Her finger moved to my shoulder, making lazy circles on my skin that felt like fire. "I don't." She wouldn't meet my eyes and that vulnerable look was back. "I barely know anything about you."
"Which is a good reason for this to slow down just a bit." I cupped the side of her face, making those soft grey eyes look at me. "What's wrong, Violet?"
"Nothing," she insisted, leaning back as she called up a smile. It was good, but the sudden switch in emotions proved she was faking. Hopping onto the concrete edge, she retreated even farther, only her legs still dangling in the water. "Just thought I'd have more time to work out before you got here. Trying to figure out how I was going to catch up."
"Bullshit." I caught her calf, preventing her from running away. "You wanted me in here. You all but asked me to jump in, so why do you act like you regret it?"
"No, I..." She swallowed as her eyes dropped to my hand. "I shouldn't be doing this. Gran just died, and I'm supposed to be fixing up the place, and..."
I stepped closer until my chest was pinned between her knees. "So I need to keep my hands off? Not gonna be easy to do."
"Pretty sure your girlfriend wouldn't like it."
I ducked my head and chuckled softly. "Nice try, honey. Real nice try, but I don't have one of those - unless you're lookin' to fill the role?"
"And your southern charm still isn't going to work," she reminded me, sounding a bit more like herself.
I let my fingers gently slide down to her ankle. "I think it was working real good for me about two minutes ago. I'm not leaving, Violet, not until you make me."
"And I'm not the kind of girl who needs a man to make her decisions for her." She jerked her leg away, pulled herself to her feet, and marched toward the house.
I followed, heaving myself out of the pool. "When did I ever say I wanted to do that?"
"Isn't that how things work out here in the sticks? Marry the girl, put a baby in her belly, and claim her as yours?" She snagged her towel and began rubbing the moisture from the ends of her hair. "Not ready for kids, cowboy, and have no intention of letting anyone claim me."
My gut twisted and ice raced up my spine. "Don't like kids?"
"I like kids just fine - I'm just not interested in being a mother. I'm even less interested in being the size of a cow. I've got a couple of years left in this industry, and I plan to use every single one."
She'd just lost me. I had no clue at all what she was talking about, but one thing kept playing over and over in my mind. She didn't want kids. She had no interest in being a mom, and I was a packaged deal. Nothing would make me walk away from Faith, not even the woman of my dreams.
"What industry?" I asked, hoping for something that could let me salvage this.
Her brow wrinkled and her head twitched back to my face. "Modeling. That's what I do for a living, or did you think I lived on Gran's money?"
"You're a model?" Oh, that didn't come out right. "I knew you were pretty enough to be, but you're really a model?"
"Head of marketing for Risqué Lingerie and face of the product." Slowly, she wiped the water from between her breasts, a tiny smile daring me to say anything. "And I thought you already knew that. Why else would you be trying so hard to get in my pants?"
I caught her hand, halting the teasing. "Violet, you're gorgeous. You're the type of gorgeous that makes men forget all of their morals, but that's not why I jumped in that pool. It's not what makes me want to do all your heavy lifting." Stepping closer, my other hand caught her chin between my thumb and first finger. "It's this. The woman who lifts her head and stares down anyone who tries to get in her way. Honey, you're not a damsel in distress. You're the femme fatale, and I really like the way that looks on you. I have every intention of seeing how it looks on me, but I can take it slow." I brushed the pad of my thumb over the swell of her lower lip, then released her, grabbing my jeans from the concrete. Shoving one leg in, I didn't even bother drying off. "Promised I'd get a few things done today, Miss Dawson, and you're distracting as hell. I'll be in the barn."
Chapter Seven
Istood there for much too long, trying to figure out what had just happened. Luke had kissed me. Oh, that was one thing I would never forget, but after that it had gone to shit. I’d panicked, and now I wasn't quite sure how to fix it.
I’d been fine while I was kissing him. The problem had been when he pulled back. The blue sky over his head, turquoise water around us, and the sound of the birds and breeze had triggered a long-lost memory. Just a stupid one, but Gran had been in it.
I'd snuck a boy into the pool just before I left. Gran had been in town but came back at the wrong time, interrupting the moment. That was all, but I had almost been able to hear my grandmother's voice in the back of my mind. It had hit too hard, and I’d needed to escape, covering it up with bravado instead of weakness.
That didn't mean what I’d said was a lie. I had no interest in becoming some man's toy. I wasn't the kind of woman who wanted to be possessed. I certainly couldn't afford to lose my figure, since that was the only thing paying the bills right now. Sure, I liked sex as much as the next person, but I preferred mine to be commitment-free because no man wouldeverown me.
And Luke had gotten the brunt of all of that, wrapped up in my grief about the only person who'd ever loved me unconditionally. From his perspective, I’d probably just climbed on the crazy-train and kicked it up to full speed. He also wouldn't be wrong.
Biting back a squeal of frustration, I headed to my room to get out of the daring bikini. He'd liked it. I’d seen that easily enough, but what made him smile was when I teased and taunted him. What got him going was me being, well, me. So why did I feel like I should be running away from him as fast as possible? Was it just me trying to cope with losing Gran?
No. The truth was that he scared me. The man I’d spent years fantasizing about wasn't the real Luke. That was just a sweet boy who'd taken care of a kid who got her ass kicked by the mean girls. This man? He was real. He was imperfect and beautiful and righthere. He was trying really hard to impress me, and I was basically being the same bitch I always was. As soon as I lost control, I always did the same thing. I lashed out because it worked, and this time it had been at Luke.
While my mind spun, I stripped out of the wet purple fabric and found some real clothes. I still had to look perfect. Luke said he liked me without makeup, but I liked myself most when I was beautiful. That didn't always mean painted, just prepared - in control - and that man had a way of pulling the rug right out from under my feet. Like the way he'd jumped into the pool.
