Page 28 of Hearts at War

I swallowed back a groan.

Him?

Of all people, it had to be Roarke storming up close and catching me under suspicious circumstances.

That’s just my damn luck.

Chapter 10

Roarke

Heather.

She was the one who’d triggered my security alarms to notify me of a break-in.

Glaring at me from my front step, she tipped her chin up and didn’t cower.

You.

I strode up to her, angry and annoyed, but mostly, I was confused.

“You’re contradicting yourself,” I growled. “You claim to never want to see me again but here you are. Trespassing on my property.”

She already trespassed and invaded on my mind. Now this?

What gives?

She shook her head vehemently. “This isn’t your property,” she retorted. Crossing her arms, she stayed right where she was. She didn’t budge from her stance on my step. Craning her neck to face me, she sent her long, damp black waves to bunch up at the collar of her hoodie. The plush fabric looked thick and warm, but she still seemed cold, pale and shivering a bit.

“These cabins are the Grand River Ranch’s property.”

I mirrored her stance, smirking right back. “Oh, thanks for that clarification. I’ve only been living here for the past three years waiting for a ‘local’ to explain that to me.”

She narrowed her eyes slightly, almost seeming to rethink her next remark. “The fact stands that this isn’t yours.”

“I’m renting it,” I bit out.

“I didn’t know that.”

Of course, she didn’t. I was always out the door and headed to work at the ranch before she got up. I was gone before the damn sun was fully up. Whenever I drove home, either from working or stopping in town, I never saw her out and about at cabin number nine. I wasn’t stalking her, but seeing her car parked in the same spot at that structure was all the clues I needed to realize that was the one Todd let her stay in.

“You didn’t need to know that I’m renting this place.” I didn’t want to broadcast where I stayed. My privacy mattered a lot more than her need to know. I was grateful that these cabins were a hefty distance from Main Street and the heart of Burton, but Heather was the exception, staying so close by.

Simply put, I didn’t want any woman to have easy access to me. Not anymore after I was put through the wringer with my divorce.

“Why are you trespass—”

“I’m not,” she snapped.

I growled, gritting my teeth as I took a step closer. We shared the limited space on this stoop. There wasn’t a whole lot of room to move while avoiding the other’s touch. Inches remained between us as I seethed and glowered at her. Her breaths hit my chin as she kept hers up, her lips firm in a pissy line.

Face to face like this, we lacked any chance to glance to the side or seek a break from this sizzling antagonism. I was familiar with scorned women. I wasn’t scared of a furious female who looked like she was two seconds away from throttling me.

But for the first time, my irritation ceased and intrigue filled me.

Just what the hell is your damn problem with me?

And why do I care?