Hold on.
What?
What thewhat?
“I’m sorry?” I ask, breathless.
He’s still looking at my mouth, but at my words, his eyes drift back to mine. He reads the confusion on my face, and his hand drops away. “I can’t see you again,” he says, and I think there’s regret in his tone, but I’m a little too angry to process it.
Actually, I’m alottoo angry to process it.
“So, you dragged me here….Why?” My voice is incredulous. “To make me feel like an idiot — sorry — like evenmoreof an idiot?”
His face closes down instantly, his eyes freezing over into emotionless disks.
I spin away from him so fast, it makes me dizzy. My eyes lock on the door, and I race in its direction, fueled with anger and more embarrassment than I’d like to admit.
Rejected. Again.
Again!
It would be funny if it weren’t so humiliating.
“Gemma, wait—” His voice carries across the room, irritatingly composed.
“I’m out of here.” I spit the words from my mouth like venom. “Please, whatever this was, let’snotdo it again.”
I’m reaching for the door handle, when a hand closes around my arm, the grip strong enough to halt my progress completely. I jerk to a standstill, glancing over my shoulder at him with narrowed eyes.
“Let me go,” I hiss, hitting him with my coldest glare.
His hand tightens reflexively. “Not until you let me explain.”
My eyebrows go up as my face contorts into an impatient, uppity expression that sayshurry up, jerk, I don’t have time for this.
His eyes scan my face and his lips twitch again — he thinks I’mamusing.
Amusing!
I begin to tug at my arm, trying to escape his grip, but it only tightens at my efforts.
“Gemma.”
I still at the sound of my name. Not on purpose, of course — it’s just an involuntary reaction to watching those lips form the syllables when they’re so close to mine.
“I’m sorry.” His voice is gravelly again.
I jerk my chin, rejecting his insufficient apology without words.
His eyes flash and my belly contracts as he stares at me. “I thought if I made this about business, it would be easier.” He exhales sharply. “It’s not.”
Still silent, I wait for him to explain. I, for one, amdonetalking.
“I just got back to town. I have…” His gaze cuts sharply away from mine, but I can see thoughts working behind his eyes. “…certainobligations, if you will, that I have to focus on right now. I can’t afford to be distracted.”
My eyes widen and my voice drops to a snarl of indignation. “And I’m a distraction?”
He hesitates a beat, then nods.