“Why not?” he demanded.
Olivia stared at him. He was standing in the middle of the cave, hands rested low on his lean hips. He looked confused and pissed off and, damn, if he wasn’t the sexiest man she’d ever seen. She tore her gaze from his and shrugged one shoulder as she spoke.
“Lots of reasons.” Okay, even to her that sounded lame.
“Such as?” Jake pressed on.
Why the hell couldn’t he just let it go? She wanted to scream the question at him. Already an emotional wreck, Olivia’s own frustration began to grow.
She ran a hand through her tangled mass of hair, still in a state of shock that she was actually trying to convince Jake McQueen that theyshouldn’tbe together.
“What do you want from me, Jake?”
He took a tentative step forward, his hardened expression unwavering. “I want to know why you won’t give this a chance.”
Olivia’s heart physically hurt as it pounded unforgivingly inside her chest. Her entire adult life—and most of her teenage years—she’d longed for this man to say he wanted her.
She’d spent years fantasizing that one day, he’d look at her the way he had when they’d been caught in the rain. The way he’d looked just before kissing her last night.
And now it finally happens? When she was so screwed up in the head, she didn’t know how in the hell she was going to survive going back home and getting on with her life? Especially when so many had lost theirs?Nowhe decides to try and start something with her?
Unwilling to admit the truth, but desperate for him to drop the subject, Olivia decided on a different approach. Forcing herself to make eye contact, she crossed her arms and did her best to sound flippant.
“Maybe I’m just not that into you. Did you ever stop to think about that?”
“Bullshit.”
Not only was his response immediate, but the frustratingly handsome man looked as if he were actually fighting a smile.Damn him.
She should’ve known trying to convince him she wasn’t interested was a lost cause. Unfortunately, it was the best she could come up with, so Olivia decided to go for broke.
“Look, Jake. I’m sure you’ve been with plenty of other women, but that doesn’t mean you’re totally irresistible to us all, you know.”
This time he didn’t even try to hide his amusement. Jake’s mouth rose into that sexy half-smile that would have dropped her panties in an instant...had she actually been wearing any.
“Oh, really?”
He raised a brow and moved toward her, the tilt of his lips deepening the bracket on that side of his mouth. It was too long to be a dimple, but still had the same, irritatingly charming effect.
Jake’s steps were purposeful, like a predator getting ready to strike at its prey. “I don’t recall you resisting me last night.”
When he talked to her that way, his voice low and sensual, Olivia couldn’t keep from becoming aroused.Focus, Bradshaw!She opened her mouth—to say what, she wasn’t sure—but Jake cut her off at the pass.
“You can deny it all you want, sweetheart, but it was written all over your face when you kissed me last night. In fact”—he took a couple more steps—“it still is.”
It took everything she had not to throw herself into his arms and grab hold of her dream. Ofcourseshe wanted him to kiss her. Wanted him to do a hell of a lot more than that, actually.
Closing the small gap between them, Jake stood right in front of her. Olivia’s body vibrated with nervous energy as he leaned in closely, the rough whiskers on his jaw brushing against her cheek. Shivers raced down her spine as his warm breath caressed her ear.
And it was only by the grace of God that she was able to stand her ground and not jump his bones when he whispered, “I bet if I were to put my mouth on those pursed lips of yours right now, you wouldn’t do a damn thing to stop me.”
****
Jake leaned back justenough to look into Olivia’s eyes. He searched for any hint that her resolve was crumbling, but saw none. Oh, she was turned on as fuck, no question. The signs were all there.
Dilated pupils. Flushed skin. And two perfectly shaped, rock-hard nipples.
He knew as well as anyone, however, that there was a big difference between having a physical attraction toward a person and feeling a true, deep emotion for them. Looking at her now...if Olivia felt anything more for him than lust, she was doing a damn good job at hiding it.You should’ve known better.
