Claire paused with her hand on the door. They hadn’t had sex until last night. Luke was a powerful man who got what he wanted but that was fast even for him. He’d have had to practically call from bed this morning to get things sorted out so fast. Something didn’t make sense.
“Just one thing, Mr. Easton. Can you tell me when Mr. Masters took care of my father’s bill?”
The smarmy man looked confused but he wiggled the mouse to wake up his computer and hit a few keys. “Of course, he came to see me on the 18thand gave me a check. He really is quite an exceptional man.”
“Yes, he is,” she said, walking out the door.
Claire ran through her mental calendar on the way to the car. She’d been so busy the days had started to run together, but by the time she slid behind the wheel, she was fairly certain the 18thwas the day Luke made her the proposition to spend three days with him.
She didn’t know whether the information made her feel better or worse.
LUKE WASSTILL in the construction trailer, talking to Sparks when Claire flew in wearing some kind of sexy librarian skirt and – dear God – fuck me pumps, looking mad enough to commit murder. She glared at him, her hazel eyes flashing green. Well fine. Let her be angry. He was angry too.
Fucking woman snuck out of his bed for Christ sake. His bed. Without waking him.
That kind of rejection was a new low for Luke, so yeah, he was pissed, too.
His cock didn’t seem to care. He met her angry glare with one of his own, but even though he’d fucked her for hours last night and jerked off to the memory in the shower a couple of hours ago, he took one look at her and his cock sprang to life, ready for more.
“Sparks,” she said, smiling sweetly at the wary looking construction manager. “Could you give Mr. Masters and me a moment please? Maybe you could see when the fucking framers will be off of five.”
“Honey, are you sure you want…” She turned her Medusa like glare on him, and Sparks froze, rethinking what it was he’d been about to say. “Okay.” He shot Luke a sympathy filled glance and left the trailer, shutting the door behind him.
She turned her full attention to him, and Luke clenched his jaw to keep from letting it fall open. Her auburn hair made a fiery halo and her eyes flashed with emerald fire. With her tight curvy body wrapped in the demur clothes, he half expected her to come after him with a ruler. The woman was spectacular. He wanted her again. Right there and consequences be damned.
“I don’t know who the hell you think you are, you manipulative bastard.” She stalked toward him on those fuck me heels and his mouth watered. Jesus, he was a mess and rapidly losing control.
“Wait a minute.” He threw back. “I know exactly who I am,” he said, stepping close enough to catch the spicy floral scent she wore. He watched her eyes go wide but she didn’t cede any ground. “I’m the guy who you fucked last night and whose bed you snuck out of this morning. I don’t know what you think I’ve done, but if anyone has a right to be angry here, I believe it’s me.” The declaration made him feel a little bit like a chick but it made her look sheepish, so he’d deal.
“I didn’t…” She started but now that he had the upper hand he pressed on because he didn’t think he’d keep it for long.
“Like hell you didn’t. You begged me to fuck you.” He moved near enough to feel the heat from her body and saw her nipples pebble to tight points through the silk of her blouse. “You fucked me,” he said close enough to her ear to see the pulse hammering at her throat. He waited a moment, invading her space, and watched her swallow. “And then you snuck out of my bed without so much as a kiss good bye. You used me.”
Her eyes flashed, the breath of air between them crackled, and he rethought the last part. The look in her eyes said he’d made a fatal miscalculation.
“I used you? Oh that’s rich.” She moved in close and gave him a look that would freeze lesser mortals. “You self serving manipulative son of a bitch.”
“Listen, I don’t know what your beef is, but as far as I can tell we didn’t doanything.” He paused to give the word extra emphasis. “That you didn’t want to do, so where do you get off being mad at me?”
Her pale skin flushed. It was the only sign she wasn’t in complete control, and he hoped to fuck last night had affected her as much as it had him, and he wasn’t in this – whatever the hell this was – alone.
“You were just so sure I’d sleep with you, and you wouldn’t give up until I finally gave in.”
It seemed like she was losing her footing so he pressed his advantage.
“Well yeah. What’s your point? I want you. I have from the moment I saw you. I go after what I want, and I’m tenacious as hell so I usually get it. When did that become a fucking crime?”
“Why did you pay my dad’s bill?” Some of the anger had bled out of her voice, and she seemed less certain. “Did you really think that would make me sleep with you? That I’d somehow feel obligated to let you in my bed? And I just went ahead and did it without even knowing.”
She’d gone from angry to what sounded a lot like sad and resigned, and it suddenly became very important to him that she understood what he had to tell her.
“I paid your dad’s bill because you needed it, and I could do it. I was trying to help you out. I’ve had people help me out. No one makes it on their own, Claire.”
“Then why did you try to blackmail me into going away with you for the weekend. Isn’t that just dressed up prostitution – trading money for time? For sex?” She was still angry but he also heard what sounded like genuine curiosity too.
“I paid your dad’s bill the day I found out about it. I never intended for it to be some kind of exchange for your attention. And I sure as hell didn’t expect it to be a trade for sex.”
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this? You let me think I needed to spend the weekend with you to get the loan for his bill.”
