strutting around in a cute little skirt and flirting with other guys. She had men drooling over her wherever she went and he couldn’t take any more. His restraint was slipping.
Eight more days, he reminded himself again.
Katie turned her head and their gazes collided.
Shit. His heart began to gallop. She was going to come over. He might as well get this over with. He could handle this. He would just greet her as he always did, like old family friends, nothing more. . . . As long as Katie never realized how dangerous she was to his self-control, he could get through it.
Katie knew it was time to strut her stuff. She had been practicing all afternoon. She moved toward him, praying that she wouldn’t trip. She enjoyed the aggressive feel of her new boots as she strode through the crowd, her hips swaying with every step.
She kept eye contact with Ryder, noticing not for the first time that he was all harsh lines and sharp angles. He watched her in tense silence, his brown eyes narrowing warily. She expected nothing less from him. One could tell by the crooked nose and the small white scars on his high cheekbones that he was familiar with the rough side of life.
Ryder was taller than most of the men at the party, but that wasn’t what gave him a commanding presence. Tonight he wore a pair of snug faded jeans and a dark charcoal cashmere sweater, the sleeves casually pushed up. He was the kind of man who stood out in a crowd. He didn’t have to do anything to garner attention, it was simply granted to him.
Katie was suddenly finding it difficult to keep her balance, especially with the way Ryder was looking at her. She had felt the same way when he helped her with her Christmas decorations earlier in the week. And there was an odd smirk on his face. That didn’t bode well. She was almost breathless by the time she reached him. She gave him a slow smile, ready to toss some amazing pickup line when he gave her the look.
No, not the I’m-going-to-do-you-right-this-minute look. Wouldn’t that have been nice? It was more like the you-have-to-be-kidding-me expression, complete with arched eyebrows and condescending amusement.
“Isn’t it way past your bedtime?”
Her mouth dropped open. She felt the blush zooming up her neck. Her first instinct was to fold her arms and growl out It’s freaking ten o’clock , but she knew, of course, no sexy siren would act that way. She might have been flaunting her newfound confidence for almost a year now, but it still didn’t come naturally—at least not where Ryder was concerned. He knew how to hit all of her buttons.
Instead she tilted her head to one side and fluttered her eyelashes. “Is that an invitation to tuck me in?” she purred.
Ryder scowled, but she saw the hot flare in his eyes before he banked it. She couldn’t tell if he was taken aback by her answer. Or did her suggestion tantalize some forbidden fantasy of his? That was probably wishful thinking.
“You better watch that mouth,” he ordered in a brusque tone. “It’s going to get you in trouble someday.”
“Promise?” she asked, pursing her lips.
“Give it a rest, Katie.” His voice was dangerously soft.
Unfazed by his warnings, she decided to throw caution to the wind and go after what she really wanted. Leaning forward, inhaling his delicious scent, Katie reached for the glass in his hand, making sure her breasts were visible as she moved toward him. “I thought you liked trouble,” she said, with what she hoped was a sexy smile.
His jaw clenched and a ruddy color stained his cheekbones.
Feeling like she just scored a major point, Katie brazenly took his drink and gave a hefty swallow.
Oh, God. The man drank liquid fire. She braced herself as the alcohol melted her esophagus and ate a hole in her stomach. It took superhuman effort not to cough, wheeze or keel over.
Catching a drop at the corner of her
Eight more days, he reminded himself again.
Katie turned her head and their gazes collided.
Shit. His heart began to gallop. She was going to come over. He might as well get this over with. He could handle this. He would just greet her as he always did, like old family friends, nothing more. . . . As long as Katie never realized how dangerous she was to his self-control, he could get through it.
Katie knew it was time to strut her stuff. She had been practicing all afternoon. She moved toward him, praying that she wouldn’t trip. She enjoyed the aggressive feel of her new boots as she strode through the crowd, her hips swaying with every step.
She kept eye contact with Ryder, noticing not for the first time that he was all harsh lines and sharp angles. He watched her in tense silence, his brown eyes narrowing warily. She expected nothing less from him. One could tell by the crooked nose and the small white scars on his high cheekbones that he was familiar with the rough side of life.
Ryder was taller than most of the men at the party, but that wasn’t what gave him a commanding presence. Tonight he wore a pair of snug faded jeans and a dark charcoal cashmere sweater, the sleeves casually pushed up. He was the kind of man who stood out in a crowd. He didn’t have to do anything to garner attention, it was simply granted to him.
Katie was suddenly finding it difficult to keep her balance, especially with the way Ryder was looking at her. She had felt the same way when he helped her with her Christmas decorations earlier in the week. And there was an odd smirk on his face. That didn’t bode well. She was almost breathless by the time she reached him. She gave him a slow smile, ready to toss some amazing pickup line when he gave her the look.
No, not the I’m-going-to-do-you-right-this-minute look. Wouldn’t that have been nice? It was more like the you-have-to-be-kidding-me expression, complete with arched eyebrows and condescending amusement.
“Isn’t it way past your bedtime?”
Her mouth dropped open. She felt the blush zooming up her neck. Her first instinct was to fold her arms and growl out It’s freaking ten o’clock , but she knew, of course, no sexy siren would act that way. She might have been flaunting her newfound confidence for almost a year now, but it still didn’t come naturally—at least not where Ryder was concerned. He knew how to hit all of her buttons.
Instead she tilted her head to one side and fluttered her eyelashes. “Is that an invitation to tuck me in?” she purred.
Ryder scowled, but she saw the hot flare in his eyes before he banked it. She couldn’t tell if he was taken aback by her answer. Or did her suggestion tantalize some forbidden fantasy of his? That was probably wishful thinking.
“You better watch that mouth,” he ordered in a brusque tone. “It’s going to get you in trouble someday.”
“Promise?” she asked, pursing her lips.
“Give it a rest, Katie.” His voice was dangerously soft.
Unfazed by his warnings, she decided to throw caution to the wind and go after what she really wanted. Leaning forward, inhaling his delicious scent, Katie reached for the glass in his hand, making sure her breasts were visible as she moved toward him. “I thought you liked trouble,” she said, with what she hoped was a sexy smile.
His jaw clenched and a ruddy color stained his cheekbones.
Feeling like she just scored a major point, Katie brazenly took his drink and gave a hefty swallow.
Oh, God. The man drank liquid fire. She braced herself as the alcohol melted her esophagus and ate a hole in her stomach. It took superhuman effort not to cough, wheeze or keel over.
Catching a drop at the corner of her
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