“I didn’t say I slept with Holly. IsaidI slept in the bed. She took the couch.” He paid special attention to stirring the cereal in the bowl.
“What? Have I not taught you any manners?”
“I was joking when I told her the bed was mine. She left all in a huff with most of the bedding before I could stop her,” he explained.
“You probably scared her away.”
Scare Holly? She didn’t appear like a woman who scared easily. Last night, while leaving the guestroom, she looked ready to spit fire.
After he finished his breakfast, he went back to the guestroom to freshen up. Something gold caught his eye peeking from under the bed. Bending down, he pulled it out and a bra dangled from his fingers.
He shoved it into the pocket of his trousers. A memento of a little firecracker.
Chapter 7
“Where’s the damn bus?” Holly grumbled as she searched up and down the street and rubbed her arms to warm herself. She’d been waiting over half an hour. If it didn’t arrive soon, she’d have to consider walking to the train station and that was a trek she didn’t want to do with aching feet. And she wouldn’t get to pick up her luggage from Declan’s place.
A black BMW drove by, braked a little up ahead then reversed, pulling up in front of her.God, not another guy wanting a morning blow job. The tinted window slid down; the interior was too dark to see the driver. “Look, you pig. I’m not a prostitute so keep driving and go home to yourwife.”
The driver’s door opened. Shit! Was this some weirdo coming to knock her out and throw her in the boot? Just because he drove a luxury BMW didn’t mean he couldn’t be some kind of psychopath. Before she had the chance to kick off her shoes and bolt for her life, Ethan Doyle stepped out and walked around the car. Oh, hell. Maybe she’d still need to run for it, but not for her original reasons. Her heart thumped against her ribcage as she took in the sight of him.
He leaned on the side of the car and crossed his arms over his chest. A light, grey V-neck knit sweater moulded over firm looking muscles. “Getting a lot of offers this morning?” A mocking smirk played on his lips.
“Get lost.” She wished she had a better comeback. Witty comments disappeared when he was around. Even though Ethan Doyle was annoying, she had to admit standing in front of her like he was posing forGQmagazine, looking hotter than a man had the right to, turned her brain to mush.
He laughed but didn’t get back in the car. Instead asked, “Where are you headed?”
“Train station.” And her body gave an involuntary shudder.
“I’ll give you a ride,” he offered.
“No thanks. The bus should be here any minute.” Again, she checked up and down the street. “You shouldn’t park at a bus stop; you could get a ticket.”
“I’ll take my chances,” he said with another grin.
Right, he was rich and famous and could worm himself out of all kinds of trouble.
“I’m heading that way, it’s no bother. Besides, Mum is annoyed with me for making you sleep on the couch. She’ll skin me alive if she learns I’ve left you here in the cold.”
“It’s not that cold.” Then she shivered again.
He pushed off the car and leaned in the open passenger side window giving Holly a great view of his arse wrapped in tailored dark pants. Heat flushed her skin, burning off the chill.
He turned back to her and threw her a navy-blue knitted sweater, much like the one he wore. “Put that on before you freeze to death.”
“Thanks.” She wanted to refuse anything from him. It was too cold to be stubborn so she pulled it over her head, breathing in the faint scent of woodsy cologne. She stopped herself from burying her nose in the soft fabric and taking a deep breath.
“Come on, get in the car,” he urged.
Just as she was wrestling with the decision in her mind, a blue and white bus bustled up to the shelter, flashing its headlights. Holly assumed because the BMW was in its way.
“Thanks for the offer Ethan Doyle.” Maybe he wasn’t as bad as she thought. Either way, she needed to get away from him. She didn’t want him bringing up why she’d slept at his mother’s house. It was humiliating. “I’ll take the bus.”
* * *
When Ethan had spotted Holly at the bus stop a few minutes ago, it wasn’t a question whether or not to stop, his foot hit the brake before he could think. Damn her for getting under his skin. He’d personally put her on the train himself, if he could guarantee her safe return to where ever the hell she came from and purge her from his mind. Watching her board the bus was the next best thing.
Ethan put the indicator on to signal he was pulling out onto the road. Before he did, he glanced in the review mirror. Instead of the bus driving away with Holly in it, she stomped back down the steps, wearing a madder than hell expression.
