Page 21 of All for Love

I felt the heat creeping to my cheeks. “Oh, right. I didn’t realize that was the case.”

“I didn’t come here to talk about the appetizers.” He kept leaning against the wall, but something about his demeanor changed with the subject, his muscles stiffening as his gaze sharpened on mine. “I also didn’t come to talk about dinner.”

“Okay, but why did you ask if I was going, then?” I frowned, sitting back on my knees and looking up at him.

Ignoring my question, he pushed away from the wall and strode closer to me. “I have no intention of letting it out of the bag that we slept together.”

“Close the damn door,” I hissed at him. He rolled his eyes again and turned to go and do just that, and I stood up.

It’d occurred to me that with me kneeling with my hands on my thighs and him standing over me, I felt too submissive. Which wouldn’t have been a problem if I had any inclination of letting him dominate me, which I didn’t.

Dusting myself off, I stood tall with my shoulders pulled back and chin raised high as he turned and walked back to me. He smirked when he saw I was standing, giving his head a slight shake as he sighed. “There, the door is closed. It doesn’t change the facts, though. The point is that the last thing I need is for my father to find out I banged my stepsister.”

I balked. “Do you have to say it like that?”

He shrugged. “Fine. I don’t want my dad to know that I fucked my stepsister.”

I grimaced and hung my head. I can’t win with this guy.

“Mercedes?” he prompted.

I dragged in a deep breath before I lifted my head to look into those piercing blue eyes again. They were hard on mine, glinting with resolve and determination as he dipped his chin.

“So? Can we agree that we’ll be on our best behavior when the family is around?”

“You don’t need me to agree to that,” I said. “I always am.”

He scoffed. “Look, I’ve come to terms with the fact that you’re going to be there for family dinners, and holidays, and just about everything else going forward.”

“It’s about time,” I muttered.

He held up a hand to show me he wasn’t finished yet, and the amusement lighting his eyes told me I wasn’t going to like the rest of what he had to say. “Maybe it will make Thanksgiving a little more enjoyable this year. We can slip away to a room with a door that locks while the guests talk about the same old stuff.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Never again, Kody. I thought I’d been clear about that.”

His eyes remained on mine, the light in them not quite disappearing but that determination definitely taking over from the amusement. “You know what you have to do, then.”

“Yeah. Okay. I’ll agree to be civil.” I held my hand out toward his. “Shake on it?”

He nodded and slid his palm into mine, and I tried my best to ignore the sparks of pleasure I felt as soon as he touched me. “It’s a deal. Just don’t forget, Mercedes. Neither of us wants to deal with the drama that will ensue if they ever find out.”

With that, he let go of my hand, turned on his heel, and marched right back out of the file room, leaving the door wide open behind him. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought that it was symbolic. That he was letting me know that the proverbial door was open if I wanted to change my mind about a little Thanksgiving delight.

But I did know better. His offer wasn’t sincere and he’d left the door open without even thinking about it.

Now all I had to do was to stop thinking about it myself. Kody and I could never happen again and I didn’t want us to. But if that’s true, then why is my entire body begging for me to run after him, drag him back in here, and let me have my way with him on all these papers I’m supposed to be organizing?