Other Titles
Through the Fire
Excerpt
Baldwin knew he was being difficult, but he wanted to see where she was going to take this. Besides, the longer she stood there the more opportunity he had to stare at her legs. The view had him hard and wanting her all over again.
“Are you looking up my skirt?” Kena’s accusatory tone had him dragging his glance from her alluring charms to her face, which was marred by a frown. He liked her much better when she was smiling.
“What do you expect, darling? When you present the gift in such an enticing package, you can’t expect a man not to look.”
She rolled her eyes, but the frown faded to be replaced with a Mona Lisa smile. “It wasn’t an invitation.”
“It certainly seemed that way to me.” He noticed she had stepped back, but otherwise had done nothing to dissuade him other than acting affronted, which he believed was just that, an act.
“Look, I came over here to apologize for my actions yesterday.”
Baldwin’s brow furrowed in displeasure. Great. While he’d been obsessed with thoughts of her, she’d been regretting their experience. He began to wonder if it had just been a pity kiss, one designed to let him feel like a man again, since she’d called a halt to things when it had gotten a little too intense.
“Okay, I don’t know what that look is, but I think you’re getting the wrong idea.”
“Really? What idea might that be?” Baldwin could feel his ire rising and tried to tamp down his irritation.
“I’m not really sure, but I’m sorry I was baiting you yesterday. That wasn’t my intention.”
“What was your intention then?”
“Hell, I don’t know anymore. Sometimes I speak without thinking. I guess I was trying to get a rise out of you.”
She’d certainly accomplished her goal, although probably not in the way she’d intended.
“So let me get this straight. You’re apologizing for the disagreement?”
“Yes, of course. Wait a minute. What did you think I was apologizing for?”
“The disagreement.”
“No, no, you thought I was apologizing for something to do with the kiss, didn’t you?”
“Not at all.” Although he’d been caught in the lie, it was kind of amusing to see her getting worked up over the issue. She stepped forward again, standing just at the edge of the pool. Her hands were now on her hips and her legs braced and ready for a fight, which only allowed him a better view up her skirt.
“Damn it, are you looking up my skirt again?” Kena gathered the material around her like a shield and bent down until she was almost at face level with him. “You are such a pervert.”
“You’re easily riled.”
“I am not. I just don’t understand how we can be having a serious conversation and the entire time you’re more concerned about looking up my skirt.”
He chuckled at her naivety. The reason was so obvious it hardly deserved an answer, but since she asked, “Because I’m a man?”
“You’re infuriating is what you are.”
“And you need to cool off.” Reaching up, he grasped her upper arms and tugged, pulling her into the pool. He could see her eyes go wide with the realization of what was to come just as she hit the water. He moved toward the shallow end of the pool as she came up sputtering and wiping her wet hair out of her face.
“You. Are. A. Dead. Man.”
Each word was enunciated distinctly. But instead of worry, Baldwin was too interested in noticing what the water had exposed. Her pink tank top was plastered to her skin and it was obvious she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her nipples were puckered and poking through the damp material.
“Did you hear me? Dead. Man. Do you know how long it’s going to take to flat iron my hair again?”
“Why would I know that?”
“Better question, why would you pull me into the pool? Something is seriously wrong with you.”
“You think so.” The madder she became, the harder he grew. Something was definitely wrong with him all right, because her fiery temper turned him on.
“I know so.” She moved through the water until she was standing right in front of him. Her dark eyes were flashing with anger and her black hair lay like strands of seaweed. She was the epitome of a drowned rat, but it didn’t detract from her beauty. He was beginning to believe nothing could.
“You’re an insufferable ass. I’m going to kill you.”
“But first you’re going to kiss me.”
He reached out and pulled her forcefully into his arms. Surprisingly she came willingly, grasping at his shoulders. Leaning down he captured her lips. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.
The taste of Kena was as good as he’d remembered, hot and spicy, with just a hint of sugar. Her tongue dueled with his as they kissed. Baldwin grasped her hips, bunching the material of her skirt in his hands. All he could think about was getting her out of her wet clothes so he could have access to her delectable skin.