“No,” I say firmly, forcing the word between my teeth. “Seeing you doesn’t do anything to me. It’s only your irritating mouth that’s getting under my skin.”
His gaze dips briefly to my mouth before coming back to my eyes. “You can tell yourself that if it makes it easier to walk away from this interview.”
I know exactly what he’s doing, making it impossible for me to back out, yet ensuring the interview will be a nightmare if I proceed.
“God, you are—” I cut myself off, exhaling hard. “You don’t get to twist everything just to get your way.”
He takes a step closer, wiping out the space I’d fought to put between us. Heat radiates off him, the faint scent of cedar mixed with his own signature scent curling into my lungs.
“If I were twisting things, sweetheart, you’d already be in my arms.”
“Wow. Still so confident the world revolves around you. I hate to break it to you—it doesn’t. And you are the last person I’d ever let back into my orbit.”
“You know you could never resist my charms, Anna.”
“You are speaking in past tense,” I fire back.
The moment those words leave my mouth, the mischief drains from his eyes.
“I know you hate me,” he says quietly. “But regardless of what you think of me, I never wanted to hurt you.”
For a second, I almost believe him. Almost believe he never would hurt me intentionally. But then the image of those divorce papers flashes behind my eyes, and every instinct screams that he’s a liar. I want to let him know him how much his leaving tore me apart, but I hold back. I don’t want to revisit the past with him.
When I don’t reply, he continues, his voice dropping low. “And signing those papers wasn’t easy, Anna. It made me—”
“Please, stop. I don’t want to do this now,” I snap, cutting him off.
He exhales loudly. “How about this? You come inside and take the interview. Do exactly what you came here for.”
My heartbeat races, but I force my voice to stay cool. “You think you can just order me around, and I’ll just give in to your stubbornness?”
“Be smart, Anna. You don’t want to walk back empty-handed. Your editor would be pretty disappointed in you.”
“I don’t—”
I clamp my mouth shut, because damn it, he’s right. But I refuse to agree and give him that satisfaction. Instead, my spine locks straight.
“Fine. I’ll do this interview. And I’ll prove to you that you don’t rattle me. I can keep my boundaries, no matter how hard you try to break them.”
“That’s my gi—” He doesn’t get to finish as my glare shuts him up instantly.
He chuckles, raising his hands in mock surrender. “I mean, you always did know how to challenge me. Guess that’s why I never walked away.”
I open my mouth to argue, but he holds my hand, stopping me. “I’m just glad you’re doing this interview.”
I force out a breath. “Forty-five minutes.”
He gestures toward the porch. “Take all the time you need.”
“I said forty-five —”
“I heard you,” he says, his voice threading with something suspiciously like victory.
Irritated, I walk past him, keeping my steps even and my head held high. But I can feel his gaze following me all the way to the door.
Please, God… don’t let these forty-five minutes turn into the longest of my life.
Chapter 6
