BTW: I Love You (Mills & Boon M&B) (One Hot Fling - Book 1) by Heidi Rice Read Free Book Online Page B

and she trembled.
    ‘It’s not that far,’ she lied, snatching her hand away. She didn’t want to be touched. ‘I can always …’
    ‘You didn’t come,’ he interrupted, shocking her into silence. ‘Sorry about that.’
    ‘Don’t worry; it’s not a problem,’ she said, not all that convincedthe apology was sincere. If he felt bad about his abysmal performance, what was with that sheepish smile?
    ‘Really?’ He chuckled, annoying her even more. ‘What’s with the angry eyes, then?’
    She tried to dim the glare. ‘I’m not angry,’ she said with exaggerated patience. This was getting awkward now as well as irritating. She was stark naked under the sheet she had clutched to her bosom and her nerve-endings were still popping and fizzing at the sight of that bare chest and washboard-lean six-pack—when they ought to know better by now. ‘I really have to go.’
    She scanned the room for his sweatshirt. Where was the stupid thing?
    He took her arm. ‘Why don’t you hear me out before you rush off?’
    Oh, for …
    ‘Fine.’ She straightened, trapped and acutely aware of her nakedness. ‘But can I have the sweatshirt first?’ She didn’t know what he had to say and she didn’t really care. But she wasn’t listening to anything in the nude. ‘I think it’s on your side of the bed.’
    His lips curved as he released her. Scooping the sweatshirt off the floor, he lobbed it to her. She heard his heavy sigh as she pulled it on.
    ‘So what did you want to say?’ she demanded when he remained silent, his gaze heating with lazy approval.
    ‘That I’m not usually that bad.’ He scraped the hair off his brow, the smile becoming almost boyish. ‘There are reasons for what happened that I won’t bore you with,’ he murmured, his eyes darkening to a rich cobalt. ‘Let me make it up to you.’
    Maddy felt the pulse of response—and cursed her idiotic hormones. He might have that sexy, intense look down pat, but talk about false advertising.
    ‘That really isn’t necessary,’ she said primly. Another round like the last one would probably kill off her libido for good.
    ‘Yes, it is.’
    ‘Look, Mr King—’ time to stop this stupid charade ‘—I’m not interested.’
    ‘
Mr
King?’ He sounded amused. ‘Was I
that
bad?’
    ‘Yes, actually you were.’ Why sugar-coat it?
    He clasped a hand to his breast in mock horror. ‘You wound me, Maddy.’
    ‘Well, now you know how it feels,’ she snapped, annoyed by his teasing. What was so flipping hilarious?
    He frowned, then bolted upright, the lazy smile gone. ‘I didn’t hurt you, did I?’ The colour drained from his face. ‘You were so tight, but I thought you were ready.’
    She flushed, a little ashamed of herself. He looked genuinely horrified. ‘No. That’s not what I meant.’
    ‘Thank God.’ He scrubbed his hands down his face, then pinned her with that sexy, intense look again and her nerve-endings sizzled some more. ‘Look, how about we make a deal, Madeleine?’
    She didn’t like the sound of that, and she wished he’d stop saying her name in that low, intimate way. But then he took her wrist again, pressed his thumb to the pulse point—and she lost focus. ‘What deal?’
    ‘I’ll sling your clothes in the machine—and, when they’re done, I’ll drive you home myself, if you still want to go.’
    ‘You have a washing machine?’ she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
    ‘Yeah.’ The lazy smile was back. ‘I know this place looks like a throwback to the Stone Age, but it does have a few mod cons.’
    ‘I see,’ she said, annoyingly tempted.
    His offer would be a lot nicer than having to push the bikethree miles down the coast road, in a rain storm, in wet jeans. No question. But she wasn’t sure about that
if.
Or the way the gentle rub of his thumb was playing havoc with her pulse.
    ‘You promise you’ll drive me home? No questions asked?’
    ‘Absolutely,’ he said. But she wasn’t at all sure