‘What, yo
u’re an accidental virgin?’ he said sarcastically.
‘Yeah, for want of a better description, I guess I am.’ Jake, her ex-boyfriend, hadn’t understood her situation at all. Had run out of patience when she’d said she couldn’t go clubbing or partying with him. Yeah, she’d learned years ago that people didn’t want to hear about her life—that it made them uncomfortable. After he’d dumped her, she’d gotten so busy at home it was the last thing on her mind. But it was there now.
‘That’s what that other bottle of Bollinger is for, isn’t it?’ Gabe said slowly. ‘The V bottle. Good grief. You can’t be so premeditated about this.’
‘Why not? Isn’t it better to be prepared with someone suitable rather than have some impulsive experience with someone who might not be able to deliver.’ She wanted a good lover and she knew Gabe would be more than good. Her physical reaction to him was so intense and an absolute first. She wanted to follow through on it—just knew it would be incredible.
‘This isn’t impulsive?’ He ran both hands through his hair and then bent to pick up the hose and turned it on the garden.
‘I thought you might appreciate my honesty. That was clearly a mistake.’ She pushed out a deep breath, trying to expel her anger. ‘I won’t make that one again.’
‘What do you mean?’ He jerked back to face her.
‘Next time I proposition a guy I won’t mention the “v” word.’
His jaw dropped. ‘Are you planning to proposition another guy?’
‘Maybe not today, but hopefully soon,’ she bluffed, wishing she could meet someone even more attractive first thing so she could get over the ache she had for the impossible one in front of her.
‘You have to tell him you’re a virgin,’ Gabe snapped.
As if she’d ever do that now. ‘Why? It shouldn’t make any difference.’
‘Of course it makes a difference,’ he said, looking angrier than ever. ‘You should want someone who’s in love with you and who you’re in love with.’
She gaped at him. Who’d have thought the supposed ultimate slayer had a romantic streak? ‘Were you in love with your first?’ she asked.
‘That was different.’ He turned back to the garden, spraying the hose wildly over the paths rather than the plants.
‘Why? Because you’re a man and it’s different for men?’ She glowered at him. ‘Why can’t I have sex just for the pleasure of it, for the curiosity. Why did you have sex that first time?’
He growled. ‘It’s not the same.’
‘Why not?’ Her voice rose. ‘Why can’t women have the same kind of sex drive? is it somehow wrong to admit to it?’
His knuckles were white on the hose. ‘No, but don’t throw it away on some skunk. It’s a gift you should give someone who’ll appreciate it.’
Roxie groaned in frustration, too cross to care about how indiscreet she was being. ‘I never thought you’d be so old-fashioned. Your reputation is so wrong.’
He tossed the hose and grabbed her arm instead. His grip so hard his knuckles remained white. Not that she minded that much, truthfully—her skin sizzled from his touch, and her insides melted.
‘Is that why you picked me?’ he asked. ‘Because of something you heard, something you think you know?’
His anger made her own flare again and she pushed even closer to his tense fury. ‘I asked you because you’re hot. And, yeah, rumour has it you’re good and you’re not interested in commitment. All three are on my essential list.’
‘Most women have commitment-friendly on their essential list,’ he snapped back, his black eyes incandescent. ‘Why don’t you?’
‘Because I don’t want to be tied down. Ever.’
His brief bark of laughter was filled with disbelief. ‘So there’s going to be no marriage, kids and people carrier for you?’
‘Never.’
He grinned savagely but his grip on her eased. ‘Never is a very long time for a young woman.’
‘Don’t patronise me.’ Jerk. ‘I know what I want and what I don’t want.’ She wasn’t going through the heartache that family brought again. She just wasn’t ever. She had the need-to-be-free gene and she wasn’t going to screw it up as her mother had by having a child or any kind of lengthy relationship.
‘What you want is someone who’ll do right by you,’ he said, harsh again.
‘And you won’t? You’re saying you’re not up to the challenge?’ She leaned so close she nearly kissed him as she whispered in a low taunt, ‘You’re not good enough as a lover?’
‘Don’t try to tease me into it,’ he said through gritted teeth, letting go of her completely. ‘It won’t work.’
‘Won’t it?’ She looked down his body, brazen in her assessment of his aroused state. ‘You’re only human, Gabe.’
‘That’s right, I’m human. I’m not an animal. I have self-control and free will. Choice.’ He drew in a deep breath and then pushed back her braid from her shoulder with a surprisingly gentle hand. ‘Are you going to use your innocent wiles to try to tempt me into losing that control?’
