She crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you drunk?”
“Nah.” I shook my head. “A bit tipsy, maybe, but not even close to drunk.”
“Did you sustain a head injury?”
“Not that I know of.”
Her cheeks were tinged pink, and her eyes were just a little hazy, but her voice was clear. “You’re not frowning or growling or complaining. You’re relaxed and flirty. What the hell has gotten into you?”
“I’m having fun, Dragonfly. You’re pretty, and it’s a nice night. And my brain keeps thinking about how I never got to call you Mrs. Hebert and how much I would have liked that.”
She straightened and lifted her chin. “I will never change my name.”
“Great,” I breathed out. “Then I’ll take yours. The Hebert name’s been trashed anyway. It’s the kind of thing my dad would lose his shit over, but he’s in prison, so the joke’s on him.” I meant it. The family name, which had once been such a source of pride, didn’t matter much anymore. In fact, most of the things I’d previously cared about didn’t matter anymore.
“You’ve officially lost it.”
“Nah.” I leaned back against the cushion again and peered up at the stars. “I forgot how much I like spending time with you. How real and free I feel when you’re close by.”
For a long moment, we were silent, my words hanging in the air between us.
“God, you’re not letting up, are you?” she said, trying to brush off my confession.
Shifting so I was facing her, I took her hands in mine.
“I couldn’t if I tried. Just being here with you, even if you’re insulting me and reminding me that I’m unworthy of your presence, is still better than 100 percent of the nights I’ve had since you left. You could kick me in the balls right now, and I’d still be thrilled you came over.”
She let out a harrumph. “That’s a tempting offer.”
We regarded one another for a few moments, our hands linked, in total silence. She looked beautiful in the firelight, and I knew in my bones I needed to kiss her. It had been so long, but I’d never wanted anything more. The warmth of her skin against mine was making me reckless. It made me want something that I did not deserve.
Before I could give in, she stood and stomped her foot, breaking the trance. “God, you are so infuriating. Why do you have to be so charming and grumpy and handsome? Why can’t you just be shitty and stay in my past?”
Okay, so I guessed kissing was off the table.
“It’s not fucking fair, Gus,” she ranted.
“I’m not shitty,” I said, sitting up. “And neither are you.”
“Yes, we are. We’re shitty to each other. Hence why I shouldn’t even be here.”
I stood. “Yet you came running when I invited you.” I didn’t want to yell. I wanted to sit back down, pull her into my lap, and kiss her until she calmed down. Yet, here I was, giving as good as I got.
She threw her hands up and stomped into the house. “You are an impossible, pig-headed ass.”
“Takes one to know one,” I shouted, following as she rushed through the kitchen and into the living room.
She spun, her chest heaving and her face flushed. It would have been sexy as hell if I hadn’t been on the receiving end of a verbal assault.
With a finger in my face and a shaking hand, she continued her tirade. “You broke me, asshole. You tossed me aside for your true love. Your fucking trees.”
I grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. What the fuck kind of nonsense was she spouting? “You think I’ve been thriving over here?” I growled. “Take a look around, Dragonfly. I never recovered from losing you.”
We stood, staring each other down like angry bulls. Blood surged through my veins. My brain was in overdrive, and my body was ready to jump out of a plane or climb a mountain. That’s what this woman did to me. She wasn’t just a danger to my heart; she was a danger to my central nervous system.
I kept my focus locked on her, unblinking. I wouldn’t concede in my own house. We’d been having a pleasant evening until she’d escalated to name-calling. I could compartmentalize. I was a fucking adult, after all.
But my resolve slowly slipped away as I got lost in those molten brown eyes.
“It would have been better if you had just hit me with your truck—”
She cuffed the back of my neck hard, cutting me off, and said, “Fuck it.” Then she was pulling my lips down to hers.
Her kiss was angry and demanding and full of every emotion coursing through me. So I kissed her back, making sure she knew who was in charge.
She gripped my hair with both hands and in an instant, all my anger morphed into pure lust.
Our tongues tangled, and our hands squeezed and grasped as we kissed with wild urgency. God, her mouth was pure perfection. There was nothing timid or inexperienced about this woman. She was showing me exactly what she wanted, and I was more than happy to give it to her.
She pulled back, panting.
“You’re a really fucking good kisser,” she growled. “Makes up for your shitty personality.”
“I like you better when your mouth is busy,” I countered, pushing her back against the wall and pressing my lips to hers again.
Chapter 10Chloe
