Fury on Fire (Devil's Rock #3)(59)

She hopped and yelped, flailing her hands as if that might ward off the stinging spray. It was strong enough to peel the skin back from her bones. “Stop!” Her gaze found North. North looking casual, his expression mild as he directed the hose at her house. As if it was the kind of thing he did all the time. “Turn it off!” She pointed to the motor parked behind him.

He obliged, moving to the motor and flipping it off. He turned a polite smile back on her. Half the volume decreased but there was still the music blasting from his house.

“What are you doing?” she shouted, blood rushing to her head.

“Just being neighborly. Was gonna power wash the driveway and house this evening like we talked about, remember?”

“Liar,” she hissed, her fingers flexing wide at her side, itching to take a swipe at his face. They had discussed no such thing!

She spotted Brendan, watching them uncertainly from inside her door. She must look like a woman about to come unglued—which would be an accurate assessment. She took a bracing breath, trying to compose herself.

“Would you mind doing it another time?” she asked between clenched teeth.

“Aw, won’t take but a little while to finish, and I’ve already started. You said tonight would be okay, remember?”

Her composure snapped. She stomped her foot. “No! I said no such thing! Stop lying! You’re doing this on purpose!”

“Doing what?” His eyes glinted. He was enjoying himself.

She marched closer and stabbed a finger in his chest. “Don’t act all innocent. You know what you’re doing! I know what you’re doing!”

“Uh, Faith?” Brendan stepped fully outside. “I think I’m going to go. It’s getting late and we have work tomorrow.”

Oh God. She must look deranged to him. She moved away from North and hurriedly blocked Brendan, waving her hands. “No. Don’t leave yet!”

Okay. That didn’t sound desperate.

She shot a look over her shoulder, catching North’s smug expression before it was masked again by a look of innocence. This was all his fault, damn him!

Brendan was talking now, but she barely heard a word over the roar in her ears. She only caught the gist of what he was saying. He had a good time, thank you, blah blah blah. He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’ll text you later. Enjoy that tiramisu.”

Then she watched helplessly as he walked down her driveway and got in his car. She stood there for a moment, her frustration and anger bubbling over.

Inhaling through her nostrils, she turned and leveled a glare on the man waiting behind her.

North stood there, arms crossed over his broad chest, looking calm and satisfied. Ready for her.

“You,” she growled.

He held up the hose. “So . . . you want me to finish the windows?”

She jabbed a finger at him. “Keep that hose away from my house. As a matter of fact, you stay away from my house.” He turned and glanced at the duplex, his sweeping gaze seeming to convey how hard that would be to manage when their homes were conjoined. She accused, “You ruined my date!”

“Did I?” he asked mildly.

“Don’t look at me like you don’t know.” She dropped her fists to her hips. “Don’t act like you didn’t do this on purpose.”

North scratched his jaw and glanced out at the street where Brendan had just beat a hasty retreat. A wave of defeat swelled over her. She followed his gaze. Fabulous. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be, but North had no business interfering.

He made a tsking sound. “I didn’t expect him to turn tail so easily. Honestly, Faith. You could do better.”

She saw red. “I agree.” Stepping forward, she shoved him in the chest. “So do me a favor. Stop interfering and let me find him.” For good measure, and because she was that mad, she shoved him again.

His features turned stony. “Don’t do that.”

“What? This?” She did it again, hoping to annoy him as much as he annoyed her.

He growled, “I said stop—”

“What are you going to do about it?” She stepped nearer, thrusting her face closer.

“You don’t know who you’re tangling with—”

“Oh, yeah? Show me,” she challenged.

He laughed roughly. “You’re a fool. It’s like you want to get hurt. Is that it?”

For a moment she actually considered what he was saying, but despite how mad she was at him right now, she had never been afraid of him. “I’m not an idiot. You won’t hurt me.”

He sobered. “Oh, baby. That’s what I do to people.”

She felt his voice like a feather stroking down her body. Crazy considering the words he was saying were not the least bit seductive. Shaking her head, her voice shuddered past her lips. “I don’t believe that.”

“No?” His hand shot out to circle the back of her neck, hauling her flush against him. “You’re f*cking wrong.” His thumb stroked her throat in tantalizing brushes. “That’s all I know . . . how to ruin things.”

She wet her lips. Glancing down, she stared at where their bodies were mashed together tightly. Close. Still not close enough. She wanted . . . she wanted.

His heart beat hard against her. She moistened her lips and before she could consider what she was doing, she said the words that popped in her head. “Then ruin me.”