She went for the response that would get her out of this situation the fastest, “Yep, got it. Right. Free my dog?”
He chuckled. “I wasn’t talking about dating.”
“I wasn’t interested in dating you.”
“Good. Because I don’t date. I fuck.”
Everyone except her. “Thank you for clearing that up.”
“I fuck women who know how to leave.” He narrowed his eyes, his head tilted as though gauging her level of understanding.
She understood. “Wow, impressed with yourself, aren’t you?”
“Has nothing to do with that; it’s the truth. Every woman I’ve fucked knows what’s what. There’s no emotion, just…fucking.“ He took a couple of steps toward her, his pose casual in contrast to his words. “Think you could handle that? Not get confused about the difference?”
Seriously, she wanted to disappear through the door and join Fred on the other side. But she held her ground. “I thinkyou’reconfused. I wasn’t looking for anything other than what those women got. I needed… something.”
“I’m not their therapist,” he said quietly, his voice a low churn of rocks. “I don’t care what it is you need to do to get yourself right, but you don’t use me to do it.”
She started to shake her head. “That’s not—”
“Isn’t it?” He took the final steps up to her.
With a stuttered gasp, she flattened herself against the door, staring at him, waiting for his next move andwantinghim to make a next move; irritated at herself for it.
“The thing with therapy, Day, is that you have to keep going back for more.”
She shook her head to deny it.
“And you aren’t the kind of girl who can walk away.” He tapped her sternum. “Not without feeling it here.”
Cassidy jumped at the contact. As though eager to prove his point, her pulse picked up, racing along. Her body was flashing hot and cold. His closeness, the aura of sex pouring from him and bathing her was in complete contrast to his words. Not knowing how else to respond to the swirl of dueling and contradictory sensations, she asked weakly, “Can I have my dog?”
“Just so we’re clear, it isn’t you. I’d fuck you into next week if I thought you could walk away.”
“So, it is me,” she deduced sarcastically. “Just so we’re clear.”
Mac’s lips tipped in the barest of smiles, his brown eyes amused while at the same time holding a certain derisiveness. “I’m saying you’re fuckable. Just. So. We’re. Clear.”
Cassidy had a crazy thought to test him on that as she stared up at him. Her entire body buzzed at his near-naked proximity, tingling with over-caffeinated enthusiasm to be touched. It wouldn’t take much, a slight shift forward, and she would be pressed against him instead of the door.Jesus, she was losing her mind.
She side-stepped instead, sliding away from him. “That’s not exactly a compliment considering everything is fuckable for you. Oh, except me.” She held up her hand to keep him from commenting. “Because I might fall in love with you and your awesomeness.”
Mac’s eyes narrowed. He raised the cup and took a sip of his coffee, scrutinizing.
“Fred,” she insisted, forcing a coldness into her voice her body wasn’t feeling.
After the span of a couple of heartbeats—or twenty for her, hers was pounding so quickly—Mac reached above the door and withdrew a skeleton key from the jamb. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, stepping aside, watching her. Fred bounded forward, barging into her as though he hadn’t seen her in years.
“Okay, okay, Fred.” She tried to calm his enthusiastically wiggling body.
She eased toward the screen door under Mac’s intense gaze. She pushed the door open and watched as Fred bounded through, ran down the steps, and bounced around in the yard. He knew he was going home. She paused, looking back at Mac. “You’re right. I came to you for something I needed for me. And I don’t know about the other women or their reasons—“
He cut her off. “Don’t care; don’t want to hear it.”
“No, you said your piece; I get to say mine,” she countered firmly. He looked away, but she continued, “I came toyoubecause you wouldn’t want anything from me.Youaren’t capable of anything more. You think I could fall for you? I’ve had my forever; I’ve had the love of my life. You don’t get that twice in a lifetime.
“I came to you because it was a guarantee I would not fall for you,” she informed him. “Everything you are, Mac, prevents it, and I was counting on that.”