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“There’s no food in the house.”
“I found a haunch of dinosaur in the freezer.”
“A what?”
“There was a big, wrapped something in the freezer. It’s defrosting. I’m assuming it’s some kind of meat. You must have forgotten it was there.”
Nick sighed. She wasn’t going to make this easy and he couldn’t blame her. He’d gone outside, spent almost an hour stomping around on a bum leg and a crutch, tackling chores in one outbuilding and then another, all to work off some anger.
Anger at himself, he’d finally realized, not at her.
Clomping back and forth on snow probably hadn’t been the smartest thing he’d ever done, but it had helped.
By the time he came inside and took a long, hot shower, he’d come to the easy-to-reach conclusion that he’d made an ass of himself.
So here it was.
Truth time.
“The only thing I’m sure I forgot,” he said, “is that I owe you an apology.”
Her expression hardened.
“We went that route already, remember? You and that apology for falling down.”
“Not that,” he said quickly.
“Not what?”
Jesus. She wasn’t going to make this easy. The woman took no prisoners. He had to admit, that was another thing he liked about her.
“I’m sorry for being such a fool last night.”
Color rose in her cheeks. She turned away and started for the front door.
“I don’t see any point in discussing last night.”
He moved fast, came up behind her and clasped her shoulders.
“What I said to you was—it was wrong.” He cleared his throat. “It was inexcusable.”
“Good. Fine. You’ve apologized. Now let go of me.”
He did just the opposite, his hands tightening on her as he turned her toward him.
“I know that what happened—what almost happened—didn’t have a damn thing to do with pity.”
Her face was scarlet, but her eyes were the color of ice on a high mountain lake. It was one hell of a contrast, and his gut knotted. That same hot rush of desire that had burned inside him last night flared to life again.
“I was a fool, Duchess. I was angry at myself and I let it out on you.”
“I’m not interested in hearing this. Last night is history.”
“I’ve never wanted a woman the way I wanted you.”
How could a lie—because, surely it was a lie—make her feel so good? The best thing to do was make it clear that she knew he was lying.
“I’m sure that line has been a winner for you before, Gentry, but it’s not gonna work this time.”
