Chapter Six
Reece grinned. Theglory he’d held out for, was indeed sweet. He spotted the exact moment recognition hit Aria. Her eyes grew wide, her lips parted slightly as if to inhale in a surprised breath, and a look of pure panic cloaked her stunning features. His glory died a sudden death. Just as quickly as recognition surfaced, her gaze shuttered and the shield of her lashes dropped to hide it. Hell, what a piece of work. She robbed him of the little joy he craved.
Reece exhaled on a ragged breath, pulled on his T-shirt, and moseyed over to where she stood. Glad, she hadn’t turned tail and ran. Then again, he doubted anyone could easily sway Aria. Damn, he had his work cut out.
“What do you think? Is it chance or serendipity that brought us together again?” He reached the bottom step of the porch.
“What are you doing here?”
Oh fuck.Not the response he wanted. Aria stared down at him, and Reece suffered last night’s misgivings. “Whoa, girl, I slept in your cabin last night.” After their encounter, he expected a lot more friendliness. He’d cleaned the kitchen and rushed to shave so she’d recognize him—what a waste.
“Last night, a total stranger slept in my cabin. Someone I thought I hadn’t known.”
“And I was a total stranger three years ago too. You didn’t mind then.” He reminded her with a chuckle. Her eyes narrowed with a deadly glare. His response annoyed her...no...more like if looks could kill, he’d be dead on the spot right now.
“Why didn’t you introduce yourself?”
“I tried to, babe—”
“I’m not your babe. I have a damn name, use it. And asking ‘don’t I recognize you,’ isn’t an introduction.”
“And squashin’ my importance like a simple bug ain’t exactly welcoming.” He leaned back on the tree stump behind him, crossed his arms over his chest, and eyed her taut features. Damn, anger sure gave this beauty a severe makeover. Pure ice sparkled in her gray eyes—nothing like the heated intensity in the bar. Then, she’d wanted him so openly.
“Who sent you?”
Hadn’t she asked him the same question last night? For a moment, he wondered if he’d entered some high stakes political thriller where he played the assassin sent to take out the president’s daughter. “What makes you think someone sent me?”
“You met me in the bar, then followed me to the wedding, and now you pitch up here. An unlikely coincidence, don’t you think?”
Her scrutiny bordered on outright suspicion and Reece curbed the urge to laugh. “A coincidence yes, but not an impossible one.”
“I’ll call Billy.” She turned away to mark the end of their conversation.
“I thought you couldn’t get hold of him until tomorrow?”
She swiveled on her heel to face him. “Desperate times.”
“Desperate for me, ain’t you? I know. When you’re hot, you’re hot, right?”
Her head jerked back in surprise. “What?”
Reece chuckled. “You want me, babe.” His gaze dropped pointedly to her chest, then back up to her face. As though she sensed his thoughts, her arms came up and crossed over her chest. She sucked in a breath, and the blush from her cheeks crept down her neck. Of course, he’d checked out those hard nipples when he caught her staring. She opened her mouth to say something then closed in a tight-lipped glare. Reece enjoyed her embarrassment. Her confusion stroked his ego.
“You’d do well to stay away from me, Reece. My skillet is itching to crack another skull.” Her gaze flashed icy warning signals.
Despite the heated caution, his intrigue soared. He had no intention of heeding the threat. “Feisty, ain’t you? Just the way I like my woman.” Reece cocked a brow. She gawked open-mouthed. “I’ll stay away from you, babe, but I can’t guarantee you’ll stay away from me,” he finished with a wink.
“God, you’re so full of yourself.” Her lips formed silent, cuss words. He grinned. The idea of her talking dirty flamed his arousal.
“No, sweetheart, just frickin’ awesome.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re an arrogant ass?”
“Yes. And your point is?”
She rolled her eyes. “I give up. Do you even understand the meaning of taking life a little seriously?”
“I told my sister-in-law once. Being serious ain’t a prerequisite for being responsible.”
