Every cell in my body locked solid.
I couldn’t move.
Couldn’t blink.
Couldn’t even take my next breath.
All I could do was watch Rett’s Adam’s apple slowly roll up his throat, hang there for a second, then roll back into place.
The sound of him taking a sharp inhale spurred the fire inside me.
It must’ve done the same for him since the hair on his arms rose along with goosebumps. His wide eyes, now locked with mine, were darker than normal since his pupils had dilated.
We remained frozen in place. Both of us in the doorway. Barely inches from each other. Only a slight gap between us. One move in any direction would have us touching again. One of us leaning in would be enough to press our bodies completely together.
He was too close.
Way too close.
Close enough to see his pulse pounding in his neck and his nostrils flare the slightest bit.
Close enough to pick up his scent.
To feel his heat.
To make out his nipples through the soft cotton of his T-shirt, hard enough to cut glass.
The air I’d been holding in my lungs rushed from me, my temples began to pound. My blood began to rush.
And as soon as my heart began to beat again, so much faster than normal, I said, “You have to go,” louder than I meant to.
Rett licked his lips and I followed the motion, finding myself wanting to do it for him.
Wanting to feel his lips.
Touch the short wiry hairs along his jawline and around his mouth.
Test the coarseness of his dark hair between my fingertips.
Sink my teeth into his wide shoulders, his neck, his…
What. The. Hell.
No.
No.
Absolutely not.
No fucking way.
I should not be having any kind of reaction to this man.
He was nothing but a pain in my ass.
He was already trying to wedge his way into my life. I needed to shove him back out.
I had no room for him.
Not as a friend. Not as…
Anything.
“Is something wrong?”
Now he was purposely being obtuse.
“Only that you’re still here,” I forced up my constricted throat. My heart was also still thumping out of control and pumping blood to somewhere it shouldn’t.
I did not want this man.
I did not need this man.
I only needed to convince my cock of that since right now, it was disagreeing with me.
We’d have to agree to disagree.
I waited for him to move out of the doorway to give us some much needed space. When he didn’t, when he continued to stand there with his lips parted slightly and his eyes locked with mine, I broke the visual contact and slipped past him, making sure we didn’t touch each other again, even by accident.
I finally could breathe when I reached the center of my cabin and had a few feet between us.
Keeping my back to him, I avoided seeing the interest in his dark brown eyes but listened to him moving past me, giving me a wide berth. When he finally came into view again, both he and Timber were standing by the door.
With his back to me, Rett hesitated with his hand on the door handle. He stood there for far too long. Like he was waiting for something. Or trying to remember something. Or even trying to figure out what to say.
Finally, with a small shake of his head, he opened the back door and stepped out onto the small porch.
Before he had a chance to shut the door behind him, I followed him and Timber outside to make sure he actually left the property and didn’t hang around lurking.
Then I remembered something he had said earlier.
Before I went inside to get dressed.
Before that touch…
Even though I would regret it, I asked it anyway because now I was more than curious. Especially since Rett hadn’t mentioned it again and he didn’t seem to be shy about saying whatever he thought should be said.
As Rett walked down the steps and toward his truck, I called out, “You mentioned something about a favor. What was it?”
He paused halfway to his truck and turned back to face me. His cheeks had some color in them, not from our touch, but now I think it was more from aggravation.
Most likely from me.
I didn’t care. It was better if he got sick of trying to win me over and left me alone. If he didn’t see that now, he would soon. I’d make sure of it. I couldn’t have what happened between us at the bookstore and now in my bedroom happen again.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Oh yes. The man was definitely annoyed with me. Or with his reaction to me. The same as I was with my reaction to him.
“Okay.” I shrugged, pretending not to give a shit about the favor. “Thanks for the signed books.”
I turned to go back inside and a strange noise coming from him made me stop and glance over my shoulder. When he didn’t say anything, I continued to head inside, but once again he made me pause.