Page 35 of That Rush

“Any man worth inviting into your bed would make sure you wanted him there.” His gaze drops to my mouth. “Then he’d listen when you told him what you wanted.”

The teasing drains from his voice, leaving something rougher behind. My thighs press together as the passage replays with Aiden’s hands, his mouth, his name.

“Confident,” I say.

“Experienced.”

“Arrogant.”

“You challenged real men.”

“I made an observation about them as a group.”

“I’m only interested in defending my part of it.”

The answer is too quick to be a line, and the lack of practice in it is what makes my breath catch.

Josie calls from the reading area. “Dad, can I get two?”

Aiden looks over the shelves. “You can get two.”

“Even though the sparkly one has no dragons?”

“I’m willing to be flexible.”

She beams and disappears behind her book again.

When Aiden turns back, his control is firmly in place, but I’ve already seen what exists beneath it.

He reaches toward my paperback. I hold it tighter.

“I’m not giving it to you.”

“I’m not taking it.”

His eyes settle on the cover long enough to read the title and author. He doesn’t say them aloud; he doesn’t have to for me to know he’s memorized them.

“Enjoy the rest of your research,” he says.

“Enjoy thinking about it.”

His mouth curves as he backs out of the aisle. “I already am.”

He collects Josie and heads toward the desk with her books, and the scene from Friday night returns uninvited: my hands above my head, his mouth, and the single, ragged sound of my name.

Chapter 5

Aiden

By Wednesday afternoon, I’ve checked the same mineral feeder twice and nearly walked into a fence post because I can’t stop turning Paige Whitaker over in my mind like a knot I can’t work loose.

The first mistake is annoying.

The second would have been embarrassing if Axel hadn’t been facing the other direction.

“Open the gate,” I tell him.

“I came over to drop off paperwork.”