I ignore him. “It doesn’t bother you that you’ve essentially just condemned yourself to a life without sex, then?”
“Isn’t that kind of a given, in a committed relationship?” He smirks. “Once you settle down, hot sex pretty much goes out the window.”
I glare in lieu of a response.
“So… since we agree it’s necessary to be seen in public together… how about I pick you up tomorrow, for the radio interviews? I’ll be there around noon. Just need your new address.”
“No.”
“Fine, I’ll get it from Sloan.”
“You think this is a joke,” I say, stunned at his self-absorption. “But this isn’t a joke to me. This is my life. And you’ve already reached your quota for fucking it up, all right?”
He goes still. I watch his face darken like a storm.
“It’s not a joke to me.” He takes a step toward me, his ever-playful demeanor dropping away like a mask. The man I suddenly glimpse below the surface is a strange, unfamiliar creature, filled with slow-burning anger. Something long-felt and well-hidden. Something I’ve never seen before, in all my time knowing him.
This is not the man-child, incapable of real emotion.
His voice cracks with intensity. “It was the right call, and you know it. I’m not sorry, Kat. Not even a little bit.”
“You’reneversorry, are you Grayson?” I snap, too pissed to curtail my mean-spirited words.
“Oh, we’re back to that then, are we? Back to Hawaii?”
“No,” I mutter. “This isn’t about Hawaii.”
“Bullshit.” He takes another step toward me, eyes flashing. “You expect me to believe you’re over it? That you’re not still pissed off at me for leaving? That this anger, right here, this fight, isn’t at least partially about the way things ended between us?”
“Things didn’t end; they never even started.”
“Nice dodge.” He rolls his eyes. “You keep pretending we can be cordial co-stars, that none of this affects you, but we both know that’s a load of shit. You’re still pissed at me, and it’s not about some bullshit interview answer. It’s about what I did to you when I walked away. When I letyouwalk away, without fighting to make things work. You might not want to face that because it’s painful… but it’s the truth.”
I consider his words for a second.
“Good try, butno. This actuallyisabout your stunt during the interview. Because, once again, Grayson Dunn makes unilateral decisions that affect someone else, without ever stopping to consider their opinion on the matter. That behavior doesn’t make you cute or charming — it makes you an asshole.”
He scoffs. “Tell me again how you’renotmad?”
“Oh, I’m mad. I’m mad about your behaviortodayand the fact that I’m going to have to deal with the fallout of that behavior for the next six weeks. I’m mad that you’ve made a decision that affects both of us, when I specifically said I wanted no part of it at Sloan’s yesterday. I’m mad for a whole slew of reasons, but hear me when I say this…” I jerk my head, furious. “I’m not pissed off about Hawaii anymore, so you can get that out of your head. I’m not pining. I’m not heartbroken. I’m not crying into my pillow or drinking myself into oblivion or waiting around for your call. I’mfine. I’m me again. I’m over Hawaii. Overyou.”
I didn’t mean it as a challenge.
He takes it as one anyway.
With two long-legged strides, he closes the distance between us. Before I can move, he’s yanked me into his arms and crushed his mouth against mine. He kisses me with fury and frustration, pouring all the heat from our argument into each scrape of his teeth, each stroke of his tongue. Ravaging my mouth, as if he’s burning alive and wants me to burn with him.
Kissing me into submission, like he’s done a thousand times before.
Stealing my fire with seduction.
Lulling me into complacency with lust.
He is a silver-tongued manipulator, using the best weapons in his arsenal against me.
Except, this time, I know better.
I don’t return his kiss. I struggle in his arms, thrashing like a wild creature caught in a net, until my lip is bleeding and he’s cursing from a sharp kick to the shin. Swearing, he releases his hold. My arms are free for less than a second when I reel back and slap him full across the face.