“I don’t want you to.”
“I’m serious, Colton.”
He didn’t want to hurt her, he really didn’t, but he couldn’t let her think there was anything to wait for. He deliberately hardened his voice. “Goodbye, Cass.”
He raked his fingers throu
gh his hair with a deep, frustrated sigh as their taillights disappeared around the drive.
“That was ruthless.”
Colton spun around at the sound of Kendra’s voice from the shadows. He squinted to see her silhouette in the darkened corner. “How long have you been there?”
“Since I left the table. I needed fresh air.”
So she’d seen and heard it all. It bothered him that that bothered him. He walked over, leaned against the porch rail and crossed his feet at the ankles. “We had a casual relationship, nothing more—she knew that.”
“Sounds like she wanted more.”
“I never promised her anything more.”
“Casual sex,” Kendra said bluntly.
Lifting his shoulder, he repeated his words…and felt small. It annoyed him that after a few short weeks and a couple kisses, Kendra could make him feel bad for something he shouldn’t have to apologize for. Cassie had known what she was getting herself into—it’d been her damn suggestion!
“You’re just a casual guy, aren’t you?” Kendra slid off the rail where she’d been sitting.
Not liking the fact that she might think he slept around—because he didn’t—Colton reached a hand to catch her arm when she would’ve walked past. “I’d broken things off with Cassie before I met you.”
“So?” She pulled her arm free but didn’t move away. “We’ve known each other less than a month.”
“What does that have to do with it?”
“Time has everything to do with it. You go from Cassie to me and God knows who else in such a short period of time.”
He gave a short laugh. “That’s called dating. I’m twenty-six years old, what else would you suggest?”
“Do you sleep with everyone you date?” she asked, her tone ice cold.
“Have we slept together?”
“We’re not dating.”
“And even if we were, no, I don’t go around sleeping with every woman I date.”
“I really don’t care what you do,” she said with a haughty tilt of her nose and flip of her hair. “It’s not like any of it meant anything to me, either.”
Taken aback by her words, he didn’t like the feeling that followed. His ego immediately demanded he challenge her statement.
And there it was—that leap of his pulse and the kick of desire to his gut.
Chapter Fifteen
Kendra’s breath caught when Colton grasped her arm and pulled her close. Her hands rose to brace herself against his chest, and she found herself wedged between his strong legs.
“In that case, casual for you, casual for me…let’s enjoy.”
The full implication of his husky suggestion sent a tiny shiver of apprehension down her spine. Anticipation quickly followed. She needed to push away. She couldn’t do this—could she? His hands applied pressure, urging her closer, but without threatening force.