“Hmm.” His rude reply, once again, when I’m merely trying to have a civil conversation with him, grates on my nerves, and I shed all pretenses of even trying.
“What’s wrong with you? Got something stuck in your throat?” I snap at him, my teeth grinding together.
“Just didn’t think you’d be interested in talking to me,” he replies sternly with a careless shrug of his shoulders.
“Why would you say that?” I tilt my head at him, trying to comprehend what he means.
“You were looking mighty comfortable andcozy talking to Seb there,” he comments, looking anywhere but at me.
My eyes narrow at him, turning to slits. “What’s that supposed to mean?” My hand tightens over the camera in my hand, its edges digging into my skin.
He scoffs, shaking his head. “Never mind. Leave it,” he says, looking down at his shoes.
“What–?”
He interrupts me, “What do you want, Kaeli?” He sighs as if the world’s baggage is placed on his shoulders. I don’t understand this man even for a second.
Not wanting to create a scene at such an important event, I divert the topic. “So, you used to stutter, huh? I didn’t know.” The moment the words are out of my mouth, I regret them.Shit.
His face snaps to look at me so fast that I’m surprised he doesn’t injure his neck. “What did you just say?” his voice rough and low. I open my mouth to come up with something, anything, but he again cuts me off. “Oh, that was a rhetorical question. I heard what you said. Were you eavesdropping?”
Yes. I shake my head. “No, I just happened to walk past while capturing some shots of theevent, and happened to hear it, that’s all.”
He looks at me like he wants to strangle me, the vein on his forehead fluttering, threatening to pop open. Eyes burning with such hatred, it almost makes my knees buckle.
With a couple of steps, he’s towering over me, standing so close that we’re almost chest to chest. His scent wafts over me in a sudden wave, making me feel dizzy. This close, I see the grays in eyes, littering the blue like twinkling stars in a sky. I have never seen eyes like his before.
The heat of his body threatens to turn me into a puddle right at his feet. He has no right to be this tall and gorgeous at the same time. He’d balk if I told him he looks sexy when angry, so I keep that tidbit of observation to myself.
“You recorded something so personal?” he seethes so only I can hear, his jaw clenching so hard, I fear it might break. My admiration for him comes to a halt.
“Don’t you dare tell anyone about it. One word and I’ll destroy you. Understand? And delete those fucking clips or shots or whatever you have. If anyone finds out, it’s game over for you,” he threatens me, his warm breath fanning over me as I tilt my head to look up at him even inthese heels.
His chest heaving up and down as if he just ran a marathon, when it’s really because of how infuriated he is and how much he’s restraining himself from killing me.
Even though he’s glowering at me, I study his features and lose myself in how gorgeous he is with his eyes so blue it feels like the start of winter. The kind that brings laughter and cozy feelings.
My eyes flick to his luscious lips. God, they’re so kissable even when pressed in a straight line. One more inch, and our lips would touch. I glance between his lips and eyes, forgetting that he’s the man I hate. The man who hates me.
But in the next second, he reminds me why I would never go there with him. When I don’t respond, he repeats, “Do you understand?” I nod. “Words, Kaeli. Words,” he growls.
I swallow. “I do, but–”
The minute the words are out of my mouth, he’s already gone, stalking off to get away from me.
He didn’t even listen to me!
Annoyance creeps up on me at his rudeness. God! He’s so infuriating. He didn’t evengive me a chance to tell him that I didn’t capture a single shot of him or Ruby or record what he told her. And I had no plan to share about him having social anxiety with anyone.
If only he had listened to me, that even though I hate him, I’m not a bad person. God, he can be such a jerk sometimes. Who am I kidding? He’s a jerk all the damn time.
A handsome jerk. My brain reminds me, even though that’s not the point.
I stomp and huff in annoyance, even though he’s long gone, when I remember what he said about Seb and me. That presumptuous asshole. He can go fuck himself. I don’t care.
It is only later that I would know how wrong I was to believe that.
Ten
