“Quit badgering her!” Ella ordered.
Julian’s mouth hung open. “But she—Your wall. Big hole.”
“I can see, Julian. Obviously you can’t.”
Alex yanked her fist free, sending plaster flying every which way. Some of it landed in Ella’s hair, but she didn’t seem to care. Which was strange considering he’d seen her throw the mother of all fits over a stray leaf in her fur.
“See?” he repeated, confused.
Ella pointed to the ground. “She can’t go walking in the snow. She has no shoes. Bring some. Size nine.” Then she took Alex by the arm and led her back into the kitchen.
“You don’t know much about men, do you?” Ella asked.
“He’s not a man.”
Alex’s knuckles stung on the outside, ached on the inside, but she wasn’t really hurt, and they were already healing.
Her embarrassment, however, appeared there to stay. She’d behaved like the animal he’d made her. Every day, in so many ways, she was drifting farther from the Alex she knew in the direction of an Alex she did not want to become.
“He is a man,” Ella said firmly. “And a good one.”
Alex blew a derisive breath from between her lips.
“I can smell the desire between you.”
Alex winced. Nothing wrong with Ella’s nose.
“But you also seem to hate each other.”
Or her intuition.
“Yet he gave you our gift and brought you home.”
“This isn’t a gift,” Alex said, “and I’m not home.”
“You could be,” Ella murmured, but Alex pretended not to hear.
She sat at the island and finished her coffee. The jolt of caffeine gave her the guts to say, “I’m sorry about the wall.”
“Walls can be fixed.” Ella took a chair on the opposite side, wisely giving Alex her space. “I’ve never seen anyone deny him before. When he speaks, we listen. We want to. Don’t you?”
“Hell, no. When he speaks I want to rip off his face.”
“Interesting,” Ella murmured, at the same time Julian tossed a pair of the ugliest boots ever invented onto the table between them.
Alex glanced up. Had he heard her say she wanted to rip off his face? If he had, he hid it well. Maybe he’d already surmised how she felt. He might be annoying, but he certainly wasn’t stupid.
Instead of throwing the navy-blue rubber boots at his head, Alex put them on and followed him from the house. Perhaps if she fought him less, she’d feel like herself more. Couldn’t hurt.
“We need to talk,” he said.
“You couldn’t just say that?” She fell into step beside him. “You had to order me to come like your dog?” His forehead creased as if he had no idea what she meant. “Let me clue you in—some folks don’t like being told what to do as if they have no choice. However, if you ask nicely, at least pretend that they have the opportunity to refuse, they might agree with a lot less hassle.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Julian led her toward the center square, which now bustled with noise and activity. Snowmobiles rumbled—she’d yet to see any cars—store bells chimed, voices rose in greeting, to both Julian and Alex. Julian lifted a hand and returned every hello. Alex merely nodded. She wasn’t used to so many people knowing her name. Hell, she wasn’t used to anyone knowing her name.
They passed the café, which didn’t appear to have a name beyond eat—as evidenced by the neon sign in the window. A quick glance inside revealed every table full, with most of the patrons enjoying huge platters of steak and eggs.