His eyes rolled over her slowly. “If you’re trying to tell me he’s tired of you already, I’m afraid I don’t believe it.”
“I didn’t say that. We had an—argument—because of you!”
She wanted to kick herself.
“I wonder why?” he said thoughtfully. “Maybe he figured out that you’ve been yearning for me all this time.”
“How absurd! Must you always jump to the wrong conclusion? It was simply that he behaves like you sometimes and I don’t like it and I told him so. He’s as bad as you about drawing wrong conclusions. He assumed…oh, I willnotexplain this to you!”
“Why not? I’m fascinated.”
His amusement added to her frustration. “I believe you’ve missed my point,” she said with as much haughtiness as she could muster. “I don’t like you or anything about you. You’re a cold, callous man, Slade, and I despise your arrogance. You remind me of my father, though he’s not nearly as ruthless as you are. I would be insane to want you when I have Lucas.”
“Even though he ignores you. Even though he might continue to ignore you?”
“Even if he never touches me again,” she insisted. “Because he’s tender and thoughtful, and he wouldn’t try to take what I’m not willing to give.”
“But does he excite you the way I do, beautiful?”
In a moment he reached her and wrapped his arms around her. She was prepared to fight him, to prove that she really didn’t want him, but he did the unexpected, and once again she was thoroughly confused. Instead of overwhelming her with hard passion, he moved his lips on hers with exquisite tenderness. He reminded her of Lucas so much that she reacted as she would to Lucas.
Slade ended the kiss, but he didn’t move away. His eyes smoldered as they pierced hers, making her melt.
“You might think you prefer Luke, beautiful,” he whispered, “but your body doesn’t care which of us takes you to bed. You and I know that. I think it’s time Luke knew it. Your bed is a good place for him to find us when he gets here.”
“No!” she cried. He picked her up and carried her toward the bedroom. “Oh, please, Slade, you don’t understand. It’s what neither of you understands. Will you listen to me!” She pounded on his chest until he stopped and she had his attention. “When you kiss me, when he kisses me, it’s the same. There’s no difference between you. I don’t understand why, unless it’s because you’re twins. You both have the same power over me.”
“So you finally admit it?” His tone was not at all triumphant.
“What I am telling you is that if you stand away from me and let me think clearly, I can say in all honesty that I prefer Lucas. You might be able to get what you want from me, but I hate you for it.”
“Is that supposed to bother me?”
“Yes! I’mnotfickle!” She said this as much for herself as to convince him. “Lucas has made me his—not legally, but his. One man is all I want.”
“That’s what I came here to find out.”
“Do I have to beg you to leave me alone?”
“Would you?” he asked softly.
“Yes.”
Now he was triumphant. She saw it in his eyes. He wanted to humiliate her on top of everything else. She had never met anyone so despicable. She began to cry.
“Is that necessary?” Slade said roughly.
He set her down and moved away. Sharisse couldn’t believe what was happening. Had she really found the means to hold him off? She cried harder.
“Stop it, woman!” he demanded.
“Will you leave me alone?”
“Yes!”
“You swear it?” she persisted between sobs. “You won’t touch me again?”
“I swear, damn it!”