Silent, she just looked at him. Because, hell, yes, she wished she could do just that. It would so totally serve him right.
A wicked, patronising grin made him look like a smug satyr. ‘You think you can play with fire, Roxie?’
‘You’re the fire?’ she scorned. ‘You’re so not the blaze I’d heard about. All you are is insufferably arrogant.’
‘Well, haven’t you just given me more reason to be?’ he drawled back, before snapping, ‘I’m doing what’s best for both of us. And, honey, you’re not hot enough for me.’
She knew what he was doing. Pushing her away by putting her down. Bastard. ‘Making me mad with you isn’t going to make me want you less,’ she said brazenly. If anything it made it worse. Yeah, now she wanted to see him shaking with desire for her—on his damn knees for her. ‘I’m more than hot enough for you. I might be a virgin but I’m not stupid.’
His grin died an instant death. ‘And that’s another reason to say no.’ He walked further away that time. ‘This conversation is over. We’ll pretend it never happened. Landlord, tenant, vague acquaintance at the stadium. That’s all we are.’
Roxie remained where she was, feet apart, skin burning, senses screaming to be back in touch zone. ‘Let me remind you, Gabe, that you were the one who started this.’
Gabe stopped and turned, his body howling at him for doing this hatefully ‘right’ thing in such a rubbish way. Being chivalrous really wasn’t all it was cracked up to be and it was almost impossible. But now there was no choice—no matter her age or intelligence, learning Roxie was that inexperienced ruled out any kind of thing between them. He refused to be the cause of another girl’s emotional—and mental—meltdown. And he was an absolute fool for taunting her into touching him just then; it had brought nothing but more torture for himself. ‘I think we could debate that one for some time too. But for now, okay, I’ll take the blame. I’m not too filled with self-worth to be unable to admit I make mistakes. This was a huge mistake. We’re not making it worse.’
Yeah, as if he could really think that. Honestly?
It couldn’t get any worse.
CHAPTER FOUR
‘SEEN the new dancer?’ Dion asked him as they watched the boys doing their drills that afternoon. ‘Your bee-sting girl got in and she’s good.’
She wasn’t his bee-sting girl. And he was trying very hard not to watch the women doing the warm-ups down the other end of the pitch. Usually they made it a rule not to practise when the girls were around—it was too distracting. But it was the day before the first big game of the season and everyone wanted extra pitch time.
‘Foxy Roxie.’ Dion’s smile was pure evil.
Gabe nearly jumped out of his skin. ‘Who’s calling her that?’ He consciously tried to relax but his body had been nuked and he was boiling from the inside out.
‘Jimmy, couple of those new kids. Got their eyes trained.’
Foxy Ro
xie wasn’t that at all. She might have her hair blonded and her eyelashes blackened and her breasts pushed up front and centre, but that was all surface. The suggestion of sophistication was merely skin deep. She was an innocent at large. Admittedly she didn’t want to be innocent but that was beside the point. She still was. And he didn’t want any of those louts taking advantage of her. No, truth was, he wanted to take total advantage himself.
‘She’s just a kid.’ He tried to act dismissive and completely blanked Dion’s snort of laughter.
Inevitably the two groups met up as practice ended. It was brief, management were watching close to make sure the boys didn’t get up to bad the night before a big game. She stood on the edge of the circle of dancers, not saying anything, a little distanced. Probably because she was new. But it was only a matter of time before one of the guys would strike up a conversation with her. Sure enough, one of the young bloods took a buddy as back-up. Shook her hand and everything. But Roxie had a back-up too, another dancer who was doing all the talking while Roxie had a Mona Lisa smile on.
Gabe didn’t like her standing that near to any of them. As he watched she flicked a glance at him. Her blue eyes burned brighter—and she smiled wider at the guy beside her. Gabe knew she was doing it deliberately to tease him. Because every few moments she glanced back at him, saw him watching and her blue eyes burned brighter.
So, yes, he was staring. And, no, he couldn’t stop. The thought of her hooking up with someone else ate him whole.
When she went to put her empty electrolyte bottle in the recycling bin he took the chance to talk. ‘Don’t do anything dumb.’
He’d been a jerk to her—several times over—and he deeply regretted it. But he didn’t want her making a worse mistake out of hurt pride. Of course, complete louse that he was, the thing he regretted most was not kissing her.
‘Didn’t think you cared,’ she said with an annoying level of composure.
He hesitated.
She smiled, drawing his attention to her glossed lips. Yeah, he totally regretted not kissing her. It was all he’d been thinking about since—how soft and hot she’d been in his arms, how vibrant, how beautiful. Fresh as a damn daisy.