Page 22 of Whispers and Wildfire
I choked back a laugh.
His tongue slid across his teeth. He’d always done that when he was mad. It was frustratingly sexy.
He uncrossed his arms, but despite his attempt to look nonchalant, tension snapped between us. “You aren’t getting under my skin, Mel. It’s not gonna happen.”
“What makes you think I’m trying to get under your skin?”
“I know you.”
My mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding me? I don’t know you because I left with my fancy husband. But you have the audacity to claim you know the first thing about my life?”
“No, I don’t.” His voice started to rise. “I don’t know anything about your life. How could I? I haven’t seen you in years. Which is fucking weird, because your family lives here and this town is so damn small, we trip over each other when we walk out the door. But whatever, people move on, that’s fine.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but he pointed a finger at my face and kept talking.
“But I do knowyou. And I know how much you love to get in my head and mess with me.”
“No, I don’t.”
He stood so fast his chair almost tipped backward. “Yes, you do. You waltz into my town, full of sass, and suddenly, I’m arguing with you over a seat in the bar. But it’s not happening. Not this time, Melanie. Not this time.”
He backed up a step, then turned and stalked out the door.
I blinked a few times. And people said I was dramatic.
Our little… we’ll call it an incident… had garnered the attention of the other Timberbeast patrons. Most of them turned back to their drinks once the door closed behind Luke. Rocco eyed me from behind the bar, but he didn’t say a word.
Theo tapped his stack of papers on the bar and clipped them into his clipboard. He tucked it under his arm and followed Luke outside.
Seething with frustration, I glared across the room at absolutely nothing. Who did he think he was? I didn’t mess with his head. If anything, he messed with mine. And sass? Okay, that was fair, I had an attitude. But he brought it out in me like no one else did. I hadn’t stolen his chair, and I certainly wasn’t trying to get under his skin.
But what made me really mad was how easily he was getting under mine.
CHAPTER 7
Luke
What the hellwas wrong with me?
I stalked out to my car, blood simmering with rage. All I’d wanted to do was chill out and have a beer after a long day. And there she was, sitting in my seat, taking up space in my bar. Antagonizing me just by existing.
What was it about her? If it had been anyone else in the world, I would have just pulled up another chair. No big thing. I was an easygoing guy. I could go with the flow.
Not when she was involved.
It had been the same when she’d almost hit me with her car. If that had been any other person, I would have made sure they were all right, then been on my way. No harm, no foul. But Melanie? The woman made me crazy.
I opened my car door but Theo’s voice made me pause.
“Dude, what was that about?”
“Nothing.”
“It looked like something.”
I turned to face him and gestured toward the bar. “She was in my seat.”
“You know how childish that sounds, right?”
