imagining his taste. “When I hear from Phil again, I’ll let you know.”
Eyes narrowed, he studied her, maybe trying to determine her honesty. Finally he nodded. “Anything you hear, anything at all, call me.”
And this time, she knew, he’d take her calls.
It was a start. A lot more than she’d had yesterday. Smiling, she watched him turn and walk away. The front door opened and quietly closed.
