Be With Me(88)

“So says the woman who took off like a bat out of hel ,” he said dryly.

She raised her head and glared down at him. “And how would you know what I did?”

“Oh, let’s see. A, you’re just like me. And B, Cam left a somewhat frantic message on my cel phone saying you’d run off like a scalded cat again.”

“I came back,” she mumbled.

He moved his hand to her front and tucked a curl behind her ear. His expression grew serious. “Yeah, you did. Dare I read anything into that?”

“I don’t want to talk about me,” she said softly. “I want to talk about you. And Hutch.”

His eyes flickered and became blank. He shoved at her, and she fel to the side as he rol ed away from her.

“Nothing to talk about,” he said tonelessly.

“That’s where you’re wrong.”

He turned back to face her, his eyes swarming with intensity. If she didn’t know him so darn wel , she’d be pretty afraid right now. He bristled with power. It boiled off him like water from a hot radiator.

But she eyed him calmly, refusing to let him intimidate her.

“It won’t work. You’re going to sit here and listen to me or so help me I’l tie your ass to the bed. Then we’l see how much you like being at my mercy.” His lips lifted in a smirk. “I hate to break it to you, honey, but if that’s a threat? Color me not afraid. I can think of worse things than being at your mercy.” A warm buzz blew through her veins, and she trembled despite her determination to kick his ass into submission.

She moved forward again, getting into his face until they were nose to nose. “You’re going to listen to me, Sawyer. We’re going to talk about this. If you refuse, I’m gone.”

He blinked, and then his eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. “I don’t do ultimatums, Reggie.” Never make a threat you’re not wil ing to carry out.

It was a concept solidly ingrained from years of living with a father who was more bluster and hot air than flesh and blood.

Without a word, she backed off the bed, turned around and stalked out the door. Her hands shook, but this was too important. It wasn’t a bluff. How the hel could she stay here and try to make this work if he wasn’t wil ing to let down his guard around her?

She wasn’t taking this kind of shit from Hutch, and she sure as hel wouldn’t take it from Sawyer.

Dramatic? Yeah and she almost felt guilty because this so wasn’t her style. Wel , apart from the stomping off. But making idle threats or playing stupid mind games wasn’t her deal.

But Sawyer wasn’t someone you could calmly approach. He took drastic measures because he was every bit as pigheaded as she was. Probably more so.

She stalked into her room, threw the few changes of clothes into a duffel bag and started for the door.

Stil no sign of Sawyer. With a sigh, she thumped down the stairs. She was more than wil ing to leave and let Sawyer try and explain to Cam and Hutch why she wasn’t there.

She gripped the front door handle, and Sawyer stil hadn’t left his room. She knew because the house hadn’t shook yet with the force of a slamming door.

Maybe that could be her exit, but then she didn’t want to wake Hutch and Cam.

She walked outside and down the steps toward her RAV4. Her hand was on the door handle when she heard something that sounded remarkably like a bel owing bul . She barely had time to suppress her grin when she was lifted into the air and thrown over one bulky shoulder.

Sawyer stomped up the steps with her swinging behind him, her nose bumping his ass the whole way. He slammed the door behind him, and she winced. So much for not waking the guys up.

He looped an arm over her ass and then tossed her onto the couch. She landed with a thump, momentarily winded. Sawyer stood over her, a dark scowl on his face.

“What the f**k, Reggie? Since when do you pul shit like this?”

She raised her left eyebrow. “Excuse me? I’m not the one acting like an ass here. You haul me around like that again and I’l arrest you for assaulting a police officer.”

He bent down, placed his hands on either side of her legs and got into her face.

“Arrest me then,” he snarled.

She glared at him, and he glared back. Then she smacked her hands against his face with a little more force than necessary and yanked him to meet her kiss.

Hot and hungry. She was so hungry for him.

He kissed her back just as hard, just as forceful y.

He leaned her back until she hit the cushion, and he pressed her against the back of the couch.

Then he pulled away and stared at her with fierce determination. “You’re not going anywhere.” No, she wasn’t, but he didn’t have to know that.

“If you don’t talk to me, Sawyer, I’m going. I won’t stay here with you putting a foot of distance between us at every turn.”

He ducked his head away from her and swore.

Crude words even for him. She raised her eyebrows.

“Goddamn, Reggie. What do you want from me?” he said after his cursing streak was over.

“Everything,” she said with no hesitation. She didn’t wait for him to put her off again. She cupped his face with her hand and rubbed her thumb over the stiff bristle of his goatee. “He was wrong, Sawyer.

Hutch was way out of line. He had no right to say the things he said. You know it, and I know it. He knows it.”